SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741 inside Five myths CAMPUS • QU launches about the Computing Oscars Contest 2014 P | 5 P | 8-9 HOSPITALITY • Oryx Rotana hosts blindfolded ‘dinner in the dark’ Cambodia’s floating villages have adapted to the ebb and flow of Southeast Asia’s largest P | 6 lake for generations, but modernisation and a scarcity of fish are now threatening their BOOKS traditional way of life. • 10 best selling books: Academic Books & Test Preparation Guides P | 7 HEALTH • Doctors could do a better job of breaking bad news: Study P | 11 TECHNOLOGY • Man Utd ties up with Google to put faraway fans pitchside FLOATING P | 12 Learn Arabic • Learn commonly used Arabic words VILLAGES and their meanings P | 13 2 PLUS | SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014 COVER STORY Cambodia’s floating villages face uncertain future ambodia’s floating villages know how to plant rice. I wouldn’t — quite literally — by allowing their day. When there is strong wind I can have adapted to the ebb and know how to plough. It is really hard,” homes to float. only catch around one kilo, and then flow of Southeast Asia’s larg- Bunlim, 62, said while repairing his Yet as fish stocks start to disappear, I have to come back as I can’t lay out Cest lake for generations, but broken net. so too are the residents of the lake- my net. I can’t earn enough money to modernisation and a scarcity of fish Modern life has not passed them by top villages. “I can’t catch enough fish,” last me all day.” are now threatening their traditional completely — nowadays many people said fisherman Yorng Sarath, 25. The father of two said that once he way of life. have stereo systems, televisions and “If the wind is calm, I can catch has saved enough money he plans to Houses, schools, hairdressers and small motorboats. around five kilos (11 pounds) of fish a move to dry land to find work. even dentists — entire communities But they still mostly depend on bob around on the Tonle Sap, whose fishing or rowing around the village waters rise and fall dramatically with in canoes to sell food to earn a living. the seasons. The Tonle Sap is a source of suste- The huge lake, nourished by the nance and survival for more than one mighty Mekong river, is home to hun- million people living on or around the dreds of thousands of people eking out lake, which has at least 149 species of a simple — but for many rewarding fish, the Mekong River Commission — existence. (MRC) says. “Life in the floating village is much It transforms between the dry and better,” said fisherman Sok Bunlim, wet seasons, with the inundated area who was born and raised in the lake growing from about 3,500 square kilo- community of Chhnork Trou, where metres at its smallest to 14,500 square fleets of canoes and small motorboats kilometres at the height of the floods, ferry people around. according to the MRC, a regional The community of fishermen has intergovernmental body. been living atop the Tonle Sap since the The lake’s minimum depth rises time of their great grandparents, and from about half a metre in April to many older residents cannot imagine as much as nine metres in September any other life. and October. So people living on the “If we move onto land, I wouldn’t lake have to be ready go with the flow PLUS | SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014 3 ‘Young people prefer land’ better life on land, according to com- “We are working hard to improve The exact number of people living Life on the lake does move with munity leader Samrith Pheng. fish stocks,” said Nao Thourk, head of in the floating houses on the lake is the tides of time but many modern “In the past there were a lot of fish the Cambodian government’s fisheries unknown, but officials and activists say luxuries are hard to come by, and for so people wanted to live here. Now department, who estimates that about tens of thousands of families call the young people dry land can hold greater the fish stock is going down they can’t 1.5 million people fish on the Tonle Sap. bobbing villages home. appeal. depend on the fishing,” Pheng said. But illegal fishing — sometimes using Yet beyond fishing or running a Roughly 400 families — a fifth of the “The young generations such as my electrocution — remains a major cause shop, job prospects are scarce, and population children and grandchildren don’t want for concern. with growing demands for a good — have left to live in the floating villages anymore,” “If we look at the magnitude of education and better opportunities, the Chhnork Trou he added. the fishing offences today, we don’t traditional way of life could become a over the last The lake yields about 200,000 to expect fish stocks to increase,” said thing of the past. couple of years 218,000 tonnes of fish a year — nearly Om Sovath, executive director of “I can’t say what the future holds in search of a