The beautiful floating gardens of Inle Lake. A freshwater lake located in the Nyaungshwe Township of Taunggyi District of Shan State, part of Shan Hills in Myanmar. Inle Lake, like many places, is suffering from the environmental effects of increased population and rapid growth in both agriculture and tourism. During the 65-year period from 1935 to 2000, the net open water area of Inle Lake decreased by 32.4%, with the development of floating garden agriculture, which occurs largely on the west side of the lake (a practice introduced in the 1960s). These floating garden beds are formed by extensive manual labor. The local farmers will gather up lake-bottom weeds from the deeper parts of the lake, bring them back in boats and make them into floating beds, anchored by bamboo poles. These gardens rise and fall with changes in the water level, making them resistant to flooding. The constant availability of nutrient-laden water results in these gardens being incredibly fertile. Lumber removal and unsustainable cultivation practices (slash and burn farming techniques) on the hills surrounding the lake are causing ever-increasing amounts of silt and nutrients to run off into the rivers that feed this lake. This silt fills up the lake; the nutrients encourage the growth of weeds and algae. More important, is the development this floating garden agriculture practice, which encroaches into the diminishing area of the lake, since over time, the floating beds become solid ground. About 93% of the recent loss in open water area of this lake, largely along its western side, is thought to be due to this agricultural practice. Direct environmental impacts associated with these combined agricultural activities within the wetlands and surrounding hills of the lake include sedimentation, eutrophication, and pollution. In 2015 the United Nations added Inle lake to its World Network Biosphere Reserves. There are a total of 651 sites in 120 countries in this network, but Inle Lake is the first biosphere reserve to be added for Myanmar.

Toby Harriman