By the ninth century, the Khmer Empire had emerged in eastern Indochina. The Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Empire, developed in present-day Cambodia and parts of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It was primarily an agrarian society, with agriculture being the main economic activity. The Khmer Empire ingeniously used reservoirs and canals to store and distribute water for irrigation purposes, which greatly contributed to their agricultural productivity and prosperity. Notable examples of their water management system include the vast water reservoirs such as the Baray and the impressive Angkor Wat temple complex, which had an intricate system of canals, moats, and reservoirs associated with it.
