Map of Tonl  Sap, Cambodia showing the extent of fires in 2019 on lands previously inundated on a seasonal basis.

Description

Tonle Sap in Cambodia is the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Every year during the wet season, it floods and is then partially drained by seasonal “pulses” which occur when the flow of water between the lake and the Mekong River changes direction. During the wet season, many of the lake’s 200 fish species move into the adjacent, newly flooded forests and grasslands to breed and spawn. As a result, this ecosystem supports one of the world’s most productive inland fisheries and is Cambodia’s primary protein source.