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Flood Risk for 1 Million in Phnom Penh as Wetlands Destroyed

Reuters

   BANGKOK - More than one million people in Phnom Penh face the risk of
   increased flooding and loss of livelihoods as wetlands in the Cambodian
   capital are destroyed to build apartments and industries, human rights
   groups warned on Monday.

   Developments - including the ING City township - will reduce
   theTompounwetlands to less than a tenth of its 1,500 hectares
   (5.8sqmiles), and lead to the eviction of more than 1,000 families who
   live on its edge, activists said in a report.

   It would also impoverish thousands of families who farm and fish in the
   wetlands in the city of 1.5 million people.

   "The wetlands sustain local communities and play a vital role in Phnom
   Penh's waste management and flood prevention," said the report from
   Equitable Cambodia, LICADHO, the Cambodian Youth Network and land
   rights groupSahmakumTeangTnaut(STT).

   "Millions of Cambodians will likely be affected by the potentially
   devastating impacts of destroying the wetlands."

   Phnom Penh, situated on the banks of the Tonle Sap, Mekong
   andBassacrivers, is already highly vulnerable to floods, particularly
   in the rainy season from June to October.

   Lakes and wetlands such as floodplains, mangroves and marshes regulate
   water flow,minimizeflooding, purify water and replenish groundwater,
   said Diane Archer, a senior research fellow at the Stockholm
   Environment Institute in Bangkok.

   "City authorities shouldrecognizewetlands as an important resource to
   be protected and integrated into the urban environment," she told the
   Thomson Reuters Foundation.

   "Yet in many cities, expansion takes place without the necessary
   enforcement of urban planning or in-depth environmental impact
   assessments," she said.

   Across rapidly expanding Asian cities, demand for land for housing and
   office blocks has put greater pressure over land.

   Cambodia has endorsed the international convention on wetlands
   protection, yet about half its wetlands have disappeared over the last
   15 years, according to conservation group Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
   (WWT).

   In Phnom Penh, 15 of 25 lakes have been infilled, with about a third of
   theTompounwetland infilled so far, STT said.

   Dredging the more than 100 milliontonsof sand needed for infilling
   poses added risks to communities and the environment, saidEangVuthy,
   executive director of Equitable Cambodia.

   "Given that millions will be affected, in-depth studies and public
   consultations are needed," he said.

   A spokesman for the government said the reclamation was necessary for
   the city's development, and that an environment impact assessment had
   been done.

   "A canal is being built to divert excess water, and there is a
   wastewater treatment plant. Some relocations are necessary, but they
   have been given ample time to move," said Phay Siphan.

   In Phnom Penh, nearly 4,000 families were evicted in 2007-08 from their
   homes aroundBoeungKak- "boeung" is lake in Khmer - as it was filled in
   for a business district.

   Authorities must nowprioritizepublic interest, said Vuthy.

   "A balanced model that protects the rights of people and the
   environment with urban development is possible, but only with
   meaningful consultation and research," he said.

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