half of the total annual catch of inland the Fisheries Action Coalition Team for this floating community,” said fish for the whole of Cambodia, accord- (FACT), which promotes sustainable fisherman Bunlim. ing to a 2006 estimate cited by the resource management. AFP MRC. The exact number of More recent figures, as well as esti- mates of how much fish stocks have people living in the fallen, are hard to come by and much floating houses on the of the evidence is anecdotal. lake is unknown, but Conservationists warn that human population growth, habitat destruction officials and activists and upstream dams are also threats to say tens of thousands the lake’s fisheries and wildlife. In an attempt to prevent further of families call the depletion of stocks, the government in bobbing villages home. 2012 banned large-scale commercial fishing in the lake in a victory for local communities. 4 PLUS | SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014 CAMPUS QU launches Computing Contest 2014 atar University’s 7th instalment of its popu- lar annual Computing Contest was launched Qin a ceremony held recently. The event was attended by College of Engineering (CENG) Dean Dr Rashid Alammari, Associate Dean for Development and Industrial Relations Dr Saud Ghani, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department head Dr Sebti Foufou, Contest Committee head Dr Elsayed Sayed and members, and sponsor repre- participate and support events and activities that “They are tomorrow’s leaders and it is incumbent sentatives Snr Development Officer Abdulrahman contribute to Qatar’s National Vision 2030.” on us to lend our expertise in guiding them towards Sultan Darwish from Qapco, and Snr Machinery Al Nuaimi said: “Dolphin Energy is keen to inter- becoming professionals in the computer science and Reliability Engineer Omaer Al Nuaimi from Dolphin act with high school students whenever possible to engineering field,” he added. Energy. highlight the company’s latest activities. It also prides The first phase of the contest will include training Commenting on the contest, Dr Alammari noted itself on supporting important scientific programs workshops for teachers to be held on March 8 and 15. that it targets secondary school students to build that aim to develop practical and academic skills and Participating students will attend training sessions their awareness of the importance to the community provide the country with specialists from all fields in the coming weeks in the lead up to the closing of computer science and computer engineering as of engineering.” ceremony in May when winners will be announced, well as all engineering disciplines. Prof Foufou stated that the Computing Contest with first place receiving QR10,000 and a scholarship Darwish said: “It is a tremendous privilege for is considered one of the most important high school to study at CSE, and second and third place receiv- Qapco to sponsor this Qatar University initiative, initiatives to raise students’ awareness of various ing QR6,000 and QR4,000 respectively, Dr Sayed to be able to support the youth of Qatar and to con- scientific and engineering principles, and prepare explained. tribute to their education. Qapco is always keen to them to join QU and other academic institutions. The Peninsula A total of 135 students who demon- strated academic excellence have been given recognition on the fall 2013 Dean’s List at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. “I congratulate our students who have earned a place on the Dean’s List for their exemplary performance during the fall semester. These students have distinguished themselves through their academic excellence and strong work ethic. We are proud of them and their achievements,” said Ilker Baybars, dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. Forty-three seniors, 28 juniors, 29 sophomores and 35 freshmen made the list. Students were recognised across Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s majors in biological sciences, busi- ness administration, computer sci- ence and information systems. Over 100 students participate in museum education programme ver 100 students from Qatar’s The activities are part of the SEC’s independent schools attended newly developed Art curriculum, which Oa series of creative workshops is currently being piloted within grades designed in a collaboration between three and four at five independent the Supreme Education Council schools. (SEC) and Qatar Museums Authority “The new curriculum is unique (QMA). because it allows students to be crea- The week-long programme, created tive through engaging with arts and by Mathaf Education and the Museum artistic spaces,” said Haya Al Kuwari, of Islamic Art’s Education Centre, is Director of the Education Institute programme is not only educational at MIA they viewed two historic carved designed to connect students with in the SEC.