The regular exchange of knowledge and experiences is essential to constantly improve and adjust our comprehensive conservation strategy for Indawgyi Lake. In late January our friends and partners from Germany visited Indawgyi Lake for a week in the course of the UNESCO’S Man and the Biosphere Programme [link]. In various workshops and field trips the Myanmar Forest and Fisheries Departments, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the German partner reserves of Indawgyi Lake and the local organisations Inn Chit Thu (ICT), Indawgyi Natural Farmer Association (INFA), and Indawgyi Conservation & Development Association (INCDA) came to together to commonly improve and accelerate our local conservation approaches.

Eugen Nowak and Heike Garbe of the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve joined several field trips of the Forestry & Fisheries Departments and FFI to monitor Indawgyi’s streams. The removing of ghost nets and fish barriers have been identified as important measures prior to the breeding season to secure fish migration and thus the fish stock. The Forest and Fisheries Departments, FFI and Ingo Henschel of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) spent several days on the lake to measure the water quality. The trips included training sessions in order to empower local stakeholders to efficiently monitor Indawgyi Lake. Sonja Biwer and Heiko Bölk of the Lower Elbe Biosphere Reserve facilitated the finalisation of our interactive environmental education programme. Together with the Forest Department, FFI and ICT the programme was evaluated and eventually tested with a group of local volunteers from Lone Ton. The marketing strategy of the Indawgyi Biosphere Reserve with a strong emphasis on Community-based Ecotourism was further improved by Oliver Krause of the Brandenburg Department of Environment, FFI and ICT.

The great results of the visit were presented to and discussed with Indawgyi’s communities at the Indawgyi Wetland Education Centre on the final day. While enjoying organic coffee and rice cake on the veranda, future steps were already planned to keep the partnership as fruitful and successful. We want to thank our German partner reserves for their great expertise and support, and are looking forward to meeting them again in Germany in late summer to enhance Indawgyi’s Community-based Waste Management and Sustainable Farming.

Tags: Research & Monitoring, Sustainable Fisheries, Environmental Education, Sustainable Farming, Community Forestry, Sanitation, Community-based Waste Management, Community-based Ecotourism

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sci...