Available Guides for Keibul Lamjao National Park: Floating Ecosystem and Regional Planning

The world's only floating national park, protecting the endangered Sangai deer in the wetlands of Loktak Lake

Keibul Lamjao National Park

Keibul Lamjao National Park represents one of India's most ecologically unique protected areas, situated in the heart of Manipur's wetland landscape. The park's foundation rests upon the extraordinary phumdi ecosystem, where layers of decomposing vegetation, biomass, and soil particles have consolidated into floating islands that rise and fall with the water levels of Loktak Lake. These phumdis cover approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the park's total area and vary in thickness from one to four feet, with about twenty percent of their mass floating above the water surface, sufficient to support the weight of large mammals like the Sangai deer. The park encompasses three prominent hills—Pabot, Toya, and Chingjao—which provide crucial refuge for wildlife during the monsoon season when water levels rise substantially. The park's designation as an integral part of the Loktak Lake system, itself a Ramsar wetland site, underscores its international ecological significance. It is currently on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status under the title Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area, a designation that would recognize its outstanding universal value. The park is managed jointly by the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, though its boundary and size have fluctuated over the years due to various pressures, including reductions from the original 4,000 hectares to 2,160 hectares in 1998.