When rains returned during June 2020, local fishermen noticed that the water in the Daw Lar Lake had turned black. This discolored water was found in the southwest part of the lake- between Kan Kalay and Kan Kyi Villages.
Daw Lar Lake- which has obtained official permission from the Karen State Government for self-governance- is only three miles from the Tan 4000 Cement Factory. Last year, when wells, lakes, and ponds in villages located near the factory were contaminated, the wells in Kan Kalya Village and the Kae Taugh-Kyone Pite Stream which connects the Salween River and Daw Lar Lake were also discolored.
Daw Lar Lake is a seasonally river-fed wetland complex on the Western bank of the Salween River, north of Hpa-An town in Karen State. The five local communities surrounding the lake depend heavily on it for food, and as their primary source of income. The health of the lake and its abundant aquatic life is determined by the nearby natural areas, including the Salween River, the surrounding floodplains, naturally forested hills, limestone mountains, and networks of caves. The ecological integrity of the lake area is vital to the local communities, who for generations have practiced functional and sustainable forms of resource governance.
To conserve and protect this precious natural resource, the five local village communities have joined together in a collaborative process to engage the government and to conserve the Daw Lar Lake area.