Journey along Cambodia’s beating heart
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FLOODS often translate into losses but here on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, they are a blessing. They herald a rich harvest for nomadic fishermen.
The annual cycle of floods turns the lake into one of the world’s most productive freshwater ecosystems. Each year, the lake yields about 300,000 tonnes of fish.
During the monsoon, the lake swells as much as five times compared with its dry season size, providing fresh fishing grounds. When the water recedes, the land is rich with silt deposits and floodplain vegetation blossoms.
More than one million people, including the nomadic fishermen, depend on the natural resources of the lake. The lake is fondly known as ‘Cambodia’s beating heart’. – January 3, 2018.