Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Designation
ASEAN Heritage Parks
Body
| Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary - The largest inland lake in Southeast Asia |
| The Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1999 with a total area of 77,525 hectares (775.25 square kilometers) for the protection of local waterfowl and their habitats, as well as the neighboring catchment areas. The Lake is located 175 meters above sea level and lies in a northsouth elongated basin with fl at plains. Indawgyi covers 12,000 hectares, making it the largest inland lake in Southeast Asia and the third largest lake in the world. The eastern side of the Lake is mountainous terrain that rises up to 1,175 meters. The hills to the west and north are more extensive and reaches up to 1,500 meters. Local inhabitants believe that the Lake is being protected by powerful spirits, known as the Dragon". The Wildlife Sanctuary is dominated by moist upper mixed deciduous and semi-evergreen forests on the mountainous terrain. The habitats of the Lake itself include open water, herbaceous marsh, floating mats, limited emerged beds and extensive areas of submerged macrophytes." |