Botum Sakor National Park
Botum Sakor National Park | |
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Koh Kong Province, Cambodia | |
Nearest city | Sihanoukville |
Coordinates | 11°06′56″N 103°14′59″E / 11.11553035°N 103.24969205°E |
Area | 1,825.85 km2 (704.96 sq mi)[1] |
Established | 1993[1] |
Governing body | Cambodian Ministry of Environment, Department of Nature Conservation and Protection |
Botum Sakor National Park is the largest
The landscape
The majority of Botum Sakor National Park’s area comprises gently sloping lowland, covered by evergreen woods and
Wildlife
Botum Sakor National Park has a very rich and varied wildlife, but little on-location research has been done and published on the biodiversity of the area.[2]
Mammals
As of 2009, evidence of over 44
Many other
Amphibians
Surprisingly only a relatively small number of amphibian species have been found on the premisses of the national park. The area was expected to hold a large number of species, since the Cardamom Mountains are home to many, there are a broader variety of
Reptiles
Most of the many reptiles of Botum Sakor are snakes, including the charismatic
Birds
There are hundreds of species of birds to be found within the park area, but only preliminary research has been carried out so far. Of particular interest to conservationists is the
Insects
The research on the
Understanding the distribution and development of the butterflies and moths are important in understanding and managing the national parks, as they are good
Threats and concerns
This section needs to be updated.(October 2017) |
Disturbance of Botum Sakor National Park is extremely high. In the years 1997 - 2002, an estimated 229 km2 of evergreen forest was lost through illegal logging (~30 km2/year).2 These initial crimes and large scale destructive activities, was eventually halted at the beginning of the new millennium, but the national park is now facing an increasing threat of destruction under the pretext of so-called development1 at both local, national and international levels.[12]
Agriculture, industry and construction projects
After establishing the Botum Sakor National Park in 1993, the Government of Cambodia apparently decided, that a large part of the land should be used for various agro-industrial and construction projects. A series of Economic Land Concessions has been issued and signed in recent years. How land is exploited, sold and leased in Cambodia is notoriously murky,[13] but below is a list of well documented projects in relation to the park:
In November 1998, a
In April 2008, a concession agreement lasting 99 years was signed with Tianjin Union Development Group for the purpose of developing Dara Sakor on an area of 36,000 ha (360 km2) for tourism. The land is in both Kiri Sakor District and Botum Sakor District. Resort brochures show ambitious plans: a new airport with a capacity of 10 million passengers a year, double the capacity of Phnom Penh International Airport and more than 40 times the number of visitors who arrived in 2017 at Sihanouk International Airport, docking facilities for full-size cruise ships, and high-speed rail connections to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.[15][16]
In August 2009, a concession agreement was signed with Koh Kong sez Co., Ltd., to initiate a large scale agro-industrial project in a 9,977 ha (99.77 km2) area. The land is located within the Kiri Sakor District.[17]
In April 2010, a concession agreement lasting 90 years was signed with the Cambodian company L.Y.P Group Co., Ltd. To construct Tapioca plantations in a 4,097 ha (40.97 km2) area. The land is located in the upper-middle of the national park, mainly in the Botum Sakor District, but involving all of the three districts contributing to the park.[18]
In January 2011, a concession agreement was signed with the company Paradise Investment Co., Ltd. for business activities in a 9,835 ha (98.35 km2) area. The land is located in the interior of the Botum Sakor District.[19] Paradise Investment Co., Ltd. is Korean based and primarily engaged in the casino business, but it operates in three associated segments: casinos, hotels and spas.[20][21]
In July 2011, a concession agreement was signed with the company Sinimexim Investment Co., Ltd. to construct
In December 2012, a contract was signed with an unknown company to construct a reservoir and hydropower dam, involving a 6,771 ha (67.71 km2) area. The land is apparently located in the Botum Sakor District.[23]
Impact
A simple calculation reveals that the total area involved in the agricultural, industrial and constructional projects, adds up to more than 119,120 ha (1191.2 km2). This comprise 70% of the national park.[24] Needless to say, if the projects are allowed to unfold as they are planned, it will mean the ultimate destruction of Botum Sakor National Park.
Illegal logging
There is now substantial evidence, that the criminal practices of illegal logging on the premises of the national park, has become a problem once again in the last few years and at an alarmingly accelerated pace even. Satellite images (Landsat and
Poaching
Fragmentation of habitats
Active NGOs in the area
The following
References and notes
- ^ a b Protected Planet (2018). "Botum-Sakor National Park". United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 26 Dec 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f REPORT 4; Frontier Cambodia, 2010
- ^ "Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project". Verra. 2021. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ Daltry, J.C. & Traeholt, C. (2003). Biodiversity assessment of the Southern Cardamoms and Botum Sakor Peninsula (Report). Phnom Penh: WildAid: Cambodia Program and Department of Forestry and Wildlife.
