SIEM REAP — “I have heard a lot about ocean pollution,” said Sophal Sea. “However, I have rarely heard people express concern about the health of the Tonle Sap as it is affected by plastic pollution."

Sophal is an environmentalist and head of a non-governmental organization working on tackling plastic pollution in the Tonle Sap Lake.

Born in Angkor Chum district in Siem Reap province, Sophal undertook graduate studies in Phnom Penh in the early 2000s. He obtained a degree in tourism management from the National University of Management in 2005, and then returned to his hometown to embark on a career as a tour guide.

But then, his real journey began with the launch of a local NGO dedicated to raising awareness about single-use plastic and plastic pollution. Established in 2009, the Bamboo Shoot organization’s initial goal was not addressing plastic waste but to support young women and girls to pursue education in urban areas.

This idea originated from his own observations and research that had shown that many young women and girls were abandoning their studies for a common reason: they could not afford accommodations.

“In contrast to boys and men who could even just stay at pagodas, women and girls could not find accommodation,” Sophal said. “This forced them to quit their studies at a young age.”

Sophal recalled that his organization didn’t have the funds to cover the expenses of running such a project. That was why he used the money he earned from his tour-guide work to support his organization's mission.

“I also spoke to foreign tourists whom I knew about the project,” Sophal said. “They were touched and helped raise money to support our work.”
 

In the meantime, he contacted representatives of the Angkor High School and the head of the Siem Reap Province’s Department of Education through whom he was able to establish a partnership and collaborate on a dormitory initiative led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the Angkor High School complex.

“We cannot leave women and girls behind, as no country can progress without inclusivity,” Sophal said. “Creating a safe space for women and girls, managed by female caregivers, would give parents confidence and put them at ease about letting their children pursue education away from home.”

During a period of nine years, from 2009 to 2018, the project has enabled numerous girls in Siem Reap Province to pursue higher-level studies in the city and achieve lifelong careers. That is one reason why Sophal shifted his organization’s focus to raising awareness of environmental issues.

As he explained, this shift in focus has not signified the end or disruption of the project aimed at supporting women and girls, as that project continues with new members who implement it.

“The younger generation, particularly those who used to be beneficiaries of the project and are now pursuing great careers, takes charge of supporting the project because they seek to give back,” Sophal said, adding that this is a more sustainable way of contributing to social change and making a good impact.

Mission Switch: from Supporting Rural Girls' Education to Combating Plastic Pollution

Sophal’s organization shifted its focus in 2018, partly sparked by his growing concern over the widespread use of plastics. This new direction made him aware that addressing this could significantly benefit the community affected by plastic waste. 

According to Sophal, since then, BambooShoot has partnered with the international environmental organization, the Ocean Recovery Alliance (ORA), to carry out various campaigns. These encompass eco-education events and cleanup activities on the canals leading to Tonle Sap Lake, which are ongoing. 

“When I brought foreign tourists to Prek Toal, we frequently encountered problems with our propeller caught with plastic waste and ghost nets,” he recalled.  

During the dry season, as water levels decreased, people could often observe numerous plastic bags scattered on branches of flooded forest trees along the riverbanks. Sophal, like many others, witnessed this and was dumbfounded by the amount of plastic waste discarded in waterways.

“I wondered how animals could live in such an environment,” he said. “Back then, I only knew about plastic from watching documentaries on ocean pollution. But my minimal knowledge forced me to question why no one seemed to care or speak up about the health of our freshwater lake, the Boeng Tonle Sap,” he said.

To gain a deeper understanding of the issue, Sophal sought advice and input from the local communities such as one of the floating villages at Mechrey in the northern part of the Tonle Sap lake, and particularly consulted the local Buddhist monks regarding the problem of plastic pollution. 

“Community members told me that plastic waste, such as plastic bags, is scattered during rising water and the dry season,” Sophal said. “Water can rise as high as the top of trees, so those plastics get stuck on tree branches when water recedes.”

Driving Community-Focused Plastic Cleanup Initiative

Understanding the Tonle Sap waterflow pattern could enable Sophal to devise a method for removing plastics. This inspired him to convince community members to initiate cleaning efforts and take action against plastics. However, things have never been easy as doing so is sounds impossible for many local communities without the proper knowledge and collective effort.

“Some of them started laughing at my idea at first,” Sophal recalled with a chuckle. “They said they had lived there for three generations but had never seen a person who wanted to clean up plastics and remove them from tree branches.”

Sophal never backed down and did his best to explain to them the importance of beautifying their communities for tourism and cleaning up plastic for environmental health, he said. Some local elders and especially the Buddhist monks were among the first groups to step in and agree to help Sophal carry out his plastic clean-up mission. Through persistent efforts, more and more people eventually began to realize the importance of doing this, and got involved in his campaign.

Sophal recalled that some villagers asked how they could clean plastic from the top of tree branches, as they were too high. He then responded that people could remove plastic bags from the top branches the same way they pick fruit using long sticks.

“I think trust building and knowledge are the foundation,” Sophal said. “They are eager to gain new knowledge, which can foster their confidence and lead them to believe that they can be part of the solution.”

