Water Resources eAtlas
 

AS17 Mahakam
Watersheds of Asia and Oceania
     

 

 

 

Land Cover and Use Variables
  
Percent Forest Cover: 79.4
Percent Grassland, Savanna and Shrubland: 0.5
Percent Wetlands: 7.7
Percent Cropland: 17.2
Percent Irrigated Cropland: 0.0
Percent Dryland Area: 0.0
Percent Urban and Industrial Area: 1.3
Percent Loss of Original Forest Cover: 10.6

 
 
 

Basin Indicators
  
Basin Area (sq. km.): 98,194
Average Population Density (people per sq. km.): 21
Number of Large Cities (>100,000 people): 2
Water Supply per Person (1995) (m3/person/year): 135,955
Degree of river fragmentation: -
Number of Dams (>15m high) in Basin: 0
Number of Dams (>150m high) in Basin: 0
Number of Dams (>60m high) under Construction: 0
Number of Dams (>15m high) on Main Stem of River: 0
Number of Dams (>150m high) on Main Stem of River: 0

 
 
 

Biodiversity Information and Indicators
  
Number of Fish Species: -
Number of Fish Endemics: -
Number of Amphibian Species: 63
Number of Ramsar Sites: 0
Number of Wetland-Dependent IBAs: -
Number of Endemic Bird Areas: 1
Percent Protected Area: 3.5

This basin is home to one of the subpopulations of the Irrawaddy River dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris). This subpopulation is classified as critically endangered by IUCN as of 2000. Only 33-50 individuals are estimated to be left in the middle reaches of the Mahakam river. The major causes of death in the basin are collisions with vessels, deliberate killings, entanglement in fishing gear, introduction of exotic piscivors that outcompete the dolphins for prey, and live-capture for aquaria. Other subpopulations of the species in the Irrawaddy and Mekong basins have not been assessed for conservation status because of lack of data and information.
 

 

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