Nature in Cambodia

Cambodia's main natural landscapes include the Tonle Sap Lake and floodplains, seasonally flooded rice fields and grasslands, the Mekong and 3S rivers, the Cardamom and Elephant Mountains, the Dangrek range, the Eastern Plains, coastal and marine areas, mangroves, islands, karst landscapes and caves. The Tonle Sap flood pulse can expand the lake's area by about five times and supports wetlands, fisheries, farming systems and wildlife. The Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve has been part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme since 1997, covers 1,483,339 hectares and includes three main habitats. No single authority manages every aspect of nature. The Ministry of Environment and its General Department of Nature Conservation and Protection manage natural protected areas, biodiversity, zoning and enforcement. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries works through the Forestry Administration and Fisheries Administration on protected forests, fisheries, fish sanctuaries and Community Fish Refuges. The Ministry of Tourism supports community-based ecotourism, while provincial and local administrations, local communities and indigenous communities participate in implementation and management. Protected areas use different zones. A core zone has the highest level of protection. A conservation zone protects natural values while allowing traditional use only under applicable rules. A sustainable-use zone can permit approved resource use, and a community zone or Community Protected Area supports local management under a management plan. Cambodia's Law on Natural Protected Areas from 2008 recognizes customary access and use by local and indigenous communities, particularly in conservation and sustainable-use zones. Customary use does not create unrestricted ownership: extraction must comply with the zone, management plan and any required permit. A Community Protected Area agreement can last for up to 15 years and does not create a land title or permit sale, lease, subdivision or transfer of the managed area. Protected-area management plans are reviewed at intervals of no more than five years under the Environmental Code. The Ministry of Environment reported 76 Natural Protected Areas in 2024, covering more than 7,000,000 hectares. The reported categories included 11 wildlife sanctuaries, 14 national heritage parks, 14 protected landscapes, 10 multiple-use areas, 9 national parks and 2 marine national parks. Cambodia also had 5 Ramsar Sites covering 85,235 hectares. These figures should be read with the reporting year and legal definition because administrative protected-area totals and international designations do not fully overlap. Older national baselines and surveys recorded more than 135 mammal species, 599 bird species, 173 reptile species, 72 amphibian species, 955 freshwater, marine fish and other aquatic species, and more than 4,500 vascular plant species. These counts are not live population estimates and are uneven in date and taxonomic coverage. Priority species and habitats include the Asian elephant, Siamese crocodile, Giant Ibis, White-shouldered Ibis, Sarus Crane, Mekong Giant Barb and Irrawaddy Dolphin. Habitat loss and fragmentation, logging, hunting and trapping, wildlife trade, illegal fishing, hydropower, land conversion, plantations, mining, invasive alien species and climate change place pressure on these species and ecosystems. Freshwater fisheries provide food and livelihoods for many communities. Fisheries Administration data from 2022 listed 893 Community Fish Refuges, of which 596 were formally recognized. The same portal recorded 429 highly effective refuges, 233 management plans, 629 management committees and 5,363 committee members, including 1,020 women. Reported refuge areas covered 315,197 hectares in the dry season and 327,691 hectares in the rainy season. Access depends on the site, zone, registration and management plan; traditional use does not permit illegal fishing methods, encroachment or extraction outside the applicable rules. Nature-based recreation includes trekking, birdwatching, boating, kayaking, waterfalls, caves, homestays and nature interpretation. Community-based ecotourism sites include Prek Toal, Virachey, Yeak Laom, Osvay, Preah Rumkel, Chi Phat, Chambok and Thmatboey. Communities may receive income and conservation incentives, while ecotourism permits or contracts and prior consultation can apply. There is no single national entrance price: each site may set its own guide, boat, homestay, entrance and seasonal arrangements under the applicable inter-ministerial tariff rules. An official local example at Prek Thnout listed a 3 US dollar entrance fee per person, a 3 US dollar group guide fee for up to 10 people and a 3 US dollar meal fee, but current prices and availability require local verification. Rainy-season conditions can make trails and boat access more difficult. Floods, droughts, storms, forest fires and changing rainfall or water levels affect nature through habitat, species and livelihood impacts. The National Council for Sustainable Development's data portal records commune-level vulnerability for floods, storms and droughts. Nature-focused responses include protecting wetland and floodplain connectivity, restoring habitats, improving watershed management, preventing fires and supporting climate-resilient livelihoods. The Ministry of Environment's Department of Environmental Education and Communication supports biodiversity awareness. Cambodia's 2016 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan calls for communication, education and public awareness, biodiversity research, taxonomic and status reporting, training and the inclusion of biodiversity in curricula. Practical learning can involve protected-area interpretation, ranger or community guides, bird and wildlife monitoring, and university or nongovernmental organization partnerships. Cambodia has no single national visitor-education credential or universal booking system for these activities. Conflicts commonly arise between conservation and land occupation, agriculture, plantations, mining, infrastructure, logging, wildlife trade, hunting, fishing, aquaculture, irrigation, hydropower and tourism access. Consultation, zoning, management plans, environmental impact assessment, prior approvals and coordination between the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and subnational authorities can shape the lawful solution. Tourism income must be balanced against disturbance, while fishing access must be balanced against fish migration and floodplain functions.