Angkor Wat is a UNESCO world heritage site and a well-known tourist attraction to many around the world. It was once the centre of the ancient Khmer kingdom and has overtaken Pompeii as the 8th wonder of the world.
Over 2.5 million people visit the site every year, but the Angkor Park is much more than a tourist attraction: to people living there today, it’s home. Extending over 400 square kilometres it can be a surprise for some to learn that thousands of people still live in this area today. Some residents even having ancestors that date back to the Angkor empire.
Located in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, Angkor is a site of great archaeological and cultural importance. Not only are thereover 70 ancient temples in the park but also complex systems of basins, dykes, reservoirs and canals – many of which are being restored by Live & Learn’s Angkor Water Resilience (AWR) Project.
The excavation of one of Angkor’s many heritage canals
The Angkor Water Resilience Project, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is working with the APSARA National Authority in Cambodia’s Angkor World Heritage Site to effectively manage water resources to enhance the resilience of communities that live within and around Angkor Park.
The effects of climate change are taking its toll on the Angkor Park and those who live there. The intensity of droughts in the dry season have increased, while flash flooding is becoming more common in the wet season. The restoration of heritage canals hopes to change all this, making villages within the Angkor Park safer and more resilient for the future.
The AWR team showing off progress at one of the newly restored canal excavation sites
AWR Project Manager, Sim Kong, says, ‘The existing villager who lives here for a long time, many generations, are part of the heritage. They don’t know they themselves are part of Cambodia’s heritage. ASPARA and other authorities need them to be aware and motivated to get involved in heritage protection. This project is significant, to show that we take care of local villages who live here a long time. We want them to see benefits of living in the park.’
Three canals and a spillway are currently being constructed as part of the AWR project. Ancient dyke restoration will serve local inhabitants of the park by reducing flooding in the wet season. Diverting water from villages into the canal. In the dry season this water can be used to irrigate rice fields and support crop production even in times of drought. Live & Learn Cambodia has combined heritage restoration and protection with climate change adaptation.
Ancient Angkor temples
Kong goes onto say, ‘What we build will reduce the flood and drought. This is important. The positive change will show that there are many benefits for farmers here. There are many more canals and dykes to restore. Hopefully we can engage other stakeholders and donors to improve the water ways so we can get better water access and protect our heritage.’
Soil dug out of the canals, as they are restored, will be used to build a road that runs alongside the canal. The roads will be lined with fruit trees, their produce available for villages to use. The AWR project will benefit Angkor communities in a number of ways, including improved water management and climate-resilient farming training for farmers. Stay turned for more updates on the AWR program!
The Angkor Water Resilience Project is a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade initiative, implemented by Live & Learn Environmental Education in partnership with the APSARA National Authority.
