Water in Boeung Pearaing Sanctuary Runs Dry, Threatens Fish Species
A combination of a prolonged dry season and the subsequent shortage of water have left Boeung Pearaing Bird Sanctuary dried up in Siem Reap, threatening the lives of fish and bird species. Photo from Boeung Pearaing Community.

Choeun Sreynoy 06/08/2021 10:03 AM (8 June2021)

PHNOM PENH--A combination of a prolonged dry season and the subsequent shortage of water have left Boeung Pearaing Bird Sanctuary dried up in Siem Reap, threatening the lives of fish and bird species.

More than 70 kilograms of fish were found dead on the water over June 3 and June 4, said Koung Moungkol, president of Boeung Pearaing Community, who added that low water levels and extreme heat were to blame.

The result, he noted, was that fish were dying and birds were migrating away from the sanctuary as its environment shifted. As such, Moungkol and others have dug temporary ditches to pump water into the lake and there have been no more fish deaths since.

“The level of water is really low at just around 0.1 meter so the fish can’t live in the hot water,” Moungkol said. “Our emergency response, with the support from the Provincial Department of Agriculture, is digging holes and getting more water in to [Boeung Pearaing] to help fish.”

However, the unseasonal heat and distinct lack of rain have both continued and Moungkol said he fears that these measures will only last a few days—what’s needed is rain.

Located some 8 kilometers away from the center of Siem Reap City, Boeung Pearaing has the total area of around 3,000 hectares including the surrounding flooded forest, but this shrinks to around 223 hectares during dry season. It is the main habitat for several hundreds of fish and bird species.
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