Ream National Park

Ream National Park
Name	Ream National Park
Iucn category	II
Location	Kampong Som District, Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia
Area km2	210
Established	1993
Governing body	Ministry of Environment (Cambodia)

Ream National Park is a protected coastal area on the Gulf of Thailand coast in Sihanoukville Province, Cambodia. The park encompasses mangrove forests, evergreen lowland woodlands, estuaries, and offshore islands, forming a mosaic of habitats adjacent to the port city of Kampong Som. It was established in 1993 and lies within the maritime zone influenced by the Mekong River delta and the Tonlé Sap hydrological system.

Geography and Location

Ream National Park is situated near the coastal city of Sihanoukville (also known as Kampong Som) on the southwestern seaboard of Cambodia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand and proximate to the Kampot River. The park's landscape includes the estuary of the Prek Teuk Sap (Koh Rong) system, lowland evergreen forests, mangrove stands adjacent to the Koh Kapik archipelago, and several islands such as Koh Thmei and Koh Seh. Administratively it falls within Sihanoukville Province and is accessible from National Road 4 linking to Phnom Penh and the national highway network. The park's coastal position places it within the biogeographic region influenced by the South China Sea and monsoonal patterns associated with the Mekong River Commission basin.

History and Establishment

The area that became the park was part of wider coastal usage zones historically used by indigenous communities, fishing fleets from Kep and Kampot, and colonial administrators during the period of French Indochina. After decades of changing land use during the eras of the Khmer Republic and the People's Republic of Kampuchea, the government of Cambodia designated Ream as a protected area in 1993 under statutes administered by the Ministry of Environment (Cambodia). International conservation organizations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature and bilateral partners such as the United Nations Development Programme and donors from Japan and Germany, provided technical assistance and funding for demarcation and early management planning. Subsequent policy decisions have involved agencies like the Council for the Development of Cambodia and provincial authorities in Sihanoukville.

Biodiversity (Flora and Fauna)

Ream National Park supports mangrove species typical of the Indo-Pacific region, including stands dominated by Rhizophora and Avicennia genera, and patches of coastal evergreen forest similar to those catalogued in the Flora of Cambodia. The park provides habitat for notable vertebrates recorded in regional surveys: primates such as the long-tailed macaque and reports of the pileated gibbon in contiguous forest fragments; carnivores including Sunda pangolin (threatened), dhole-like canids in historical records, and small cats related to the leopard cat complex. Avifauna includes species tracked in Southeast Asia such as the white-bellied sea eagle, greater coucal, and migratory waders documented along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Marine and estuarine life comprises seagrass beds inhabited by green sea turtle, feeder populations of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin inshore, and reef-associated fish assemblages similar to those studied around Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. Herpetofauna and invertebrate diversity reflect connections to broader Indo-Burmese and Sundaland faunal provinces.

Conservation and Management

Management of the park is overseen by the Ministry of Environment (Cambodia) in collaboration with provincial authorities in Sihanoukville Province and non-governmental partners including Wildlife Conservation Society and regional offices of the IUCN. Conservation actions have included boundary demarcation, community engagement with local villages from Sre Ambel and coastal communes, and programs supported by donors such as USAID and the European Union for capacity building. Zoning schemes have been proposed to balance shallow-water fisheries near Kampot and terrestrial protection, and participatory patrols have been implemented alongside ranger units trained with assistance from Australian aid programs and bilateral environmental initiatives. Transboundary and regional coordination has been sought with agencies involved in the Gulf of Thailand marine conservation network.

Tourism and Recreation

Ream's proximity to Sihanoukville and ferry links to islands like Koh Rong have made it a focal point for ecotourism, boat-based island tours, birdwatching excursions connected to the Asian BirdLife Network, and diving operations tied to operators from Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. Recreational activities promoted include guided mangrove walks, snorkeling around offshore islets, and cultural visits to coastal fishing communities. Tourism planning engages stakeholders such as the Ministry of Tourism (Cambodia), provincial tourism offices, private marinas, and local guesthouses to coordinate visitor facilities while attempting to minimize impacts identified by conservation partners like the World Bank environmental assessments.

Threats and Environmental Issues

The park faces multiple anthropogenic pressures: coastal development associated with rapid expansion in Sihanoukville linked to foreign investment and projects overseen by the Council for the Development of Cambodia; habitat conversion from infrastructure serving ports and resorts; illegal logging and mangrove clearance observed in comparison studies with Kampot and Kep}}; overfishing and destructive gear affecting seagrass beds and coral reefs similar to documented declines in the Gulf of Thailand; and pollution from urban runoff and marine traffic. Climate-driven threats such as sea-level rise and changing monsoon patterns mapped by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change add long-term risk. Conservation responses emphasize integrated coastal zone management coordinated among entities like the Ministry of Environment (Cambodia), provincial government, international donors, and community groups.

Category:Protected areas of Cambodia Category:Geography of Sihanoukville Province