Naujan Lake National Park

Naujan Lake National Park is located at the northeastern part of Mindoro Island, Philippines (14,567 ha, 13°04'-13°15'N, 121°17'-121°26'E). It has an area of 8,125 ha of open water, 1,412 ha of marshland and 5,030 ha of terrestrial catchment. The Naujan Lake is the fifth largest lake in the country. The lake watershed bounds the protected area. More than 50% of the watershed, which used to have lush forest, is planted to citrus and only small patches of secondary forest are left. The plain areas within the watershed are intensively used for cultivation of paddy rice with irrigation water coming from the Lake. Surrounding it are 17 lakeshore communities. The local people use the lake as a communal fishing ground. The marshland adjacent to the Lake remains under grass and sedge. The dense growth of Scirpus sp. is collected and used for weaving baskets. The dense cover serves as habitat to resident and migratory waterfowls. The presence of wildlife also enhances the value of the Lake as a recreational area.