- ^ REPORT 4, Frontier Cambodia 2010, p.4
- ^ Botum Sakor National Park: A threatened haven of biodiversity The Earth Times, 12. August 2011 (retrieved February 2014)
- ^ Traeholt, C.; Bonthoeun, R.; Rawson, B.; Samuth, M.; Virak, C.; Sok, V. (2005). Status review of pileated gibbon, Hylobates pileatus, and yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, Nomascus gabriellae, in Cambodia (Report). Phnom Penh: FFI Cambodia Programme Office.
- ^ a b c REPORT 4; Frontier Cambodia, 2010, p.6.
- ^ Note: Only known from interviews and unidentified bear marks at present though. (Source: REPORT 4, Frontier Cambodia 2010, p.6)
- ^ REPORT 4; Frontier Cambodia, 2010, p.23
- ^ REPORT 4; Frontier Cambodia, 2010, p.29
- ^ REPORT 4, Frontier Cambodia 2010, p.36
- ^ Land Tenure Cambodia Profile USAID
- ^ Concession Profile - The Green Rich Co., Ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ "Chinese mega-resort in Cambodia raises red flags". Bangkok Post. Bloomberg. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ Concession Profile - Union Development Group Co., Ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Concession Profile - Koh kong sez co.,ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ Concession Profile - L.Y.P Group Co., Ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ Concession Profile - Paradise Investment Co., Ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ Paradise Investment Co Ltd Financial Times (retrieved 10. February 2014)
- ^ Paradise Group Official homepage for the company. English available,
- ^ Concession Profile - Sinimexim Investment Co., Ltd Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ concession Profile Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ For nuances on the exact area, see the talk page under "Agriculture, industry and construction projects".
- ^ Global Forest Change (interactve map 2000-2012) University of Maryland. Landsat satellite.
- ^ Maps of forest cover by year ODC
- ^ Forest Cover - Regional animations Archived 2014-02-14 at the Wayback Machine ODC
- ^ Yellow vine is aka. Voer Romiet, with the scientific names of Coscinium spp., Coscinium usitatum or Coscinium fenestratum. Source: Coscinium usitatum Pierre The Plant List.
- ^ Ashwell, D. & Walston, N. (2008). An overview of the use and trade of plants and animals in traditional medicine systems in Cambodia (PDF) (Report). Ha Noi, Viet Nam: TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Greater Mekong Programme.
- ^ Documentary film: Forest of Ecstasy Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Adam Yamaguchi (reporter). Vanguard 2009. Hosted by Drug Documentaries.
- ^ Documentary: Forest of Ecstasy Adam Yamaguchi (reporter). Vanguard 2009. Hosted by Cambodian Information Center
- ^ Dominguez, Robert Jonathan: Cambodia's Forests of Ecstasy a senior research project. North Carolina State University (Dr. Erin Sills)
- ^ Documentary film: Death in the Forest; David O'Shea (reporter). SBS Dateline 2012. Investigations on the shooting of environmental activist Chut Wutty.
- ^ Documentary transcript: Death in the Forest SBS Dateline. The film link does not work on this website.
- ^ "Protected areas and development: lessons from Cambodia" (PDF). International Centre for Environmental Management & Partners.
- ^ Koh Kong Conservation Corridor Lonely Planet (7. February 2014)
- ^ Cambodia Flora & Fauna International
- ^ Cambodia Conservation International
- ^ Wildlife Alliance
Sources
- REPORT 4 Fauna and flora diversity studies in Botum Sakor National Park, Cambodia April 2005 – September 2009 Frontier Cambodia, January 2010. Society for Environmental Exploration 2010.
- Royan, A. (2010) Significant mammal records from Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 2010 (1): 22-26.
- Royan, A. (2009) Avifaunal inventory with annotated accounts for Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 2009 (1): 26-39.
- Royan, A. (2009) Confirmation of the endangered fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus in Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Bulletin of the IUCN/SSC cat specialist group, 51: 10-11.
- The Phnom Penh Post: "Work on $5 billion tourism project begins", October 1.st 2010.
- Cambodian Government authorises clear-cutting global witness
- Open Development Cambodia ODC
External links
- Lonely Planet's page on travel to Botum Sakor National Park
- Botumsakor Community Development Organization BCDO
- Interactive map of the area Open Development Cambodia (ODC)