Tonlé Sap in Cambodia reverses its flow twice a year, with the river flowing into the lake during the monsoon season. The lake is an important source of freshwater fish, but concerns are growing about overfishing due to the country’s growing population.
Tonlé Sap (also known as Tonlé Sab) is a lake and river system in Cambodia that has the unusual distinction of reversing the direction of its flow twice a year. During the dry season in Cambodia, the river flows from the lake to join the Mekong River. However, during the monsoon season, from around May to October, the Mekong swells with rainwater and pushes the water back into the lake. The lake can increase in size from about one meter (3 feet) deep during the dry season, to nine meters (30 feet) deep during the monsoon season. Tonlé Sap Lake is an important source of freshwater fish, producing approximately 300,000 tons each year.
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Most people in Cambodia depend on Tonlé Sap fish as their main source of protein.
Cambodia’s population is growing by almost 2% every year and the number of fishermen on the Tonlé Sap has grown by 38% in ten years. This rapid growth is fueling concerns that fish populations will be depleted.
Due to its economic importance and the way it swells each year, Tonlé Sap is sometimes called the ‘beating heart of Cambodia’.
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