Inle, the second largest lake in Myanmar, has suffered from unprecedented low water levels after record temperatures and low rainfall during the past year. The lake has a special ecosystem and is home to many species unique to the waters. It also supports a community of seventy thousand people who farm and fish there. But climate change has seen water levels drop dramatically and scientists fear the lake could disappear altogether.
The Intha leg rowers of Inle lake, are a rare and curious sight.
Hooking their leg around one oar, they propel themselves through the water…their hands free to throw and haul in their nets.
It looks precarious as they balance on the stern of their boats…but the fishermen have bigger worries…the lake is at its lowest level in recorded history.
"Its been bad for a while, but this year is even worse. I’m worried that one day Inle lake will be gone forever…Every year, there’s less and less water and this year is by far the worst," said Ko Kyaw Saw, fisherman, Inn OO Village.
Its not just the human population under threat. Inle lake is recognised as a special biosphere, with several species of fish that are unique to these waters.
Herons and other migratory birds use the wetlands around the lake as a refuge…(Snakes) and other wildlife thrive in its waters.
But a lack of rainfall over the past eighteen months…and record temperatures… has seen the lake shrink…
To give you a sense of just how low the water levels are here on inle lake im going to stick this oar in till it hits the bottom…and there…its less than ½ meter. You can see the mud mark on the oar. Its only ever been like this once before in 2010, and the boatman says this year its even worse. Even in the deepest parts of the lake its less than 2 meters in depth…and if I wanted to I could just get out of this boat and walk back to the shore.
Inle lake is also a vital to local agriculture. Fruit and vegetables thrive in the gardens on these nutrient rich waters… But this year the heat has taken its toll on the crops.
"This year the weather has been very hot and the water is very low. …you can see all the leaves are turning yellow. We have so many problems with insects on the tomato plants," said a tomato farmer in Kala Village.
From the air you can see how the waters of the lake are also clogged by water weeds. Excessive use of fertilizers has allowed underwater foliage to grow in great abundance. And it's not just due to El Nino.
The impact of climate change could see the lake dry up within a decade…leaving the communities who live off it stranded.
"They have only their traditional practices, and local knowledge. They don’t have any high technology or alternative ways, they don’t know. This is what I’m so worried about," said Dr. Khin Maung Htay, United Nations Development Program.
Monsoon rains are expected to start any day. But unless they bring an unusual amount of water, it won’t be enough to secure the future of the communities here.
