The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in Indo-Burma

Our knowledge of species diversity within the inland waters of Indo-Burma is poorly documented and the region remains relatively under-surveyed. In this volume we aim to address this knowledge gap and present the most up-to-date information on the distribution and extinction risk of freshwater species in all inland water ecosystems across the Indo-Burma hotspot, and where appropriate, the reasons behind their declining status. This represents the most comprehensive assessment yet of freshwater biodiversity at the species level for this part of the world. As a major contribution towards the provision of information, an assessment of the status (according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) and distribution of all described species of freshwater fishes, molluscs, odonates, crabs, and selected families of aquatic plants from across the Indo-Burma hotspot was conducted. A total of 2,515 species were assessed and documented. With species information compiled for each of 1,082 individual river or lake subcatchments, this volume represents a major advance in knowledge for informing development actions at a scale appropriate for conservation management.