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The Mekong River in Asia stretches 2,700 miles (4,350 km) from the highlands of Tibet to the South China Sea. Annual floods fertilize agricul- tural land in five different countries on the floodplains beside the river. However the construction of hydroelectric dams on the river has disrupted the natural flood cycles.

Educational Video

For an overview of the functions and impor- tance of

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The Sunderbans in Bangladesh is the joint delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. It contains the world’s largest mangrove forest. The tides of the Bay of Bengal flood the streams and channels of the Sunderbans, and the area is probably the most important habitat for the royal Bengal tiger. The Sunderbans area is about one-third the size it was 200 years ago. Today, the swamps and river area covers 2,350 square miles (6,100 sq. km). The Sudd is a huge swamp region in the country of South Sudan. The Sudd swamps are fed by the White Nile River, and form one of Africa’s largest floodplains. Many migratory birds and mammals depend on the Sudd as a place to stop off and find food, while local cattle herders depend on its seasonal grasses. The Okavango in northern Botswana is the world’s largest inland delta, where the Okavango River spreads out after being funnelled through a natural “panhandle” caused by geological faults . Half the delta is permanent swamp, the rest floods dur-

What Are Wetlands?

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