United Nations UNEP/GEF South China Sea Global Environment Environment Programme Project Facility “Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand” National Reports on Wetlands in South China Sea First published in Thailand in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme. Copyright © 2008, United Nations Environment Programme This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publicationas a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. UNEP/GEF Project Co-ordinating Unit, United Nations Environment Programme, UN Building, 2nd Floor Block B, Rajdamnern Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Tel. +66 2 288 1886 Fax. +66 2 288 1094 http://www.unepscs.org DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of UNEP or the GEF. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP, of the GEF, or of any cooperating organisation concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, of its authorities, or of the delineation of its territories or boundaries. Cover Photo: A vast coastal estuary in Koh Kong Province of Cambodia. Photo by Mr. Koch Savath. For citation purposes this document may be cited as: UNEP, 2008. National Reports on Wetlands in the South China Sea. UNEP/GEF/SCS Technical Publication No. 13. United Nations UNEP/GEF South China Sea Global Environment Environment Programme Project Facility NATIONAL REPORT on Wetlands in South China Sea CAMBODIA Mr. Koch Savath Focal Point for Wetlands Department of Nature Conservation and Protection, Ministry of Environment 48 Samdech Preah Sihanouk Tonle Bassac, Chamkarmon, Cambodia NATIONAL REPORT ON WETLANDS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA – CAMBODIA Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................1 2. COASTAL WETLAND ECOSYSTEM.............................................................................................1 3. CURRENT WETLAND SYSTEMS ..................................................................................................2 3.1 WETLAND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.............................................................................................2 3.2 COASTAL WETLAND TYPES .........................................................................................................3 3.2.1 Marshes.............................................................................................................................3 3.2.2 Swamps.............................................................................................................................3 3.2.3 Peatlands...........................................................................................................................3 3.3 INTERNATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT WETLAND SITES ..........................................................................4 3.3.1 Brackish Water Wetland Sites...........................................................................................4 3.3.2 Marine Wetland Sites ........................................................................................................4 4. WETLAND REOURCES AND ECONOMIC VALUATION..............................................................6 4.1 COASTAL WETLAND RESOURCES.................................................................................................6 4.2 ECONOMIC VALUATION OF WETLANDS .........................................................................................7 5. CAMBODIAN DATA AND INFORMATION ON WETLANDS ........................................................9 5.1 GENERAL DATA ..........................................................................................................................9 5.2 INFORMATION RELATED TO WETLANDS ......................................................................................10 5.3 MAPPING DATA RELATED TO WETLANDS....................................................................................10 6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................................11 REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................12 List of Tables and Figures Table 1 Relationship between Shrimp Farm Productivity and Age Table 2 Price of Charcoal Production from 1997-2000 Table 3 Direct Use Value per ha of the Mangrove by the Local Populations Table 4 Indicative Economic Value of Major Coastal Ecosystems Table 5 Total Value within the Three Wetland Sites per Year Figure 1 System for the Classification of Wetlands Figure 2 Description of the Classification of Wetland Systems Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand NATIONAL REPORT ON WETLANDS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA – CAMBODIA 1 1. INTRODUCTION The Kingdom of Cambodia is rich in wetland environments. Over 30 percent of the country is considered wetlands (according to the wetlands inventory and management project). Following internationally accepted criteria for wetland identification (defined by the Ramsar Convention) over 20 percent (36,500km2) of the country may be classified as wetlands of international importance. This represents over five percent of Asia's total area of wetlands of international importance. Wetland areas support rice and fish production – the primary sources of food for the vast majority of the population and currently Cambodia's most economically productive sectors. Fish and fish products are the single most important sources of protein for the Cambodian population, representing 75 percent of the animal protein intake. Wetlands provide nutrient-rich and sheltered habitats for fish (breeding, spawning and nursery areas or habitats for adults) and therefore they play a central role in the supply of animal protein in Cambodia. Agriculture is supported by water from wetlands. Wetland water may be stored for use in the dry season or withdrawn for irrigation purposes. Other economic activities utilizing wetland resources include aquaculture, tourism, inland transport, and energy (hydro- electricity). Wetlands serve a wide variety of ecological functions that support economic activities or are of economic value. In addition to supporting agriculture and fisheries, they play a vital role in maintaining the water cycle and protecting inland areas from flooding. Coastal wetlands act as barriers against storm surges and protect the coastline from erosion. Many wetlands are important as filtering systems - cleaning up polluted water and removing silt, encouraging plant growth, and further improving water quality. Cambodia's wetlands are important sanctuaries for birds and other species of wildlife not commonly found in other countries in the world. They are also important for research and educational purposes. 2. COASTAL WETLAND ECOSYSTEM The Cambodian coastline extends along 435km of some of the least populated areas in all of tropical Asia. The coastal region features a number of closely interrelated ecosystems, embracing beach forest and strand vegetation, mangroves (including a Melaleuca dominated swamp forest referred to as "rear mangrove,” estuarine ecosystems, seagrass, coral reef and the unstudied marine ecosystems of the gently sloping, relatively shallow seabed (only 80 meters of water depth at the outer limit of the 200 nautical mile Executive Economical Zone), and of the water column above. Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water that are connected to the sea and in which salt water is diluted by fresh water from land drainage. Estuaries are often highly productive areas due to the nutrients they receive from the land and the sheltered environments that they provide. The major estuarine areas in Cambodia occur in the region around Koh Kong province and near Kampot province. The Stung Koh Pao and Stung Kep estuaries are recognized as wetlands of international significance. Both rivers originate in the Cardamom range and discharge their flow into Koh Kong Bay. The Bay is protected from southwest storms by the large island of Koh Kong. The estuarine system is "a complex of channels and creeks, low islands, mangrove swamps, tidal mudflats and coastal lagoons.” Mudflats occurs when sediment settles out of the water due to a decrease in current and/ or wave action. Mudflats are often associated with estuaries, but also occur in low-energy, coastal environments, such as in large bays or in the lees of islands. They are commonly continuous with mangrove areas. Mudflats can be very productive system as a result of nutrients recycling through the sediments. Typically there are high diversities of invertebrates living in and on the mud, and as a result, the mudflats provide rich feeding grounds for vertebrates such as fish and waterbirds. Mudflats adjacent to the mangroves and in natural mangrove streams are exploited for cockles, although this is generally an unrewarding activity practiced only by those with no alternative form of income. The productivity of estuaries and mudflats is threatened by pollution from