Fears for a Floating World

While environmentally conscious members of Rangoon’s artistic community did their part to highlight the plight of Inle Lake and its inhabitants, closer to home, others were also trying to raise people’s awareness of the issue.

From June 8 to 13, the Literature and Library Society in Taunggyi held an art and photo exhibition about the impact of climate change on the lake. Titled “Our Lovely World,” the exhibition attracted the attention of people with a keen interest in preserving what’s left of the lake.

One elderly man who attended said: “When I was young, there were 16 marine species that no longer exist today because there is not enough water. The water runs out each year before the summer comes.”

It’s not just the lake, but also its surroundings, that have been hard hit by changes in the climate. As water levels fall, temperatures are rising, reaching as high as 42 degrees Celsius this April, resulting in severe water shortages in many parts of the country, including Inle Lake. 

“There used to be a lot of cherry blossoms along the ridge of the mountain,” the old man said. “But nowadays it is so hot in the dry season that most of them have died.”