After Sophal had carried out some campaigns, he kept seeing that other floating communities such as Chong Khneas, Kampong Pluk and Kampong Khleang had been facing the same issue of plastic pollution.

That motivated him to expand his campaign by engaging with other community members, as he believed this could significantly impact cleaning those communities and reducing plastics.

Then 2018 was a politically sensitive year for Cambodia, and some activities were restricted. As the head of an NGO, Sophal found that mobilizing people to run plastic-cleaning campaigns would be impossible.

“This is why I sought to consult with commune chiefs and council members to explore solutions,” Sophal said. “I believed that sustaining grassroots movements for environmental protection was only achievable through their involvement and an understanding of the significance of our campaigns.”

As Sophal explained, the plastic collection campaigns typically take place on November 23 to commemorate National Environmental Sanitation Day, and another campaign is organized on June 5, which is World Environment Day.

“We provide sacks to help them store plastic waste and trash properly,” he said. “Then, we assess how each family sorts its waste and grant them certified family status…As a reward, we give them rice. That's why we name it rice in exchange for plastics.

“That means we don’t give rice to poor families,” he said. “Instead, we provide only model families who follow our instructions for properly managing plastic waste.”

Connecting the Dots: Enhancing Local Economy and Tradition Through Environmental Campaign

While it is vital to support local communities and encourage them to clean up their areas to attract more tourists, without economic incentives, these campaigns would not be sustainable.  

Due to prohibitions on gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was affected. The pandemic disrupted the tourism industry, badly impacting floating-village communities as their incomes disappeared.

That also affected their participation in the plastic-waste pollution initiative. “When there were many tourists visiting, it made sense that they were willing to join in when we told them to clean up plastics,” Sophal said. “But no tourists and no income: how could they continue to do it.”

Sophal pointed out that issues like this highlighted the shortcomings of focusing solely on the environment. Campaigns that do not consider local communities’ healthy economies and incomes would not be sustainable.

Besides, he stressed, places with strong potential and rich in biodiversity, such as the Tonle Sap floating villages, should not be among the poorest in the country. This indicates that more work must be done so they can be part of the economy. 

“To me, floating villages are not safari or exhibition sites,” Sophal said. “Foreign tourists should not merely come on boat tours to take photos; we need to initiate activities that allow them to participate and engage with the local people.” The launch of boat trials has enabled tourists to enjoy boat rides while helping to collect plastics, Sophal said.

In 2023, Sophal aimed to garner support for the Inland Ocean Festival, taking place on June 8, which aligns with World Oceans Day and World Environment Day. The festival's purpose is to raise awareness regarding the health of Tonle Sap Lake. One objective is to highlight the revival of local traditions that show gratitude to the lake as a vital source of food and resources. The event now becomes an annual festival that attracts many local participants to raise awareness about the need to protect water resources and reduce plastic pollution in honor of Tonle Sap Lake.

“Around 15 years ago, riverine people built small huts, temporary settlements, and bamboo bridges during the dry season when the water receded,” Sophal explained. “They built well, and people held religious ceremonies. So, I tried to bring in elderly people to revive the practices, and this time we integrated plastic cleanup knowledge to encourage people to keep the Tonle Sap clean.”  

Although Sophal’s effort to promote plastic cleanup gained momentum, with local communities actively participating, the challenges go beyond collection work and proper incentives. Like in other areas, the lack of recycling infrastructure continues to be a significant hurdle for sustainable green efforts to maintain the health of the Tonle Sap lake.

“I would say we only collect plastic waste and store it because we can remove it,” Sophal said. “The problem is that we don’t have the capacity and resources to do recycling locally. We need more investment and focus to make it possible.”

Establishing a Model District that Supports Green Tourism

While the green concept is embedded in Sophal’s DNA, his other aspiration is to create a lifeline for the local economy where the environmental aspect remains at the core.

He is now a member of the Environmental and Community Committee of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents (CATA) Siem Reap chapter. His membership enables Sophal to get closer to making his dream a reality.

“I am certainly having a chance to contribute to developing new tourism products, but any input I provide must be green,” Sophal remarked.

One project considered is to develop the Tonle Sap Seasonal Trail for cycling for tourists to bike during the water recession. Additionally, he is involved in transforming the Bakong district into an ecotourism destination. Renowned for its vibrant culture and traditional practices maintained by local villagers, the district has much to offer, which is essential for attracting tourists, Sophal said.

“We have tried to build our plans based on the communities’ cultural identities,” he said. His first project is building traditional green tourism through the Bakong district, officially named the Bakong Traditional Green Trail.

“With the trail, foreign tourists will not just go directly to take boat tours,” he said. “They will be immersed in vibrant experiences and explore the ways of life of the local people in the district, especially gaining opportunities to learn about local traditional agriculture.”

Tourists would be able to observe villagers making traditional handicrafts and to participate in making Khmer noodles with conventional tools. Additionally, they can interact with community members who uphold traditional agricultural methods.

“Tourists can have amazing experiences and extend their visits to stay in the community longer,” Sophal said. “This way, tourists would spend some money locally, which would benefit community members.”