Indawgyi Lake lies within the Inner-Burman Tertiary Basin in Kachin State, Myanmar’s northernmost region, and is considered ‘globally outstanding’ for threatened water birds. The name Indawgyi (Myanmar: big, revered lake) already suggests the staggering dimension of Myanmar’s largest lake and the respect local communities have for its legend.
The freshwater lake is fed by various streams and has an outflow river to the north, the Indaw chaung, which eventually reaches the Irrawaddy River, Myanmar’s ecological, historical, and cultural lifeline. Beyond the lake, the surrounding wetlands and forests are important ecosystems for endangered wildlife and local communities whose livelihoods depend on Indawgyi’s diverse landscape.
CLIMATE
| JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER |
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| 25°/10° | 25°/10° | 32°/18° | 32°/20° | 35°/20° | 35°/20° | 35°/20° | 35°/20° | 35°/20° | 32°/20° | 25°/10° | 25°/10° |
Indawgyi Lake has a subtropical monsoon climate with three different seasons. The mild and dry winter lasts from November to early March with temperatures reaching above 20°C during day time, but falling to 10°C at night time. Even though the months are generally dry the humidity is high throughout the night, which further depresses the temperatures. The early morning mist covering the lake creates a mystical atmosphere, but the sky usually clears up for bright sun shine just after 10am.
The hot and mostly dry spring from late March to June turns Indawgyi’s dried out wetlands into attractive grazing lands for cows and buffaloes. The sun rises in the early morning and temperatures reach up to 37°C mid-day; even night-time temperatures barely fall under 24°C. This ‘green’ season is equally beautiful with lush green vegetation and bird songs in the air during the bird breeding season at the onset of monsoon.
The wet summer is Myanmar’s monsoon season between July and early October. The wettest months are July and August when the Indawgyi Lake water level rapidly rises by several metres and floods the surrounding wetlands. The days are warm with temperatures above 27°C and have high humidity throughout the day and night.
A new weather station (installed at the Indawgyi Wetland Education Centre in January 2019) will help to better understand the local weather conditions and monitor the long-term climate change at Indawgyi Lake.
