Prey Nup - Cambodia

Prey Nup - Cambodia

building against the tides

Prey Nup is where Marguerite Duras spent part of her childhood. In her novel "Dam against the Pacific" she describes her mother's relentless struggle against the ocean tides that destroyed the rice crops. Prey Nup is also where AFD rehabilitated an ancient dike between 1998 and 2008 and built around thirty structures to hold back those very same tides. AFD also initiated the formation of a farmers' association to manage this infrastructure. In a country marked by collectivism and the Khmer Rouge genocide, this social construction is truly original.