Cambodia’s New Dam Sparks Fears of Forest and Livelihood Loss

Mongabay

Cambodia has begun clearing more than 7,000 hectares of protected rainforest in the Cardamom Mountains to build a vast irrigation dam, triggering alarm among conservationists and riverine communities. The project, known as Irrigation Dam 2, is underway in Pursat province’s Kravanh National Park and will submerge nearly 4,000 hectares beneath its reservoir.

Officials claim the dam will reduce flooding and secure water for rice farmers downstream. But upstream villagers say they were not properly consulted and now face the loss of forest access, clean water, and traditional livelihoods. “We’re deeply saddened by the destruction,” said one resident of Rokat commune, who asked to remain anonymous. “This land could have been protected and developed for tourism.”

The Cardamoms are one of Cambodia’s last biodiversity strongholds, home to endangered species like the Sunda pangolin, Asian elephant, and pileated gibbon. Yet satellite imagery shows roads and clearings already carving through the forest, with construction ongoing since February.

The dam overlaps with the Samkos REDD+ carbon-offset project, which aims to preserve forest for carbon credits. But the REDD+ initiative has yet to be validated, and 1,800 hectares earmarked for conservation are now set to be flooded. Wildlife Alliance, which co-manages the REDD+ area, confirmed the deforestation and said it is monitoring the situation closely.

Environmental impact assessments appear incomplete, raising legal and transparency concerns. No company has been publicly linked to the dam, and officials from the Ministry of Environment have declined to comment.

Beyond biodiversity loss, experts warn of broader ecological consequences. A World Bank report estimates the Pursat River Basin’s forests provide $99 million in ecosystem services. Their degradation could increase erosion, reduce dry-season water availability, and shorten reservoir lifespans.

The dam is also expected to disrupt fish migration to Tonle Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater body, which relies on seasonal flood pulses. With 70 fish species dependent on the Pursat River system, the stakes are high for both nature and local communities.

-2025-09-11