Botum Sakor National Park is the largest national park in Cambodia. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and extends southwest from the Cardamom Mountains. The park covers an area of 1,825.85 square kilometers and includes parts of three districts in Koh Kong Province: Kiri Sakor, Botum Sakor, and Koh Kong. The park is managed by the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, and a small section of the park is part of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project (SCRP).

The landscape

Most of Botum Sakor National Park is made up of gentle slopes covered with evergreen trees and grasslands. These areas are found in coastal floodplains, where mangrove forests and freshwater swamp forests also grow. The park has a tropical monsoon climate and experiences two high tides each day, with a height difference of about 1.5 meters (4 feet 11 inches). The number of people living in Botum Sakor National Park is not known.

Wildlife

Botum Sakor National Park has a rich and diverse wildlife, but not much research has been done or published about the variety of life in the area.

As of 2009, more than 44 mammal species have been found within the park. Eight of these are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List, some of them critically endangered. These include the Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), Germain's langur (Trachypithecus germaini), Indian hog deer (Axis porcinus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), and pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus). The pileated gibbon has a large population in the park, and it is believed the park may contain up to 10% of the global population of this species.

Many other species in the park are also threatened. Over a quarter of the mammal species here are important for conservation because of their global status. These include the large-toothed ferret-badger (Melogale personata), hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana), smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), and large-spotted civet (Viverra megaspila). Sun bears and moon bears may also live in the park.

Surprisingly, only a small number of amphibian species have been found in the park. The area was expected to have many species because the Cardamom Mountains are home to many, and the park has a wide range of ecosystems. However, some amphibians in the park are still important. Both Mortensen's frog (Sylvirana mortenseni) and the spine-glanded mountain frog (Quasipaa fasciculispina) are found only in the southwest of Cambodia and the Thailand-owned part of the mountain range.

Most of the park’s reptiles are snakes, including the king cobra and Malayan pit viper. Snakes are often killed by people in nearby plantations. A small population of Siamese crocodiles also lives in some of the park’s creeks. Cambodia has the world’s largest population of this critically endangered species, which was once thought to be extinct. Saltwater crocodiles are also present in the park, though they are not globally endangered. However, they are threatened in Southeast Asia and are believed to live only in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. Two threatened turtle species and one tortoise species are also found in the Cardamom Mountains.

Hundreds of bird species live in the park, but only early research has been done so far. One important bird is the white-winged wood duck (Asarcornis scutulata), which is endangered and one of the rarest waterfowl in Asia. Other threatened or near-threatened birds in the park include the green peafowl (Pavo muticus), lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster), great pied hornbill (Buceros bicornis), and grey-headed fish eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus).

Research on butterflies and moths (lepidopterans) in the park is also early but unique for Cambodia, as little research on these insects has been published in the country. As of 2009, 147 lepidopteran species were recorded in the park, with 49 of them in the Nymphalidae family. Most of these species were found in dense or swamp forests, with few in open areas like meadows or river edges. More species of the subfamily Satyrinae were found in swamp forests, averaging 38 species per habitat area. The most common species in the park is the common evening brown butterfly (Melanitis leda). Due to a lack of identification guides for butterflies and moths in Cambodia, some species caught during research could not be identified.

Understanding the distribution and changes in butterfly and moth populations is important for managing the park, as these insects are good indicators of environmental health. The high number of Nymphalidae species in Botum Sakor, along with other factors, suggests that the habitats are disturbed by too much logging and cutting down trees.

Threats and concerns

Disturbance in Botum Sakor National Park is very high. Between 1997 and 2002, about 229 kilometers of evergreen forest were lost due to illegal logging, which was about 30 kilometers each year. These early illegal activities and large-scale harm were stopped at the start of the new millennium, but the park now faces growing threats from projects claimed to support development at local, national, and international levels.

Botum Sakor National Park was created in 1993. The government of Cambodia decided that a large part of the land should be used for farming, industry, and construction projects. Many Economic Land Concessions have been signed in recent years. How land is used, sold, or leased in Cambodia is unclear, but here are some well-documented projects related to the park:

In November 1998, a company from China, The Green Rich Co., Ltd., signed an agreement to grow oil palms, fruit trees, and acacia on 60,200 hectares (602 square kilometers). More than 80% of this land is inside Botum Sakor National Park in the northeast, covering about 40% of the Koh Kong District’s contribution to the park. The project was planned in six stages, converting 10,000 hectares of the park to plantations each stage, but disagreements with the Cambodian Ministry of Environment occurred.

In April 2008, a 99-year agreement was signed with Tianjin Union Development Group to develop Dara Sakor on 36,000 hectares (360 square kilometers) for tourism. The land includes parts of Kiri Sakor District and Botum Sakor District. Plans include a new airport with a capacity for 10 million passengers yearly, docking areas for large cruise ships, and high-speed rail to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

In August 2009, a company called Koh Kong SEZ Co., Ltd., signed an agreement for a large farming and industry project on 9,977 hectares (99.77 square kilometers) in Kiri Sakor District.

In April 2010, a 90-year agreement was signed with L.Y.P Group Co., Ltd., a Cambodian company, to build tapioca plantations on 4,097 hectares (40.97 square kilometers) in Botum Sakor District and parts of the other districts contributing to the park.

In January 2011, Paradise Investment Co., Ltd., a South Korean company, signed an agreement for business activities on 9,835 hectares (98.35 square kilometers) in Botum Sakor District. This company is known for casinos, hotels, and spas.

In July 2011, Sinimexim Investment Co., Ltd., signed an agreement to grow rubber and conduct farming projects on 4,280 hectares (42.80 square kilometers) in Botum Sakor District, near the land used by Paradise Investment Co., Ltd.

In December 2012, an agreement was signed with an unknown company to build a reservoir and hydropower dam on 6,771 hectares (67.71 square kilometers) in Botum Sakor District.

Adding up all these projects, the total area involved in farming, industry, and construction projects covers more than 119,120 hectares (1,191.2 square kilometers), which is 70% of the national park. If these projects continue as planned, they could destroy most of Botum Sakor National Park.

Satellite images, news reports, and activist accounts show that large areas of the park have been cleared quickly since 2008. Coastal mangrove forests, which are important for the environment, have almost disappeared by 2012.

There is strong evidence that illegal logging has returned in recent years and is happening faster than before. Satellite images, news reports, and activist accounts show that the once-dense forests in the park have been thinned, affecting nearly the entire area. Many forests are now considered "mixed forest habitat" due to this damage. Illegal logging involves groups like local people, some companies involved in the projects, and organized criminals. Some of the wood taken includes rosewood and other rare hardwoods used in luxury buildings and furniture. Other plants, like the saffrol laurel tree and yellow vine, are cut for drugs used in traditional medicine. Processing and cutting of illegal timber and plants have been found inside the park itself.

Poaching in Cambodia’s national parks is very common, and Botum Sakor is no exception. The most troubling method in the park is the use of snare traps to catch small mammals for food. Poaching in Botum Sakor is partly driven by demand for animals in traditional Chinese medicine.

Habitat fragmentation is a growing problem. A recently completed highway, Route 48, runs along the northern edge of the park, separating it from the southern Cardamom Mountains. While some animals can adapt, this highway has clearly split and limited populations of tree-dwelling species like the pileated gibbon.

Active NGOs in the area

The following nonprofit organizations work in this area:

• Flora & Fauna International
• Conservation International
• Wildlife Alliance