Pearaing has been named after the huge natural dam that was believed to be a cooling pond for elephants years ago.In 2015, the place was officially registered and recognized as an Eco- Tourism site named" Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center, PBCC"

Pearaing  is located in Sangkat Chreav, Krong Siem Reap about 12 km from the city center,2km in the northern part of Tonle Sap Lake. It is the  closest and fantastic bird watching spot that can be accessible by bike, Remork (Tuk Tuk) Van or car. By Commune Chief,Sangkat Chreav matches to win the safest and greenest area in the whole province of Siem Reap. 85% of Local villagers basically make their living from farming crops and vegetables and as a result, on your way to the Conservation Center, your eyes will be treated with somethings different to what you have seen at the temples or town.

With the enthusiasm, spotlight,commitments and preserving acts of the our local villagers, authorities and Buddhist monks as well as the legal support of related departments, provincial governor and especially the Cambodian government, Pearaing has become a strong protective and responsible Eco-Tourism site in the region.

There are now 139 members striving and taking care of the whole place from their own heart and mind, love, energy and donation to make sure that all birds, fishes and the flooded forests are 100% safe and well-secured.

Your visit to Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center is part of your support and donation to the community while you can enjoy the tour with us.

Our main actions are:

1: To protect and preserve the mother fish and reptiles.

This mission is considered as one of the core actions for our community members to conduct. Pearaing Natural Damp, known as Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center, is used as the protecting and preserving base which covers an area of 250 hectares of land, lies 2km north of Tonle Sap Great Lake and 13 Km southeast of Siem Reap provincial Town.

What are our activities?

For the last few decades, fish have been overfished and destroyed by the usage of illegal fishing materials, electro fishing, Intensification (pumping, sub-leasing) and Lack of law enforcement.

Due to the described matters, we are afraid that the aquatic life will be gone and it will negatively impact many other lives. So the community decided to take over several actions to guarantee the balance of natural life in the area such as.

- 100 percents to guard Pearaing Conservation area for all year round both dry and rainy season.
- To advise people not to use illegal fishing materials or they are even forced and warned to completely stop referred to the fishing law restriction.
- To strengthen the conduction of fishing law in our country.
- To technically deepen some needed lower spot in our damp.
- To dig the dry natural damp to be filled in with water in the dry season.
- To build the artificial fishing nest in the area, especially in the dry season.
- To stop any acts of pumping out water for fishing in those reservoirs in our area.

2: To Protect and preserve the Tonle Sap flooded swamp forests.

Swamp forests are divided into three main different types:

I. Gallery forest (10%): poor in species (4-5), stunted nature (20 meter max), subsisting mainly along rivers and lakeshore (wetter soil, less affected by fires).

II. Shrub (80%): higher diversity, 3-4 m tall, fast growth (?)

III. Aquatic herbaceous vegetation (10%) in wetlands, may be floating, emerging or submerged Sesbania javanica (sngaor), water hyacinth, tvang.

The majority of these forests are invaded for the consumption as follow:

- Clearing land for agriculture (outer margin of the lake).
- Burning for hunting, access, agriculture.
- Cutting for fishing gears, firewood.

The actions are leading to the destruction of the nest of birds, fish and reptiles in the future and it will cause scarcity and other negative impacts for the lives of birds, fish, reptiles and other biodiversities.

Activities: while learning all of these threats, our community take several actions to maintain the resources such as:

- Set out to guard in the area to make sure that all of those threats such as clearing land for agriculture, burning forests for hunting, access, cutting trees for fishing gears and firewood, are well-maintained and secured to guarantee the home of our bio-diversities.
- Planting the necessary swamp forests especially Gallery Forests.
- Clearing Giant Mimosa (Thorn) plants that are no use for fish and reptiles.

3. To protect and preserve the birds -Wetland and Water Birds

The Tonle Sap is of outstanding global conservation importance for birds and reptiles, i.e. it supports high number of globally threatened species, and in significant populations. Pearaing Natural Damp is used as the Birds Conservation Center where birds migrates from different places to seek food here in the dry season. Storks, darters, pelicans, adjutants, ibis, asian open bill, egrets etc... are commonly found in our community area. Once fish and forests have been conserved; bird hunting, poaching, poisoning and market trafficking have been prohibited, Birds finds themselves safe and suitable for their home where they can feed themselves then more birds start to use our conservation area as their home sweet home. We dream to make this place to the Bird Sanctuary for the future.

4. To manage the water usage for farmers.

We have five reservoirs in our commune area, to avoid the conflicts of the water usage; the community has set up the team to guarantee the effective management of water usage for their rice crop growing in the seasons. With the reservoirs we have, our community wins to have the first number one as the Green Community in the whole province, Siem Reap.

5. To improve the community economic development based on agriculture and loan.

Most of our community members are farmers. The community has trained to equip them with more agricultural techniques:

• Raising chickens, cattle, buffalo, frogs, eels, fish, pigs and bird nests.
• Rice and vegetable growing
• Happy Farmers Bank (Self Help Group). More funds needed to be invested.

6. To improve the community economic development based on tourism activities.

To keep us grow smoothly and healthily, the community has developed and maintained the area to be attractive for tourists so that we can sustainably run the projects or the project will die while most members are volunteers at the moment. We learn that the area is suitable for Eco- tourism activity so tourism activity is a must to be set as the main goal to collect the fund to support and to grow the other projects.

Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center and Tomnup Thmei (1978 reservoir) relaxing huts are used as the center for both national and international tourists.

•Pearaing Biodiversity Conservation Center (Pearaing Natural Damp) is well-known for birds watching and nature loving people. The center is located 13km southeast of Siem Reap provincial town, though it is not well-promoted yet but tour guides, drivers and travel agent start to focus on introducing this place to their customers besides Angkor Temples.

•Tomnup 78 relaxing huts and local restaurants is well-known for local tourists. We currently have 60 relaxing huts and local food has been introduced here by most community members and villagers. Each day, there are about 400 local tourists coming to spend their day picnicking and relaxing with friends and family.