Burma (Myanmar) is located in Southeast Asia. It is the 40th largest country in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia. It is slightly smaller than the state of Texas. Burma is a tropical area and a biodiversity gem. The Irrawaddy Delta area is an important feature of Burma’s biodiversity. The Irrawaddy River rivers flow through wide central plains down to mangrove-lined river deltas, and empties into the Bay of Bengal. (Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2005)
It contains lush, dense forests that cover about half of its area and a diverse mix of plants and wildlife including tigers, elephants, monkeys, turtles (many of which are endemic) and pythons. (Kermode 1964)Global Distribution of Mangroves
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How Does the Future Appear for the Mangrove Forests?
Sanctuaries and reserves to protect the mangroves have been established, along with legislation to maintain the mangrove forests. However, although legislation like the Myanmar Forest Policy of 1995 and Forest Act of 1902, made the forest reserves legally protected, no control over the extraction of forest resources has actually occurred. (WCMC 1997)
Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary 1986: established to protect mangroves. 52.79 square miles.
This sanctuary was created as a protected area of high conservation importance and located in the lower Burmese island of Mein-ma-hla.
Wunbaik Forest Reserve, Rakhine State (22,919 hectares of mangroves)
This reserve is one of the largest mangrove forest reserves in this location and strives to conserve the biodiversity of the region. This map is an image of its location.
http://coin.fao.org/cms/media/4/12735542238790/faor_newslettervol_2.pdf
The Burma Forest Act of 1902 allowed the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests to establish game sanctuaries and reserved forests on any land at the disposal of the government, placing responsibility for their management and protection on the Forest Department. Furthermore, the Myanmar Forest Policy of 1995 called for the protection of biodiversity and the environment, sustainability of forest resources, maintaining basic needs of the people for things such as shelter and food, harnessing the full economic potential of the forest without exploitation, participation of the people to maintain the forests and public awareness of their vital role. They introduced a system of environmental pricing to compensate for environmental degradation. They also established forest development through regeneration and rehabilitation operations. The policy aimed to get people involved and generate awareness in order to conserve the forests. (WCMC 1997)
But illegal logging is more prevalent than legal logging concessions and implementation of conservation and protection activity is poor. This is due to the Forest Department's inadequate budget, including a shortage of staff to policy and monitor the few protected areas. The corrupt government and uneducated masses have contributed to the grim future for the forests. (FREDA)
What Can We Do?
To alleviate the problem and turn the situation around, a wholehearted effort from the local population and the government or outside organizations is needed. Locals need to be educated on the importance of mangrove forests so that will begin to maintain and respect the mangroves. Mangrove forests support a wide array of wildlife, act as a carbon sink removing greenhouse gasses from the air, and can protect humans/settlements from rising tides, winds and waves from storms. (Post Nargis Joint Assessment Report 2008) Thus on a local level the people must be educated and they must stop cutting down the forests for timber. On a larger scale, explicit regulations on maintaining, protecting and rehabilitating mangrove forests need to be established and proper resources need to be allocated to ensure the regulations are enforced. Commercially, they should reduce the number of prawn and fish farms, as well as reduce deforestation or increase replanting. The government must research a proper plan since the right combination of species and sites must be chosen to successfully re-establish mangroves. They should implement guidelines for actual mangrove management and increase funding for law enforcement to truly patrol these areas. On a global scale, refusing to purchase the shrimp, fish, timber or rice from these converted mangroves is an indirect way of protecting the mangroves from abroad.
(FREDA Ohn, 2008)
Mangrove Area in the Irrawaddy Delta
Note that analysis of mangrove information is complicated due to the use of different methodologies and conversion factors (acres to hectares).
(FAO 2002)
(Myanmar Forestry Statistics 2006)
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References
•Berg, Linda. Visualizing Environmental Science, 2nd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley; 2009.
•FAO. (1983c). Irrawaddy Delta: potential for nature conservation and recreation. Nature
•Conservation and National Parks Project FO:BUR/80/006. Field Report 23/83. FAO, Rangoon
•http://www.aseansec.org/21765.pdf.
•http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/65/Burma.html
•http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/im/im1404_full.html
•http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/j1533e/j1533e52.htm
•http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19271
•http://www.essortment.com/all/mangroverootfu_rnrq.ht
Dudley Stamp, L. "Notes on the Vegetation of Burma
JSTOR: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 64 No. 3 Sept. 1924
Dudley Stamp, L. "Notes on the Vegetation of Burma
JSTOR: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 64 No. 3 Sept. 1924