The Beung Kiat Ngong Wetlands are located on a large floodplain and are made up of a large freshwater marsh and a seasonal wetland with a number of scattered ponds and paddy fields (see figure: 6).The site is especially important for fish, which rely on the permanent wetlands for survival during the dry season. Fish spawning takes place both inside the wetlands, and during the wet season when some of the fish migrate to upstream tributaries. Fish species identified from the site include walking catfish ( Clarias spp.), snakeheads ( Channa striata ) and swamp eels ( Monopterus albus ).
The wetlands support some 11,500 villagers who live in the site and who are primarily reliant for their income on wild-capture fisheries, subsistence agriculture and NTFPs. Subsequently, the economic value of fishery and NTFP products from the Beung Kiat Ngong Wetland is estimated to be more than USD 850,000 per year. Figure 6: Beung Kiat Ngong Ramsar Site 14