The Tonlé Sap (Khmer for “Large Fresh Water River,” but more commonly translated as “Great Lake”) is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia. The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, an ecological hot spot designated by the United Nations as a “biosphere” site in 1997.
The Tonlé Sap is unique for two reasons: its fl ow changes direction twice a year; and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia’s dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year’s heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.
Read More in Cambodia Insight Website on Issue 5 Page 34.
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