Khmer Rouge Irrigation Schemes During the Cambodian Genocide

Abstract

Between 1975 and 1979 Cambodia was witness to a period of mass violence in which approximately two million people died from famine, disease, and murder. This violence was the result of policies initiated by the Communist Party of Kampuchea, better known as the Khmer Rouge. To date, little research has systematically or empirically studied the geography of specific practices, notably the construction of irrigation schemes, initiated by the CPK that produced those material conditions that resulted in death and deprivation. Using satellite images, aerial photographs, archival records, and field observation, we systematically document and map Khmer Rouge irrigation schemes. Findings indicate that approximately 7,000 kilometers of canals and dikes and over 350 reservoirs were constructed during the genocide. A six-class typology is forwarded, as we argue that local hydrologic and geomorphic conditions did figure in the construction of dams, dikes, canals, and reservoirs.

Extracting Khmer Rouge Irrigation Networks from Pre-Landsat 4 Satellite Imagery Using Vegetation Indices

“…However, the ability of the TTVI to clearly define a contrast between water and land made it the most useful for mapping canals, as it successfully separated the thin linear features from the surrounding landscape. The spectral signal of water is such that it supersedes all other signals in a pixel, making even the fivemeter wide canals detectable [11]. In the CTVI imagery (Figure 7d), containment dikes and reservoirs…”

“…Repeated flooding of the landscape over the past 40 years has eroded the traces of many canals on the landscape, and continuous agriculture combined with current increases in development and deforestation all work towards erasing the sites that remain. No geospatial inventory of the structures built during that time period has been previously undertaken [11].…”

“…Six types were identified: external storage, internal storage, segregated storage, linked storage, topographically controlled storage, and large-scale canal systems. For a more in-depth discussion of the typology characteristics, see Tyner et al [11].…”

“…What was the relative success or sustainability of these irrigation features? Our research has uncovered thousands of kilometers of canals and reservoirs that were constructed between late 1975 to 1979 [11]. Many of the smaller canal networks cannot be detected in existing satellite imagery, indicating that this tally is certainly an undercount of the features that were built at the time.…”

The hydro‐logic of genocide: Remaking land, water, and bodies in democratic Kampuchea, 1975–1979

“…In many places, irrigation ditches were dug at 200 m intervals to form a large grid such that each square enclosed four hectares. Supply canals spanned long distances, crossed watershed boundaries, and intersected rivers (Tyner et al., ). The physical legacy of this network is still obvious today and – in many places – still operational.…”