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The Annual Progress Report

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AEGIS Program

ASSIMILATINGENVIRONMENTALGOVERNANCE,INTEGRATINGSUSTAINABILITY(AEGIS)TheAnnualProgressReport

Submitted by ALARM 21-JANUARY-2019


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CONTENTS Contents ........................................................................................................................................................ i Abbreviations &Acronyms ........................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................v 1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................1 2. Implementation Of The Activities ..........................................................................................................2

Activity 1.1 Program support for functioning of common platforms for environmental governance .......3 Activity 1.2 Program monitoring ...............................................................................................................4 Activity 1.3 Policy framework development .............................................................................................4 Activity 1.4 Technical supports to CSO networks ...................................................................................11 Activity 1.5 Development of information materials and Interactive information platform for environmental governance and public awareness ....................................................................................11 Activity 1.6 Public awareness raising ......................................................................................................12 Activity 1.7 Replication of community based conservation (CF, Patrolling, etc.) ..................................13 Activity 1.8 Stakeholder capacity building trainings ...............................................................................13 Activity 1.9 Leadership development ......................................................................................................21 Activity 1.10 Seminar/Workshop ............................................................................................................24 Activity 1.11 Initiative of participatory environmental assessment & watch ..........................................32 Activity 1.12 Evidence based research for advocacy ..............................................................................33

3. Achievement of the Program ................................................................................................................39 4. Future Plan of the program ..................................................................................................................41 5. Beneficiaries of the program .................................................................................................................41 6. Lessons & Challenges ............................................................................................................................44 7. Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................45 8. Attachments ............................................................................................................................................47


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ABBREVIATIONS &ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank AEGIS Assimilating Environmental Governance, Integrating Sustainability ALARM Advancing Life and Regenerating Motherland BOD Biological Oxygen Demand CBO Community-Based Organization CF Community Forestry CFE Community Forestry Enterprise CFNWG Community Forestry National Working Group CFUG Community Forest User Groups CGG Centre for Good Governance CJ DIY Citizens’ Jury Do It Yourself CLT Customary Land Tenure COD Chemical Oxygen Demand CSO Civil Society Organization CSSU Committee for Shan State Unity DCA Danish Church Aid DDA The Dawei Development Association DFID Department for International Development DOA The Department of Agriculture DRD The Department of Rural Development E. coli Escherichia coli EAO Ethnic Armed Organization ECD The Environmental Conservation Department E-governance Electronic Governance EIA The Environmental Investigation Agency EITI Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative EMP Environmental Management Plan EPA Environmental Performance Assessment ERC Environmental Report Card ERLIP Enhancing Rural Livelihood and Income Project ESM Environmental Sensitivity Mapping FD Forest Department FDEWG Farmers Development and Environment Watching Group FLEGT Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade FLRP Forest and Land Reform Program FSWG Food Security Working Group FUA Forest User Association FUG Forest User Group GFM Green Financing Mechanism GIS Geographic Information System GPS Global Positioning System HWG High Water Global IDRC International Development Research Centre IEC Information, Education and Communication Materials INGO International Non-Governmental Organization ITF Interim Task Force KCWG The Kachin Conservation Working Group KMF Kalyana Maitta Foundation


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KNP Kayan National Party KNU Karen National Union LEWC Land and Environment Working Committee MAC Myanmar Automobile Cooperation MAN Myanmar Affairs Newsletter MATA Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability MDI Myanmar Development Institute MERN Myanmar Environmental Rehabilitation Network MIC Myanmar Investment Commission MIZ Monywa Industrial Zone MP Member of Parliament MSDP Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan MSG Multi Stakeholder Group MSPP Myanmar Stark Prestige Plantation MSY Mya Sein Yaung MTE Myanma Timber Enterprise NCA Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement NGO Non-Governmental Organization NLD National League for Democracy NLUP The Myanmar National Land Use Policy NPA Norwegian People Aid NRM Natural Resources Management NTF Non-Timber Forest ODK Open Data Kit OFI Our Future Initiative PAR Participatory Action Research PEIA Participatory Environmental Impact Assessment PEIP People and Environmental Integrity Program PINRM Participatory Indigenous Natural Resource Management PK Paung Ku PLIP Participatory Livelihood Innovative Program PM Parliamentary Member PSEA Protection From Sexual Exploitation And Abuses RCA Rakhine Coastal Region Association RDSF Rural Development Strategic Framework SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound SME Small and Medium Enterprises SOE State of the Environment SOEs State Owned Enterprises TLAS Timber Legality Assurance System TNRW Tanintharri Natural Resource Watch TOR Terms of Reference TPLC Taaung and Palong Literature and Culture 0 TSS Total Suspended Solids TTI Think Tank Initiative TTIX Think Tank Initiative Exchange UCCPF Union Civil Society Committee for Peace Forum UK United Kingdom UMFCCI Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry UPC The Union Peace Conference


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URGE Upbringing Resource Governance and Empowerment for sustainable livelihoods VPA Voluntary Partnership Agreement


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LIST OF TABLES Table 1: The Specific Objectives of AEGIS Program 1 Table 2: Accomplishment of the policy document development 5 Table 3: List of IECs produced in 2018 11 Table 4: Villages received CF certificates in Kachin and Tanintharri Region 13 Table 5: List of ALARM-staff’s participation in the International Events 23 Table 6: List of stakeholder consultation workshops completed for CSO directory and ESM 31 Table 7: List of awareness campaigns and CLT studies 37 Table 8: Achievement of the AEGIS program 39 Table 9: Beneficiaries of the Program 41


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1. INTRODUCTION Advancing Life and Regenerating Motherland (ALARM) is currently implementing a five-year (2016-2020) program namely “Assimilating Environmental Governance, Integrating Sustainability (AEGIS)” for democratic reform in Myanmar, particularly through accelerating the momentum of the successes of the previous program —Upbringing Resource Governance and Empowerment for sustainable livelihoods (URGE)—intervention and through laying down some foundations for further successes in improving environmental governance in Myanmar. The overall objective of the AEGIS program is to create enabling policy environment for empowering citizens in decision making process of democratic reform towards sustainable development in Myanmar. In order to effectively achieve the program objective, three existing ALARM’s successful initiatives in natural resource management, environmental conservation and rural development embedded in the AEGIS Program. They can be categorized into Forest and Land Reform Program (FLRP), People and Environmental Integrity Program (PEIP), and Participatory Livelihood Innovative Program (PLIP). The specific objectives for each program are as follows (Table 1); Table 1: The Specific Objectives of AEGIS Program

Sub Program Specific Objective 1. Forest and Land Reform Program (FLRP)

This program aims to improve the natural resource governance in terms of promoting the role of civil society and people participation in sustainable management of forest, land, water resources and biological diversity.

2. People and Environmental Integrity Program (PEIP)

This program aims to create the enabling socio-politico environment for restoring environmental justice while paving toward green growth and green economy.

3. Participatory Livelihood Innovative program (PLIP)

This program aims to initiate the process of assimilating decentralization and democratization for saving vulnerable life and alleviating the poverty.

Program interventions are being strategized to achieve each and every specific objective of sub-programs. The followings are the key results expected from the AEGIS Program intervention for the year 2017 & 2018;

1. Policy documents related to sustainable natural resource management and democratic governance. It includes;

1) Draft policy positioning paper of civil society perspective on pro-poor forest policy, 2) Draft CSO positioning paper for Timber Legal Assurance System contributing to FLEGT

VPA in Myanmar, 3) Social and Environmental Checklist for Community Forestry, 4) Draft CSO positioning paper for Market-led Community Forestry, 5) Report on Customary Land Use and Land Tenure Systems in Tanintharri & Kachin, 6) Reports on Land Grabbing & Environmental Crimes, 7) Updated Land Use and Land Cover Map of Myanmar, 8) Technical Review Paper on National Land Use Policy, 9) Updated Participatory Patrolling Manual, 10) Draft Positioning Paper for Natural Resource Management Framework, 11) CSO positioning paper on Environmental Conservation Law, 12) CSO positioning paper on Environmental Standard & Guidelines (Participatory

Planning), 13) CSO positioning paper on Green Financing Strategic Framework,


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14) EITI legislative framework, 15) Guideline/Manual for Environmental monitoring and urban pollution, 16) Guideline/Manual for Participatory Environmental Monitoring (Mining), 17) Guideline/Manual for Participatory Environmental Assessment (PEIA), 18) Guideline/Manual for Environmental laboratory testing and standardization, 19) Guideline/Manual for Social licensing for mining and extractive industry, 20) Guideline/Manual for Environmental Report Card (ERC) (methodology improvement), 21) Guideline/Manual for Citizen Jury for Environmental conflict mediation, 22) Environmental and social safety framework/minimum requirement checklist for SME

(Small scale mining, SME, etc.), 23) Updated Rural Development Policy and 24) Exit strategy for MSY.

2. Level of public participation and awareness is increased in sustainable land use and forest management reform through national platforms for increasing transparency and accountability of natural resource management such as National FLEGT mechanism (Multi-stakeholder group is formed) and Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) as well as local initiatives such as participatory patrolling, community forestry and community forestry enterprises.

3. Civil society network strengthened for independent forest investigation, participatory environmental monitoring and revenue transparency of extractive industry.

4. Interactive information platform for forest monitoring and land grabbing (Website), 5. Public awareness on community forestry and environmental conservation is raised in 32 more

townships, 6. Replication of community forestry in different part of the country: at least in5 townships, 7. A study on renewable energy options, 8. Stakeholders from politics, business and government sector are trained for enhancing their

understanding on environmental governance and participatory democracy, 9. Communities are trained for improving sustainable livelihood and environmental governance, 10. At least 100 of potential youth leaders are trained for promoting environmental governance and

rural development in the country.

2. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTIVITIES This is the progress report of the AEGIS Program covering the period from 1st January to 31st December 2018 to the program donors including DCA, EIA, HWG, IDRC, NPA and Trocaire. What we believe is that only the multi-pillared approach could work well to seek and secure what we want to achieve (policy changes) in this program. Among those pillars include 1) formulation of proper policy, law and strategy that have to be used for policy advocacy; 2) initiation of multi-stakeholder platforms through which pro poor policies, laws or strategies could be voiced out; 3) capacity building of different actors who will lead the mechanism; and 4) scaling up of intervention to convince the legislatures and duty bearers. We hope that every activity accomplished in this reporting period contributes to each and every corner of the approach. Moreover, we also believe those activities help achieve the proposed outcomes and objectives of the program, particularly the ones that have to be achieved in 2018, contributing to the country’s democratic transition.


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Activity 1.1 Program support for functioning of common platforms for environmental governance In this reporting period, we managed to maintain existing human resources, i.e., program staff necessary to run the sub programs of the AEGIS program to make sure that democratic transition moves forward on the right track, through empowering communities for resource governance and enhancing resource governance initiatives in the country. To be specific, ALARM made its active and endless contribution to keep national resource governance mechanisms —such as Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT)— revitalized and functioning. Myanmar will become an EITI compliant country sooner or later when international auditor firm marked qualified on its second and third EITI reports. Myanmar earned its EITI candidacy status when the first EITI report (Mining & Oil Gas Sector) was submitted in early 2015 by President Thein Sein-led government. However, the government’s interest on EITI was weaken coupling with the NLD’s landslide re-victory in late 2015 and it was virtually idled for many months until the newly elected government decided to resume the process. With a constant push by CSO and a strong support of the government in 2017 and 2018, Myanmar managed to submit the second and third EITI reports, after a series of deliberative debates and discussions among MSG members and with some stakeholders. Being an active member of the MSG-CSO, ALARM participated in a numbers of the MSG meetings and made technical inputs to make sure that CSOs’ opinions are well reflected and communities’ concerns are addressed in the report. If there has been a strong push from civil society organizations (CSOs) in publishing the reports doesn’t mean they are fully satisfied with the performance or contributed efforts made by the concerned departments and the state owned enterprises (SOEs). There were in fact a lot of complaints from CSOs on creditability of the revenues and tax data fed by the government and the companies and their feedbacks on the discrepancies of those data. for example, the reports found that the SOEs made several billions profits out of resource extraction, which is as much as 9 billion USD and are deposited in unaudited and un-auditable accounts, without a proper justification, instead of transferring back to the government, that is struggling a lot to deal with budget deficit and debt. The essence of EITI report is to make those internationally audited revenue data published, reaching to the general public, who disproportionately bears the costs out of negative consequences from resource extraction such as environmental pollutions so that they could ask, argue and claim for their rights, based on published data. Though it remains far away for general public to influence the decision of the government over the use of resource revenues in providing public goods and services more efficient and systematic ways, However, ALARM played a role to make public those discrepancies at least to attract the media attention on the unaccountable management of government agencies through meetings, media press, public debates on EITI reports and accordingly made findings in very technical reports reaching to general public in layman terms. Being the organization introduced FLEGT in Myanmar, ALARM has been actively involving in the process since the beginning as a representative of CSOs in the interim task force (ITF), which is formed by equal numbers of representatives from the government, the companies and the CSOs. In this reporting period, ALARM participated in a series of three ITF meetings (Attachment 1 to 3) as well, and made the inputs that CSO perspectives are well considered and reflected in the decisions of the national FLEGT process. As a member of ITF, ALARM helped organize CSOs conduct FLEGT outreach and election activities (Attachment 4) in all states and regions, form working groups and elect 42 members to represent CSOs in national FLEGT mechanism so that they all could serve national EITI CSO committee and represent CSOs for the whole national FLTGT process. In addition, ALARM facilitated the transformation of FLEGT ITF into a government gazetted multi stakeholder group (MSG) to oversight


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the process, helped regional FLEGT working group formulate regional FLEGT work plans and finalize the terms of references of regional working group members. Activity 1.2 Program monitoring ALARM acknowledges that regular and effective monitoring is the key to ensuring staff motivation and the quality implementation of development interventions during and after the respective projects. Therefore, several program monitoring trips to program and project areas such as Myitkyina, Tanintharri, Aung Pan, Boat Pyin, Myeik, Kyun Su, Monywa, Dawei were conducted in this reporting period to check whether or not the grants are being used in line with the activities outlined in the proposal and the agreement and or the projects are being implemented in line with the plans and to provide necessary technical or managerial inputs for the betterment of project implementation. Activity 1.3 Policy framework development Since ALARM has made its reputation on policy advocacy works for the interests of the local communities, indigenous people and ethnic minorities, ALARM was working on developing a range of policy positioning papers for pro-poor policy reforms in this reporting period. Accordingly, ALARM managed to accomplish a variety of works contributing to policy development towards sustainable natural resource management and democratic governance in the country. The followings are some of the highlights of attempts made by ALARM to meet its policy targets in this reporting period (Table 2);


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Table 2: Accomplishment of the policy document development

No Policy Status Baseline as of December 2017 Progress up to 31 December 2018

1 Pro-poor forest policy

Drafted, and consulted with the Hluttaws and the bill committee

Instead of a policy, ALARM conducted a review on the weaknesses of the draft forest law (Attachment 5 & 6). Moreover, a paper for the improvement of forest governance was published last year (Attachment 7). Consultative meetings on forest laws were conducted with the Hluttaws and the bill committees. The meetings reviewed the current forest bill for identifying the ideas for improvement.

2 Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS)

Drafted, and consulted with CSOs

With reference to the agreement made among ITF CSO members to formulate a CSO position paper on TLAS, the paper on TLAS has been drafted for consultations (Attachment 8). We hope it could be consulted in 2018.

The draft paper was consulted with CSO members in May and it is being improved with the suggestions made during the consultation meeting. (Attachment 9)

3 Social and environmental safety framework of CF

Drafted, and consulted

Though the draft version has been finalized (Attachment 10) since early 2017, it hasn’t been consulted with any stakeholders yet. But, we do hope that it will be presented in CFNWG meeting in 2018.

The draft version of social and environmental safeguarding checklist was presented in some regional workshops related to forest governance and CF development.

4 Market-led Community Forestry

Drafted and consulted with some stakeholders

An economic analysis was done to study the economic potential of CFE in Wyne Maw township of Kachin State, based on primary forest inventory data combined with the remotely sensed forest cover data (Attachment 11). The results were presented in regional and national dialogues for improving forest governance and rural livelihoods and accordingly convinced the concerned government departments that CFE can be instrumental to achieve market driven CF boom rather than the unstainable donor driver community conservation.

5 Customary land use and land tenure in ethnic regions

Drafted, but not yet discussed

Field surveys have been completed in some ethnic minority areas of Naga, Lahu, Pa O, etc., to document land management practices on the lands belong to local indigenous communities for ages. In addition, similar studies were conducted in Kachin and Tanintharri in 2017. Security of customary land tenure (CLT) is one of the claims consistently made by EAOs and is a deadlock in Land and Environment Sector because of opposite claims made by the Tamadaw. Though the customary issue is being discussed in Pin Lon Peace Conferences, different discussants understand CLT differently.

In this reporting period, ALARM organized an international CLT workshop and identified the gaps for urgent actions; Lack of a proper definition about CLT; need for research regarding the rights associated with CLT, how CLT addresses the equity, justice and self-determination issues and environmental aspects of CLT. Besides, a field guidebook for CLT documentation, which is theoretically based on international best practices in CLT and practically based on decade long experiences of ALARM in PAR, was published (Attachment 12) in which research questions and stepwise procedures for field research are well explained in layman terms so that ethnic communities could be able to understand and replicate documentation of their customary systems by themselves. In addition, CLT studies were done in 42 areas, covering 25 ethnic groups in 9 States


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and Regions. The results are being processed to write a final report on CLT in Myanmar for CSOs consultation and subsequently for policy advocacy and it will also be submitted to the Union Peace Conferences (Please refer to international seminar on CLT in Activity 1.10 and CLT Studies in Myanmar in Activity 1.12).

