Putrajaya Wetlands Park

Putrajaya Wetlands Park in Putrajaya, Malaysia is believed to be the largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics .It has a total area of 3.35 km². Putrajaya Wetlands consists of Wetlands Park (Taman Wetland) and the other Wetlands areas. Taman Wetland is also a wildlife sanctuary which attracts a huge variety of animals to the combined terrestrial-aquatic wetland environment. The park's lake is also home to a pair of hippopotamus from Africa.

Parks and gardens feature prominently in this Garden City. One of them, the 85ha Botanical Garden at the northern entrance to the Government Precinct, wills thousands of local plants species and an ornamental garden.

In addition, the 62.4 ha. Taman Putra Perdana acts as the urban green lung while the Perdana Walk, a 4.7 ha. linear park will link Persiaran Perdana with Dataran Putra. Taman Rimba Alam and Taman Jati which are designed to be sustainable recreational forest parks will have nature trails, cycling paths and camping sites. The following are some of the most attractive parks and gardens in Putrajaya.

Marshland bird at Putrajaya Wetlands Park

Several species of local marshland birds and water birds including the Little Egret, the Little Green Heron and Cinnamon Bittern, and migratory birds form Northern Hemisphere have been spotted there. Binoculars will come in handy for bird watching. The visitors can also enjoy a leisurely walk, jog or cycle along its bicycle track.

Covering a total area of 335ha, the wetland environment comprises Taman Wetland (138ha) and the wetland areas (197ha). One of the most popular tourist attractions in Putrajaya, the wetlands consist of 24 wetland cells built along the arms of the Chua and Bisa rivers.

Marshes and swamps were developed in there cells by transplanting more than 70 species of wetland plants form the Putrajaya Wetland Nursery. Twenty-four species of indigenous fish were later introduced into the wetland cells to enhance their biological diversity.

Lake at Putarajaya Wetlands Park

A good starting point to explore Putrajaya Wetlands is to visit Taman Wetland. As the gateway to the wetlands area, Taman Wetland house a Nature Interpretation Centre and a 25 meter high look-out tower which offers a bird's eye view of Putrajaya. Within the park, there are two marked trails with interpretative boards, a flamingo pond, picnic areas and other public amenities.

Taman Wetland is also a wildlife sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of animals to the combined terrestrial-aquatic wetland environment. Several species of local marshland birds and water birds including the Little Egret, the Little Green Heron and Cinnamon Bittern, and migratory birds form Northern Hemisphere have been spotted there. A pair of binoculars will come in handy for bird watching. Visitors to the park can also enjoy a leisurely walk, jog or cycle along its bicycle track.

In the Nature Interpretation Centre, there is a souvenir shop, a wetland diorama, wetland handicraft displays, an AV room and Wetland Café. The Centre, being the focal point for public education on ecotourism, provides information about the wetland plant bed filtration system, conservation of wetland habitats and also focuses on the uses of wetland products.

Putrajaya Wetlands, believed to be the largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics, is the first one of its kind in Malaysia. Where geology, hydrology and biology have created natural wetlands, the Putrajaya Wetland carved out from rubber and oil palm plantations is the result of human ingenuity and technology.

The opening hours of Putrajaya Wetlands to the public are from 9.00 am - 6.00 pm daily.

Taman Wettand, Pusat Rekreasi Air, Seri Perdana, Taman Botani, Lanai, Taman Putra Perdana, Anjung, alamanda Putrajaya, Seri Perdana Bridge, Perdana Putra, Putra Mosque, Dataran Putra, Taman Warisan Pertanian, Taman Wawasan, Seri Bakti Bridge, Seri Wawasan Bridge, Dataran Putrajaya, Seri Setia Bridge, Seri Saujana Bridge, Seri Gemilang Bridge, Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC)

• Taman Putra Perdana, Presint 1. Pleasantly landscaped (and usually very quiet) hilltop park connecting the Shangri-La towards the Putra Perdana building, with some of the best views in town. At the center of the park is the Putrajaya Landmark (Mercu Tanda), which resembles a wizard's hat rolled from tinfoil.

• Millennium Monument, Presint 2. 68-meter pillar in the shape of a hibiscus flower, with a walkway around it documenting the history of Malaysia.

• Putrajaya Boulevard, a 100-meter wide, 4-kilometers long boulevard flanked by government offices and the mainstage for National Day parade.

Introduction

Putrajaya , an "Intelligent Garden City" and the federal administrative capital of Malaysia, is a showcase city under construction some 30 km south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Her adjacent sister city, Cyberjaya, is built along the same lines, but is aimed at attracting the IT industry. The area was formerly known as Prang Besar.


Putrajaya covers a vast sprawl of 4,931 hectares, which were mostly palm plantations before the federal government purchased the lot from the surrounding state of Selangor. The city's masterplan is designed along an axial tangent which runs from the northeast to southeast, with gently undulating terrain. About 40% of Putrajaya is natural, but the landscape has been extensively reworked by man: lush greenery and botanical gardens are spread across the landscape, crisscrossed by large bodies of water and wetlands. Five confluences meet at the north forming a main waterway, the Putrajaya Lake, which flows across the city area.

History

The project was started in 1993 and the federal capital officially moved in 1999, although the site is still far from complete. Putrajaya became a self-governing federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) in 2001, the third in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur and the little oddball island of Labuan.

The name literally means "princes' (putra) success (jaya)". Officially, the site is named in homage to Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Ever since the Asian economic crisis of 1998 development has slowed down markedly, and while there aren't any of the rusting half-built concrete shells that still litter KL and Bangkok, the careful eye will spot more than a couple of once cleared and dug-up but now abandoned fields (often with a crane or two stuck in the mud too). Basically, the infrastructure is largely in place but the buildings and occupants aren't, leading to the impression of a giant swath of hilly jungle crisscrossed by 8-lane highways with no other cars on them, and the occasional beautifully sculpted lake garden with no people in sight.

That said, the area remains under heavy construction and both people and companies are slowly moving in. As of 2006, the population has surpassed 50,000, although there's still a long way to go to the targeted 300,000. Inevitably, development isn't always occurring in expected ways: Cyberjaya has to date mostly succeeded in attracting call centers and data warehouses, not R&D laboratories. The new twin cities may look very different in 5-10 years' time.