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Boraphet marsh, the biggest shallow lake of Thailand, provides an important protein source and income for people in the upper north central region and provides a significant habitat for aquatic flora and fauna. The lake is divided into two zones including the strictly non-fishing and fishing zones with the main purposes of conserving rich biological resources. Here we investigated differences of water quality as well as aquatic resources between the strictly non-fishing and fishing zones. The results revealed that quality of water between the two zones was not significantly different with the exception of ammonium nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus that were higher in the strictly non-fishing zone. This could be the result of development projects (guest houses and restaurants) in the strictly non-fishing zone. Most species of biological resources was comparable between the two zones. However, species of macrophyte appeared to be higher in the fishing zone. Also, fish species and productivity in the strictly non-fishing zone were significantly higher than in the fishing zone and this might be the result of over-exploitation or perhaps together with the use of illegal and destructive fishing gears. In conclusion, the conservation zone implemented since 1947 has been successful as indicated by higher fish production than in the fishing zone. However, enhancing aquatic resource production in the fishing zone and promoting wise use of natural resources are still needed for future sustainable conservation of Boraphet marsh.

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This project also fostered local technical development as it supported research and analysis by the universities and researchers of the University Network for Wetland Research and Training in the Mekong Region. Not only did this work support greater scientific understanding of the critical challenge posed by POPs contamination, it advanced the development of greater local capability and transboundary cooperation in the field of wetland ecology in the Mekong Basin.

The eastern sarus crane (Antigone antigone sharpii; ESC) is a species related to wetland ecosystems in Southeast Asia. The habitat suitability of the eastern sarus crane in Ayeyarwady Delta was surveyed between March 2018 and February 2019. Eastern sarus cranes were found at 73 locations and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) was used to classify the habitat suitability among different seasons. MaxEnt showed the largest total area of highly suitable habitat was in the winter season (2450 km2, AUC = 0.968), while the least amount of available suitable habitat was evident during the rainy season (1028.7 km2, AUC = 0.979). A difference in the assessment of home range areas using the Minimum Convex Polygon (95% MPC) and the Kernel Density Estimate (95% KDE) was found. The total area in the winter season was highest at 95% KDE (13,839.5 km2) and lowest in the rainy season (1238.1 km2), while 95% MCP was highest in the rainy season (7892.9 km2) and lowest in the summer season (7014.6 km2). Analysis of the environmental parameters indicated that low temperature in the summer season and high precipitation in the rainy season and winter season are important for ESC habitat suitability. These climatic parameters were important for ESC in all seasons (AUC > 0.9). Important parameters influencing ESC habitat suitability were elevation, slope, distance to road in the summer season, elevation, distance to road and village and slope in the rainy season, and elevation and slope in the winter season. Annual precipitation was the main parameter influencing ESC habitat suitability in both summer and winter, while in the rainy season it was mean diurnal range (>90%).