How Long Will Inle Last?

Be careful!  That water isn't as clean as it may appear to be!

Inle Lake is suffering from the serious environmental effects of increased population and rapid growth in both agriculture and tourism. During the 65-year period from 1935 to 2000, the net open water area of Inle Lake decreased from 69.10 km² to 46.69 km², a loss of 32.4%.

Floating Gardens - Tomatoes!

While there were times when Suba and I felt like the only two people on the lake, there were moments when it was clear that tourism has become a much bigger practice than in previous years, and there were perhaps seventy-five boats on the lake that day shuttling tourists.  

The development of the floating garden agriculture encroaches into the diminishing area of the lake, since over time the floating beds become solid ground. About 93% (nearly 21 km²) of the recent loss in open water area of the lake, largely along its western side, is thought to be due to this agricultural practice.  Inle’s main business is floating garden agriculture with tomatoes, the primary cash crop, comprising two-thirds of the region's agriculture.

The supply of fish at Inle has decreased dramatically

But what I noticed most was the amount of trash trapped in the lake reeds or floating in the water.  Sanitation in the villages around the lake is an ongoing concern for public health authorities, due to untreated sewage and waste water flowing into the lake.  With nearly 120,000 people living ON the lake – there is a lot of waste that is clearly not managed.  I was horrified to watch one woman take her trash bin, approach the water’s edge, and empty its contents into the lake.  This was the same lake water I had seen earlier that day, with people bathing, washing clothes and preparing food items.

Inle faces a lot of challenges as a result of overpopulation and overuse of natural resources. These challenges include pesticide pollution from the floating gardens, chemical dye contamination from textile processing, excess siltation from watershed erosion, lack of proper sanitation and the dumping of water and garbage.  As a result, the fish supply that serves as the main diet for the Intha (Lake People) is becoming scarce, public disease rates have dramatically increased, and the lake water has become increasingly polluted.  This does not include the impact to the environment that the predicted influx of tourism will cause! 

Inle was by far the highlight of my trip to Myanmar.  I sincerely hope that it will be able to maintain its beauty, mystery, and unique culture, and be able to adapt to these growing environmental concerns to remain for many years to come.