6 Land grabbing & environmental crimes

Two (MSPP & MAC) completed. One addition case (Kyaw Maw 19) drafted

As usual, ALARM & its partners always keep an eye on any type of land grabbing or environmental crimes across the country and document them. Green Desert, a report on MSPP —a Malaysia based agricultural investment company that has grabbed several thousand acres of community and forest lands for rubber plantation in Tanintharri— was launched and could accordingly attract attention of authorities to take proper actions not only to this project but also to similar agricultural investments across Tanintharri Region. Similar to Green Desert, ALARM conducted studies on another agricultural investment company called Myanmar Automobile Cooperation (MAC) for oil palm plantation, whether the company complies with the existing legislations in the operations and operates according to the approved plans, and brings any negative impacts to the populations residing in the areas before the company comes and to the environment, etc.

Based on the field survey done in late 2017, the report namely “Behind the Oil Palm” was prepared and launched in Yangon and Dawei (Attachment 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17). The ways how international investors operate their businesses in the country are studied and presented in the Behind the Oil Palm Report. Among the findings include how investors break the rules and regulations of the contract, how they don't comply with the existing laws and international standards. Soon after the report is launched, Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) organized a press conference and announced that they will be taking unplanted areas back. ALARM in conjunction with the co-authoring organizations also conducted a couple of follow up meetings with regional government and a national legislative committee for taking necessary actions recommended in the report (Attachment 18). In addition, ALARM drafter a paper about land concession cases of Kyaw Maw 19 company, that got a concession permit for Palm Oil plantation over the land in which local communities have been farming for ages. The study initially found that more than two thousand acres of agricultural lands (rice farms and orchards) from 103 farming households were grabbed by the company and they didn’t properly pay any compensation. ALARM in conjunction with local CSO partners and local communities will further explore the case and will report the findings in 2019 (Attachment 19).

7 Land Use and Land Cover Map of Myanmar

ESM for 4 States & 3 Regions drafted (Shan, Kayin, Kayah, and Mon States as well as Magway, Mandalay and Tanintharri Regions), and will consult in 2019

ALARM completed studies on forest cover and mining area surveys in 2015. Although it fills up a lot of information gaps in related thematic works, these studies need to be improved. Accordingly, ALARM planned to conduct ground truth surveys to update the 2015-reports. ALARM organized consultation meetings with local CSOs in Shan, Kayah, Magway and Mandalay and identified environmental hotspots for ground verification.

Environmental and conflict sensitivity has become a necessity in development planning to avoid potential conflicts particularly if a development intervention is to be executed in ethnic regions. Therefore, ALARM developed a methodology to map out environment and conflict sensitive areas for environmental watch and development planning, by conducting ground surveys that could be coupled with the surveys for updating forest cover and mining areas atlas. For that respect, ground trothing is also the key to have a reliable information. In this reporting period, ALARM conducted ground truth


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survey in Shan, Kayin, Kayah, and Mon States as well as Magway, Mandalay and Tanintharri Regions and published the sensitively maps of respective regions (Attachment 20-26). However, the maps need a bit fine-tuned before it gets published. ALARM will try to launch the results in coming years to be able to use by stakeholders. (Please find environmental sensitivity mapping in Activity 1.12 and CSO directory and ESM workshops in Activity 1.10)

8 Critical review on national land use policy

Drafted, but not yet consulted.

ALARM participated in the Second Union Peace Conference (21st Century Pin Lone), particularly in land and environment sector and contributed with technical suggestions to the improvement of the basic principles for Land and Environment Sector (Attachment 27). Whether or not they are included in the list of basic principles agreed in the Conference, we, on behalf of CSOs or the communities, believe that we could reflect communities’ voices for pro-poor policy consideration towards a federal state. In addition, ALARM has helped the CSSU develop principles for federal land management and consult them with their respective constituents in Shan State. They now have got a menu for Pin Lone discussion.

ALARM was invited as a technical facilitator by the group of political parties to join the Land and Environment Working Committee (LEWC) Meeting in late June as a preparation for the third Union Peace Conference. ALARM helped the LEWC prepare the paper to be submitted to the conference to discuss. Some power and revenue sharing practices were suggested to include them in federal land management principles. Likewise, ALARM was requested by the NCA EAOs and UCCPF to advise their works on land and environment sector. ALARM drafted a set of land and environmental principles (Attachment 28) and consulted with them so as to include those principles in their positions. ALARM first thought that the existing NLUP could be reviewed for improvement but later realized that influencing political discussions regarding the principles on land issues in Pin Lone could work better and accordingly focused on the principles rather than the NLUP.

9 Participatory patrolling manual

Completed, CSO policy positions drafted, and consulted with CSOs

A manual on participatory patrolling was finalized in 2017 (Attachment 29).

Since we realize that the manual itself is useless until and unless it is included in the existing regulations or isn’t allowed by them, a policy piece on participatory patrolling was developed in the coming quarters so that it can be part of the law, to be specific, independent monitoring is officially allowed by law. Having drafted the paper, it was also consulted with CSO partners (Attachment 30).

10 Natural resource management (NRM) framework

Drafted, and consulted

In this reporting period, ALARM conducted field study to Ayarwaddy Region, to document the impacts of climate change on local communities and to analyze how they response to those impacts so that the studies could contribute to the development of pro-poor climate change policies as part of NRM framework. As the first step of NRM framework, ALARM has developed

Based on the field survey done in 2017, a report titled National Climate Land Bank was drafted in this reporting period (Attachment 32) to advocate the government about the urgency of land reserve for climate related displaced population, as part of national land use policy. A series of media launch and consultations were also made in this reporting period (Please see the minutes of the media launch in Attachment 33 & the consultation in Attachment 18).


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a list of basic principles for land and natural resources discussions in Pin Lone (Attachment 31).

As explained in No 8, ALARM managed to include some of the NRM principles drafted in 2017 in the political parties’ land and environment paper to be discussed in the third UPC (Attachment 34) and drafted environmental principles for equitable resource sharing in future federal state (Attachment 28) and consulted in civil societies’ regional forums and NCA EAO regular meetings.

11 Environmental Conservation Law

ALARM was invited by the newly formed environmental committee of NLD, to help review the existing environmental law for improvement in order to ensure the sustainability of the environment while seeking economic development.

12 Environmental standard and guidelines

Completed ALARM made technical inputs to the development of the Public Participation Guidelines in Environmental Impact Assessment to make sure that it meets international standards as well as is useful to solve operational and practical issues. (Attachment 35)

13 EITI legislative framework

Drafted and consulted Being a member of EITI MSG, ALARM could facilitate to get an agreement among MSG member for formulating a EITI bill for the effective implementation of EITI in Myanmar. As the first step of EITI bill formulation, a consultative meeting could be organized in December with the representatives from FLEGT and MATA and learnt from the Liberia EITI bill (Attachment 36 & 37). A bill will be drafted in consultation with the stakeholders soon.

14 Environmental monitoring and urban pollution

Two media release issued.

ALARM has been monitoring industrial zones on a regular basis since 2013 to watch whether or not they comply with existing guidelines and standards (Attachment 38-40). The idea is to have a proper balance between international standard and operational feasibility.

In this reporting period, ALARM could maintain its regular environmental monitoring in the industrial zones. Htein Pin Landfill fire broke out in late April. The whole Yangon population suffered from the air pollution due to landfill fire. The status of air quality is studied in different locations of Yangon and a scientific analysis on how the air quality is changed due to landfill fire is then done by comparing against its time series data. It was then illustrated in media release to reduce the level of public outcry over air pollution caused by Htain Pin landfill fire (Attachment 41). Soon after a renowned medical professor raised an issue about the occurrence of E. coli bacteria in municipal water distributing in Yangon, public outcry over the weakness of municipal water distribution was raised. Different water samples from different townships in Yangon areas were collected and analyzed whether the distributed water was contaminated. The microbial analysis revealed that the bacteria


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infection didn’t occur at water sources but occurred in some townships, where the distribution systems were damaged and or contaminated with municipal waste. A media release was then published, outlining the findings of the studies and reduced the outcry (Attachment 42).

15 Green financing strategic framework

Drafted but not consulted yet

In Myanmar, there is virtually no financing mechanism for actions for environmental compliance or voluntary initiatives. On the other hand, poor and incapable law enforcement is creating a space for free riders, discouraging environmental conscious national and international investors let along achieving the target of the environment that could contribute to the sustainable development of the country.

Learning from international best practices and experiences in seeking grants for central waste water treatment plant for Monwya industrial zone, ALARM drafted a research paper to have a green financing mechanism (GFM) in Myanmar (Attachment 43). Why the government should encourage the materialization of GFM, how it could be done, etc., are discussed in the paper. It will be consulted with stakeholders and will be advocated to relevant authorities in 2019.

16 Participatory environmental monitoring (mining sector)

Drafted in accordance with new regulation

A checklist to make sure that mining companies comply with existing laws and regulations was developed based on existing laws to contribute to development of responsible mining. It was even tested in joint monitoring trips in some mining areas of Sagaing and Tanintharri Regions. A new set of mining monitoring checklist has been drafted in accordance with recently amended mining law but it can only be finalized only then have the mining regulations been come out (Attachment 44).

17 Participatory environmental impact assessment (PEIA)

Drafted, practiced and advocated to ECD

Since 2014, ALARM has been pioneering participatory environmental assessments practice in some investment projects in order to avoid project driven environmental impact assessment nature and its negative consequences on the communities. The lessons learnt from those initiatives will be addressed in the CSO position papers for policy advocacy. PEIA approach was presented to ECD so that the role of public participation could be appreciated to avoid conflicts and seek and secure community involvement in project development activities.

Based on PEIA exercises conducted in Mon & Tanintharri, an illustrative PEIA manual was published in this period (Attachment 45).

18 Environmental Report Card (Methodology improvement)

Drafted, practiced and advocated to ECD

ALARM has developed a set of tool for urban environmental performance assessment to assess outstanding urban environmental issues (Attachment 46) for claiming proper urban environmental policies. Currently, we are planning to exercise pilot assessment in mega cities like Yangon and Mandalay. The report will be prepared based on findings for advocacy purposes, particularly to include the mechanism become part of the existing legislation.


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The methodology of ERC was also advocated to the ECD with a view of giving more spaces for the public to take part in environmental affairs.

19 Citizen Jury for Environmental conflict mediation

Drafted but not consulted yet

The CJ DIY manual was translated into Burmese and it was used in the CJ training for the members of parliament, affected communities of the MSPP project and members of a jury formed by Chief Minister of Taninthari Region. A guideline was also developed for the Jury to effectively mediate the conflicts using the CJ concept (Attachment 47).

In this reporting period, an illustrative guideline for CJ was published so that it can be used for deliberative discussions to mitigate conflicts.

20 Social safety framework for SME

Grievance mechanism drafted for consultations

Regular environmental monitoring in industrial areas of Yangon found that industries are not complying environmental obligations, thereby posting a serious health threat to surrounding population due to industrial waste and discharges. General public mostly keeps silent until and unless they encounter a disastrous environmental event. In other words, public outcry on an environmental issue usually occurs only when it becomes disastrous. Actions by government or industries could only be expected for those serious issues while many environmental issues remain ignored and unaddressed, eventually intensifying the tensions between the communities and the investors. Therefore, it is vital for industries to open the door for public complaints to avoid major conflicts. The responsible person of UMFCCI made a public commitment in a workshop that they are going to adopt a grievance mechanism to deal with environmental complaints.

ALARM drafted a grievance procedure to deal environmental complaints regarding SME for broader consultation with relevant stakeholders (Attachment 48).

21 Draft Rural Development Law

Drafted The third draft of the rural development law has been published. However, it needs to be improved to get it ready for the Hluttaw discussions.

22 Exit strategy for Mya Sein Yaung (MSY) Project

Drafted for consultions

Mya Sein Yaung —emerald village fund project has been implementing in Myanmar since 2013 with the adoption of rural development strategic framework. So far, grants have been provided to more than 10,000 villages across the country. Since it has been more than five years of implementing MSY villages in a bit more than manageable size of beneficiary villages for DRD, it is time we considered an exit strategy.

An exit strategy for MSY project was formulated (Attachment 49). It is now being improved by addition evidences of success of the recommended actions. Having exemplified with evidences, the strategy will be presented to DRD and other relevant stakeholders for improvement.


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Activity 1.4 Technical supports to CSO networks Since civil society networks need to be stronger in the sense of having transparent and accountable financial management, grievance procedures and participatory tools for effective delivery of community development activities and stakeholder engagement in policy reform, technical backstopping is intensively required. That is why ALARM has been providing technical and managerial assistance since 2011 to the civil society networks such as Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability (MATA), Food Security Working Group (FSWG), Myanmar Environmental Rehabilitation Network (MERN), Kachin Conservation Working Group (KCWG), Paung Ku (PK), Kalyana Maitta Foundation (KMF) and Union Civil Society Committee for Peace Forum (UCCPF). In this reporting period, ALARM managed to keep on building the technical capacity as well as managerial capacity for all stakeholders in environment and natural resources sectors for creating collective learning, accountability and voices for policy advocacy. The trainings and public seminars completed for those networks in this reporting period cover a wide range of subjects such as resource federalism, development economics, environmental governance & management, environmental monitoring, participatory environmental impact assessment (PEIA), forest law enforcement governance and trade (FLEGT), extractive industry transparency initiative (EITI), community forestry, customary tenure systems, affordable bamboo housing, bamboo furniture & handicraft making, wood processing, PAR, laboratory techniques, video documentation and editing, etc. Those trainings were attended by the farmers, the forest users, the women, the youths, the environmental and land activists, the community leaders, the staff from different government departments, the private individuals, the university students and lecturers, the NGOs/CSOs staff, the volunteers, the EAOs and the political parties. ALARM’s interventions virtually covered all states and regions in 2018 (Please see the detailed description of the activities completed in 2018 in the following sections). We hope that the trainings, the meetings and the workshops completed in this reporting period could implicate well this aspect of supporting to the CSO Networks in Myanmar. Activity 1.5 Development of information materials and Interactive information platform for environmental governance and public awareness The IEC plays a crucial role in all learning & sharing events including advocacy, campaign and training, etc. In this reporting period, about ten thousand IEC materials were produced whereas approximately 25% of those materials were distributed. Those IECs newly published in this reporting period included the manual for effective resource protection, Myanmar Environmental Outlook 2017, the Behind the Oil Palm, CSO Directory, Environmental Sensitivity Maps, Bio economy conference proceedings, Report on international seminar on CLT, CLT manual, PEIA manual, the environmental related laws, etc. In addition, the seven issues of Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (MAN) covering the chronical activities and update of ALARM works from November 2017 until December 2018 were printed and reported in MAN e-flash. The IECs published in this reporting period as follows (Table 3); Table 3: List of IECs produced in 2018

No IEC material Language Total 1 Manual for Effective Resource Protection in a participatory way

(Attachment 29) Myanmar 920

2 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Nov 2017) (Attachment 50) Myanmar 220 3 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Dec 2017) (Attachment 51) Myanmar 230 4 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Jan 2018) (Attachment 52) Myanmar -


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No IEC material Language Total 5 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Feb, March, April 2018)

(Attachment 53) Myanmar -

6 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (May, June, July 2018) (Attachment 54)

Myanmar -

7 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Sept, Oct 2018) (Attachment 55) Myanmar - 8 Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Nov, Dec 2018) (Attachment 56) Myanmar - 9 Myanmar Environmental Outlook, 2017 Myanmar 500

10 Behind the Oil Palm (Attachment 17) Myanmar 1,035 11 Behind the Oil Palm (Attachment 16) English 500 12 Manual for Effective Resource Protection in a participatory way

(Attachment 29) Myanmar 325

13 CSO Directory (Attachment 57) Myanmar 530 14 Agroforestry handbook_Replication Myanmar 500 15 Multipurpose nursery_Replication Myanmar 500 16 Environmental Related laws (Farm land law; forest law;

electricity law; biodiversity and protected area law; environmental conservation law; fishery law; petroleum and petro chemical law; forest regulations; dams law; mining law and regulations; freshwater fishery law; Vacant, Fellow, Virgin land law; Water resources and river laws)

Myanmar 4,200

17 Bioeconomy conference proceedings (Attachment 58) Myanmar 250 18 Report on international seminar on CLT (Attachment 59) Myanmar 100 19 PAR Manual_Replication Myanmar 500 20 CLT manual (Attachment 12) Myanmar 500 21 FLEGT VPA Flip Chart_Replication Myanmar 500 22 EITI Guidebook_Replication Myanmar 500

