what is happening to our forests in myanmar?
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o No prior consultationo No compensation and/or unfair compensationo No consento No environmental responsibility
o Natural resource extractiono Mega-projectso Mono-crop plantations
Transition in Myanmar (Decade of peace)
Public Campaigns
Public Campaign (International River Day)
Multi-Stakeholder meeting
Engagement with Government/KNU authorities
Contributing community-managed conservation approach to the Community Forest meeting organized by MONREC
16 May, 2016, Dawei
Arranging meeting with KNU vice chairperson for villagers to disclose the problems they are facing
28 April 2016, Dawei
Local Knowledge-Based Research
• To enhance local knowledge and wisdom• To conserve and control local resources by local people • To promote collaboration among communities
Local Knowledge-based Research
The local knowledge based research is a way of informing community members that they have rights to manage their local resources by themselves in sustainable way
Community Initiated Fish Conservation Zone
In order to maintain and recover the remaining aquatic species and river ecosystem, villagers proposed the establishment of a Fish Conservation Zone on the Kamoethway River.
Forest Protection
Working on a fire breakPosting signs raising awareness about forest fires
Monitoring river and forest ecosystems
Kamoethway indigenous people documented the condition of the river and its ecosystem, including: • measuring the depth and width of the river; and • an initial test of the water for contamination of heavy metals
discharged by the mining company.
While conducting the scientific monitoring, indigenous knowledge was used for ecosystem analysis.
A Socio-Economic Assessment Training workshop was held from 28-29 August 2014. The objective of the workshop was to empower local people to understand their community, recognize the scope of their resources, and to discuss ways to effectively balance utilization and conservation.
Villagers develop socio-economic assessment questionnaires
Participants conduct a socio-economic assessment (12-13 September 2014)
Village-level capacity building
Working Groups
Local people join working groups based on their expertise:
• Herbal medicine • Forest trees • Edible wild
vegetables • Wildlife• Handicraft • Rotational Farming
Demarcation of conservation areaso 12 villages are surrounded by these conservation areas.o In order to manage the forest properly, nine categories of
conservation areas were demarcated:
1. Wildlife sanctuary2. Watershed forest3. Agroforestry land4. Utilization forest5. Umbilical cord forest6. Culture forest7. Herbal forest8. Fish sanctuaries9. Cemetery land
Community Initiated Aquatic ecosystem Conservation Zone (People’s Park)
In order to maintain and recover the remaining aquatic species and swamp ecosystem, villagers proposed the establishment of a community protected area at the Kalapa Swamp
Environment Education
“Bringing Youth into the Movement” program took place in April 2016
Youth Camp
Engagement with Private sector
Challenges Several villagers who claiming their own
land were charged with trespassing private land
Special intelligence always follow CSOs activities
Activist young woman was brutally murdered (19/11/2016)
Community Driven Natural Resources Management(People Centered Approach)
Sustainable forest conservation can be achieved only when native people have the right to participate in the forest management process. This includes the right to control and manage natural resources in their territories based on their culture and traditional practices.