468
Khotokha Highland Valley , located at an
average altitude of 2,617 m MSL, is situated
on one of the three broad highland valleys in
the Wangdue Dzongkhag, west of the Black
Mountain Range. According to Ramsar,
activities carried out on the site include agriculture and grazing. The site features a
marshy area and hosts cranes. Further, the
HA wetlands are integral parts of the river
systems in Bhutan. Further, the Bumthang
wetland region consists of the four mountain
valleys of Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor
(Bumthang), although occasionally the
entire district is referred to as Bumthang
Valley. ‘Bumthang’ directly translates as
‘beautiful fi eld’. ‘Bumthang’ name came
after construction of Jambay Lhakhang,
which was constructed in landscape of
Bumpa (vessel) shape. So thereafter people
name the place as ‘Bumthang’.
4. In Nepal , the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is
an IUCN Category I(a) Strict Nature Reserve
in Eastern Nepal. Established in 1976, there
are a number of wetlands within the Reserve.
The reserve also has the Gangetic dolphin,
fi shes, etc.
5. In Sri Lanka , the wetlands in Bundala
National Park are an IUCN Category II
National Park, which are wintering ground
for migratory waterbirds in Sri Lanka, notably the greater fl amingo, which migrate in
large fl ocks.
6. In Maldives , there are a chain of coral atolls.
In the Maldives, freshwater is a very scarce
resource. The country is rich with mangrove
wetlands. Kedhikolhudhoo is, perhaps, the
only inhabited island which is served with
desalinated water. Surface freshwater is
generally lacking throughout the archipelago with the exception of a few swampy
areas, shallow freshwater lagoons and some
fresh or brackish water ponds in some of the
islands in the northern and southern atolls.
In heavily populated islands such as
Thinadhoo and Kulhudhuffushi, the marshy
area has been used for waste disposal.
Freshwater ponds like the one in Fuvahmulah
could serve as an important reservoir for
freshwater supply.
7. The river deltas of Southeast Asia have
signifi cant wetland resources. The continent
of Asia is very rich in wetlands. India, perhaps, tops the list amongst the wetland-rich
countries. More than 80 % of wetlands in
Asia are located mainly in 7 countries,
namely, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh,
China, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and
Vietnam. Further, the snowfi elds and glaciers of the Himalayas are the birthplace of
many of the famous rivers of the world, notably the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Indus,
the Mekong, the Yangtze Kiang, etc. There is
rich biodiversity in the river deltas, which
also have been undergoing degradation.
However, restoration of a freshwater portion
of the Mekong Delta is underway with the
aid of the International Crane Foundation.
8. In Myanmar , there are different kinds of
wetlands in different landscapes. They
depict diverse ecological conditions and
biota. The Irrawaddy Delta (area
3,500,000 ha) is situated in the Irrawaddy
Division. The city of Rangoon is situated on
the southernmost spur of the Pegu Yoma and
lies at the southeastern edge of the delta .
The entire area is overlain by a thick layer
of recent alluvium brought down by the
Irrawaddy . The Irrawaddy Delta comprises
the main arms of Pathein River , Pyapon
River , Bogale River and Toe River . The
waters of these rivers are very turbid due to
a heavy silt load they carry, and the sea is
very shallow with depths less than 5.5 m
across the coastline. The upper and central
portions of the delta are almost entirely
under cultivation, principally for rice. The
delta was historically populated by the Mon.
It is mainly populated by farming and fi shing communities. It is one of the largest riceproducing regions of the world. The water is
usually slightly alkaline. Mangroves and
nipa palm are the major vegetation of the
delta. Moreover, control of weeds is, sometimes a matter of low priority, as local farmers
21 Wetlands of Other Regions in Asia
Khotokha Highland Valley , located at an
average altitude of 2,617 m MSL, is situated
on one of the three broad highland valleys in
the Wangdue Dzongkhag, west of the Black
Mountain Range. According to Ramsar,
activities carried out on the site include agriculture and grazing. The site features a
marshy area and hosts cranes. Further, the
HA wetlands are integral parts of the river
systems in Bhutan. Further, the Bumthang
wetland region consists of the four mountain
valleys of Ura, Chumey, Tang and Choekhor
(Bumthang), although occasionally the
entire district is referred to as Bumthang
Valley. ‘Bumthang’ directly translates as
‘beautiful fi eld’. ‘Bumthang’ name came
after construction of Jambay Lhakhang,
which was constructed in landscape of
Bumpa (vessel) shape. So thereafter people
name the place as ‘Bumthang’.
4. In Nepal , the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is
an IUCN Category I(a) Strict Nature Reserve
in Eastern Nepal. Established in 1976, there
are a number of wetlands within the Reserve.
The reserve also has the Gangetic dolphin,
fi shes, etc.
5. In Sri Lanka , the wetlands in Bundala
National Park are an IUCN Category II
National Park, which are wintering ground
for migratory waterbirds in Sri Lanka, notably the greater fl amingo, which migrate in
large fl ocks.
6. In Maldives , there are a chain of coral atolls.
In the Maldives, freshwater is a very scarce
resource. The country is rich with mangrove
wetlands. Kedhikolhudhoo is, perhaps, the
only inhabited island which is served with
desalinated water. Surface freshwater is
generally lacking throughout the archipelago with the exception of a few swampy
areas, shallow freshwater lagoons and some
fresh or brackish water ponds in some of the
islands in the northern and southern atolls.
In heavily populated islands such as
Thinadhoo and Kulhudhuffushi, the marshy
area has been used for waste disposal.
Freshwater ponds like the one in Fuvahmulah
could serve as an important reservoir for
freshwater supply.
7. The river deltas of Southeast Asia have
signifi cant wetland resources. The continent
of Asia is very rich in wetlands. India, perhaps, tops the list amongst the wetland-rich
countries. More than 80 % of wetlands in
Asia are located mainly in 7 countries,
namely, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh,
China, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and
Vietnam. Further, the snowfi elds and glaciers of the Himalayas are the birthplace of
many of the famous rivers of the world, notably the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Indus,
the Mekong, the Yangtze Kiang, etc. There is
rich biodiversity in the river deltas, which
also have been undergoing degradation.
However, restoration of a freshwater portion
of the Mekong Delta is underway with the
aid of the International Crane Foundation.
8. In Myanmar , there are different kinds of
wetlands in different landscapes. They
depict diverse ecological conditions and
biota. The Irrawaddy Delta (area
3,500,000 ha) is situated in the Irrawaddy
Division. The city of Rangoon is situated on
the southernmost spur of the Pegu Yoma and
lies at the southeastern edge of the delta .
The entire area is overlain by a thick layer
of recent alluvium brought down by the
Irrawaddy . The Irrawaddy Delta comprises
the main arms of Pathein River , Pyapon
River , Bogale River and Toe River . The
waters of these rivers are very turbid due to
a heavy silt load they carry, and the sea is
very shallow with depths less than 5.5 m
across the coastline. The upper and central
portions of the delta are almost entirely
under cultivation, principally for rice. The
delta was historically populated by the Mon.
It is mainly populated by farming and fi shing communities. It is one of the largest riceproducing regions of the world. The water is
usually slightly alkaline. Mangroves and
nipa palm are the major vegetation of the
delta. Moreover, control of weeds is, sometimes a matter of low priority, as local farmers
21 Wetlands of Other Regions in Asia