Total 11,810 In addition, some materials such as memory stick, table calendar, T-shirt and Sport Shirt were also produced for visibility. The logos of ALARM and the respective donors were printed in those visibility products. Activity 1.6 Public awareness raising Since ALARM completed several capacity building trainings on different environmental thematic areas for a range of stakeholders from different levels and different geographical areas with a view of educating local ethnic communities in these townships to be aware of their resource rights, it could be said that the geographical regions from which the trainees come from are also benefitting from the trainings in one way or another because the trainees are always assigned to conduct follow up activities in their respective areas to convey benefits to broader context. The thematic covered during the awareness events include FLEGT, EITI, customary tenure, gender, basic environmental concepts, etc. In terms of area coverage, they covered 38 townships in 11 states/regions; Shan (Lashio, Kengtong, Malawmyine, Nyaung Shwe, Naung Cho, Khut Khaing, Thein Ni, Ywa Ngan Townships), Mon (Malawmyine, Ye townships), Kayin (Hpa An, Thar Mi Tike, Hlaing Bwe, Than Daung Gyi,townships), Kayah (Demawsoe, Phe Kon townships), Kachin (Putao, Moe Mauk, Phar Kant, Mansi, Inn Gyan Yan, Bamaw, Shwe Ku townships), Rakhine (Gwa, Kyeintali townships), Magway (Kant Kaw Nga Phe, Gant Kaw townships), Mandalay (Ta Baik Kyin Township), Sagaing (Monwya, Lahe, Homalin, Pin Le Bu townships), Bago (Htanta Pin


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township) and Tanintharri (Myeik, Kyun Su, Tanintharri & Boak Pyin Townships), etc. (Attachment 60-64) Activity 1.7 Replication of community based conservation (CF, Patrolling, etc.) Rather organizing new groups for CF establishment, ALARM mobilized the existing CFGs, managing more than 5000 ac of certified forests in Kachin and Tanintharri, benefitting more than 800 households (Table 4), and provided them technical and financial assistances for their CF and patrolling works. As a follow up of gender development trainings organized in 2017, a series of village mediation meetings and discussions were made in some villages of Tanintharri Region and Kachin State so as to encourage the participation of women in CF and forest patrolling activities. Table 4: Villages received CF certificates in Kachin and Tanintharri Region

No Village Township Area (Acre)

Beneficiary Households Male Female Total

1 Htein Chaung Kyun Su 250 42 7 49 2 Ka Bin Chaung Kyun Su 246 36 6 42 3 Kattalu Kyun Su 500 30 6 36 4 Lait Kyal Kyun Su 240 26 8 34 5 Tee Pu Kyun Su 233 65 21 86 6 Oake Lake Boke Pyin 138 13 19 32 7 Ka Lan Chaung Boke Pyin 132 27 5 32 8 Maing Thwe Kyun Su 400 63 13 76 9 Kwit Thit Kyun Su 350 42 5 47

10 Lwin Oo Moe Nyin 321 40 3 43 11 Nan Si Aung (pay

Gone) G - 1 Moe Nyin 230 7 6 13

12 Maw Han Moe Nyin 630 52 12 64 13 Myaing Thar Yar Moe Nyin 800 65 12 77 14 Thar Yar Kone Moe Nyin 258 40 2 42 15 Chaung Ka Shet Boat Pyin 158 33 8 41 16 The Phyu Boat Pyin 192 34 10 44 17 Ohm Taw Kan Boat Pyin 216 13 36 49 Total 5294 628 179 807

Activity 1.8 Stakeholder capacity building trainings Training on development economics for DRD officials (13-14 January 2018) Being an architect of Rural Development Strategic Framework (RDSF), ALARM is usually invited to any capacity development trainings of DRD staff. Accordingly, ALARM was invited to take a section of the 2-days staff development training conducted on 13 and 14 of January 2018 for DRD senior officials, to enhance their understanding on debates around development economics and the ideas behind the RDSF. Altogether 30 officials (2 Female), most of them the directors of States and Regions, attended the training (Attachment 65).


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Environmental Management Training for businesses in Monywa Industrial Zone (23-25 January 2018) To meet the standard of waste water parameters is an obligation of every industry discharging waste water into the natural watercourse. However, most of the small and medium enterprises (SME) can’t afford expensive waste water treatment plant. Therefore, ALARM is helping SMEs in Monywa Insutrial Zone to establish a central waste water treatment plant, through coordinating with national and international experts and funding organizations. As part of this effort, ALARM in conjunction with the regional Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) delivered a 3-days training about basic environmental management for the staff of the SME in Monywa Industrial Zone in January 2018, with a view of raising awareness of business people on what is all about the environment including the impacts of development on the environment and how environment consideration should be mainstreamed and consequently seeking their participation in coming activities related to the set-up of central waste water treatment plant. The training was attended by a group of businessmen, students and observers, accounting 35 in total (7 Female) (Attachment 66). PAR training for Southern Youth (30 January to 3 February 2018) ALARM has partnered with Southern Youth for many years in doing researches in Tanintharri Region. The PAR tools being instrumental in research works, ALARM was requested by Southern Youth to train their staff to be able to use PAR tools in their research works. Therefore, a 5-days PAR training was conducted in the forest of Manoelone Village, Boat Pyin township and attended by 34 ethnic youth (15 Female). During the training, the participants not only learnt a range of action tools for researching time, space and knowledge related information in a participatory way but also practiced participatory techniques for better facilitation and mobilization. Training on Participatory Environmental Assessment for Teekyit communities (5-6 February 2018) Teekyit is the place where core mining is taking place to fuel a core fired power plant, which has been set up regardless of strong community opposition. In Teekyit, what the community insisting for is to recommission the environmental impact assessment of the project, that doesn’t compromise the interest of the community for the benefits of the investors as a result of the investors’ disclosed environmental impact assessment report, that was formulated in favor of the proponent. That is why ALARM organized a training for the communities in Teekyit for two days in February, to enhance their understanding on what environmental impact assessment is, how it should be done, what are the key aspects of environmental impact assessment, etc., how basic soil, water sampling should be done and helped plan to develop a plan for community led environmental impact assessment in their community. The existing legislations regarding the environment were also explained. Altogether 10 participants (2 Female) attended to the training. As the follow up of the training, the trainees are currently collecting soil and water samples in some potentially affected areas of the power plant and core mining (Attachment 67). Training on Natural Resource Governance for CSO leaders (13-17 February 2018) Whether or not the democratic transition of the country is on right track, existing natural resource governance mechanism, i.e., EITI, FLEGT, etc., are being put forward by the stakeholders. The existing engagement of key stakeholders such as the government, the private sector and civil society has also proven their strong interest and commitment to be part of those mechanisms. Being the multi-stakeholder approaches, the CSO representatives are getting equal footing with their government and private sector


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counterparts in the decision making or oversight body of those mechanisms. In this respect, it is very important to have a proper understanding and knowledge of civil society members on those mechanisms to keep abreast with their counterparts. That is why ALARM conducted a training about natural resource governance for CSO leaders to be able to understand what FLEGT and EITI are, how important they are in country country’s democratic transition, how CSOs should play a role in those mechanism and how important the continuous engagement of CSOs is in those mechanisms. Thirty-two CSO leaders (8 Female) were trained in the training and they were asked to conduct a follow-up awareness campaigns in their respective areas (Attachment 68). Laboratory Training for university students (March 2018) Soon after a renowned medical professor raised an issue about the occurrence of E. coli bacteria in municipal water distributing in Yangon, public outcry over the weakness of municipal water distribution was raised. In order to effectively address the issue, ALARM organized a training for ten university students to conduct water sampling and to enhance basic understanding of the journalists on the role of proper sampling in environmental laboratory testing and analysis. Different water samples from different townships in Yangon areas were then collected and analyzed whether the distributed water was contaminated. The microbial analysis revealed that the bacteria infection didn’t occur at water sources but occurred in some townships, where the distribution systems were damaged and or contaminated with municipal waste. A media release was then published, outlining the findings of the studies and reduced the outcry. Video editing training for CSO partners (6-10 March 2018) As planned, the advanced video editing training —the last training of the cascade video documentation training program, which comprised of video documentation training, video editing training and advanced editing training— was organized in March 2018 to equip the resource right defenders with additional editing skills to make a more compelling film for policy advocacy, by documenting environmental problems happening in their respective areas. Altogether 12 (3 Female) out of 14 trainees who joined the previous trainings attended this training. The training lasts for five days and provided hand on lessons for video editing including subtitling, visual and audio effects. Having been introduced with the additional editing tools, the trainees were asked to do final editing for their advocacy videos. By the end of the training, altogether nine environmental cases were documented in short films and used in advocacy events and some of them were accordingly used in some advocacy events (Attachment 69). Training on sampling for river water monitoring (8 April 2018) ALARM in conjunction with Oxford University conducted a river water sampling training for civil societies in Sagaing to be able to identify appropriate locations for river water sampling and to collect and store water samples in a correct way for river water quality monitoring research. The training was organized in April and attended by 13 participants (2 Female). During the training, appropriate locations of major rivers in Sagaing Region were identified and the participants were voluntarily assigned to do regular samplings in those identified locations. The idea of the research is to set up the baseline of water quality in major rivers in Sagaing Region (Attachment 51). The trainees collected water samples from the identified sites of rivers and streams in Sagiang Region in April and September (Attachment 70, 71a & 71b).


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Development economics and resource federalism training for KNU Economic Committee members (8-9 May 2018) ALARM in conjunction with NPA delivered a learning and sharing section for KNU central economic committee in May in Me Sok, Thailand. The main objectives of the section were to enhance understanding on the strength and weakness of different resource and revenue sharing schemes practiced in some federal states, and on redressing mechanism for the conflicts encountering in contested areas. In order to materialize the objectives, how principles differ from policies, different power and revenue sharing schemes, the rural development strategic framework, the importance of EITI and FLEGT in addressing some resource governance issues and the role of citizen jury to address the existing resource conflicts were explained with examples. Twenty-one members (5 Female) of KNU central economic committee attended the section (Attachment 72). Basic land surveying training for government officials using GPS (10-14 September 2018) With reference to the request of the Forest Department, ALARM conducted a basic land surveying training using GPS/GIS from 10 to 14 September 2018 in Kawt Thaung in Tanintharri Region, to equip the CSOs and government staff with necessary skills for accurate land surveying using GPS, and Arc GIS. The participants are trained to be able to conduct field surveys using different methodologies. Altogether 24 participants (20 Female) attended to the training. For the effectiveness of the training, the theory on basic concept of GPS and GIS were followed by the field exercise (Attachment 73). CF training (27-29 September 2018) With the request of Farmers Union of Laputta, ALARM organized a community forestry training from 27 to 29 September 2018 in Laputta Township, to help the participants understand the procedures in establishing the community forestry and different forest plantation models. The training was attended by the staff of FD, farmers 71 participants (1 Female) (Please find the attachment 74). Training for natural resource governance (15-18 October 2018) ALARM is implementing a project called “Natural resource governance through women empowerment” in Tanintharri Region, to ensure that women have an equal footing with men in decision making to control over the resources like land and forest resources that they customarily managed for generations. As part of the project, ALARM conducted a training was conducted for the thirty community leaders from the project villages from 15 to 18 October, 2018 in Myeik. The training was designed to cover basic knowledge about land management, environmental practices, environmental related policies, laws and regulations as well as international agreements and treaties. In addition to the class room training, the trainees conducted awareness raising meetings back in their respective villages, and those meetings were attended by altogether 416 community members (213 Female) (Please see attachment 75). Series of Trainings for youth leaders of New Mon State Party (1-5 October 2018 & 26-30 November 2018) In this reporting period, ALARM trained the youth leaders of one EAOs “the New Mon State Party (NMSP) at Mya Myint Mo hotel, Ye township, Mon State to realize basic democracy and federal concepts, understand the current environmental condition and natural resources governance, and to assist


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in developing the basic principles for future federal land management and natural resource governance. Altogether 35 participants (12 Female) attended that very first training and the laws related to the environment were analysed during the training. As a follow up field exercise, the trainees were assigned to conduct experience and knowledge (land and resource rights given by existing legislations) sharing meetings with respective communities. In addition, ALARM organized another training on the basic environmental knowledge and environmental report card methodology for the same group so as to understand the basic concepts of environment, enable to conduct participatory environmental monitoring while exploring the crucial sites for the environmental sustainability in Mon State. The second training was held at Hotel Preima in Bagan. Altogether 22 participants (7 Female) out of 35 who joined the first training attended the second training (Attachment 76a & 76b). Trainings of customary land tenure studies for ethnic leaders (15-19 October 2018 & 17-21 October 2018) No customary land tenure system is properly documented despite of majority of the population, who stays under customary management system. To have a well-documented customary land tenure system is indispensable to help local communities defense and assert their land rights and is also a huge information gap to be addressed. Therefore, trainings for customary land tenure studies were organized for ethnic leaders with a view of providing basic knowledge of why customary land tenure is important, how it links with the peace process and how could be done to get them legalized and what need to be done to make a reality, etc. Accordingly, the training curriculum was designed with a mix of theory and practical lessons to have basic knowledge of ecosystem concepts, land, natural resource, climate change and peace nexus, etc., and to be able to conduct the customary land tenure studies with the developed methodology. To make trainings more effective, participants were separated into two smaller groups with 30 each and trained about 63 ethnic leaders (27 Female) in two trainings in Lashio, Northern Shan State in October; the first training from 15 to 19 and the second from 17 until 21. Those trainings were attended by not only ethnic community leaders representing ethnic CSOs working at the local level, but also some researchers from NGOs working at the national level. More specifically, the role of land management in power and resource sharing, current legislative frameworks regarding land management, political philosophy of customary land management systems and how it’s being claimed by EAOs in current peace conferences were explained, whereby the existing gaps were also highlighted on the first day of the trainings. Moreover, how those gaps will be addressed by the studies using the developed methodology was explained whereas the research and methodology frameworks were explained in detail. On the second day of the training, the PAR tools of the methodology framework were exercised and organizing for field visit was planned during the whole evening. The Day ‘3 & 4’ were the field days and the trainees were divided into three groups to visit three different villages to study respective customary land tenure systems of the ethnic groups, residing in respective villages. The CLT guidebook (Attachment 12) was used as the ‘Textbook’ for the trainings and for the field trips. The field trip results were reviewed and reflected on the last day of the training. Besides, the follow up study plans and event designs were also developed by the trainees to conduct CLT studies while raising their awareness on customary systems in their respective areas (Attachment 77 & 78). Organizational development and land policy trainings for Mon political leaders (31 October to 2 November 2018 & 10-12 December 2018) A cascade of two trainings on land policy and organization development was organized for Mon political leaders in Malawmyine (from 31 October to 2 November 2018 at Paing Khet Hall and from 10 to 12


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December 2018 at Yama Nya Hotel). The objectives of these training were to enhance understanding about land governance, political philosophies behind different land governance systems, and the role of institutional development for improving land government. During the trainings, the participants were brainstormed on the basic principles of an institution, including vision and mission, financial and other necessary policies, rules and regulations, etc. As a result, the participants explored the mission, vision and the organogram of their party and laid down rules and regulations so as to assure the transparency and accountability for the party. Altogether 34 participants (6 Female) including the Mon Party leaders and the CSO representatives joined the first training whereas total 40 participants (6 Female) including the central executive committee and central committee members of the newly merged Mon party attended the second training (Attachment 79). Training for Participatory Indigenous Natural Resource Management (PINRM) (5-9 October 2018 & 12-16 November 2018) ALARM has successfully convened two cycles of PINRM training programs in 2013 and 2014 and trained CSO leaders (including ethnic leaders working in ethnic areas) to become trainers on participatory action research tools, facilitation and trainer skills. In this reporting period, with reference to the request of the Southern Youth— a local Karen CSO based in Tanintharri Region, ALARM replicated the third cycle of PINRM training program in Tanintharri and trained the youth Karen leaders in two series of trainings in October and November. During the first training, the trainees were equipped with basic knowledge about participatory resource governance, the basic concepts of Participatory Action Research Tools (time, space and wisdom tools) and their usefulness to bring resource governance. The first training was attended by altogether 23 participants (10 Female). The second training, which was organized in November, was more about the practical application of PAR tools and the trainees were mostly put into groups to identify the environmental issues for reporting through the application of the PAR tools. In addition, how GPS could be systematically used for basic land surveying was touched in the second training, which was organized on presence of 38 participants (21 Female) respectively (Attachment 80 & 81). Beekeeping training for forest users in Kachin (5-9 November 2018) With reference to the request of FUGs from Moe Mauk, ALARM facilitated a beekeeping training in November in Kachin for FUG members so that they could generate extra income from non-forest activities. The training was delivered by the department of bee industry development (Kachin) and how the tools could be used for beekeeping was demonstrated. The training also paid a visit to beekeeping farm so as to observe practical beekeeping actions. The training was attended by 20 FUG members (Attachment 82). Good agricultural practices training for vegetable production in Shan and Exchange Visit (15-16 December 2018 & 17-20 December 2018) Farmers often loose profits not because they produce less but because they use more agricultural inputs than necessary. Over application of agrochemicals not only affect the cost of farm production but also leaves risks to health of consumers. Therefore, a training on good agricultural practices was organized for vegetable growers in Inlay watershed areas. How organic fertilizers could be locally made using crop residues, how pests and diseases could be controlled using minimum pesticides, were explained during the training. The training was attended by 24 farmers (2 Female) from the villages in Nyaung Shwe and


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Ka Law townships (Attachment 83a). Having trained them in Aung Pan, ALARM organized an exchange visit to Vegetable and Fruits Research Training Center in Hlegu, the plant protection and seed division offices in Yangon by brining all the trained farmers so as to observe how vegetable production is made systematically in organic as well as inorganic ways (Attachment 83b). TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY FORESTRY ENTERPRISE IN KACHIN In Wyne Maw township of Kachin State, there is a forest user association (FUA), which is comprised of more than 20 certified forest user groups, that altogether have regenerated a mountain range with a variety of local tree species since 2006 with a view of protecting the forest degradation while enhancing the socio-economic development of the local community. Now, that mountain range has how played a central role to provide ecosystem services including water, forest and NTF products to the surrounding areas. ALARM has been supporting the communities in Kachin state in establishing those community forests for land security and livelihood development since the beginning of those community forest. So far, about hundred thousand acres of forest land have been officially transferred to more than six hundred forest user groups in Kachin. Those forests are not just home to a variety of hard wood species and also the land of high quality bamboo. The FUA is currently trying to set up a community forestry enterprise to manufacture products using forest products for local and export markets. The FUA has three major focus regarding manufacturing of forest products; wood based products, bamboo based products and rattan based products (Note-this report will just cover our efforts on production of wood and bamboo based products). In this reporting period, ALARM managed to complete not only the capacity building activities for the production of the abovementioned product but also procurement of some machines necessary for those manufacturing operations as follows; Equipment Supply for upgrading Community Forestry Enterprise to make semi-finished forest products ALARM is helping FUA to initiate the community forestry enterprise (CFE), particularly to construct the wood manufacturing factory as well as to support the machines for semi-finished forest products. Hence, ALARM led in purchasing the machines after the discussions with the stakeholders. In this reporting period, the wood mortising machine, and four-sided moduler wood thicknessor were procured to produce value-added products of timber coming out of the thinning activities of the community forestry, and the transformer was set up to have a stable supply of electricity to operate those machinery (Attachment 84). Wood processing training (26-28 December 2018) Though machines and equipment necessary for small scale wood processing have been procured, the community people are still struggling in using those tools for wood processing (getting the license to operate those machines and equipment is another issue and it will be covered in other section). Therefore, ALARM in collaboration with KCWG & FUA, organized the wood processing training in December 2018 to enable the members of FUA and FUGs to handle the machines in a safe and appropriate ways. Those attended the training were mostly the members from FUA and the interested individuals from the neighboring villages who like to manufacture wood furniture. During the training, the participants attained the knowledge and some skills of operating machines such as the wood splitting, cross cut saw, bench circular saw, hand plainer, wood thicknesses and edge belt sander practically. Altogether nine participants joined the training (Attachment 85).


