The Khmer Empire's Hydraulic Crisis

The Khmer Empire: The Lost Civilization Behind Angkor Wat — Fexingo History · Oct 21, 2026 · 5m · transcript

While Angkor Wat stands as a testament to Khmer engineering, the empire’s survival depended on a vast, fragile network of canals and reservoirs known as barays. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Jayavarman VII’s massive expansion of these hydraulic systems in the late 12th century inadvertently created systemic vulnerabilities. Using recent LiDAR data and sediment core analysis, we examine the theory that climate shifts during the megadroughts of the 14th century overwhelmed the very infrastructure designed to sustain millions. We look at the specific mechanics of water management…