Large Rivers Symposium

Large rivers provide substantial social and economic benefits to a significant number of people, particularly in the developing or industrialising regions. Fisheries in these large rivers, and their associated wetlands, provide a source of food, employment and income that is crucial to sustaining the livelihoods of multitudes of people, particularly the rural poor. Many of these fisheries are of national economic importance and are crucial to local or even regional food security. These benefits remain universally under-valued and are often ignored in management actions that have an impact upon them.

Large rivers and their associated wetlands are among the most endangered ecosystems on earth. They suffer the immediate and long-term impacts of a multitude of human activities including damming, channelisation, wetland loss and catchment disturbances which result in degradation in water quantity, quality and the timing of hydrological events. The escalating extraction of water for industrial and agricultural purposes aggravates an already critical situation. These impacts seriously undermine the viability of river systems and the aquatic life they support.
Many large rivers have already passed the crisis point and are now the targets for rehabilitation, whilst many others are on the brink of collapse as functioning ecosystems.

Large rivers support a significant proportion of the earth’s aquatic biodiversity. Species richness within some tropical systems surpasses that of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.
Additionally, associated semi-aquatic/terrestrial habitats, such as seasonally flooded forests, are an integral part of river ecosystems and sustaining the water resources is a pre-requisite for their viability. It is estimated that 20% of the world’s freshwater fishes are in danger of extinction or in need of urgent conservation efforts. Requirements for sustaining biodiversity and fisheries in rivers are integrally linked through a mutual need for improved management of both habitats and exploitation.

In view of the importance of large rivers for food production and the current emphasis on the protection of biological diversity world-wide, it is timely that a second international symposium focusing specifically on large rivers be organised. The purpose is to propose a new global synthesis of large river ecology, economics and management options as a guide for the new millennium.

The Kingdom of Cambodia is situated in the heart of the floodplains of the Mekong River system, arguably S.E. Asia’s greatest river. Cambodia has one of the world’s most important, vibrant and diverse river fisheries with impressive aquatic biodiversity.

Cambodia is becoming a popular tourist destination and, consequently, it is easy and relatively economical to reach. Phnom Penh is a charming city and endowed with good facilities. The Mekong River Commission Secretariat headquarters are now based there.
Cambodia boasts impressive tourist attractions including the Angkor Wat complex, justifiably famous and a listed UNESCO World Heritage site because of its cultural, archeological and scenic significance.

The Tonle Sap, or Great Lake, is a vast area of shallow water with associated wetlands of legendary importance for the fisheries of the region. The lake is supplied and drained through the seasonally reversing flow of the Tonle Sap River, which joins the Mekong and Bassac Rivers at Phnom Penh. February is characterised by drier, cooler weather, and an active fishery.

Visa: A one-month tourist visa is available on arrival at Pochentong International Airport. Please bring a passport sized photo with you. Business visa: US$25, Tourist visa: US$20.

Airport Tax: International departures; US$20 - Domestic departures; US$5

Transportation: Phnom Penh’s Pochentong Airport terminal is approximately 20 km outside the city and the taxi fare to any hotel in the city is US$7. There are no metered taxis. Motorcycle taxis and cyclos are cheap and easy to find. Hotels can arrange taxis.

Currency: The currency of Cambodia is the Riel. The US dollar is accepted everywhere in Phnom Penh and is for practical purposes the most widely used currency. All major currencies can be changed at money changers’ stalls throughout the City. Travellers’ cheques in US dollars can be changed at most banks and international hotels. There are no ATMs in Cambodia, but VISA and MasterCard cash advances can be obtained at some major banks. Note that credit cards are not widely accepted in Cambodia. Please check with your hotel. Riel: US$1= 3,900 riels

Air Travel: Daily flights are available from Bangkok, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), with Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, SilkAir and Vietnam Airlines. There are also direct flights several times per week between Phnom Penh and Hong Kong, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Please note that it can sometimes be considerably cheaper to book your travel to Bangkok and then to purchase an onward ticket to Phnom Penh separately. It is worth comparing various options. Our Events Organiser can assist with organising flights between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.

Climate and Clothing: Cambodia has two main seasons; the dry season, from November to April and the rainy season, the Monsoon, from May to October. February is one of the cooler months, with average temperatures of around 25ºC. Light summer clothing is appropriate for February weather, and you may want to bring a light sweater.

Location: The Kingdom of Cambodia is situated in the South East Asia, bordered by Thailand to the west and north, Lao PDR to the north, Vietnam to the east and south-east and the Gulf of Thailand to the south-west.

Land Area: Cambodia has a land area of 181,035 square kilometers, stretching 580 km East-West and 450 km North-South.

Geography: Consists mostly of low, flat plains, though there are small mountain ranges to the Southwest and North.

Capital: Phnom Penh, with a population of 1.3 million.

Population: Approximately 12.2 million. Ethnically the population consists of about 90 percent Khmer, 5 % Vietnamese, 1 % Chinese and 4 % other ethnicities. 42 % of the population is under 14.

Economy: Cambodia’s economy is dominated by the agricultural sector, which contributes 41% of GDP (fisheries makes up 16% of GDP) and employs three-quarters of the labour force. Services account for 42% of the GDP, and industry 17%. Tourism is becoming one of the most important economic activities in Cambodia with more than 600,000 visitors (240,000 international tourists visiting Angkor Wat) in the year 2001. The expected number of visitors is 800,000 and 1 million for year 2002 and 2003 respectively.

Religion: The official religion is Theravada Buddhism. 95% of Khmers are of this religion. The country also has minority religions of about half a million Muslims, and 60,000 Christians.

Official Language: Khmer. English is widely spoken in the service industry.

Time: 7 hours ahead of GMT

Electricity: 220 volts

On behalf of the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia, it is my sincere pleasure to invite you to attend the Second International Large Rivers Symposium (LARS2) in the beautiful capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Department of Fisheries, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is co-convening the Symposium. The meeting plans to bring together leading fisheries and rivers experts from all over the world and will make it possible for professionals working in diverse river systems to share knowledge and experiences.

All international guests are encouraged to see the sights of Phnom Penh and visit the attractions of Cambodia, including the internationally famous heritage site of Angkor.

The symposium takes place in Phnom Penh, the junction of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac River system. Measuring 4,800 km in length, the Mekong is one of the longest rivers in the world, and one of the least spoiled.
It's waters teem with an abundance of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else. For more than 5,000 years, the rich and diverse resources of the Mekong River Basin have sustained the people who live here, and are critical to our country’s fisheries and agriculture.

The rivers and fisheries of this region are of enormous value to all Cambodian people and it is with this backdrop that the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia welcomes you. I hope you take the time to explore this unique region, to share existing and build new knowledge that will benefit the many river systems and fisheries of the world.

The Mekong River Commission is the river basin management organization working with the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam for the sustainable development of one of the world’s most important river systems. The Mekong River is a species rich fishery. It is home to 1200-1500 species.

People living in the Lower Mekong Basin source around 80% of their animal protein from the Mekong River and its tributaries. The catch in the Lower Mekong Basin is around 1.5 million tonnes per annum, making it one of the most important river fisheries in the world. More than 1.2 million people in the Tonle Sap region alone depend on fishing for their livelihoods. This, along with an ever increasing need for social and economic development and the need to both protect the river system and develop its fisheries industry, gives us all an important agenda to consider and contribute to.

LARS2 aims to bring together global expertise, to provide a forum where the world’s knowledge can be shared so that important rivers such as the Mekong are developed and protected, and levels of production vital to their people are sustained.

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