About Lang Sen Wetland Reserve

Lang Sen Wetland Reserve is a wetland complex in the “Plain of Reeds” of the Mekong Delta, which comprises a mosaic of seasonally flooded grassland, open swamp, and riverine Melaleuca and mixed forests. The Site supports the best sample of natural riverine forests in the Mekong Delta, and provides habitat for a wide diversity of waterbirds and fish species. It regularly supports more than 20,000 waterbird individuals in the dry season, including globally threatened species such as the endangered greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) and the vulnerable sarus crane (Grus antigone). The Site also hosts globally vulnerable reptiles such as the Indochinese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis) and Southeast Asian softshell turtle (Cuora amboinensis). 27 of 87 fish species recorded in Lang Sen live only in the lower Mekong Basin; these include the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) and giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis). According to a 1969 map, Lang Sen Wetland Reserve then covered around 10,000 hectares. With its current area of 4,802 hectares, the Site is the second largest remaining area of the Plain of Reeds. Local communities have long exploited Lang Sen Wetland Reserve; most of it is divided into small agro-forestry production patches, some managed by local households, and others by state bodies.