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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. It would entail dredging the old moats and canals, restoring the Siem Reap River to its prewar state and refilling some of the old barays with water.
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 inspire a great deal of love and a faith in their ability to survive.