Lake Chilwa Wetland Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2006, in Malawi. Situated in the south of Malawi, near the eastern border with Mozambique, the Lake Chilwa Wetland Biosphere Reserve is home to one of the world’s most diverse bird assemblages. Lake Chilwa, the country’s second-largest lake, was formed by tectonic processes. The lake functions as a shallow inland drainage basin. Its eastern side is composed of sandy soils, while the remaining soils are fine-grained clays. The Chilwa plain comprises seven agro-ecological zones defined by different soil groups. The reserve’s topography includes the Chilwa plains, open lake waters and mountainous areas such as Mount Zomba and Mount Mulanje. In 1997, the wetlands were designated a Ramsar site for their global significance as a major waterfowl habitat.