5 Reasons behind migration in the Tonle Sap Region
5.2 CASE STUDY: WHY HAVE PEOPLE MOVED FROM THE VILLAGES OF THE
5.2.2 Rural push - factors creating the pressure to move
The driving force from the region is fairly complicated (Figure 13); it is more like a net that is weaved of many different matters. These components with many other subcomponents form small circles that finally shape the net of rural push.
The circles closely resemble vicious circles where the end of the circle feeds the start of the circle. To understand the different factors creating the rural push, their backgrounds and relations, the factors are explained more deeply in the following points.
The quotations presented reveal the observations of the villagers.
The population in the provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake is around 3.4 million and around 1.1 million of these people live in the lake’s area of influence (NIS, 2005c-f).
The annual population growth rate in the region (2.6 percent) is higher than the national average (1.81 percent) (NIS, 2005c-f).
In the study villages, the annual birth rate is 1-3 percent (Heinonen, 2006).
Population growth creates pressures on:
Food and natural resources
The villagers are suffering from food shortages particularly before the harvest time. Population growth will deepen food shortage.
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Population growth
Figure 13 Concise diagram of the environmental driving factors (Heinonen, 2006)
Growing firewood collection and hunting diminish natural resources.
The access of the local villagers to the natural capital has decreased during the last years (World Bank, 2006a).
Even thought the fish catches from the lake have increased from the past, population growth has reduced the household fish catches (Baran and Myschowoda, 2008).
Arable land
Lack of accessible and fertile land is a problem in the villages and there is not enough arable land to be shared by the new families.
The economic land concessions and large development projects have reduced the available land areas and access to natural resources (e.g. in Kampong Thom) (UN, 2007).
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Water quality
The increasing population together with non-existing wastewater treatment and sanitation leads to noteworthy pollution and nutrient load to the water systems of the region, particularly in the floating villages.
Reduced water quality has an impact on fish catches and other natural resources (Lamberts, 2008).
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Agriculture is the most important source of livelihood in the region and in the Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang villages.
Floating rice and wet season rice are the most common rice varieties used.
The average rice yield for wet season rice is low, approximately 1.5 tons per hectare.
The common farming methods do not include the use of fertilizers (except manure) or pesticides, water control methods or mechanical land tilling.
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Rice cultivation Forest cover
Flooding Erosion
Sedimentation
Water quality
Eutrophication
Water quality
Rural push
Migration Change livelihood
Poverty
Arable land Natural resources Population growth Drought
Climate change
Rainfall
Fishing Rice cultivation Cattle breeding Domestic work Crop production
Rice cultivation in the study villages is harmed by:
Poverty
In case of sickness or debts, families have to sell their draught animals or land or take high interest loans. In addition, deep poverty and food shortages often push farmers to use their seed grain, which has high impacts on their livelihood and its continuity.
Lack of arable land
New families become landless since there is not enough available arable land to be shared.
Often the land owned by poor villagers is infertile and villagers cannot afford to use fertilizers.
The poor often farm in areas considered common property, without tenure security and thus access to these lands is declining due to the increasing commercial agricultural activities in the region (CNMC, 2006).
Lack of water controlling systems
Severe floods harm the rice cultivation.
Droughts, irregular rains and the lack of irrigation make cultivation of rice very dependent on fishing in the Tonle Sap Region (Baran and Myschowada, 2008).
Fishing provides income to 10 percent of the region’s population and offers subsistence income to 40 percent (ADB, 2003).
Fish is also an important protein source for characterized by unfair distribution, widespread corruption and environmental degradation due to unsustainable use of the natural resources.
The fish catches are dependent on water quality, sediment accumulation, floods and flooded forests.
The sedimentation of the lake floodplains is rather high, which causes decreased oxygen concentrations in the bottom water. The overall water quality together with the oxygen level have an impact on the survival of fish eggs, larvae and even adult fish, and thus impact the fish catches of the villagers (Campbell, 2003;
Kummu et al., 2008; Lamberts, 2008).
The timing and continuity of the floods also have an impact on the fish population in the Tonle Sap Lake through effects on migration and the spawning environment (Lamberts, 2008).
