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Less obvious, but more insidious, is the water damage, according to archaeologist Richard Engelhardt, the director of UNESCO operations in Cambodia. The water system was neglected for centuries, and it totally collapsed following the construction of grandiose hydroprojects by the Khmer Rouge. They dammed the Siem Reap River, an integral part of the ancient system, in order to create their own baray farther north. As a result, the moats and canals surrounding the temples of Angkor turned into swamps...
Although the Polish government has signed an agreement with the Cambodian government to restore the temple, Warsaw is broke. The Poles have asked UNESCO for funds and have been turned down. The organization would like to see such bilateral efforts postponed until the overall environment can be stabilized. Even though there is a general understanding of the need for that approach, donor nations want a temple to restore and claim as their own. "Everyone wants to produce a before-and-after photograph," complains Engelhardt...
Still, for all the problems facing Angkor, it shares with the Cambodian people the hope of a brighter future. UNESCO will soon launch a yearlong, $500,000 study of environmental conditions in the Angkor region. The study will make zoning recommendations for future development -- particularly tourist access -- of what will be known as the Angkor Archaeological Park. But the investigation's main emphasis will be on the hydrology of the area and the possibility of restoring the ancient Khmer water system. Such a project could take until the end of the century to complete and cost more than $10 million...
...UNESCO hopes to recruit several thousand demobilized soldiers to help guard the monuments and begin clearing out the water system. As more tourists pour in and new facilities are built, the pressure on the provincial authorities to provide funds for the monuments will increase. But Narasimhaiah of the Indian archaeology team has some advice for scientists interested in restoration: "You have to love your monument. It should be like the relationship between a doctor and a patient. If a doctor doesn't have faith in his patient, he will never cure him." And if nothing else, the monuments of Angkor...
...World of 1492-1992: An EndlessDispute--by Miguel Portilla, ambassador ofMexico to UNESCO, and professor, faculty,Philosophy and Letters. Boylston Hall, Auditorium...