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Trainings for Complete inventory of forest stock in CFs (October, November & December 2018) The FUA has applied for an official license to operate wood processing machines since 2015 but hasn’t got the permission yet. In September 2018, the forest department (FD) has contacted us to prove that the community forests have already hosted enough number of harvestable forest stands. Therefore, a coordination meeting was in October 2018 conducted with the FD on presence of KCWG and FUA to conduct an official forest inventory in the CF of Wyne Maw township. The meeting focused on the necessary precautions for forest inventory as per the existing rules and regulations, and the detailed procedures and the work plan to inventory all CFs in Wyne Maw township and it was attended by altogether 30 participants (2 Female) (Attachment 84). Then, the pilot forest inventory was done in ten acres of Tanbaung CF with the FD officials. Learning from the pilot inventory, an inventory design was reformulated and the members of FUGs were trained in each village and the detailed techniques were explained during those trainings. The trained FUG members then carried out forest inventory in their respective villages, covering 4,768 acres under the supervision of the FD. The inventory data are now being processed to report back to the FD (Attachment 86). Bamboo-Initial training on affordable bamboo housing (13-14 May 2018) In addition to natural occurrence of quality bamboo in the CFs of Kachin, they have become the majority of plantation area in community forests due to its nature of rapid growing in a fertile land. Therefore, in Kachin, there is a huge potential for the production of bamboo products not just because of its abundance in CFs but because of its durability, which is as good as wood. That is why ALARM is planning to organize a series of trainings to capacitate the community forest users in Wyne Maw Township for the production of value added bamboo products. As the first step of the series, ALARM conducted a brainstorming section with the bamboo experts to review the bamboo based constructions that have been done in the country and to brainstorm the ideas for the design of affordable bamboo housing in Kachin State. In addition, participatory design meeting was also organized with the CFUs in Kachin for the design of affordable bamboo house and consequently designed an adaptive affordable bamboo house, based on the design made in the initial brainstorming meeting with the experts. Having made an adaptive design, bamboo preservation training was conducted as the initial step of affordable bamboo housing training in May 2018. In the training, the participants were explained and demonstrated how bamboo should be preserved to reduce the sugar level if they are harvested off-season to ensure the durability of bamboo. Altogether 58 participants (5 Female) attended to the training and are now doing preservation of bamboo, for the demonstration of the bamboo house. Once enough number of bamboo has been preserved and stored for a certain period, ALARM conducted a hand-on training for bamboo house construction (Attachment 87). About 8 community members attended that on-job bamboo house construction training. Being an on-job training, it took about a month, which is a bit longer than usual. Bamboo-handicraft and furniture trainings in Kachin (22-28 August 2018 & 8-17 November 2018) In addition to bamboo housing training, ALARM also conducted a bamboo handicraft training and a bamboo furniture training in Kachin in order to enhance communities’ understanding on multifunctionality of bamboo and to fetch extra incomes out of value-added bamboo products. A bamboo handicraft training, from 22 to 28 August 2018, was held at Wai Maw Forest Users Association (FUA) office in Wyne Maw. In the training, trainees were demonstrated how cups, trays, water bottle, cooking utensils are made using bamboo and simple and portable bamboo furnishing machines. In addition, to enhance their creativity, the trainees were also asked to create new bamboo appliances with new design in


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addition to replication of the demonstrated bamboo items. The training was attended by 40 participants (7 Female) (Attachment 88). The bamboo furniture training was also held in Wyne Maw FUA Office from 8 to 17 November 2018. Techniques for making furniture out of bamboo such as chairs, stool, shelves and tables were taught in the training. Twenty-six participants including the members of the forest user association from Wai Maw and other related villages (6 Female) attended the training (Attachment 89). In addition, challenges in producing bamboo products, and how those challenges could be addressed, and principles to ensure the durability of bamboo products were also discussed. Bamboo-handicraft and furniture trainings in Tanintharri (26 November to 2 December 2018) Since ALARM is replicating its experiences of CF and CFE in Tanintharri Region, especially in Kyun Su township, in which almost a dozen of villages have been given official certificates by the government to establish community forests. Kyun Su Township’s Forest User Association has been formed and started field mobilization activities in Kyun Su township; including awareness campaigns, CF trainings and nursery establishment trainings, etc. Since they also wanted to hold bamboo handicraft and furniture trainings, some potential candidates from Kyun Su FUA were sent to the trainings in Kachin as trainees by the respective trainings were held in Kachin so that they could replicate knowledge and skills back in Tanintharri. Those trained FUA members conducted replicated training —bamboo handicraft and furniture making training in late November in Kyun Su. Through the theoretical and practical lessons of the training, the participants were equipped with the required techniques so as to understand the usefulness of bamboo varieties, to enhance technical know-how of bamboo handicraft and furniture making. Altogether 25 participants (5 Female) from eight villages attended the training (Attachment 90). Activity 1.9 Leadership development Internship in Environmental Watch Four interns (5 Male) were recruited in this reporting period and were assigned to environmental laboratory under the “People and Environmental Integrity Program”, the “Forest and Land Reform Program”, and the Aung Pan training centre under “Human Security and Decentralization Program”. International Study Tour (22-27 October 2018) Three staff (1 Female) from ALARM joined a one-week course on “Emerging Issues in Public Policy” jointly conducted by the Institute of Public Enterprise, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, Nepal Administrative Staff College, Niti Foundation and International Development Research Centre during 22 to 27 October 2018 at Hyderabad while the other participants from Bangladesh and Nepal also attended the course. The key objectives of the course were to discuss the emerging trends in public making process and the innovative practices adopted by various governments in the region, to sensitize participants on the aspects of use of information technology by government agencies in order to enhance their outreach to citizens and enhance their credibility and to collectively identify thrust areas for learning and sharing among participating countries. During the course, the political economy and governance, democratic process and emerging trends in India, decentralization and democracy in Nepal, access to global justices and legal reforms, sustainable development and environmental policies, streamlining taxation system in India,


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corporate laws and practices in India and the neighboring countries, building institutional capacities for rural sector strengthening, cities and agglomeration externalities: lessons for urban public policy in Asia, evidence based policy making process, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in India were presented. Furthermore, the participants got a chance to visit to Centre for Good Governance(CGG) which was set up in 2000, with a funding from DFID, UK and Government of Andhra Pradesh with an intention to support governance reform initiatives being taken up by the state government working closely with major stakeholders in policy making-including political leaders, administrators, think-tanks, academia and citizens to develop solutions and build tools for making governance more efficient and citizen centric. At the end of the training, the three staff from ALARM presented the Myanmar Government affords related to the development sector and explained the challenges experienced in the implementation of development projects. It is worth noting that the course helped the participants to understand some of the solutions and innovations that countries are experimenting for making the policy making process more realistic and useful (Attachment 91). India Study Tour for political leaders (24 November to 1 December 2018) ALARM is currently supporting the technical expertise in the working group committee of Land & Environment sector of the Union Peace Conference. Accordingly, it is crucial to discuss land reform and recognize the customary land tenure systems of indigenous people and ethnic minority in Myanmar with the objective of restoring justice, equality and self-determination amongst ethnic groups. Reforming Myanmar’s current governance of land and natural resources poses many difficult questions. Therefore, it is important for Myanmar to learn how other federal countries in the region have carried out this type of reform process. India like Myanmar, is a former British colony and shares a common law system. India’s transition to democracy saw the development of a decentralized system that united the states, while allowing for the recognition of ethic, customary and religious, rights in its different territories. How constitutional power and resource sharing is made between different levels of governments (Asymmetric or symmetric), how revenues are shared within and between States and with the federal government in an equitable and just way, how government systems make sure the sustainable resource production and how the rights of indigenous people or ethnic communities are protected in the Indian system of government can be very interesting for political leaders for the future democratic structure of Myanmar. Hence, ALARM organized a one week-long study tour to India (24 November to 1 December 2018) for a group of three political leaders, two staff from ALARM, one staff from NPA and seven representatives from EAOs and it aimed to build the capacity of political party and EAO leaders to be able to visualize “existing situations” within Myanmar and identify key elements of the Indian federal governance model for land and natural resource management that will help inform the development of robust land and natural resource management policies in Myanmar. During the tour, the participants have learnt the structure of the federal system of India, the economic growth in India and E-governance models. Besides, the delegates were able to meet with the government officials, academics, research agencies and civil society to study how land and natural resources are managed within a decentralized federal governance model of India which will build the relationship between India and Myanmar in the future (Attachment 92). Think Tank Initiative Exchange in Bangkok (12-14 November 2018) In this reporting period, four staff (1 Female) from ALARM attended the 2018 Think Tank Initiative Exchange (TTIX), which was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 12-14 November 2018. The exchange invited the TTI grantees, donors and key actors in the policy research community, with the aim of discussing sustainability strategies for think tanks, exploring opportunities for how think tanks can


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contribute to future development efforts, and celebrating ten years of TTI efforts to strengthen policy research organizations in Latin America, Africa and South Asia. The specific objectives of the exchange were to promote debate and dialogue on the critical factors contributing to the sustainability and impact of policy research organizations, to generate critical insights and reflections on effective approaches to supporting policy research organizations, to understand the catalytic role that policy research organizations can play in contributing to international frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how they might work collectively with other key actors to contribute more effectively and to explore strategies and approaches for how best to animate evidence informed policy ecosystems with a view to identifying opportunities amongst policy research organizations, funders and other relevant actors. During the exchange meeting, the participants highlighted the key challenges facing countries in TTI regions over the next ten years, reflected on how the future will differ from the past ten years and shared ideas and perspectives on how think tanks will use the support and experiences of TTI to address these challenges. Moreover, twenty parallel sections were organized to discuss the themes such as environment, agriculture and climate change, access to energy, water and resources, promoting gender equality in research, urbanization and sustainable cities, governance & peace, justice, and strong institutions etc. Furthermore, the Think Tanks showcased their research, policy engagement, outreach and advocacy, including their greatest achievements and lessons in the near decade long period of TTI’s support at the market place session. Altogether 234 participants (82 Female) from different Think Tank Organizations attended the exchange meeting (Attachment 93). MPs exchange visit (September 2018) On 29 September 2018, ALARM led the exchange visit for regional parliamentary members and CSOs (9 Male) to Wai Maw FUA and FUGs so as to learn the current situation and difficulties of CF & CFE they faced and how they are dealing with those difficulties (Attachment 94 & 95). In addition to the above-mentioned activities, ALARM provided financial as well as institutional supports to its staff and its partners’ staff in this reporting period to join international events in order them to increase their professional network, technical and leadership skills. Evidently, in this reporting period, ALARM organized a gathering meeting of all researchers trained by ALARM ecological and biotechnology laboratory in last four years and discussed the accomplishment, impacts and future plan (Attachment 96). In addition, based on the types and objectives of events, ALARM appropriately sent its and its partners’ staff (9 Female) to a number of international trainings, seminars and workshops regarding gender mainstreaming, environmental sustainability, public policy, impact assessment, NRM, illegal logging, etc. (Table 5). Table 5: List of ALARM-staff’s participation in the International Events

No Name Organization Title of International Events 1 Mr. Thiha Htun ALARM The Seventh Think Tank Initiative Meeting, Bangladesh (5

to 7 Feb 2018) 2 Mr. Moe Sam ALARM The Seventh Think Tank Initiative Meeting, Bangladesh (5

to 7 Feb 2018) 3 Mr. Nay Min Maung ALARM The Seventh Think Tank Initiative Meeting, Bangladesh (5

to 7 Feb 2018) 4 Ms. Aye Chan Myae ALARM The Seventh Think Tank Initiative Meeting, Bangladesh (5

to 7 Feb 2018) 5 Mr. Lwin Maung ALARM APN Proposal Development Training Workshop, Hanon,


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No Name Organization Title of International Events Maung Swe Vietnam (28 Feb to 2 Mar 2018)

6 Ms. Nay Chi Mo Aung ALARM Study Tour/Training to Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford (from 18th April to 3rd May 2018)

7 Ms. Aye Aye Win ALARM Study Tour/Training to Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford (from 18th April to 3rd May 2018)

8 Ms. Tin Tin Thaw ECD Study Tour/Training to Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford (from 18th April to 3rd May 2018)

9 Ms. Aye Chan Myae ALARM Women’s Land Rights Visiting Professionals Program in Seattle, Washington State, USA(3rd April to 11th May 2018)

10 Dr. Nitar New ALARM 14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference, Osaka, Japan (27-30 August 2018) (Attachment 97)

11 Dr Thazin Han DRI 14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference, Osaka, Japan (27-30 August 2018)

12 Mr Sai Pyae Sone Aung

ALARM 14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference, Osaka, Japan (27-30 August 2018)

13 Ms Myat Nyein Khine ALARM 14th International Chitin and Chitosan Conference, Osaka, Japan (27-30 August 2018)

14 Ms Myat Thandar Oo ALARM YSEALI Environmental and Sustainability Professional Fellowship, Taxes & Washington, USA (11 October to 17 November 2018)

Activity 1.10 Seminar/Workshop The main idea for organizing seminar workshop is to enhance participatory dialogues and public consultations for proper policy reforms. In this reporting period, ALARM deliberately organized the following workshops, seminars,and coordination meetings; BEHIND THE OIL PALM Launching Events of Behind the Oil Palm Report (17-19 March 2018) Being a defender of resource rights on behalf of indigenous communities or minorities, ALARM helps communities tackle any social and environmental disputes made by investment companies. ALARM in association with a local CSOs’ consortium called Khaing Myel Thit Sar has successfully campaigned to fight against a MSPP company’s land grabbing case. Likewise, ALARM in collaborating with the Southern Youth did studies about Myanmar Automobile Cooperation (MAC) for oil palm plantation, and check whether or not the company complies with the existing legislations in the operations and operates according to the approved plans, and bring any negative impacts to the populations residing in the areas before the company comes and to the environment, etc. As a result of those studies, a report on MAC’s Oil Palm Plantation titled Behind the Oil Palm —detailing how the company logged illegally from the proposed oil palm plantation area in the name of agricultural development, how they don’t comply with the national and international regulations, how far they have planted oil palm in their project area, how important the project area is in terms of biodiversity richness, and how the local communities are affected by the project— was prepared and launched on 17 and 19 of March, 2018 in Yangon and Dawei. The event took place at the presence of 89 participants (25 Female) including media groups, international organizations, government officials, retired director of the concerned department, direct community representatives and other interested individuals (Attachment 13 to 17). Soon after the report has been


