The Stoung and Chi Kreng wetlands, spanning approximately 17,000 hectares in Cambodia’s northern Tonle Sap floodplain, represent some of the largest remaining tracts of semi‑natural seasonally inundated grasslands in Southeast Asia. Shaped by annual flooding and longstanding low‑intensity land use, the landscape comprises grasslands interspersed with shallow wetlands and rice fields. These habitats are of high conservation value, supporting globally important populations of threatened species such as the Bengal Florican and Sarus Crane, as well as key feeding areas for waterbirds linked to the wider Tonle Sap system.

 

The wetlands support predominantly agrarian communities reliant on rice farming, grazing, fishing, and wetland resources, while providing essential ecosystem services including freshwater supply, flood mitigation, and water purification. Rapid agricultural intensification, hydrological modification, invasive species, and dry‑season fires pose growing risks. Strengthening protection and enforcement, promoting biodiversity‑friendly rice agriculture, improving water management, and expanding nature‑based tourism can help balance conservation priorities with sustainable livelihood development.