Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar. Assessing ecological status in Inlay Lake.

Summary

The report is one of the deliverables of the project Integrated water resources management – Institutional building and training. The main purpose of the report has been to achieve improved knowledge about aquatic biodiversity and water chemistry in Inlay Lake, and to give an example for assessing the ecological status. In addition, to develop preliminary recommendations for a monitoring programme for Inlay Lake, physical measurements, water and phytoplankton samples and aquatic macrophytes were collected at several sites in different parts of the lake in 2014-2015. Inlay Lake can be characterized as a mid-altitude, very large and very shallow, calcareous, clear lake, and the nutrient concentration show mesotrophic to semi-eutrophic conditions. Preliminary ecological status for phytoplankton and aquatic macrophytes are suggested based on different indices. Preliminary recommendations for a monitoring programme for Inlay Lake are included.