Background
The Tonle Sap Authority (TSA) is the central agency charged with coordinating land-use management and protective measures in the Tonle Sap basin under the mandate of the Royal Government. The Royal Government divides the Tonle Sap area along National Roads 5 and 6 into three land-use zones covering six provinces: Zone 1 (permanent settlements and mixed economic uses), Zone 2 (seasonal-use state public land), and Zone 3 (flooded-forest state public land). Zone 3 is classified as state public land and is subject to protective measures that prohibit unauthorized conversion, commercial pond construction, and infrastructure development within flooded-forest areas.
On 11 May 2026, Deputy Director Hel Tony of the Tonle Sap Authority led technical leadership within the Authority’s Secretariat to organize working teams for on-the-ground monitoring, inspection, and coordinated response across the six provinces bordering the lake. The directive covered detection and handling of illegal acts identified in Zone 3, including forest encroachment, conversion of lake areas for business purposes, and construction of infrastructure without state authorization.
Key Developments
The Authority acted on a high-level recommendation from Minister Thao Chea to intensify oversight in the Tonle Sap flooded-forest areas. The technical leadership was instructed to prepare operational teams to carry out field inspections, document violations, and propose administrative measures for resolution within the designated Zone 3 areas of Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom.
Institutional Role
The Tonle Sap Authority is responsible for applying the zonal framework established by the Royal Government and for coordinating cross-provincial actions where national-level land classification applies. The Authority’s Secretariat serves as the technical focal point for organizing multi-agency monitoring and for compiling findings that inform administrative responses under existing land and natural-resource governance arrangements.
Operational Implications
Authorities instructed working teams to focus inspections on unauthorized land-use conversion, commercial pond establishment inside flooded-forest areas, and unapproved infrastructure projects in Zone 3. Entities operating or investing near the Tonle Sap lake should expect targeted monitoring in the legally designated flooded-forest zone and should verify land-use permissions before undertaking construction or commercial activities.