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launched, the MIC, the authority for international investment, called for a press conference and stated that they will revisit the permitted agricultural development projects, through paying a site visit to them. Follow up meetings on Behind the Oil Palm Report (3 May, 10 June & 22 June 2018) Having launched the report, a continuous follow-up was made by organizing a series of meeting with key stakeholders such as respective MPs (whose constituencies fall under the MAC oil palm area), the Chief Minister and other Ministers of Tanintharyi Region, the Hluttaw Committee for Agriculture, Fishery and Rural Development for necessary actions to be taken as suggested in the report (Attachment 18, 98 & 99). NATIONAL CLIMATE LAND BANK Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report Launching (June 2018) Since the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events are set to pose a dramatic challenge for the people and government of Myanmar while sea level are predicted to reach at a significant height in coming decades, which extent the population will be affected or displaced has become an important research gap for the preparation of climate change adaptation. Having conducted a year-long field survey in Ayarwaddy and Mon on how seriously the livelihoods of the coastal communities are being affected by climate change and sea level rise, the report “The Urgent Need to prepare for Climate Displacement in Myanmar: Establishing a Myanmar National Climate Land Bank” was published by ALARM and Displacement Solutions in this reporting period and launched for the media in June 2018 (Attachment 32 & 33). Altogether 51 journalists (23 Female) joined the event. During the launch, how important the idea of National Climate Land Bank was firstly explained and the findings of the report were also presented in detail. Since the climate land bank idea could work in practical terms to build community resilience and provide a foundation for a proactive national climate change adaptation strategy, the media launch was intended to ignite public interest and debates over climate change and the land bank just after the meeting with the respective Hluttaw Committee. Meeting with Hluttaw Committee on National Climate Land Bank (June 2018) By the time the Hluttaw Committee for Agriculture, Fishery and Rural Development were presented about the findings of the Behind the Oil Palm Report in Naypyitaw, the findings of the National Climate Land Bank were also presented, highlighting how the idea of land bank is important for climate change adaptation in Myanmar, in which several millions of population are likely to be affected by climate related weather events. They were also suggested to take some actions, as a Hluttaw committee. Among the recommendation includes to conduct vulnerability mapping, to take enabling policy and legal reforms, to give more power to the state and regional governments to materialize the idea of national climate land bank (Attachment 18). MYANMAR ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOK Multi Stakeholder Meeting on the State of the Environment (26 February 2018) As reported in the previous AEGIS report, ALARM has made three publications on the environmental status of the country namely “Myanmar Environment Outlook”, using the ERC checklist that are prepared based on an international EPA model. The main idea is to identify the most outstanding environmental issues, to advocate government for their responses to those issues and to evaluate the performance of the governments throughout their respective regime —these are all important for improving environment


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governance of the country. In this reporting period, the results from the series of consultation workshops on SOE organized in Taungyi, Mandalay, Myitkyina, Monywa, Yangon and Malawmyine, were compiled and analyzed to calculate the nationwide score for the year 2017 and to produce the Environmental Outlook, elaborating the outstanding environmental problems across the country (Attachment 64-69). Having drafted the outlook, a multi-stakeholder workshop was organized in Naypyitaw on the present of all important stakeholders such as the PMs, the government and the CSOs (18 Female). The initial findings were presented to draw their attention on the respective environmental problems and to seek their suggestions for improvement (Attachment 100). Press Conference on 2017 Myanmar Environmental Outlook and Air Pollution Monitoring Results (30 March 2018) Having presented the findings of the outlook to the PMs, the governments and the CSOs, a press conference was organized in Yangon on 30 March 2018, by inviting some leading media groups. They were presented about the findings of regular urban air pollution studies and the Myanmar Environmental Outlook 2017 —a book prepared based on the results of participatory analysis on the status of the environment for all states and regions of the country, to bring more public attention on the environmental issues. Twenty-six media groups (12 Female) join the launched (Attachment 101 & 102). MYANMAR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Brainstorming section on programmatic development of the planet pillar in Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (17 May 2018) The Myanmar Development Institute (MDI), a government think tank, has recently drafted the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) as an overarching plan for effectively using overseas development aids, to achieve genuine, inclusive and transformational economic growth in the country. In this reporting period, ALARM helped improve the MSDP, with reference to the request of the MDI, to improve the PLANET section, one of three pillars of the MSDP, by defining indicators through SMART approach and formulating programmatic actions contributing the strategies stated under the Planet Pillar of MSDP. In addition, ALARM organized a series of consultation meeting with the relevant experts to make the better plan in May 2018 (Attachment 103). PEACE & CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE IN MYANMAR International seminar on customary land use systems (July 2018) In July 2018, ALARM initiated a three-day workshop bringing together practitioners, experts and academics actively working in the field of customary tenure and indigenous land rights both within Myanmar and Internationally. In the design phase, ALARM undertook extensive consultations with a number of NGOs, INGOs and CSOs and a working group was accordingly established to refine the workshop objectives with inputs from Land Core Group and independent academics working within the sector. The workshop was convened from July 23rd to 25th at the Amata Garden Resort, Inlay Lake, Shan State Myanmar. The 69 participants (21 Female), representing 2 Government Departments, 3 Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO), 4 Political Parties, 10 Civil Society Organizations (CSO), 3 Non-Government Organizations (NGO), 8 International NGOs (INGO) and 2 International Academic Institutions attended the workshop.


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International practitioners from Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Australia and Africa presented case studies of best practice in customary land tenure to evoke discussion on how Myanmar can work towards developing a model to recognize customary tenure within its current political position, whereas the local presenters reported on current researches regarding customary land tenure systems of Myanmar. Discussions throughout the three-day workshop reflected on a number of key, inter-related questions:

1) How can the recognition of customary land tenure systems promote state-building and reconciliation in the national peace process?

2) How have different countries set up decentralized or federal governance models that provide statutory recognition of customary land tenure systems? How exactly is power shared to regulated different aspects of customary land tenure systems?

3) What are the best practices in different countries for decentralized or federal governance models of land management that ensure equality and justice within customary land tenure systems, especially in terms of gender and youth?

The workshop contributed to the national discussion by addressing these questions. International and domestic speakers and experts were brought together to try to bring some clarity to these questions, and to begin to identify a variety of answers. The workshop also provided an important platform to share learnings, identify gaps in understanding and discuss policy recommendations for effective decentralization and participatory governance for land reform in Myanmar. International perspectives offered from Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal and Australia provided all actors in the sector to consider what aspects of these systems will be relevant within the Myanmar context. In particular, it highlighted that in all cases it is extremely important that ethnic groups come together on a shared platform to be effective at influencing the Government of Myanmar to implement legislation the protects the rights of minority groups and reflects the diversity of customary land tenure that exist within Myanmar. A number of key recommendations were put forward including;

1) The need to develop common definitions of key terms such as customary tenure, land, natural resources, decentralization, Indigenous Peoples, ethnic minorities and customary law.

2) A need to have follow up workshops to further discusses the key questions that came out of the workshop.

3) Training and capacity building workshops with NCA –EAO office to help EAO leaders develop policy to put forward to the Union Peace Process.

4) Develop a working group on customary Land tenure amongst the key INGOs, NGOs, CSO’s, EAO’s, political parties and Government to refine how customary tenure is represented within existing and new legislation such as the National Land Use Policy and Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Law.

5) A centralized approach to documenting and mapping customary tenure within Myanmar (Attachment 59)

Technical Seminar on definitions of Terms used in Land and Natural Resource Management (October 2018) As agreed during the international workshop on customary land tenure in Inlay, ALARM organized the very first technical seminar in Yangon in October, by inviting relevant key actors working in land and environment thematic areas, in order to brainstorm the basic concepts and definitions of some key terms related to land and environment. The participants from eight organizations discussed the key terms like State, Land, Customary Tenure and Natural Resources amongst others. Furthermore, the participants shared their current activities related to land issues and argued on the definition of indigenous, citizen,


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ethnic and the associated rights. The stumbling blocks in peace process were also explored and the definitions of key terms were updated. Though any consensus couldn't make in the discussion, it could highlight the need of regular discussions among the key actors so as to provide facts for considerations to better contribute to the peace process, in which most of important decisions couldn’t be made because of a serious lack of common understanding on some key terms. All attendees also agreed to work together on the same issues in the future (Attachment 104). Regional Civil Society Forums for Peace (6-10 November 2018, 16-19 November 2018, 30 November 2018) Civil society representatives are not yet full fledge attendees of UPC. However, the government acknowledged the important role of CSOs and allowed to organize a parallel forum called CSO peace forum to discuss the social and environmental issues, directly related to ordinary citizens so as to bring the related CSOs’ positions to UPC. ALARM, as a CSO, was invited by the Union CSO Committee for Peace Forum (UCCPF) to suggest them how CSOs should play a role to better contribute to the peace process within the given space. In this reporting period, ALARM helped UCCPF regional working groups of Shan, Mandalay and Kayin States to be able to formulate the principles for land and environment thematic discussions. As a result, the UCCPF was provided a draft set of environmental principles to be submitted to UPC. FOREST GOVERNANCE Review meeting for open data kit application in environmental monitoring (22 February 2018) As has been reported in previous AEGIS reports, a public information platform is indispensable to disclose any outstanding environmental issues happening in the field so that the concerned authorities and the general public are aware of and have an access to the updated environmental problems and to take necessary actions whenever necessary. Therefore, ALARM in conjunction with Dawei Development Association (DDA) piloted such initiative called “Open Data Kit” in Tanintharri Region since 2015 and launched virtually the website called Tanintharri Natural Resource Watch (TNRW), to which environment disputes are being uploaded —the field monitors collect any suspects that can lead environmental problems in their respective areas, send them to the web master for verification and uploading them to the website. The TNRW is now being hosted by the Dewei Development Association (DDA) for monitoring, documenting and advocating natural resource and environmental crimes (illegal logging, mining, etc.) for proper policy actions in Tanintharri Region. ALARM in conjunction with MATA and DDA organized a CSO meeting in Myeik on 22nd of February 2018, to review how far the open data kit website for natural resource monitoring is functioning, and how it could be improved (Attachment 105). Advocacy Workshop for forest governance (29 August 2018) ALARM organized a multi stakeholder advocacy workshop for forest governance in August in Naypyitaw. Initial results of the initiatives —participatory patrolling, environmental CSO mapping, and environmental sensitivity mapping (ESM), etc.— for improving forest governance and sustainability were discussed. To be more specific, the identified environmentally sensitive areas in Shan, Magway and Mandalay were presented to draw attentions of all stakeholders to take necessary actions in those areas. The flaws of government initiatives in controlling illegal logging were explored in groups and the appropriate strategies to deal with those flaws were discussed. In addition, some issues like how the CSOs should play a role in Myanmar FLEGT-VPA process, the lack of a clear definition of legal timber, etc., were discussed in the workshop. During the workshop, the physical copies of CSO directory of Shan, Magway and Mandalay were circulated to the participants. The workshop was attended by altogether 60


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participants (15 Female) including members of parliaments, the FLEGT MSG members from the government, civil societies and the private sector, and the media (Attachment 106). As a result, the attendee from the MTE stated that they will refer to the results out of ESM in making logging plan for coming years so as to avoid the identified environmental sensitive areas for logging operations. Community Bamboo: Current Initiatives and Development (21 December 2018) ALARM organized a multi-stakeholder workshop “Community Bamboo” to present current bamboo initiatives in Kachin, to enhance networking between community producers and private sector, and to collectively explore options for future development in December 2018. In the workshop, ALARM presented the results and outcomes of its project activities regarding CFE in Kachin. In addition, the local communities showcased their bamboo products including housing designs, handicrafts, and furniture, procured using the techniques taught during the capacity building trainings (Please see the activities related to CFE). In addition, a group of panelists including FD official, member of Myanmar bamboo society, CSO representative, bamboo architect, and community’s representatives contributed the panel discussion by sharing their initiatives in production of bamboo based product, the challenges encountered in those initiatives, and solutions in solving those challenges and thoughts for improving bamboo based industry to better support livelihood of the communities in Kachin State. As the result of the trade fair, the private sector’s interest was attracted related to the bamboo products. Altogether 82 participants (20 Female) representing the concerned government department, civil society organizations working for bamboo and the media and community members attended the trade fair and panel discussion workshop. (Please find the attachment 107) NETWORKING & COORDINATION FOR BETTER ADVOCACY CSO Coordination meetings in Tanintharri (29-31 January, 25 June, 28 September, 18 November 2018) ALARM has been trying to bring a synergy —Built stronger cooperation among CSOs in Tanintharri and prioritized environmental issues in the region for cooperative actions and developed a CSO action plan for those issues— of a range of actions taken by environmental CSOs and networks working in Tanintharri Region, by coordinating and organizing regular meetings among those CSOs. In this reporting period, ALARM organized a coordination meeting in Natthamee Island in Kyun Su Township, presenting 20 representatives (4 Female) from 13 organizations. During the meeting, the active civil society organizations were mapped out, the outstanding environmental issues and investments were identified for prioritizing CSOs actions to address those issues and to present those issues to the respective parliamentary members (Attachment 108). Another CSO coordination meeting was organized in June 2018 with the presence of 12 representatives (2 Female) from 9 organizations in Myeik. The meeting lasted for just three hours and the participants shared their works, experiences and their plans for addressing some environment issues in their respective regions (Attachment 109). Two CSOs coordination meetings were held in Myeik in Septmeber and October 2018. The meetings were attended by the representatives from Green Network Tanintharyi Region, Forest User Association, 88 Generation (Myeik & Palaw), Myeik Lawyers’ Network, OFI, Southern Youth, Forest law enforcement, Governance and Trade- FLEGT (Working Group member of Palaw, and Kaw Thaung), MERN, Perchan River Conservation, Farmer Union, Youth Network, and Green Network Mergui Archipelago. During the meeting, all participants mainly discussed about the current environmental issues and prioritized most important environmental issues to be reported to regional members of parliament.


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The first meeting was attended by 26 participants (2 Female) and discussed air pollution in Myeik whereas the second meeting was held on presence of 14 representatives (2 Female) from 11 CSO and discussed about land grabbing and water resource issues (Attachment 110 & 111). Meeting with regional parliamentary members (1 February 2018) ALARM has been coordinating between CSOs and members of parliament in Tanintharri since 2015 by facilitating to have formal and informal deliberative dialogues among those actors, particularly to discuss about the current environmental crimes/issues. On the first of February 2018, ALARM coordinated a CSO meeting with regional parliamentary members in Myeik. The environmental issues and plans agreed during the CSO coordination meeting were presented to the regional PM to find out the collaborative actions to effectively address those issues. The meeting was attended by 3 regional parliamentary members and 17 CSO representatives (1 Female) (Attachment 112). Consultative Meeting with Members of Parliament in Tanintharri (19 October 2018 & November 2018) On October 19, 2018, the regional level regular public hearing meeting was conducted in Myeik. During this meeting, some CSOs reported urban air pollution in Myeik due to fish cracker factories. As a result of the meeting, the MPs agreed to check the environmental management plan (EMP) of those factors to further investigate the issues so as to urge the respective authorities to take necessary actions on the issue (Attachment 113). In addition, two consultative meetings were coordinated with targeted duty bearers in Boke Pyin and Tanintharri. The first meeting was done with the FD of Boke Pyin Township to discuss on current challenges of CF establishment, difficulties of CFUGs in Bok Pyin Township. There were 39 participants from the FD, CFUGs members, NGOs and CBOs. During the meeting, the staff officer of FD agreed to support 1,000 seedlings to Ohn Taw Kan CFUG, to make ground survey to Thae Phyu and Chaung Ka Shet CF areas. Another consultative meeting was held in Tanintharri to present the current CSO initiatives in helping communities for their land registration process to the concerned township authorities. Since the meeting was attended by 13 participants from GAD, FD, DOA, DRD, parliamentary members and CSOs, ALARM could create a platform for the communities and CSOs to raise questions related to land and environmental issues happening in their respective areas. Though it is still very far to get any urgent actions taken by the concerned departments, the communities had a chance to voice out their issues to attract their attention (Attachment 114 & 115). CSO Coordination Meeting for FLEGT (11 August 2018) ALARM is coordinating with the CSOs/CBOs across the country to effectively and efficiently materialize FLEGT in the country since 2014 and have already established principles, processes and structures for civil society engagement in the FLEGT multi-stakeholder process. Accordingly, the stakeholder coordination meeting with the MSG representatives from six states and five regions was held on 11 August, 2018 in Yangon in order to present the updated activities in the FLEGT-VPA process, to discuss the difficulties and challenges faced in the implementation of FLEGT process and to explain the complete project activities of ALARM such as Participatory patrolling and CSO Directory regarding the FLEGT-VPA. During the meeting, the role of the civil society in improving the Natural Resources Governance and the strategy were discussed in details and the questions were raised. Altogether 32 participants (4 Female) attended the meeting (Attachment 116).


