Because they are distributed at high altitude and are sensitive to climate change,high mountain waterbodies can play an important role in the response to global climate change. However,few studies of high mountain waterbodies have been carried out to date due to a lack of basic information. This study focuses on the spatial distribution of high mountain waterbodies in northwest Yunnan Province,addresses their ecological significance and conservation value and provides a basis for future work. The 976 natural lakes and ponds covered in this study are located in northwest Yunnan ( 24°39'51 - 29°14'59N,98°07'55 - 101°30'44E ) ,an area of 88 632 km~2 . Data on the altitudes and open water areas of the 976 natural lakes and ponds were collected and analysed using Google Earth and ArcGIS. The number and distribution of waterbodies with an open water area of less than 0. 1 km~2 were intensively analyzed and a new term,micro-waterbody,was coined to refer to these waterbodies. Results indicate 942 micro-waterbodies in northwestern Yunnan,96. 5% of the total natural lakes and ponds. The mean area of the micro-waterbodies in northwest Yunnan is 10 283. 1 m~2 and the total area covered is 9. 7 km~2,which is 0. 01% of the regional area and 2. 3% of the regional water surface area. The mean altitude of the micro-waterbodies is 3 987. 9 m,and they are distributed intensively around mountaintops. Compared with large and medium lakes,the distribution of micro-waterbodies has a higher and wider range of altitude. Although the total area of the microwaterbodies comprises only a tiny fraction of the total area,their large number,large watershed area and wide altitude distribution give the high mountain micro-waterbodies an important role in maintaining eco-system function. They are a critical part of the natural habitat of northwest Yunnan and the biodiversity depends on the high mountain micro-waterbodies. Finally,based on this and previous studies,the cost of conserving and managing micro-waterbodies will be much less than for large lakes,allowing remarkable efficiency. To date,there is little research interest in high mountain micro-waterbodies,but considering their ecological significance and conservation value,they should begin receiving more attention.