Abstract
By examining diverse water-related tension and conflict situations from the Tonle Sap area of Cambodia, the article seeks to contest the view that water-related conflicts are always about water scarcity. Tackling different dimensions of water-related conflicts, the three cases studied here all point to the importance of social, political, and historical aspects in water-related resource management. They also indicate that the water and resource conflicts in Tonle Sap are strongly related to problems with existing property and access rights. Challenges of access to and control over resources, rather than changes in the abundance of water and related resources, have lead to increasing tensions in the area.
Highlights
The past decade has seen increasing discussion on water-related conflicts, water crises, and even water wars.1 This discussion has ranged from possible types of water-related conflicts to their scales, with a heated debate on whether conflicts will be more likely to occur within or between countries
Rich in natural resources,3 Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia when measured in monetary terms: its GNI per capita in 2005 was estimated to be a mere $380.4 The majority of its population is deeply dependent on common natural resources for their livelihood, with rice and fish forming the most important livelihood sources
Since the early 1990s, Cambodia has faced the challenges of multidimensional transition, shifting from long years of war to peace, from single-party politics toward democracy, and from command economy to market economy
Summary
The flood plains surrounding the Tonle Sap support local people in many ways; a large variety of flood plain products provide food, traditional medicine, firewood and income for villagers, and flooded forests provide shelter for floating villages during the floods. The reduction of flooded forest area would mean loss of livelihood sources for a significant number of people, both due to loss of flooded forests per se and due to consequent negative effects on aquatic production.. The reduction of flooded forest area would mean loss of livelihood sources for a significant number of people, both due to loss of flooded forests per se and due to consequent negative effects on aquatic production.26 These are likely to result in increased pressure on other natural resources as more people would rely on fewer remaining resources. Increased water development in other Mekong countries would cause negative effects for the ecosystem and livelihoods of the Tonle Sap flood plain and potentially fuel additional water- and resource-related conflict in the area
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