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CSO Directory & Environmental Sensitivity Mapping Workshops ALARM has published the environmentally sensitive areas and the directories (in which governance, vision, mission, founding objectives and activities of each organization are profiled) of the CSOs working for protecting land, resource and environmental rights of communities and for rural development activities in Mandalay, Magway, and Shan not just to enhance effective coordination and cooperation among CSO actors but for authorities to better collaborate with the identified CSOs for related environmental and development issues. Since ALARM was reported that those initiatives are useful in various ways, ALARM extended its initiatives to Sagaing, Shan, Mon, Kayin and Tanintharri and conducted altogether 6 stakeholder consultative workshops, attended by 176 participants (45 Female), to identify key environmental areas and CSOs in respective states and regions (Table 6). Not only the key CSOs actively working in respective states and regions were identified but also investment information of respective areas was collected through the workshops for CSO directories and ESM (Attachment 117, 118, 119, 120 & 121). Table 6: List of stakeholder consultation workshops completed for CSO directory and ESM

No State/Region Place Date undertaken

Participant Male Female Total

1 Shan Lashio 17 Aug 2018 29 3 32 2 Shan Kengtong 28 Aug 2018 15 10 25 3 Mon Malawmyine 5 Sept 2018 23 8 31 4 Kayin Hpa An 9 Sept 2018 24 14 38 5 Tanintharri Myeik 28 Sept 2018 19 1 20 6 Sagaing Monwya 5 Nov 2018 21 9 30

Total 131 45 176 STRONGER ORGANIZATION Staff motivation workshop in Boke Pyin & staff motivation breaks (18-20 Feb 2018) ALARM is helping the Department of Rural Development (DRD) to implement the Enhancing Rural Livelihood and Infrastructure Project (ERLIP) in Boke Pyin, Tanintharri Region. In this reporting period, ALARM paid a visit to the project and organized a workshop to motivate the field staff of the organization. During the workshop, the staff were presented the results of staff’s performance appraisals whereas the line of communication, the TOR of the key experts and the code of conduct were explained. In addition to project management, the importance of the project for rural development was also explained to enhance their understanding on the importance of their role and participation in the project and the participants were also equipped with the basic concepts of mobilization, facilitation and inclusion, etc. Altogether 38 staff (17 Female) attended the workshop (Attachment 122). In addition, a couple of staff motivation breaks were also held in this reporting period. Brainstorming workshop for communication strategy of ALARM (10-12 March 2018) In this reporting period, ALARM organized a brainstorming workshop to develop a community strategy of the organization. The workshop lasted for three days in March and discussed how to effectively disseminate our research works including CSO policy positions, advocacy initiatives, and innovative research findings to the target audience, how to advocate to the donors, the governments and the legislatures. The event was attended by 17 staff (7 Female) and made agreements to set up a website and Facebook page in the name of ALARM, to publish newsletters, to develop a standard for the


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communication products. In addition, a website layout was also designed and all communication materials developed in recent years were also collected to upload to the website (Attachment 123). As the follow-up of the workshop, ALARM has recruited a web development company, to develop a website for the organization. The consultant company is now encrypting the website and we hope it will get online before December 2018. Program Review and Strategic Plan Workshop (4-9 December 2018) In December 2019, ALARM organized an organizational development workshop at Pine Wood Hotel, Kanpetlet Township, Chin State in order to discuss the future plan of ALARM and to revise ALARM’s strategies for achieving its founding objectives. During the workshop, the code of conduct of ALARM, guidelins for protection from sexual exploitation and abuses (PSEA), and safety procedures were presented and revised, based on suggestions made by the participants. In addition, the program and project implementation for the whole 2018 was reviewed and impacts made by each project were identified. After the financial status of the organization had been presented, the participants were brainstormed through exercising SWOT analysis to identify treats and opportunities that could affect future directions and programs. Almost all of the ALARM staff attended the workshop (Attachment 124). Due to limited time availability, ALARM couldn’t review its organizational policies such as financial and HR policies in its program review workshop. But on the other hand, they are in need for improvement since those have been used for almost half decade and found that they are accommodating some idle provisions, as suggested by financial policy consultant. Therefore, a follow up organizational workshop was called in January 2019 to review the flaws of the financial guidelines for improvement. Activity 1.11 Initiative of participatory environmental assessment & watch As repeatedly reported, ALARM believes that public engagement is an effective way of conflict resolution, we deliberately use our technical expertise in participatory methods for finding solutions in conflict areas. Accordingly, we have been pioneering participatory environmental impact assessment (PEIA) since 2014 in some investment projects in order to avoid project driven environmental impact assessment nature and its negative consequences on the communities. ALARM has helped a couple of communities to conduct PEIA for the projects in their areas. Likewise, ALARM helped the Teekyit communities in this reporting period, to be able to collect soil and water samples for environmental baseline in their area to conduct PEIA (As explained in the Activity 1.8). In addition, ALARM continued its regular environmental monitoring works in some industrial zones of the country so as to set up the environmental baselines and to monitor the industrial water pollution in mega cities like Yangon and Mandalay for proper policy reforms. As part of regular monitoring works, ALARM published two media releases regarding the Htain Pin Landfill fire (Attachment 41) and the occurrence of E. coli bacteria in municipal water (Attachment 42) to reduce public outcry over those issues.


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Activity 1.12 Evidence based research for advocacy Myanmar National Climate Land Bank In 2017, ALARM together with an international consultant from the Displacement Solutions and the Department of Rural Development in Bogalay, paid a field visit to two villages in Bogaly Township, namely Shwe Sar Yan and Boe Tauk Khone. The rationale for the research trip was to gather field information of the villages in terms of livelihoods, proximity to the coast, risk of being affected by climate change and feedback from those populations regarding the feasibility/desirability of the establishment of a Myanmar Climate Land Bank. The idea of the Bank being that public land is set aside and administered by federal authorities, to be allocated to those forced to move due to climate change, upon application in future. The initial research paper was published in May 2017 and it presents the idea of the Bank to local populations which are at risk of climate change induced displacement in future and also the findings of communities’ feedback on the idea, including what they would require in order to make any movement away from their villages feasible. Similar studies were undertaken in Khin Tan village of Paung Township, Mon State. The full report “The Urgent Need to prepare for Climate Displacement in Myanmar: Establishing a Myanmar National Climate Land Bank” was then published in May 2018. Since the climate land bank idea could work in practical terms to build community resilience and provide a foundation for a proactive national climate change adaptation strategy, the media launch and follow up meeting with the parliament were conducted in this reporting period to draw their attention over the issue and to put the agenda of the land bank idea for policy consideration (Attachment 32). Environmental Sensitivity Mapping Consideration of environment and conflict sensitivity should be a must whenever a development intervention is to be executed. It is even more important if it falls in ethnic regions, where armed conflicts are occurring. Therefore, ALARM has developed a set of methodology to identify sensitive areas in the country, i.e., to produce data and evidence to be later compiled into finished maps identifying key natural resources sites and those sites around which there is conflict. Key biodiversity areas, critical watershed, occurrence of commercial tree species, current operation of legal and illegal mining, forest reserve areas, land use and land cover, investment projects, conflict areas, population density, soil erodibility maps etc. were used as the basic maps for mapping out the sensitive areas. Once basic maps have been generated using secondary sources and satellite imageries, ground trothing surveys were conducted. In this reporting period, ALARM conducted ground truth survey in Shan, Kayin, Kayah, and Mon States as well as Magway, Mandalay and Tanintharri Regions and published the sensitively maps of respective regions (Attachment 20-26). However, the maps need a bit fine-tuned before it gets published. ALARM will try to launch the results in coming years to be able to use by stakeholders. Conflict Sensitivity Analysis on commercial Rubber Plantation in Shan State In national peace dialogue, ethnic representatives have been claiming for founding principles of justice, equality, and self-determination to end prolonged civil wars and to seek a sustained peace. Among the thematic discussions of peace conferences, sharing of power and revenue from land and natural resources plays a central issue to materialize resource federalism. At this juncture, ethnic representatives and stakeholders are also demanding to discuss the need of redressing mechanism for resolving the issues of land grabbing and environmental conflicts. Some of the stakeholders were quite reluctant to discuss conflict resolution in peace dialogue because it might be stumbling block for proceeding the negotiation on power and revenue sharing of natural resources. Without resolving the current resource conflict,


34

AEGIS Program

discussing the political principles for future resource federalism also do not make any sense at all as trust building on peace agreement could be easily fragile if it fails to address people sufferings and its underlying causes. Therefore, evidence based researches are needed to convince all stakeholders in the peace process on how land grabbing and environmental conflicts have been aggravating the local instability and triggering the consequences on peace process. In this respect, it is considered worth in examining the commercial agriculture like rubber plantation in Shan State and its consequences on peace building. Therefore, ALARM conducted conflict sensitivity analysis with small scale rubber farmers about commercial rubber plantation to explore the impact of large scale plantations and the initial findings were explored during the study. ALARM will elaborate the issue in 2019 (Attachment 125). Drying chamber model for betel nut dehydration As part of the project namely “Enhancing Rural Livelihoods and Income Project (ERLIP)” implementing in Bokepyin of Tanitharri region in collaboration with the DRD and the ADB, ALARM with the technical assistance of the DRI did a research on the effectiveness of dehydration chamber for ripe betel (areca) nut. To be specific, how the period for dehydration of betel nut could be effectively reduced is demonstrated by using permanent and small scale sun-dry chamber. Betel nut is one of the major crops growing in Tanitharri region. Betel farmers in Tanintharri usually use natural dehydration method to control moisture level of the ripe nut before breaking up the shell and it accordingly takes a couple of months. Therefore, a solar dehydration chamber was modelled to speed up the natural dehydration process, to shorten the period to get nut shells ready for further processing. The model was tested and demonstrated in Bokepyin and found that the model was useful and helped reduce at least 50% of time for dehydration (Attachment 126). The model was very compelling and the findings were even published in international journal of science and engineering applications (Attachment 127). The initiative looks very interesting to betel farmers from other areas like Ye and dry zone farmers from Magway for dehydration of onions and chili and requested ALARM to replicate similar initiatives in their respective areas. ALARM accordingly built demonstration chambers in those areas in the reporting period. For the time being, the efficacy of those chambers are being studied for betel nut dehydration and chili dehydration. As stated, it is just the findings of the first few tests and so a lot of replications need to be done to state the results publicly. In addition, there were still some other limitations by the time the dehydration chamber was designed. Those include the capacity of the chamber (total volume of nut accommodated by the chamber), non-mobility of the chamber, the need for adaption for dehydration of other food products, etc. Therefore, ALARM will try to address those limitations to get a better design for dehydration. Municipal Waste Audit in Mandalay Municipal waste has become a serious issue in urban environmental management in mega cities like Yangon and Mandalay. It can be even worse because of improper waste management practices. Therefore, ALARM recruited an international expert to do waste audit in Mandalay, to give a quantitative analysis of the municipal waste in terms of volume, weight and composition. The main objective of the study was to determine possible utilizations of the waste at the dumpsite to reduce waste amount and methane production. The waste samples were collected from two major dumpsites of Mandalay and analyzed physically and chemically. How waste are deposited, collected, trashed, and the volume of daily waste disposed from Mandalay Municipal Areas were studied while giving some recommendations for waste management including options for utilization of waste for energy generation (Attachment 128). The findings of the study were presented to the regional chief minister in February 2018 for proper actions.


35

AEGIS Program

Business model for centralized waste water treatment plant for Monywa Industrial Zone As explained in the Activity 1.8, ALARM is helping the small and medium enterprises (SME) in Monywa Insutrial Zone (MIZ) to establish a central waste water treatment plant to comply with the existing environmental regulations, through coordinating with national and international experts and funding organizations because most of the SMEs can’t afford expensive waste water treatment plant. In order to effectively and efficiently design the plant, several feasibility studies were taken in this reporting period. Since to know the detail water capacity is the most important and fundamental data for the treatment methodology and plant design, studies were undertaken in 16 factories of the MIZ to get the volume of waste water discharged by each factory, based on the flow rate; to analyze the quality of waste water; and to initially examine the best solution methods, using the Jar Test. In simple terms, water pollution status (quality and quantity) in Monywa Industrial Zone was studied, in which types and volume of waste to be addressed were identified so that proper treatment plant could be set up. The studies show that BOD, COD and TSS levels in the waste water are exceeding the limits (Attachment 129 & 130). Though several service providers are approaching us to sell their treatment technologies, a relatively high capital cost is a huge barrier to materialize the plan. Therefore, ALARM and the MIZ Committee have developed a business model (including cost benefit analysis) (Attachment 131) for the plant and are now trying to get financial supports to materialize the plan. So far, the Responsible Business Fund from Denmark has already agreed to partially support the plan, but the matching fund is mandatory to mobilize the fund. Therefore, ALARM is currently trying its best to have a matching fund from other potential funders, advocating the regional and national government officials and bankers. Study on concession of agricultural land for oil palm plantation in Tanintharri As reported in “Behind the Oil Palm” report, majority of Tanintharri have been occupied for oil palm plantation by national and international companies. Regardless of laws and regulations with regard to concessinon of the lands from the original community owners, some companies never try to comply with those legislations by the time enforcing rule of law is weak. It is not a serious case if the concession areas cover a range of vacant lands —not necessarily same definition of vacant lands stated in the government’s VFV law but the lands on which there is no significant land use and there is no current user on that lands— because the concession won’t virtually affect anyone. But it becomes a problem if the concession areas include any lands on which communities are doing some livelihood activities such as forest, agriculture, etc. ALARM did a study about land concession cases of Kyaw Maw 19 company, that got a concession permit for Palm Oil plantation over the land in which local communities have been farming for ages. The study is intended to help local communities to take back their agricultural lands and to check whether the company complies with national and international obligations. The study initially found that more than two thousand acres of agricultural lands (rice farms and orchards) from 103 farming households were grabbed by the company and they didn’t properly pay any compensation. ALARM in conjunction with local CSO partners and local communities will further explore the case and will report the findings in 2019 (Attachment 19). Studies on customary land tenure systems in Myanmar This is in fact an attempt to systematically explore customary land management systems in 25 ethnic areas in 9 States and Regions, using the participatory CLT methodology (Attachment 12), document and validate those systems within and between the concerned communities (i.e., the villages nearby the villages in which the PAR was conducted to access CLTS). So far, the trained CSO members and the


36

AEGIS Program

recruited research supervisors documented the CLT systems in target areas, in close consultations with the communities while raising their awareness on customary tenure systems, land and resource rights given by the existing legislations and identifying the rights to claim for and seeking community consensus to further explore CLT systems (Table 7). For the time being, the reported information is now being reviewed to make a final CLT report. In this respect, ALARM is coordinating with international research institutions such as Australian Institute of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islanders Studies to review the drafted paper and to streamline the drafted report with synthesis on comparative studies of similar participatory action research. All report drafting and peer review process will be done early 2019 so that the final report will get ready for launching with the media and the concerned stakeholders before March 2019. The report will try to suggest on how existing customary land tenure system should be integrated into national land registration system in term of assuring social justice, equity and gender balanced consideration and what agenda should be set forth for deliberative discussion in national peace dialogue on forming a basic with the evidences from the findings.


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AEGIS Program

Table 7: List of awareness campaigns and CLT studies

No Name of the organization Place Date of Inter-

vention (2018) Ethnic Covered Number of participants

Region/State Township Village Male Female Total 1 Kayan National Party (KNP) Kayah Demawso Hteela Thu Kho 27 Nov Kayan (Ka Ngan) 15 13 28 2 KNP Kayah Pe Kon Taun Wote 15 Nov Kayan (La Htar) 25 - 25 3 KNP Kayah Demawso Dawthar Mee 27 Nov Kayan (Ka Gaung) 11 26 37 4 Farmers Development and Environment

Watching Group (FDEWG) Kachin Shweku Hsutyar 21 Nov Kachin 7 5 12

5 FDEWG Kachin Inn Gyan Yan Inn Gwan La 29 to 30 Oct Kachin 13 6 19 6 FDEWG Kachin Bhamo Ma Gaw Yan 19 to 20 Nov

Kachin 26 21 47

7 FDEWG Kachin Inn Gyan Yan Inn Yaw Kaung 2 to 3 Nov Kachin 11 10 21 8 FDEWG Kachin Moemauk Payan Ngaw 15 to 16 Nov Kachin 7 8 15 9 FDEWG Kachin Mansi Ka Shauk 24 to 25 Nov Kachin 7 4 11

10 FDEWG Kachin Hpa Kant La War Par and Lai Naung Swet Eain

10 Nov Kachin 13 6 19

11 Taung Thar Ethnic Group Magway Gantkaw War Boe Chaung 28 to 29 Nov Taung Thar 9 5 14 12 Yoma Youth Alintan Association Magway Ngaphe Gote Gyi 24 to 25 Nov Chin (Asho) 10 10 20 13 Myanmar Pyidaung Su Farmers Union Northern Shan Lashio Naunbg Phaut 14 Nov Shan 14 9 23 14 Myanmar Pyidaung Su Farmers Union Northern Shan Naung Cho Yin Ngu Pin 20 Nov Danu 14 10 24 15 Agriculture and Farmers Federation Northern Shan Lashio Naung Lai 16 Nov Kachin 17 8 25 16 Taaung and Palong Literature and Culture

(TPLC) Northern Shan Lashio Pan Khan 17 to 18 Nov Taaung 18 10 28

17 TPLC Northern Shan Lashio Taung Nauk 17 to 18 Nov Taaung 15 14 29 18 Advancing Life and Regenerating

Motherland (ALARM)_During Training Northern Shan Lashio Lar Hu 17 to 18 Oct

Lar Hu 19 20 39

19 ALARM Northern Shan Lashio Nar Hlan Man Kaung

17 to 18 Oct

Shan 23 18 41

20 ALARM Northern Shan Lashio Nar Hlan Man Mai

17 to 18 Oct

Wa 17 9 26

21 ALARM Northern Shan Lashio Kho Late 19 to 20 Oct Shan 21 17 38 22 ALARM Northern Shan Lashio Man Mai 19 to 20 Oct Kachin 17 10 27 23 Ko Aung Naing Lin Southern Shan Nyaung Shwe Kyauk Hngae 19 Nov Taung Yoe 17 4 21 24 Ko Aung Naing Lin Southern Shan Nyaung Shwe Min Lone 20 Nov Taung Yoe 15 7 22 25 Ko Aung Naing Lin Southern Shan Nyaung Shwe Ye Oo 21 Nov Taung Yoe 14 11 25 26 Sar Du Waw Community Based

