The U.N.'s cultural agency has named Inle Lake, with its diverse plants and animals and floating gardens, as Myanmar's first biosphere reserve to help safeguard natural ecosystems while promoting sustainable economic development.

 

Boatsmen on the lake are famous for their unique style of rowing with one leg, and floating gardens, mostly producing tomatoes, are cultivated, helping make the lake one of the Southeast Asian country's most popular tourist destinations. UNESCO's statement said the lake has 267 species of birds, plus a variety of fish and other wildlife.

 

The designated reserve for Inle Lake, also known as Inlay Lake, covers 489,721 hectares (1,891 square miles) in southern Shan state in eastern Myanmar.

 

UNESCO said Wednesday that the designation was made at a council meeting in Paris. There are about 630 biosphere reserves in the world.

 

Inle Lake has experienced drastic droughts in the past few years, with the low water levels hindering transportation by boat, affecting livelihood of those living on the lake. Experts and environmentalists blame climate change and deforestation for the problem.