The Tonle Sap Lake is divided into fishing lots that are auctioned to private companies. In addition, there are many areas that are under some type of informal ownerships, which reduce the available fishing ground of the local villagers (Resurreccion, 2008).
In 2001, the government released 56 percent of the area that was formerly under commercial fishing lots for community fishing (Resurreccion, 2008).
“Before 1990, there was plenty of fish in the Stoung, Stueng Sean, and Sankai Rivers, as well as in the Tonle Sap Lake. In those days one family could catch up to 20 kg of fish per day. Since 1990 both the quantity and the amount of fish species (Trei Dam, Rey Trei, Ka Hai, and Trei Kou Chrao) have decreased and, at present, one family can catch only up to 1–2 kg of fish per day.
The main reasons for decreased catches are
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the use of illegal fishing gears, shallower water depths caused by sedimentation, over-fishing, loss of flooded forest, high floods, water contamination and population growth.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam, Peam Kreang and Pou)
“In autumn 2002 (October and November), we witnessed mass deaths of fish as a result of lower water quality, sedimentation, waste, pesticides, and chemicals. Our floating village was surrounded by dead fish and we suffered from the terrible smell and lack of clean drinking water.”
(Villagers of Pou)
Since there is a lack of water controlling systems in the villages, the erratic weather and rainfall patterns harm rice cultivation.
Villagers sow the seeds of floating rice in April-May and wet season rice in May-June and during these months rain is needed to get the rice seeds to germinate and the seedlings to root.
However, rainfall patterns have been changing and in the months of spring there has often not been enough rain, which has remarkably reduced the potential rice yields of the villagers.
Heavy rains in the rainy season, especially in September, create floods that are essential for rice cultivation. On the other hand, when they are very severe, they destroy rice yields, roads and other infrastructure.
“Before 1990, the rain patterns were regular since the forest cover in the catchments was substantially higher. Since 1995, the rainfall has, however, decreased and its timing changed. We think that the reasons behind this are the lack of forest conservation, increased human activities and climate change.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang)
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Changing weather and rainfall patterns
Flooding is a familiar phenomenon to the nature and people of the region.
Annual floods are essential for the rice varieties cultivated in the region, since there commonly are no water controlling systems available.
The height and rapidity of the flood has, nevertheless, an impact on the rice yields.
If the flood rises rapidly, the plants cannot keep up with the increasing water levels and water will finally cover the plant and suffocate it (floating rice).
If the flood rises too slowly, the rice sprouts collapse due to lack of the supporting effect of the water.
Floods are also essential in supporting fish migration and breeding in the lake.
Due to the high fish migration into the lake, the fish catch is best during the months when water levels rise and a lot of fish migrate into the rivers.
The rapidity and height of the flood, however, has an impact on the potential fish catches.
“Before 1990, there were regular and relatively low floods in the village. In those days, the water bodies were deeper because of lower sedimentation, and were thus able to store more water. At that time, the peak of the flood was 3–3.5 m, which was a good height for rice cultivation. Since 1995, the floods have reached to 4-6 m, which has been too high. The floating rice yield is highest when the flood rises to 2.5–3.5 m, but if the water rises up to 3–4 meters, it is too high and the water suffocates the rice plants. Exactly how high the rice is able to grow depends on the rice type but normally a four-meter flood is too much for most
Floods, their rapidity and height
The forest cover in the Tonle Sap Region has reduced from 80 percent in 1965 to about 40 percent today, with the greatest loss occurring since the 1990s (CNMC, 2006).
The forest is mainly being cleared for forest cover in the uplands and mountains, sedimentation in rivers and lakes, climate change, rain in upland areas and rising water levels in the Tonle Sap Lake.”
(Villagers of Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang)
Flood height has an influence on the fish catch; if the flood is 3–4 m, the fish catch is high, but if the water rises up to 6 m, the fish catch decreases.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam, Peam Kreang and Pou)
There is almost no piped water in the region and most of the inhabitants use surface water or unprotected dug wells as their main source of water (NIS, 2005c-f).
Overall, the water bodies offer water for rice cultivation, fishing, cattle breeding, irrigation and household needs.
Water quality has lately deteriorated.
