Event background
Paleik Lake is situated at the Singaing township, Kyaukse district in Mandalay region, central Myanmar. Paleik Lake is a natural wetland, regularly inundated in the rainy season and connected with the Ayeyarwady River through a tributary, the Myit Nge River. The floodplain areas of Myit Nge River are essential part of an irrigated cultivation and significant nutrient cycling to biome in Mandalay region. Therefore, Paleik Lake is one of the IBA (Important Bird and Biodiversity Area) in Myanmar. Because, Paleik wetland habitat unique provides the riverine ecosystem services: provision services such as food for daily consumption and fresh water for rice cultivation and seasonal plantation and supporting services such as habitat to globally threatened water bird species such as Baer’s Pochard (CR) Common Pochard (VU), Ferruginous Pochard (NT), Black – headed Ibis (NT) and Greylag Goose (LC), Black – headed Ibis (NT) and Oriental Darter (NT) with high population and nutrient cycling the aquatic plants’, Ottila Chordata, Eichhomia crassipes and Enhydra fluctuans lour, roots and leaves are valuable food source to invertebrate such as worm, Mollusca and crustaceans and fish species such as Channa, small Puntius, Rhotee and Notopterus, Oreochromis niliticus, Gibelion catla and Rohita rohita.
In addition, Paleik Lake recognizes as one of the priority inland wetlands for non – breeding (wintering) of Baer’s Pochard (CR) in Myanmar. And, Paleik Lake meet the internationally importance (Ramsar) criteria: 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 and proposed to designate the Ramsar and EAA Flyway Network Site in central Myanmar.
However, the mainly threats are bird hunting with trapped in aquatic plants and poison which is mixing the Potassium Cyanide and seed from the bud of water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) to sell for instead the subsistence income and daily food consumption. And, the local farmers scare with bird nets and shoot with catapults to water bird species because the water birds have destroyed their small plants (seedlings).
Therefore, we want to do more education awareness campaign about the value of migratory water birds species and balance to use of wetland resources by humans and wintering birds at Paleik Lake in Mandalay region.
Objectives: To raise the knowledge bar about the value of wetlands and migratory species and actively reach out the CEAP programs with local communities nearby Paleik Lake in Mandalay region.
Event plan:
We will collaborate with the Shwe Kantharyar Nature Conservation Association, is a community – based organization in Pyu Lake, to conduct the world migratory bird day event at Paleik Lake in Mandalay region. We will deliver the speech with presentation about the wetland ecosystem services and value of migratory water bird conservation and distribute the pamphlet on inland wetland and recorded the water bird species at Paleik Lake information. After then, we will form the new local conservation group with the local people who are interested in research and conservation the inland wetland and biodiversity in Paleik Lake. We will give a lecture to them about the biodiversity and environmental conservation to raise the awareness skill and involve in CEAP program in long term.