EuroSpeleo 2016
Kayah- the new caving frontier in South-East Asia
Oral|Dr Joerg Dreybrodt

Abstract
The Kayah State is located on the remote southern edge of the Shan limestone plateau in Myanmar. Here several karst ridges merge and valleys of 1000 m depth are formed by the Salween River and tributaries. After more than 60 years of civil unrest, the state could be visited for the first time by a speleological expedition with a special permission. A variety of tower karst landscapes hosting several large river caves are confirmed. Three of the five longest caves of Myanmar are documented from 2015-2016, with Red River Cave the 2nd longest with 3.8 km length. The state possesses also a rich tribal culture like the famous Long neck women and caves used as burial sites with coffins. Therefore it is interesting as destination for karst-related eco-tourism. The session gives an overview of the karst areas, major cave systems and concludes with an outlook and challenges faced for further exploration.
More from 2016
Oral|Dr Hazel Barton
Amazing Caves: Amazing Microbes
Oral|Mr Michael Laumanns
Middle East A reminiscence of 4 expeditions to Iran and Iraq between 2000 and 2007 (M. Laumanns, Speleoclub Berlin)
Oral|Mr Fadi Nader
Paleoclimate reconstruction based on stalagmite studies from Lebanon
Oral|Mr Andy Freem
Video Salon Feedback Session
Oral|Ms Xiumin Zhai
Amplitude and pacing of abrupt climate change: derived from Asian stalagmite records spanning the last 70ka
Oral|Miss Catherine Moody
Diving Deep in Durmitor, Montenegro
Oral|Prof Kyung Sik Woo
Natural and cultural heritage values of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, Jeju Island, Korea
Oral|Mr Michael Laumanns
East and Central Africa - 25 years on a glance. Expeditions to Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Gabon
Oral|Mr Roo Walters
3D Mapping the world's largest cave chambers
Oral|Mr Mike Futrell
Workflows and Data Formats Supporting Wider Use of Cave Data