Organization Kayin Than Daung

Gyi Ka Thwe Dee Ywar Thit

17 Nov Karen 15 6 21

27 Htaw Mae Par Civil Society Organization Kayin Hlaing Bwe Shan Ywar/Kaw War Palaw

7 to 10 Nov Poe Karen 20 13 33

28 Lu Mu Htar Community Based Organization

Kayin Than Daung Gyi

Leit Tho Kyaung Khone

8 to 9 Nov Geba Karen 14 12 26


38

AEGIS Program

No Name of the organization Place Date of Inter-

vention (2018) Ethnic Covered Number of participants

Region/State Township Village Male Female Total 29 Sar Ka Paw Community Based

Organization (Sarkapaw) Bago Htanta Pin Pyin Gan 22 Nov Paku Karen 11 12 23

30 Sarkapaw Kayin Than Daung Gyi

Gu Thaw Doe (Ngwe Taung Gyi)

22 Nov Karen 21 19 40

31 Sarkapaw Kayin Thar Mi Tike Malauk Chaung 17 to 19 Nov Karen Phyu 15 13 28 32 FDEWG Kachin Moe Mauk Zin Lone 17 to 18 Nov Kachin 4 9 13 33 Mu Watershed Environmental

Conservation Group Sagaing Pin Le Bu Naung Taw 28 Nov Shan Ni 28 12 40

34 Homalin Youth Network Sagaing Homalin Myauk Maw 30 Nov to 1 Dec Ga Du 34 16 50 35 Rakhine Coastal Region Association

(RCA) Rakhine Kyeintali Nga Yant Kyaw 20 Nov Rakhine 19 11 30

36 RCA Rakhine Gwa Kyauk Gyat 17 to 18 Nov Rakine 28 11 39 37 ALARM Naga Lahe Laung Ngauk 21 to 23 Nov Po Nyo Naga 12 1 13 38 Mon Youth Organization Mon Ye Kan Ni 18 Nov Mon 15 15 30 39 Mon Youth Organization Mon Ye Abaw 21 to 23 Nov Mon 3 6 9 40 Kachin Conservation Working Group

(KCWG) Kachin Putao Phat Mar Nut 4 Dec Lesu 21 11 32

41 KCWG Kachin Putao Lann No 7 Dec Khamti Shan 16 11 27 42 KCWG Kachin Putao Sar Kun Dan 10 Nov Rawen 32 3 35

Total 683 442 1125


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AEGIS Program

3. ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PROGRAM The achievements against its targets of the AEGIS Program are outlined in Table 8. Table 8: Achievement of the AEGIS program

Activity Item Target Unit 2017 2018 Achievement

1st Q 2nd Q 3rd Q 4th Q Total % 1.1 Program support for functioning of common platforms for environmental governance 24 Month 12 3 3 3 3 24 100 1.2 Program monitoring 24 Month 12 3 3 3 3 24 100 1.3 Policy framework development 24 Policy 29 116

Completed (Two Land Grabbing Cases-MSPP, MAC; Participatory patrolling manual; Public participation in environmental impact assessment guideline; Two media release- Air Pollution due to Htain Pin Landfill fire & Contamination of municipal water with E. coli)

Policy 3 2 1 6 -

Drafted & Consulted (Pro-poor forest policy; TLAS; Social and environmental framework of CF; Economic analysis of CFE; CSO policy positions on Effective Resource Protection; Principles for resource federalism (Natural resource management framework); EITI legislative framework; Participatory environmental assessment; Environmental report card;)

Policy 4 2 3 9 -

Drafted but not yet consulted (Customary land use and land tenure in ethnic regions; One land grabbing case in Tanintharri-Kyaw Maw 19; ESM for 4 States & 3 Regions (Shan, Kayin, Kayah, Mon, Magway, Mandalay, Tanintharri); Critical review on national land use policy; Green financing strategic framework; Participatory environmental monitoring-Mining; Guideline of CJ for environmental conflict mediation; Grievance mechanism; Rural development law; MSY Exit strategy)

Policy 1 (4-moved to above)

2 7 10 -

Ongoing (Environmental monitoring and urban pollution) Policy 1 (5-moved to other

categories)

1 -

Planned for the next year (Environmental conservation law, Environmental laboratory testing and standardization, Social licensing for mining and extractive industry)

Policy 3 -

1.4 Technical Supports to CSO Networks 24 Month 12 3 3 3 3 24 100 1.5 IEC - Piece - 1.5 Interactive information platform development 1 Platform 1 1 100 1.6 Public awareness raising and Technical Support to the CSO Networks (38 townships in 11

states/regions; Shan (Lashio, Kengtong, Malawmyine, Nyaung Shwe, Naung Cho, Khut Khaing, Thein Ni, Ywa Ngan Townships), Mon (Malawmyine, Ye townships), Kayin (Hpa An, Thar Mi Tike, Hlaing Bwe, Than Daung Gyi,townships), Kayah (Demawsoe, Phe Kon townships), Kachin (Putao, Moe Mauk, Phar Kant, Mansi, Inn Gyan Yan, Bamaw, Shwe Ku townships), Rakhine (Gwa, Kyeintali townships), Magway (Kant Kaw Nga Phe, Gant Kaw townships), Mandalay (Ta Baik Kyin Township), Sagaing (Monwya, Lahe, Homalin, Pin Le Bu townships), Bago (Htanta Pin township) and Tanintharri (Myeik, Kyun Su, Tanintharri & Boak Pyin Townships), etc. .

32 Townp 25 2 4 5 21 57 178

1.7 Replication of community forestry initiatives 5 Townp 5 5 100 1.8 Stakeholder training (Community, Politician, Business, EAOs, Government) - Trainee 690 163 92 143 758 1,846 - 1.9 Leadership development (100 interns plus 15 leaders) 115 Leader 12 4 1 17 15

1.10 Seminar/Workshop - 30 8 8 -


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AEGIS Program

Activity Item Target Unit 2017 2018 Achievement

1st Q 2nd Q 3rd Q 4th Q Total % BEHIND THE OIL PALM #Launching Events of Behind the Oil Palm Report 1 Event 1 1 - #Follow up Meetings on Behind the Oil Palm Report 3 Event 3 1 3 - NATIONAL CLIMATE LAND BANK #Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report Launching 1 Event 1 1 - #Meeting with Hluttaw Committee on National Climate Land Bank 1 Meeting 1 1 - MYANMAR ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOK #Multi Stakeholder Meeting on the State of the Environment 1 Event 1 1 - #Press Conference on 2017 Myanmar Environmental Outlook and Air Pollution Monitoring

Results 1 Event 1

MYANMAR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN #Brainstorming meeting on programmatic development of the planet pillar in Myanmar

Sustainable Development Plan 1 Meeting 1 1

PEACE & CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE IN MYANMAR 1 - #International seminar on customary land use systems (July 2018) 1 Event 1 #Technical Seminar on definitions of Terms used in Land and Natural Resource

Management (October 2018) 1 Event 1

#Regional Civil Society Forums for Peace (6-10 November 2018, 16-19 November 2018, 30 November 2018)

3 Event 3

FOREST GOVERNANCE #Review meeting for open data kit application in environmental monitoring (22 Feb 2018) 1 Meeting 1 #Advocacy Workshop for forest governance (29 August 2018) 1 Event 1 #Community Bamboo: Current Initiatives and Development (21 December 2018) 1 Event 1 NETWORKING & COORDINATION FOR BETTER ADVOCACY� #CSO Coordination meetings in Tanintharri (29-31 January, 25 June, 28 September, 18

November 2018) 4 Meeting 1 1 1 1

#Meeting with regional parliamentary members (1 February 2018) 1 Meeting 1 #Consultative Meetings with Members of Parliament in Tanintharri (19 October 2018 &

November 2018) 2 Meeting 2

#CSO Coordination Meeting for FLEGT (11 August 2018) 1 Meeting 1 #CSO Directory and Environmental Sensitivity Mapping Workshops 6 Event 5 1 STRONGER ORGANIZATION #Staff motivation workshop in Boke Pyin and staff motivate breaks 1 Event 1 1 - #Brainstorming workshop for communication strategy of ALARM 1 Evetn 1 2 - #Program Review and Strategic Plan Workshop (4-9 December 2018) 1 Meeting 1 1 -

1.11 Initiative of participatory environmental assessment & watch - Asse 1 1 - 1.12 Evidence based research for advocacy (Myanmar National Climate Land Bank,

Environmental Sensitivity Mapping, Conflict sensitivity analysis on commercial rubber plantation in Shan State, Drying Chamber Model for Betel Nut Dehydration, Municipal Waste Audit in Mandalay, Business Model for Centralized Waste Water Treatment Plant for Monywa Industrial Zone, Study on concession of agricultural land for oil palm plantion in Tanintharri, Studies on customary land tenure systems in Myanmar)

8 Research

1 1 1 1 4 5 (1 started

in 2017)

-


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AEGIS Program

4. FUTURE PLAN OF THE PROGRAM Since AEGIS Program was formulated for 5 year implantation, ALARM will implement its program and project activities within the framework of the program until 2021, while keeping its primary track towards its vision of building resilient society through empowering citizens, that all contributes to environmental sustainability of the country through promoting resource governance by enhancing leadership, institutions and policy development. 5. BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROGRAM ALARM managed to have organized several dozens of program activities across the country in this reporting period. Since each activity has its respective objective and advocacy purposes, the program activities benefitted wide ranges of beneficiaries. Those beneficiaries range from the rural farmers and the community forest users to the NGOs staff, to the staff of private companies, to the government officials. In terms of the geographical coverage, we extended our program activities to 38 townships of 12 States/Regions.

States : Shan, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine Regions : Magway, Sagaing, Mandalay, Bego, Tanintharri, Yangon

It means almost all of the population residing in those Regions/States indirectly benefitted from the program. In terms of the number of beneficiaries, about six thousand people (61 % Male, 39 % Female) directly benefitted from the program intervention in this reporting period (Table 9). The gender segregated beneficiaries can be seen in the table below. Actually, it is not always convenient to count beneficiaries exactly whereas some direct beneficiaries are prominent but some beneficiaries can only be viewed as indirect beneficiaries in the case of activity that can bring about country-wide impacts. Table 9: Beneficiaries of the Program

No Activity Direct Beneficiary

Indirect Beneficiary Male Female Total

Activity 1.3 Policy Framework Development 1 Pro-poor forest policy The entire population of

Myanmar 2 Timber Legality Assurance System Forest dwellers,

Community forest users 3 Social and Environmental Framework for CF Community forest users 4 Economic analysis of CFE in Wyne Maw in Kachin Community forest users in

Wyne Maw township

5 Customary land use and land tenure in ethnic regions

The population, that manages their land as a customary way

6 Land grabbing and environmental crimes (Behind the Oil Palm) 207 200 407 The entire population of Tanintharri Region

7 ESM of Shan, Kayin, Kayah, Mon States & Mgawy, Mandalay and Tanintharri Regions

The entire population of respective states and regions

8 Principals for federal land management The entire population of Myanmar

9 Participatory patrolling manual and CSO position for policy advocacy Forest dwellers 10 Basic principles for resource federalism The entire population of

Myanmar 11 Public participation guidelines for environmental impact assessment Same as above


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AEGIS Program



12 EITI legal framework Same as above 13 Media release regarding Htaein Pin Landfill fire and Media release regarding bacterial

contamination of municipal water Residents of Yangon City

14 Green financial strategic framework Companies that want to establish green initaives

15 Participatory environmental monitoring (mining) The entire population of Myanmar

16 Manual for PEIA Companies and the communities

17 Environmental Report Card The entire population of Myanmar

18 Manual for commission citizen jury

Conflict affected communities

19 Grievance procedure for environmental complaints

Companies and the communities

20 Rural development law

The entire population of Myanmar

21 MSY Exit Strategy Same as above Activity 1.4 Technical Supports to CSO Networks Activity 1.5 IEC 1250 1250 2500 Activity 1.5 Interactive Information Platform Development Activity 1.6 Public Awareness Raising The Entire Population of

32 townships Activity 1.7 Replication of community based conservation 628 179 807 Activity 1.8 Stakeholder Trainings (Community, Politician, Business & Government) 22 Training on development economics for DRD officials (Jan 2018) 28 2 30 23 Environmental Management Training for businesses in Monywa Industrial Zone (Jan

2018) 28 7 35

24 PAR training for the youths (Feb 2018) 19 15 34 25 Training on Participatory Environmental Assessment for Teekyit communities (Feb

2018) 8 2 10

26 Training on Natural Resource Governance for CSO leaders (Feb 2018) 24 8 32 27 Laboratory Training for university students (Mar 2018) 5 5 10 28 Video editing training for CSO partners (Mar 2018) 9 3 12 29 Training on sampling for river water monitoring (April 2018) 11 2 13 30 Development economics and resource federalism training for KNU economic

committee members (May 2018) 16 5 21

31 Basic land surveying training for government officials using GPS (10-14 September 2018)

4 20 24

32 CF training (27-29 September 2018) 70 1 71 33 Training for natural resource governance (15-18 October 2018) 203 213 416 34 First Training for youth leaders of New Mon State Party (1-5 October 2018) 23 12 35 35 Second Training for youth leaders of New Mon State Party (26-30 November 2018) 15 7 22 36 Trainings of customary land tenure studies for ethnic leaders (15-19 October 2018 &

17-21 October 2018) 36 27 63

37 Organizational development and land policy trainings for Mon political leaders (31 October to 2 November 2018 & 10-12 December 2018)

28 6 34

38 Training for Participatory Indigenous Natural Resource Management (PINRM) (5-9 October 2018 & 12-16 November 2018)

30 31 61

39 Beekeeping training for forest users (5-9 November 2018) 20 20 40 Good agricultural practices training for vegetable production in Shan (15-16 December

2018) 22 2 24

41 Farmer Exchange Visit (17-20 December 2018) 22 2 24 42 Wood processing training (26-28 December 2018) 8 8 43 Trainings for Complete inventory of forest stock in CFs (October, November &

December 2018)

44 Bamboo preservation training for bamboo housing (13-14 May 2018) 53 5 58 45 On job training for bamboo house construction (September 2018) 8 8 46 Bamboo handicraft training in Kachin (22-28 August 2018) 33 7 40 47 Bamboo furniture training in Kachin (8-17 November 2018) 20 6 26 48 Bamboo-handicraft and furniture training in Tanintharri (26 November to 2 December

2018) 20 5 25

Activity 1.9 Leadership Development 49 Internship in Environmental Watch 5 - 5


43

AEGIS Program



50 India Study Tour for political leaders (24 November to 1 December 2018) 8 3 11 51 International Study Tour (22-27 October 2018) 2 1 3 52 Think Tank Initiative Exchange in Bangkok (12-14 November 2018) 3 1 4 53 MPs exchange visit (September 2018) 9 9 54 International Study Tour 5 9 14 Activity 1.10 Seminar/Workshop

BEHIND THE OIL PALM 55 #Launching Events of Behind the Oil Palm Report 64 25 89 56 #Follow up Meetings on Behind the Oil Palm Report 50 13 63

NATIONAL CLIMATE LAND BANK 57 #Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report Launching 28 23 51 58 #Meeting with Hluttaw Committee on National Climate Land Bank 17 3 20

MYANMAR ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOK 59 #Multi Stakeholder Meeting on the State of the Environment 45 18 63

60 #Press Conference on 2017 Myanmar Environmental Outlook and Air Pollution Monitoring Results 14 12 26

MYANMAR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

61 #Brainstorming meeting on programmatic development of the planet pillar in Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan - - -

PEACE & CUSTOMARY LAND TENURE IN MYANMAR 62 #International seminar on customary land use systems (July 2018) 48 21 69

63 #Technical Seminar on definitions of Terms used in Land and Natural Resource Management (Yangon, October 2018)

9 5 14

64 #Regional Civil Society Forums for Peace (6-10 November 2018, 16-19 November 2018, 30 November 2018) -

FOREST GOVERNANCE

65 #Review meeting for open data kit application in environmental monitoring (22 Feb 2018) 18 3 21

66 #Advocacy Workshop for forest governance (29 August 2018) 45 15 60 67 #Community Bamboo: Current Initiatives and Development (21 December 2018) 40 42 82

NETWORKING & COORDINATION FOR BETTER ADVOCACY�

68 #CSO Coordination meetings in Tanintharri (29-31 January, 25 June, 28 September, 18 November 2018) 62 8 70

69 #Meeting with regional parliamentary members (1 February 2018) 16 1 17

70 #Consultative Meetings with Members of Parliament in Tanintharri (19 October 2018 & November 2018) 69 6 75

71 #CSO Coordination Meeting for FLEGT (11 August 2018) 18 4 22 72 #CSO Directory and Environmental Sensitivity Mapping Workshops 131 45 176

STRONGER ORGANIZATION 73 #Staff motivation workshop in Boke Pyin and staff motivate breaks 21 17 38 74 #Brainstorming workshop for communication strategy of ALARM 10 7 17 75 #Program Review and Strategic Plan Workshop (4-9 December 2018) 29 19 48 Activity 1.11 Initiative of Participatory Environmental Assessment & Watch Activity 1.12 Evidence based research for advocacy 76 Myanmar National Climate Land Bank The entire population 77 Environmental Sensitivity Mapping Same as above 78 Conflict Sensitivity Analysis on commercial Rubber Plantation in Shan State

79 Drying chamber model for betel nut dehydration Betel nut farmers in Tanintharri Region

80 Municipal waste audit in Mandalay Residents of Mandalay 81 Business model for centralized waste water treatment plant for Monywa Industrial Zone Companies 82 Study on concession of agricultural land for oil palm plantation in Tanintharri

