VZCZCXRO2346
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHGO #0133/01 0511010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201010Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7206
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1734
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0921
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4771
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4482
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8012
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5573
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0114
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1355
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 1391
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 0223
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUCLRFA/USDA WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, OES:ACOVINGTON 
BANGKOK FOR REO:JWALLER 
PACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: SENV ECON EAGR PREL BM
SUBJECT: THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT OF INLE LAKE 
 
Ref: Rangoon 35 
 
RANGOON 00000133  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Inle Lake, Burma's second largest lake, has 
shrunk by one-third over the past fifty years.  Silt and plants 
slide down the deforested mountainside into the lake during monsoon 
season, creating floating islands responsible for much of the water 
displacement.  Inle farmers exacerbate the problem, expanding the 
islands into gardens where they grow crops for profit.  The use of 
fertilizers and chemicals for on-lake farming, coupled by increasing 
pollution from industrial zones in nearby cities and the lack of 
sanitation in on-lake villages, pollutes the lake.  Although 
scientists have yet to conduct studies on the effects of pollution 
on the lake, they believe that several species of fish have been 
lost.  Government policies of introducing new species of fish into 
the lake to improve fishing conditions and encouraging increased 
tourism further destroy the lake's natural environment and threaten 
its future.  End Summary. 
 
Burma's Second Largest Lake 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Located in southwestern Shan State, Inle Lake is Burma's 
second largest lake.  Eighteen miles long and seven miles wide with 
an average depth of five feet, Inle Lake is home to numerous species 
of flora and fauna, including 23 types of fish, eels, tortoises, 
frogs, and snakes.  Inle Lake is also one of Burma's most popular 
tourist destinations, with an estimated 200,000 tourists visiting 
each year. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Although Inle is Burma's second largest lake, it has 
shrunk by almost one-third in the past fifty years, U Uga, Chairman 
of local NGO BANCA, told us.  According to a 2007 study published by 
the University of Tokyo, Inle Lake once measured thirty-six miles 
long and eight miles wide, with an average depth of seven feet. 
Scientists blame Inle's water loss on the abundance of floating 
islands, which form from silt and plants that enter into the water 
shed annually.  Several decades ago, the mountains surrounding the 
lake were covered with teak forests, which held the soil and plants 
in place.  The mountainsides are now bare due to deforestation, 
which allows silt and plants to slide down the mountains into the 
water during monsoon season, U Uga noted.  Local farmers exacerbate 
the problem by using floating islands as arable land.  Each day, 
farmers collect mud and clay to add to the top of the floating 
islands, creating a place to grow crops.  In some cases, these 
floating islands have become attached to the bottom of the lake, 
displacing water.  As farmers expand these floating gardens to grow 
crops, the lake will grow smaller, U Uga predicted. 
 
Increasing Pollution Levels 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Although scientists have yet to conduct official studies 
on the lake's environment, local environmentalists are concerned 
about the rising levels of pollution in Inle lake.  According to U 
Uga, the pollution in Inle comes from multiple sources. Twenty-nine 
rivers flow into the lake, several of which run through industrial 
zones in Taunggyi and Heho, located approximately 18 miles from Inle 
Lake.  Some factories dump waste into these rivers, environmental 
analysts assert, which ultimately ends up in the lake. Additionally, 
farmers on the lake increasingly use chemicals and pesticides to 
grow more abundant crops, which leech into the water and poison 
marine species, U Uga noted.  Pollution also comes from lake 
residents, some of whom dump trash into the lake on the outskirts of 
villages.  None of the houses located on the lake have indoor 
plumbing systems, and waste directly enters the lake.  The farmers 
and other residents lack knowledge about how agricultural and 
village activities affect the delicate ecosystem around the lake. 
 
RANGOON 00000133  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
While the effects of the pollution on the lake are not clear, 
scientists believe that several species of fish have been lost due 
to pollution. 
 
Non-Native Species Taking Over 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Inle Lake was once the home to several species not found 
anywhere else in the world, including twenty-nine species of snail 
and nine species of fish.  However, scientists believe that several 
of these species have become extinct due to pollution and the 
introduction of new species to the lake habitat.  According to U 
Uga, the Burmese Government in 2000 introduced a new species of carp 
to the lake in an effort to improve fishing conditions.  This plan 
backfired, he declared, as the new species killed off many of the 
native fish and greatly reduced the number of nga hpein, the 
traditional fish of the lake.  While the new species of carp is 
bigger than other fish and thus fetches a higher price on the local 
market, fishermen consider themselves lucky when they catch nga 
hpein. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Water hyacinths are abundant on Inle Lake, although they 
are not native to the lake.  Scientists do not know how the plant 
entered the lake habitat, but agree that it is destroying the 
natural environment of the lake.  Water hyacinth grows quickly and 
covers the top of the lake, robbing plants and animals of sunlight. 
According to Inle Lake residents, local authorities several years 
ago asked residents to help destroy the plants but abandoned its 
efforts in 2006. 
 
Negative Impact of Tourism 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The increasing number of tourists also destroys the 
environment of Inle Lake, U Uga told us.  Currently, there are six 
hotels located on the lake, with more than a dozen located on the 
shore.  The Burmese Government has plans to build new hotels on the 
lake to meet future demand.  Visitors can only access on-lake hotels 
by motorboat, which translates into additional boats on the lake. 
While the boats themselves do not actually pollute the lake, they 
pump diesel fumes into the air, ruining air quality.  Additionally, 
the loud motors contribute to noise pollution, ruining the tranquil 
nature of the lake. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The Burmese Government does little to protect the 
environment (Reftel) and instead establishes polices - such as 
introducing new fish species or encouraging tourism - with little 
thought about the long term environmental impacts. 
Environmentalists, concerned about the future of Inle Lake, want to 
conduct studies on the changing nature of Inle's environment but 
lack the funds and knowledge to do so.  Inle's environmental 
problems will only become worse as long as the military rules. 
Until the Burmese Government recognizes that it must protect natural 
resources rather than exploit them for profit, the future of Burma's 
environment looks bleak. 
 
VILLAROSA