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Myanmar's treasure

August 6, 2013

Deforestation, excessive use of fertilizers and climate change are threatening Myanmar’s second-largest lake and its residents. Now, a UN-funded campaign is trying to reverse the tide.

https://p.dw.com/p/19KTy
Fishing boats on Lake Inle in Myanmar
Image: picture alliance/Christoph Mohr

Ecosystem under Threat - Inle Lake in Myanmar

Project type: Promoting sustainable forestry and water management

Project size: 71 villages

Project volume: Two million Euros provided by the United Nations and the Norwegian government

Inle Lake, Myanmar’s second-largest, is an environmental catastrophe in the making. The sweet water lake is home to the Intha people who depend on the waters for their livelihoods. But overfishing, deforestation on its shores, an excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers and toxic waste and sedimentation are choking the lake, which forms a valuable ecosystem. The effects of climate change have worsened the situation. Now, a UN-funded campaign, is working together with the lake’s residents to reverse the damage.

A film by Michael Wetzel