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While the eastern side of Tonle Sap is still dictated to by a life on the water , it ’ s a hugely different feel as many choose to stay rooted to the earth despite being many metres above it .
Kampong Khleang , just 55 kilometres from Siem Reap , is the largest village in the area , amazingly 10,000 people live amongst the stilts and rising waters . With that comes the many problems of ‘ urbanised ’ living and a modern world of plastics and consumable goods . Pollution is evident around the waters of Kampong Khleang , plastics have taken the place of biodegradable natural items . That ’ s had flow on effects to the wildlife , fish numbers are reducing and those caught are witnessing a decline in size .
Waterborne mammals are also struggling , numbers have reduced dramatically and dolphin pods moving away to small areas where they find little pollution .
The pollution is a problem for the people of villages like Kampong Khleang and since the lake was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status for its ecology great attempts have been made by the government and international NGO ’ s to provide a way of clearing the pollution through environmental acts as well as education programs for the people . Making our way through the village waterways on board a boat that spent most of its time being repaired we glimpse the efforts being made to clean the giant waterway as people rummage in the shallows ,
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