Stabilizing and Rebuilding Myanmar’s Working Forests: Multiple Stakeholders and Multiple Choices | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
May 2018
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
recoftc:315
Copyright details: 
Copyright © 2017 by The Nature Conservancy and RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests

Myanmar is one of the most biologically diverse and ecologically productive nations on Earth. Its forests support the livelihoods of more than 36 million people, while the forestry sector employs more than

500,000 people and is one of seven sectors promoted under Myanmar’s National Export Strategy. Yet, after decades of unsustainable exploitation, driven by arbitrary revenue targets, mismanagement, illegal logging and, more recently, large-scale conversion to agricultural crops, Myanmar’s forests are badly damaged.

There is, however, optimism that this loss and degradation can be slowed and eventually reversed. The ongoing political and economic reforms are also playing out in the forestry sector. The 2014 ban on log exports, the 2016 log extraction ban (a one-year ban across the country and a ten-year ban in the teak-rich Bago Region), the reduction in the annual allowable cut, revision of the national forest and land laws and the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process (currently in the early stages of development) appear to be moving the forestry sector in the right direction.

This report argues that to stabilize and rebuild a sustainable forestry sector for Myanmar, there is vital need to develop consensus, first, on the role of forests in the nation’s ongoing development and, second, on how to restore the degraded forest estate. Given the complexity surrounding the issue, a process that engages all stakeholders, including those outside the forestry sector, is required.

This report was produced by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests, with support from the United States Government, under the Responsible Asia Forestry and

Trade (RAFT) partnership.

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Barber Cho
Aung Kyaw Naing
Lok Mani Sapkota
Maung Maung Than
David Gritten
Peter Stephen
Allison Lewin
Tint Lwin Taung

Publisher(s): 
The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.


We address the most pressing conservation threats at the largest scale. Thanks to the support of our more than 1 million members, we’ve built a tremendous record of success since our founding in 1951:


RECOFTC


RECOFTC is derived from an abbreviated form of the organization's legal name, Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific. Formerly the organization was known as RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests.


 


Data provider

RECOFTC


RECOFTC is derived from an abbreviated form of the organization's legal name, Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific. Formerly the organization was known as RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests.


 


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