The Commons Cooperative | FuturArc Prize 2024 Merit

Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake and inland fishery in Southeast Asia, is a vital ecosystem and source of sustenance for many Cambodians. Situated downstream in the Mekong Basin, it has been bearing the brunt of global warming, resulting in droughts and dry spells that are increasingly frequent and severe.¹

This not only reduces the region’s water supply, but also threatens the stability of farmers. Furthermore, the upstream construction of hydropower dams along the Mekong River has had profound consequences for the ecosystem.² Since the infrastructures alter the natural flow of the river, the downstream sediment transport and nutrient distribution towards Tonle Sap Lake have been impacted. They also obstruct the migration of fish species that are critical for the economic livelihoods and diets of the Cambodian communities.^{3, 4}

As the drastic decline in Tonle Sap’s fish population⁵ presents problems that are both ecological and economical in nature, this proposal seeks to reimagine new and resilient ways of living for Cambodian communities in a ‘resource-vulnerable’ environment. Envisioning The Commons Cooperative as a new economic zone in the Tonle Sap sub-basin, the entrant combines sustainable food production infrastructures with eco-tourism facilities for three riparian villages of Chong Khneas, Kampong Phluk and Kampong Khleang.

Under the new economic zone, the tri-village committee will manage profit sharing and food distribution within the commons. By moving away from competitive individualistic consumption, it is hoped that agriculture and tourism could be a collective effort among the locals, with the consolidated profits distributed as equitable wages for each worker.

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PROJECT DATA

Scenario
Climate Destruction; Endings

Location
Tonle Sap Lake

Country
Cambodia

City
Siem Reap Province

Site Area
39,905 square metres

FUTURARC PRIZE 2024: MERIT

Ian Chung advocates for the transformative potential of humanitarian architecture in the built environment. His passion lies in social architecture, viewing it as more than just a design discipline, but also as a catalyst for community empowerment. Additionally, his interests in climate change have guided his masters’ thesis to investigate frontline rural communities in ‘resource-vulnerable’ environments. Through internships with nonprofit firms, he contributed to building projects for underserved rural communities. Chung hopes to create spaces that genuinely serve and uplift communities.

Read more stories from FuturArc 3Q 2024 Green Awards: Architecture for Life After!

¹ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/cambodia-tonle-sap-lake-running-dry-taking-flooded-forest-fish
² https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2022-116-chinas-hydro-politics-through-the-lancang-mekong-cooperation-by-hoang-thi-ha/
³ https://e360.yale.edu/features/mekong-river-cambodia-recovery
⁴ https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities/articles/10.3389/frsc.2022.972173/full
⁵ https://www.voacambodia.com/a/fishers-leave-crisis-hit-tonle-sap-lake-in-search-of-livelihoods-ashore/6695988.html