Journey to the lifeless forest: Ato Water Resevoir

Hello all LGs,

I hope you are all well.

Trees dead after being kept in the reservoir

This weekend, I have been invited to visit a new tourism destination in order to help evaluate if they can do something to attract visitors.

The place named Ato (អាតោ), located in Oddar Meanchey Province, northwestern part of Cambodia, bordered to Thailand. 

Ato is actually a Water Reservoir with the surface of more than 7,000 hectares of land/water located in Chong Kal district (part of the reservoir are in Samrong town and Anglung Veng district). This place is very closed to the monk forest community which I mentioned in my previous article here.

• As a reservoir, they have major role in supporting and providing water to support the farmers, not only in one province but three provinces
• As a reservoir, fishermen could collect so much fish for use and sell from here
• Birds also love to come here for food
• However, to build a reservoir they also have to sacrifice trees in this area meaning they will die living in the water. That's why dead trees could be seen in the reservoir and become the attraction (but this is where we see the balance between economic and environment)

Actually, the place was known by some locals as tourist destination but the district has no management master plan of should this place be managed.

However, tourism facilities have not been in place. I saw many opportunities to develop this place. 

• Could you give your idea, when you see the area what would come to your mind?

Fish from the reservoirAreas for entertainingCould be cycling trail?Fishing by localsSky view to the reservoir