83 Studies on customary land tenure systems in Myanmar The population, that manages their land as a customary way

Total 3,614 2,323 5,937


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AEGIS Program

6. LESSONS & CHALLENGES What we have learnt the key to the success of policy advocacy is not just “Right Time, Right Place & Right Man” but constant reminding of key issues and the urgency of our proposed actions or ideas. We always try to find a balance between those aspects to make our advocacy works successful. Therefore, we would rather a series of advocacy meetings than a single and ad-hoc advocacy work. For example, “Behind the Oil Palm”, that entails the negative consequences of international investment in oil palm, was first launched in Yangon and Dawei and it was followed by a series of consultative meetings with concerned regional and national authorities and legislatures. As a result, the Myanmar Investment Commission stated that they will pay a monitoring visit to the project sites and will re-seize the concession lands, which hasn’t been properly used as planned. Moreover, we employ Action-Reflection-Action approach, meaning that the follow up action is done after learning the lessons and feedback gained from the first action, to make better policy engagement. Another lesson learnt in this reporting is that motivation of individuals will never happen until they realize or are convinced that it could address their own issues or they could benefit in one way or another. Customary tenure system wasn’t a hot topic until it hasn’t been claimed by the EAOs in the Union Peace Conference, organized in early July 2018. Until that time, our initiatives for customary land tenure security couldn’t be properly kicked off because it was a great challenge to get stakeholders attention at the beginning. Once most of stakeholders realized CLT plays an important role in peace dialogue and for their tenure security, they got motivated and accordingly the international workshop on CLT could be organized with the presence of key players in July. Moreover, we have been looking for the reasons, that could explain why the original plan rarely works and it often leads to frequent amendment of the original plan. On the other hand, repeatedly changing of project plans is annoying and it often implies the unreliability and inefficiencies but inevitable these days. We have learnt that implementation of a project is no longer just simple sequencing of the planned activities of the project to achieve its goals because the exogenous influence is getting more and more. Customary land tenure studies project was delayed to be able to bring all stakeholders on board. Different groups are working on customary land tenure studies using different methodologies but there is no venue for exchanging knowledge and ideas. That is why the project needed to take a long time to set up a venue for idea exchange (This is the external factor we weren’t thinking of when the proposal was formulated). Likewise, ‘resistance to change’ makes delays in granting a license for the CFE set up in Kachin. These all imply that conventional management should be no longer an option and could even lead to a failure unless it could adapt to the changes brought by the external factors. Therefore, project management has become the art of harmonizing the planned activities strategically with the socio-economic, political and environmental changes of the society in which the project is implementing as well as with the effects of other CSO and government counterparts, particularly to bring a synergy of different interventions taken by different stakeholders on the same issue. The main challenge we are facing is the lack of secured funding to implement this AEGIS program. We wouldn’t have managed to have the program financially secured when the program was launched in 2016. In fact, the program is planned for five years and the outcomes and goals of the program couldn’t be achieved until and unless each and every proposed activity of the AEGIS could be intervened in effective and efficient ways. In this reporting period, we couldn’t start a forest governance project as planned due to the delay in obtaining funds as a result of Rakhine conflict. The organization is using its own funds to keep the staff of that project and to maintain its minimum field works. So, the financial limitation, of course, is a major issue to effectively achieve the outcomes and goals of the program as we expected. Therefore, seeking the contributors to the program will remain the major challenge in coming years, at least to keep its core staff, the main engine of the organization, to hit its program targets.


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7. CONCLUSIONS We would say that, in this reporting period, ALARM managed to achieve some milestones in policy and legal reforms contributing to the country’s democratic transition. EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCHES FOR POLICY ADVOCACY - ALARM completed five evidence based researches in this reporting period. Those includes Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report, Behind the Oil Plam Report, Environmental Sensitivity Maps, Research on Drying Chamber for Betel Nut Dehydration, Municipal Waste Audit in Mandalay and Business Model for Centralized Waste Water Treatment Plan for Monywa Industrial Zone. Some have been advocated to the government and legislatures for proper reforms whereas others still need to be improved for policy advocacy. In some cases, even desirable changes were resulted. For example, Behind the Oil Palm report — detailing how the company logged illegally from the proposed oil palm plantation area in the name of agricultural development, how they don’t comply with the national and international regulations, how far they have planted oil palm in their project area, how important the project area is in terms of biodiversity richness, and how the local communities are affected by the project— was presented to the authorities and the parliament to reconsider the international large scale agricultural investments. As a result, MIC declared that they will seize all the lands back if they found those lands haven’t been utilized as planned. Likewise, how seriously the coastal communities are being affected by climate change and sea level rise, how the effects could extend from coastal to dry zone population, and how important the idea of land reserve is for climate induced migration are explained in Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report and advocated to the parliaments to integrate idea into the existing land use policy formulation. Very recently, the Union Minister U Thaung Htun stated that they will have a land bank, as advocated, at the national level. In addition, the Mandalay and Sagaing chief ministers were convinced for the investment in environmental affairs using the results of municipal waste audit in Mandalay and business model of constructing centralized waste water treatment for Monywa Industrial Zone. By this mean, ALARM deliberately used its evidence based researches for policy advocacy. However, there are a lot of steps to be done to see the visible outcome of evidence based policy advocacies. In addition, some initial works of researches were conducted to conduct further policy advocacies (rubber, CLT and land grabbing, etc.). Conflict sensitivity was analyzed in commercial rubber plantation areas of Shan State to protect the rights of small rubber farmers and to mitigate the environmental impacts of rubber industry though “Environmental Code for Rubber”. To better contribute to land tenure security of ethnic groups, filed studies were conducted to explore the customary land management practices and associated rights of CLT in 42 different places in 11 States and Regions so that the appropriate model could be suggested for recognition of customary land tenure systems. CSOS’ POSITIONING PAPERS FOR POLICY ADVOCACY - ALARM managed to have several working policies (9 policies including 5 new policy works) drafted for further discussions with CSOs in this reporting period. Timber legality assurance system, participatory resource protection, social and environmental framework of CF, economic analysis of CFE; CSO policy positions on effective resource protection, principles for resource federalism (natural resource management framework), for example, were drafted and consulted with CSOs. In addition, a range of other research and policy products are ready for consultations —ESM for 7 States/Regions, green financing strategic framework, environmental grievance mechanism and MSY exit strategy— to make common positions on the drafted policy papers for advocacy. Moreover, ALARM helped improve the Planet Pillar of Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan, inviting the suggestions of relevant experts for each respective sector of the Pillar.


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FACTS FOR PEACE- In this reporting period, the international workshop on CLT provided a set of recommendations for customary land tenure security, highlighting the urgent gaps to be addressed for recognition and formalization of CLT; lack of a proper definition about CLT; need for research regarding the rights associated with CLT, how CLT addresses the equity, justice and self-determination issues and environmental aspects of CLT. By this mean, those areas have become an agenda of research institutions. Evidently, key terms regarding land and resource federalism are being discussed in many workshops. Besides, a field guidebook for CLT studies was published, for local ethnic communities to study their CLT systems and accordingly claim for the rights themselves in the future. In addition, a set of environmental principles, that could guarantee citizens’ access to information, right to mobilization and participation in seeking better environmental quality, integrity, security and justice for livelihood development and sustainability, were formulated with evidences and advocated to EAOs, political parties and civil society to reflect the principles in the discussions in UPC. In addition to providing thoughts for research and evidences for change, informal discussion platforms were created in this reporting period. A study tour to India was organized for political party, EAO and CSO leaders to learn how other federal countries have carried land and resource policy reform process and to exchange their concerns and ideas through deliberative information discussions. By these means, ALARM tried to contribute to peace process through capacity building, providing facts for dialogues and platforms for dialogues. TWO MEDIA RELEASES ISSUED TO REDUCE PUBLIC OUTCRY OVER ENVIRONMEN-TAL PROBLEMS – a press release on air pollution due to Htein Pin landfill fire was published, whereby the changes of air quality and how the wind could redirect the polluted air out of the city were explained, thereby reducing the level of public outcry. Likewise, soon after a renowned medical professor raised an issue about the occurrence of E. coli bacteria in municipal water distributing in Yangon, public outcry over the weakness of municipal water distribution was raised. Having done microbial laboratory analysis of the water samples, a media release that explains the bacteria infection didn’t occur at water sources but occurred in some townships, where the distribution systems were damaged and or contaminated with municipal waste, was then published, reducing the worries of the public. METHODOLOGICAL FOUNTAINS FOR TENURE SECURITY, RESOURCE GOVERNANCE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION- ALARM published a range of guidelines and manual in this reporting period. A field guidebook for CLT studies was published for land tenure security, learning from international best practices in CLT and decade long experiences of ALARM in PAR. Likewise, the manuals for effective resource protection & participatory environmental impact assessment were prepared and circulated among CSOs and communities for bringing meaningful public participation in environmental decision making. Last but not least, a guideline for resource conflict mediation was made for facilitating the mediations the conflicts between the host communities and the investing companies. As has been repeatedly reported, empowering citizens to materialize its vision of building resilient society being the main mission of the organization, ALARM managed to have accomplished a wide range of capacity building events and training about 1,156 leaders across the country in this reporting period as well with a view of building up the capable human resources in all important stakeholders, to further lead the country’s transition in the future. To conclude, ALARM focused to complete its research and policy works, consulted and advocated collectively to relevant authorities and brought some desirable policy changes in this reporting period while keeping on doing the usual activities that ALARM has been doing for many years, such as capacity building, technical supports to CSO networks and partners, participating in national level resource governance mechanisms, regular environmental monitoring in industrial or special economic zones, etc.


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8. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1- 24th ITF Meeting Minutes

Attachment 2- 25th ITF Meeting Minutes

Attachment 3- 26th ITF Meeting Minutes

Attachment 4- Report on CSO Election Workshop for FLEGT

Attachment 5 & 6- CSOs’ suggestions for the improvement of the forest law

Attachment 7- Policy paper for the improvement of forest governance

Attachment 8- CSO Positioning Papers on TLAS (Draft)

Attachment 9- CSO Coordination meeting minutes

Attachment 10- Policy Draft for Social and Environmental Safeguards for CF

Attachment 11- Economic Potential of CF in Kachin State (14-1-2019)

Attachment 12- Field Guidebook for Customary Land Tenure Studies in Myanmar

Attachment 13- Report on Behind the Oil Palm Launching Event

Attachment 14- Press Release of Behind the Oil Palm Report (English)

Attachment 15- Press Release of Behind the Oil Palm Report (Myanmar)

Attachment 16- Behind the Oil Palm Report (English)

Attachment 17- Behind the Oil Palm Report (Myanmar)

Attachment 18- Minutes of the Meeting with the Hluttaw Committee for Agriculture, Fishery

and Rural Development

Attachment 19- Report on Agricultural Land Concession for Oil Plam (Kyaw Maw 19)

Attachment 20- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Shan State

Attachment 21- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Kayah State

Attachment 22- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Kayin State

Attachment 23- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Mon State

Attachment 24- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Tanintharri Region

Attachment 25- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Magway Region

Attachment 26- Environmental Sensitivity Map of Mandalay Region

Attachment 27- CSOs’ suggestions for the basic principles in land and environment sector

Attachment 28- Basic principles for Resource federalism

Attachment 29- Participatory patrolling manual for effective resource protection


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Attachment 30- CSOs’ position paper for effective resource protection

Attachment 31- Federal Natural Resources Management

Attachment 32- Myanmar National Climate Land Bank Report

Attachment 33- Report on National Climate Land Bank Report Launch

Attachment 34- Land Principles of Political Parties for Working Committee Meetings

Attachment 35- Suggestions for the improvement environmental impact assessment public

participation guidelines

Attachment 36- Minutes of the Consultative Meeting on EITI Law

Attachment 37- Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Act

Attachment 38- Report on Environmental Monitoring

Attachment 39- Report on Industrial Monitoring in Shwe Pyi Thar

Attachment 40- Report on Industrial Monitoring in Hlaing Thar Yar

Attachment 41- Media release for Htein Pin Landfill fire

Attachment 42- Media release for Bacterial infection of municipal water

Attachment 43- Green Financing Strategic Framework (First Draft)

Attachment 44- Mining Monitoring Checklist (Draft)

Attachment 45- PEIA manual (1st draft)

Attachment 46- List of Indicators for Urban Environmental Report Card

Attachment 47- Guidelines for Citizens’ Jury (Draft)

Attachment 48- Environmental Grievance Procedure

Attachment 49- Mya Sein Yaung Project Exit Strategy

Attachment 50- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (November, 2017)

Attachment 51- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (December, 2017)

Attachment 52- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (January, 2018)

Attachment 53- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Feb, Mar & April, 2018)

Attachment 54- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (May, June & July, 2018)

Attachment 55- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Sept & Oct, 2018)

Attachment 56- Myanmar Affairs Newsletter (Nov & Dec, 2018)

Attachment 57- Environmental CSO Directory

Attachment 58- Bioeconomy Economy Workshop Proceeding

Attachment 59- Final CLT workshop report


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Attachment 60- Report on Community Awareness Raising Meeting_Northern Shan

Attachment 61- Report on Community Awareness Raising Meeting_Southern Shan

Attachment 62- Report on Community Awareness Raising Meeting_Magway

Attachment 63- Report on Community Awareness Raising Meeting_Mandalay

Attachment 64- Report on Community Awareness Raising Meeting_Tanintharri

Attachment 65- Report on Economic development training (DRD)

Attachment 66- Environmental Management training completion report

Attachment 67- PEIA and Sampling (Soil and Water) Training for Teekyit

Attachment 68- Report on CSOs Leadership Training

Attachment 69- Report on Advocacy Video Editing Training (Series-3)

Attachment 70- Report on sampling for river water monitoring training

Attachment 71a & b- Results of River Water Monitoring

Attachment 72- Report on Development economics and resource federalism training for KNU

Economic Committee

Attachment 73- Basic GPS & GIS Training Report

Attachment 74- Community Forestry Training Report

Attachment 75- Report on Natural Resource Management Training

Attachment 76a- Resource federalism training report

Attachment 76b- Training report for ethnic leaders

Attachment 77- First CLT Training Report (15-19 Oct 2018)

Attachment 78- Second CLT Training Report (17-21 Oct 2018)

Attachment 79- OD and Land Policy training report

Attachment 80- Report of First PINRM Training

Attachment 81- Report of Second PINRM Training

Attachment 82- Report on Beekeeping Training

Attachment 83a- Training report on GAP for Vegetable production

Attachment 83b- Report on Farmer Exchange Visit

Attachment 84- Equipment Supply Progress Report

Attachment 85- Wood Processing Training Report

Attachment 86- Forest Inventory Progress Report

Attachment 87- Bamboo Preservation Training Report

Attachment 88- Bamboo Handicraft Training Report (22.8.2018)


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Attachment 89- Bamboo Furniture Training Report (8.11.2018)

Attachment 90- Bamboo Handicraft Training Report in Tanintharri

Attachment 91- The Public Policy Training Report (Hyderabad, India)

Attachment 92 India Study Tour report

Attachment 94- MP exchange trip report for MP (Tanintharri)

Attachment 95- MP exchange trip report for MP (Kachin)

Attachment 96- Report on 4 years capacity building activities of ecological and biological

laboratory

Attachment 97- Report on the 14 International Chitin Conference

Attachment 98- Minutes of the Meeting with PM for Behind the Oil Palm

Attachment 99- Meeting with TNI Hluttaw for Behind the Oil Report

Attachment 100- Report on SOE Workshop

Attachment 101- Myanmar Environment Outlook 2017

Attachment 102- ERC Press Conference Completion Report

Attachment 103- Pillar 3 MSDP

Attachment 104- Meeting minutes for Land Definition Seminar

Attachment 105- ODK Review Meeting at Myeik

Attachment 106- Report of Multi-Stakeholders Advocacy Workshop for forest governance

Attachment 107- Bamboo Trade Fare Workshop Report

Attachment 108- CSO Coordination Meeting Minute (First)_Tanintharri

Attachment 109- CSO Coordination Meeting Minute (Second)_Tanintharri

Attachment 110- CSO Coordination Meeting Minute (Sep)

Attachment 111- CSO Coordination Meeting Minute (Nov)

Attachment 112- Minutes of the Meeting with Regional PM (Tanintharri)

Attachment 113- Meeting Minutes of MPs and CSOs

Attachment 114- Meeting minutes of Consultative meeting with Forest Department

Attachment 115- Meeting minutes of Consultative meeting with Agri Land Mgt Committee

Attachment 116- Report of Stakeholders Coordination Meeting

Attachment 117- Report of CSO Mapping Workshop (Monywa)

Attachment 118- Report of CSO Mapping Workshop (Kengtong)

Attachment 119- Stakeholder Analysis Workshop Report (Kayin State)

Attachment 120- Stakeholder Analysis Workshop Report (Tni_State)


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Attachment 121- Stakeholders Analysis Workshop report (Mon State)

Attachment 122- ERLIP Staff Motivation Workshop Report

Attachment 123- Workshop on Communication Strategy Development

Attachment 124- OD Workshop Report

Attachment 125- Conflict Sensitivity Analysis on Commercial Rubber Plantation in Shan State

(Initial finding)

Attachment 126- Research Paper on Drying chamber model for betel nut dehydration

Attachment 127- Solar Dryer Paper on IJSEA (08021001)

Attachment 128- Report on Municipal Waste Audit in Mandalay City

Attachment 129- First Survey Trip Report_Monywa Industrial Zone

Attachment 130- Second Survey Trip Report_ Monywa Industrial Zone

Attachment 131- Bussiness Model of centralized waste water treatment plant for Monywa

Industrial Zone

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