Precious Kalimantan wetland losing ground

Lake Sentarum National Park, frequently called the heart of Borneo, is the largest wetland ecosystem in Asia, covering 132,000 hectares of swamp and marsh. The park's existence is so vital that the zone has held a place on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance since 1994. An ecologist from CIFOR, Elizabeth Linda Yuliani, who has been conducting research in the park for four years, said physical changes on the park's perimeter -- its contours, topography and spatial plan -- could alter Lake Sentarum's role in the water cycle.
She warned such changes might reduce the rate of water flow, causing more mud to accumulate, and in turn lead to declines in the fish population.