Visit of His Excellency Thor Chetha, Chairman of the Tonle Sap Authority, and His Excellency Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China, to the Tonle Sap Area in Siem Reap Province
On March 18, 2025, His Excellency Thor Chetha, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology and Chairman of the Tonle Sap Authority, accompanied by His Excellency Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China, and a delegation, visited the Tonle Sap area in Siem Reap Province. The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, the Tonle Sap Authority, the Deputy Governor of Siem Reap Province, provincial administrative officials, representatives from the Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, local authorities of Siem Reap Municipality, and community members.
During the visit, the delegation inspected the Kampong Thkov Hydrological and Meteorological Station in Kralanh District, the Baray Teuk Thla Reservoir, and the Tonle Sap Lake in the floating village of Chhnok Tru, Siem Reap City. His Excellency the Minister and Chairman of the Tonle Sap Authority warmly welcomed His Excellency Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China, and highlighted the importance of hydrological and meteorological stations for Cambodia in receiving and transmitting data, monitoring, managing water resources and weather, and effectively managing flood disasters. This information is shared and disseminated to the public. His Excellency also emphasized the significance of the Tonle Sap Lake as the cultural heart of the Khmer nation and its benefits in water resources, eco-tourism, the environment, and national resources. Fish, for example, are a source of protein that supports human health and the national economy. The flooded forests around the Tonle Sap Lake play a crucial role in protecting the lake from drying up, preventing siltation, pollution, and toxins from upstream development areas, which negatively impact water quality, the environment, and the health of the lake, posing risks to humans, animals, plants, biodiversity, and the ecosystem.
During this visit, His Excellency the Minister of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China and the delegation expressed strong interest in the importance of data collection, management of hydrological and meteorological data, water inflow and outflow volumes of the Tonle Sap Lake. His Excellency praised Cambodia for its invaluable heritage, including its culture, traditions, the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, the Baray Teuk Thla Reservoir, and the Tonle Sap Lake, which is surrounded by flooded forests that thrive during the long rainy season.
Please also note that His Excellency the Minister of Water Resources of the People's Republic of China pledged to strengthen cooperation with the Tonle Sap Authority and the Ministry of Water Resources of Cambodia through the Embassy of the People's Republic of China and institutions under the Ministry of Water Resources of China. This cooperation aims to protect and sustain the Tonle Sap Lake, similar to the efforts to manage Lake Taihu in China. His Excellency also recommended that the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) and the Nanjing Research Institute of Hydrology and Water Conservation Automation (NIHWA) continue collaborating with the Tonle Sap Authority to study the needs for additional equipment and technical support in the Tonle Sap Basin (including its 11 major tributaries) and to train human resources capable of maintaining, repairing, and managing hydrological data. This includes studying the cycle of flooded forests and sharing experiences on planting flooded forests in the Tonle Sap Lake, which could be applied to Lake Taihu in China.