The quality is still rather good during the wet season, when the water level is higher.
During the dry season (January to September), water quality has notably deteriorated and water becomes contaminated by waste water, human waste and sediment.
“Before 1990, water quality was rather good in the Stoung, Stueng Sean, and Sankai Rivers, especially during the wet seasons. Since then the water quality has
• human activities, sediment and waste disposal from upstream. We think that the reasons for the impaired water quality are increased population, shallower water depths, increased sedimentation, decreased water flows, human waste and loss of forest cover.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam, Peam Kreang and Pou)
High sediment concentrations lower water depths and water quality, and thus hinder the water use in the village, especially during the dry season (June and August).
Sediment concentration also has an impact on fish breeding and catches.
“Before 1990, the rivers were deeper but since then the water bodies have been filled in due to the increased amount of silt in the water flows from the uplands, the heavier use of Samras (types of fishing gears that hold sediment), and increased waste resulting from human activities.
The problem is evident in the dry seasons (June and August), when a large amount of sediment caused by increased erosion impedes water use. Excessive forest cutting, express boat traffic and mining in the upland areas are the main reasons for erosion.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam, Peam Kreang, and Pou)
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Water depth and sedimentation
The health of the villagers is highly dependent on food – on the rice crop and the fish catch.
In Pou village, the livelihood and health of the villagers depends mostly on fish catches.
Villagers catch a lot of fish in February, March and July, and in these months villagers have enough food and money (from selling fish).
The fish catch is smallest between April and June as well as between August and November, when the water has a high sediment concentration or the water level is high. During these months villagers have shortage of fish and rice, which affects their health.
In the Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang villages, the livelihood of villagers is highly dependent on the rice yields.
The villagers have enough food and
Health and level of livelihood
During the rest of the year, the villagers have poorer health due to the lack of food and hard fieldwork.
The level of livelihood in all the study villages has decreased due to the erratic rains and floods, which have harmed the cultivation of floating and wet season rice, due to the lack of good floating and recession rice seeds, landlessness, lower fish catches and fewer natural resources (e.g. turtles, birds, wildlife, flooded forest).
“We catch lots of fish in February, March, and July, and we have enough food and money for living expenses (from selling fish). The fish catch is smallest between April and June, as well as between August and November. During these months we – and free time from the work in the fields.
The rest of the year we suffer from a lack of food, hard work in the fields and cold weather patterns. Diseases such as bad colds, high fever, and dysentery harm both the young and the old villagers.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang)
“Earlier the level of livelihood was higher;
there was more rainfall, the floods were regular, we had good rice seeds to cultivate and plenty of natural resources (e.g. fish and forest) around the village. Since 1995, the level of livelihood has decreased because of the irregular rainfall and floods, which has harmed the cultivation of floating and wet season rice. Some families also lack land for cultivation because of the increased population and poverty.”
(Villagers of Kampong Pradam and Peam Kreang)
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• Forest cover is important for many reasons:
It offers shelter for birds, breeding places for fish, gives protection to floating villages against storms, fortifies soil, decreases erosion and sedimentation, absorbs water and hinders flooding.
“Before the year 1993 there was plenty of flooded forest around the village but since then there has been a clear decrease in the forest cover. The forest cover has decreased because of large-scale forest cutting for firewood, house repair and building, material for fish catches (Samras), and burning of the forest to make turtle hunting easier.” (Villagers of Kampong Pradam, Peam Kreang and Pou)
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The urban pull from the study villages is also determined by many different factors. These matters alone and together persuade villagers to move to cities or other provinces. The reasons that draw migrants to the cities are (Figure 14):
higher education possibilities better employment opportunities income differences between urban and rural areas
western way of life in urban areas (e.g.
presented by the media)
relatives and friends that are already living in the destination
the success stories that migrants hear about the city and the job opportunities Especially the friends in the destination and the rumours and stories are very important information for the migrants when they are choosing their destination from the whole gamut of attractive places. However, the weight of the different factors that comprise the urban pull is changing along with the lives of migrants, their values and age. The western lifestyle, education, income differences and friends, for instance, might play a great role for younger villagers and thus they are more tempted to move to the bright city lights.
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