Cambodia Seeks UNESCO World Heritage Status to Protect a Mekong Biodiversity Hotspot 
This potentially spectacular success story for global conservation could be derailed if a huge dam project gets the green light.
By Tom Fawthrop
December 28, 2022

A bold Cambodian plan to secure World Heritage status along their stretch of the Mekong, where the free-flowing river has sustained some of the world’s greatest biodiversity, could provide much-needed respite to a river in danger of dying from dams and over-exploitation, experts say.

In Phnom Penh, the Environment Ministry’s Under-Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra shared their plan to secure UNESCO world heritage recognition for all the rich biodiversity to be found along the long stretch of the Mekong from the Lao border to the province of Kratie over 200 km downstream. 

Marc Goichot, a freshwater resources and Mekong specialist for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), welcomed the selection of this site. “The wide variety of habitats along this part of the Mekong in Cambodia creates perfect conditions for wildlife to thrive, making this area a miraculous area for freshwater biodiversity,” he said. WWF is assisting in the preparation of the government’s application to UNESCO.

Goichot sees the UNESCO proposal as an exciting step forward for the conservation of the planet’s rivers. “The planned Mekong World Heritage site would play a key role in protecting the planet’s biodiversity” because the selected site includes “95 deep pools that provide refuge for migrating fish and a spawning habitat for globally important critically endangered species including, Irrawaddy dolphins, giant stingrays and giant catfish.” 

“Securing UNESCO recognition will also help protect 40 endangered species on ICUN’s red-list, in one of world’s best areas of biodiversity opening a new chapter in wild-life conservation in Cambodia,” Neth Pheaktra enthused. 

Cambodia is already home to three heritage sites, including the legendary Angkor Wat and one natural heritage site, the successful U.N.-backed biosphere reserve and the bird sanctuary site on Tonle Sap, the biggest inland lake in the region. 

UNESCO experts in Phnom Penh expect that an application to add a biodiversity conservation zone along the Mekong as a natural heritage site would be fast-tracked, given that it could bring about an immense contribution to implementing agreements reached at COP15 of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. 

Kampi village, just outside the town of Kratie, lies along a stretch of the Mekong best-known for its dolphin-watching and ecotourism activity. The area also ranks as one of the world’s richest biodiversity spots and is a sanctuary for many endangered species. WWF has listed over 411 fish species resident here (out of 11,00 for the whole Mekong River), along with 281 bird species and 46 reptile species. 

Apart from the 92 surviving Irrawaddy dolphins, wildlife experts were excited by the rarely-seen giant stingray landed by fishermen in 2022, a giant that mostly hangs out in the deepest pools of the river.

Zeb Hogan, head of the Wonders of the Mekong project, said the stingray captured in 2022 was a reminder of the ecological importance of the stretch of the Mekong around Stung Treng, which is “emerging as the last refuge of many species of iconic aquatic megafauna,” including the Irrawaddy dolphin, softshell turtle, and giant barb. Photo Credit: Wonders of the Mekong team, Cambodia

Good News and Bad News
The good news – that so many endangered species may finally get the protection they deserve – has unfortunately been marred by some bad news. This potentially spectacular success story for global conservation could be derailed if a huge dam project lurking on the horizon, and being promoted by Cambodian tycoon Okna Kith Meng, ever gets the green light to go ahead. 

While the Ministry of Environment had been mapping out its plans to better protect one of the few undammed areas left on the Mekong, Okna Kith Meng – the chairman of the Royal Group, which built its fortunes from real estate, telecommunications, and partnering with international investors – has quietly secured permission from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to carry out a feasibility study to revive the controversial Stung Treng dam. 
Read on: https://thediplomat.com/2022/12/cambodi ... y-hotspot/