Biosphere reserves are areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. Under UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme, there are 142 biosphere reserves recognized as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Asia and the Pacific as of April 2016. These are distributed across 24 countries in the region.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves of Southeast Asia in the context of Tonlé Sap
Tonlé Sap (/ˈtɒnleɪ sæp/; Khmer: ទន្លេសាប, Tônlé Sab [tɔnleː saːp]; lit. 'Fresh River' or commonly translated as 'Great Lake') is a lake in the northwest of Cambodia. Belonging to the Mekong River system, Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world. It was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997 due to its high biodiversity. The lake has a large seasonal variation in water depth, with the post-monsoon level sometimes being as much as 10 metres (33 ft) higher than before.During the 21st century, the lake and its surrounding ecosystems have come under increasing pressure from deforestation, intensive agriculture and fishery, infrastructure development and climate change.