The Rason Migratory Bird Reserve in far northeastern North Korea is built around three lakes. They are Manpho, Sobonpho and Tongbonpho. The Convention on Wetlands describes reed beds and marshes between them. A map of the reserve makes more sense once you look at the edges and vegetation as well as the open water.
Rason was one of North Korea’s first two Ramsar sites in 2018. Its partner in that first group, Mundok, lies at a west-coast river mouth. Comparing the two reserves shows how a designation for wetlands can apply to landscapes with different shapes, water conditions and feeding habitats.
- The official name is Rason Migratory Bird Reserve, Ramsar site 2343.
- The Ramsar annotated list gives a rounded area of 3,526 hectares.
- The reserve lies within the Rason Special Economic Zone. The reserve and economic zone refer to different areas.
Convention on Wetlands — Rason and Mundok
Choose a reading route
Begin with the space between the lakes · Worked example: explain what a satellite image can show · Frequently asked questions
Chapters 1–4 · Understand the landscape
Chapters 5–7 · Work with the evidence
Chapter 1 of 7
Begin with the space between the lakes
On a small map, three lakes may appear as three patches of blue. Zooming in changes the picture. A reed bed is a stand of tall plants growing in wet ground or shallow water. A marsh can contain wet soils, standing water and vegetation in varying combinations. The boundaries of these features may be less sharp than the blue outline on the map.
To read the reserve as habitat, mark three types of space. The first is open water. The second is shallow or vegetated edge. The third is wet ground and marsh between bodies of water. The categories are a way to start observing. How much area each occupies and how it changes through the year are questions for site-specific records.
The Convention on Wetlands describes the three lakes together with intervening reeds and marshes. You can represent that simply by drawing three lake outlines, then giving the space between them its own label. This avoids turning the features that join the landscape into blank background.
Convention on Wetlands — Rason and Mundok
Chapter 2 of 7
Why wetland birds use different edges
Waterbirds differ in how they feed. Some can swim in open water. Some take food near the surface. Waders can search through shallow water or exposed sediment. The depth of water can therefore determine which patches are usable at a particular moment. Vegetation can offer cover, and open areas can offer a wider view of the surroundings.
Imagine one survey from the shore of a lake and another from a point overlooking a marsh. Both observers can make good records and still see very different birds. They are sampling different habitat and visibility. If you compare the counts, read where the survey took place before drawing a conclusion about the whole reserve.
In a photo exercise, look for a bird’s position and activity before trying to identify it. Record whether it is swimming, standing in shallow water, flying over vegetation or resting. A reliable species name makes the record more useful. A well-described behaviour remains valuable when the identification is uncertain.
Convention on Wetlands — Rason and Mundok
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
Chapter 3 of 7
Place Rason on a regional map
Rason lies in the northeast near the lower Tumen River region. The regional report linked below shows a reserve map with the three lakes and nearby boundaries. Use that map to establish where the site lies. A river basin or regional estuary study can extend across a broader area than the Ramsar site it includes.
This difference matters if a source uses Rason in a headline. A writer may be describing the city, the special economic zone or the migratory bird reserve. Start a research note by identifying which one is meant. The Ramsar site number is particularly helpful because it identifies the designated wetland across documents that use different map scales.
A site boundary tells you what land and water the designation covers. Birds, water and other ecological processes can cross boundaries. When asking how a site fits into a migration route or drainage system, keep the legal or administrative line visible and use appropriate evidence for movements across it.
NEASPEC — regional Tumen River estuary report and Rason map
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
Chapter 4 of 7
Compare Rason and Mundok fairly
The most direct difference is geography. Mundok is on the west coast at the Chongchon River mouth. Rason’s official description centres on three lakes with reeds and marshes. To explain why both count as wetlands of international importance, start by naming those features. Then ask what observations would reveal how birds use each one.
Build a comparison with one row for each reserve. In the first column, record the habitat described by the official announcement. In the second, give the area from the annotated Ramsar list. In the third, name a monitoring question. At Mundok you could ask how feeding changes with tide. At Rason you could ask how bird activity differs between open water and vegetated edges.
Ramsar annotated list — Rason site number and area
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
Chapter 5 of 7
Worked example: explain what a satellite image can show
Find the date of an image, then identify the larger water bodies and possible areas of vegetation. Mark which outlines you can see clearly. Compare the result with the site map and give the image and map separate credits.
A second image from a different season may show a changed shoreline or vegetation pattern. Before attributing the difference to a long-term change, check whether the dates, image resolution and conditions are comparable. Use a dated sequence or field observations for a stronger account of change over time.
NEASPEC — regional Tumen River estuary report and Rason map
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
Chapter 6 of 7
A habitat can change while a reserve keeps its name
A marsh can look different through the year. Water levels can shift, plants grow or die back, and birds arrive or leave. The same map label may therefore describe a place whose visible edges change with time. A photograph is most useful when it includes a date, a location and some sense of whether it shows open water, reed bed or marsh.
Imagine a survey team dividing the reserve into blocks. One observer records birds on open water while a second checks visible shoreline. The method should say what happens when birds fly from one block into another. That detail helps avoid counting the same group twice. To compare a later survey, the team would also need the duration, viewing conditions and areas covered.
The Convention on Wetlands announcement is a good source for the general description of the three lakes. A dated monitoring report is a better place to look for how particular birds used the reserve in a given season. This distinction lets a reader learn about the habitat while keeping open the question of how its use changes.
East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership — DPRK wetland resources
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
Chapter 7 of 7
Follow two different timelines
The Ramsar annotated list dates Rason’s designation to 16 January 2018. The Convention’s announcement marks the treaty entering into force for the country on 16 May 2018. Use both dates if you are writing about how the international record was made. A third timeline, based on observations, would be needed to describe seasonal or long-term ecological change.
A useful final exercise is to build a small glossary from the documents. Put “site”, “economic zone”, “estuary region” and “survey area” on separate cards. On each card, identify the map or record that defines the term. If you later find a count or area figure, attach it to the correct card. This keeps a statistic about a wetland from becoming a statement about an entire city or a broader river region.
One report gives the reserve’s area as about 3,526 hectares, while the Ramsar information sheet gives 3,525.7 hectares. The second number rounds to the first. Before concluding that a protected area has changed, compare units, rounding, dates and maps. A boundary change would require evidence beyond a difference in the number of decimal places. The same care helps when comparing a map’s label for a lake with a report’s number for the entire reserve. They may describe parts of the same landscape at different scales.
Ramsar annotated list — Rason site number and area
Contents · Previous chapter · Questions
Frequently asked questions
What are the three lakes in the reserve?
They are Manpho, Sobonpho and Tongbonpho, as named by the Convention on Wetlands.
Is Rason a Ramsar wetland?
Yes. It is Ramsar site 2343 and was one of the DPRK’s first two sites announced in 2018.
Is the reserve the same size as the Rason Special Economic Zone?
The wetland is within the wider zone. Its Ramsar area describes the designated reserve.
Sources and next reading
Primary sources
- Convention on Wetlands — Rason and Mundok
- Ramsar annotated list — Rason site number and area
- East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership — DPRK wetland resources
- NEASPEC — regional Tumen River estuary report and Rason map