Large net forest loss in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake protected areas during 1992–2019

Historical land-use practices have caused forest loss in Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake area (TSLA), the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. However, it remains unclear if this deforestation trend had continued since 2001 when the land was designated as protected areas. Using satellite imagery, we investigated forest conversion flows and fragmentation patterns in the TSLA for 1992–2001, 2001–2010, and 2010–2019, respectively. Results show substantial forest losses and fragmentations occurring at the lower floodplain where the protected areas are located until 2010, with some forest regain during 2010–2019. The land conversions indicated that forest clearing and agricultural farming were the primary causes for observed extensive forest loss during 1992–2010. Hence, despite the creating of protected areas in 2001, our findings reveal the persistence of alarming forest loss in the TSLA until 2010. On the other hand, while net forest loss has stopped after 2010, forest regain during 2010–2019 is way too small to restore the region’s total forest area to even the level when the protected areas were established. Thus, more effective planning and implementations of forest management and restoration policies are needed for the TSLA.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-022-01704-4.     

Atmospheric drivers of sea-level fluctuations and nuisance floods along the mid-Atlantic coast of the USA

Regional Environmental Change - As sea levels have risen and continue to rise, the risk of coastal flooding has increased in turn. While many studies have examined specific extreme flooding events,...     

Myanmar under reform: Emerging pressures on water,energy and food security

Myanmar's water‐related sectors are subject to intensive changes, as the country's abundant land and water resources provide substantial scope for development. Recent steps towards economic reform in Myanmar have led to a surge of foreign investment directed towards intensified natural resource extraction. Both the agricultural and the energy sector are increasingly affected by foreign investments that will impact the status of water, energy and food security in the country. With these on‐going developments, Myanmar's future is largely dependent on how its natural resources are managed and how the benefits from the resource extraction are shared. With various institutional changes and new actors welcomed to the sectors, existing livelihoods and ecosystems dependent on the land and water resources are to face increasing competition for the shared resources, while lacking secured access to them. There are increasing concerns that this sectoral development is occurring at the expense of environmental and social sustainability. As one way to tackle these challenges, the water‐energy‐food nexus approach could help in finding synergies and co‐benefits across sectors by addressing the imbalances along the nexus and externalities derived from the on‐going intensification.