GNF - Data Tonle Sap Lake
 

Detailed Data - Lake Tonle Sap

 

Partner Living Lakes

Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT)

Partner Lake since

2010

State of protection

UNSECO Biosphere Reserve (since 1997)

Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve (since 2001)

Protected area

14,812 km² Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve

Size (Tonle Sap Lake)

2,500 - 3,000 sq. km [km²] in the dry season (November to March)

10,400 - 16,000 sq. km [km²] in the rainy season (May to October)

Length

160 km in the dry season (late April)

250 km in the rainy season (September, early October)

Water volume

1 km³ in the dry season

80 km³ in the rainy season

Maximum depth

20 m

Mean depth

1 - 2 m in the dry season

8 - 11 m in the rainy season

Sea level

0.5 m above sea level

Catchment area

80,000 sq. km [km²] Tonle Sap Basin

(44 % of Combodia´s total land area)

In-flows

primary: Tonle Sap River, Siem Reap River

Salinity

fresh water

Precipitation per year

1,000 - 3,000 mm, locally up to 4,000 mm

Completely frozen over

never

Location

Cambodia

Plants

200 species in the flooded forests

Birds

225 species

Mammals

46 species

Reptiles

42 species

Fish

296 species

Inhabitants in the lake area

1.2 mio. people live around the lake

32 % of Combodia´s people in the Tonle Sap Basin

Biggest problems

domestic sewage and pollution, overfishing, cutting of flooded forests, dam projects along the Mekong River, falling water level, climate change effects