Publication: An Assessment of Forest Tenure in Myanmar: Securing Forest Tenure for Sustainable Livelihoods
Loading...
Date
2020-04-30
ISSN
Published
2020-04-30
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Forests are an important economic and social resource, critical to the culture and livelihood of communities across Myanmar. Forest resources are key secondary income sources for more than half the rural population, and close to two-thirds of rural energy demands are met by traditional forest fuels. Hence, forest-dependent rural communities need secure access and use rights to forestland and resources. Building on several ongoing reform measures and public consultations, this assessment is being undertaken by the Forest Department (FD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) to contribute to debates on forest tenure in Myanmar and is financed by the World Bank office in Yangon. It will also serve as input for the government’s policy reforms and its national strategy on rural development engagement within the context of forest tenure. The overall goal of this assessment is to outline an improved approach and policy roadmap to strengthen forest tenure. This will enable enhanced government interventions, better services, improved risk-management in rural development, and better livelihoods for forest-dependent rural communities. It is being undertaken within the global framework and international principles on forest tenure and governance. The assessment was carried out between September 2019 and January 2020.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2020. An Assessment of Forest Tenure in Myanmar: Securing Forest Tenure for Sustainable Livelihoods. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34334 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kenya Forests Act 2005(Washington, DC, 2007)Forest in Kenya is an important source of livelihood, environmental services, and economic growth. In November of 2005 the Government of Kenya (GOK) ratified a new Forests Act. The act contains many innovative provisions to correct previous shortcomings, including a strong emphasis on partnerships, the engagement of local communities, and promotion of private investment. The purpose of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to inform, influence, and strengthen the processes of implementing the new Forests Act and inform policy discussions regarding sustainable use forests resources for national development. The SEA examined current risks confronting both woodland and forest environments and the social well-being of communities relying on these resources. Evidence gathered through research and extensive consultation with stakeholders was used to identify the scope for improving institutional structures and governance processes under the planned forestry reforms, notably those relating to the Kenya forest service and the participation of communities and the private sector in forest management. The SEA recommends ways of enhancing the opportunities for environmental and social gain that already form part of the overall goal of the Forests Act.Publication Assessing the Environmental, Forest, and Other Natural Resource Aspects of Development Policy Lending(Washington, DC, 2008)The operations policy on Development Policy Lending (DPL), approved by the Board in August 2004, requires that the Bank systematically analyze whether specific country policies supported by an operation are likely to have "significant effects" on the country's environment, forests, and other natural resources. The implicit objective behind this requirement is to ensure that there is adequate capacity in the country to deal with adverse effects on the environment, forests, and other natural resources that the policies could trigger, even at the program design stage. DPL operations are associated with a whole array of policies such as macro policy reforms, fiscal policies, and specific sectoral policies, particularly in key sectors such as agriculture, health and education, energy, etc. In some cases, the operation may deal directly with reforms in certain environmentally sensitive sectors such as energy, transport, water and sanitation, agriculture, and forestry. In these cases, there is an obvious need for careful analysis of environmental, natural resource, and forestry impacts. In other cases, such as public sector reform and governance, there is less potential for likely significant impacts on the natural environment and natural resources. The toolkit is designed to be concise and user-friendly. It consists of three specific modules. The first module identifies relevant transmission channels through which the proposed reform would have a likely effect on the identified environmental, forest, and other natural resource priorities. The second module provides assistance in identifying key environmental issues in the country, regions, or sectors likely to be influenced by the DPL program. The third module presents different tools and methodologies for rapid assessment of the likely significant effects of each reform.Publication A Legal and Institutional Framework for Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in Southern Sudan : Policy note(World Bank, 2010-02-01)This policy note was prepared in response to a request from the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) for World Bank assistance in developing legislative and institutional policies and strategies that will take advantage of the potential of the region's forest resources to contribute to poverty alleviation, food security, sustainable agriculture, economic growth, and to protection of forest-related environmental services such as climate, biodiversity, water, and wildlife resources. The note is intended to: (a) take stock of the current situation on the ground, including identifying the legislative, institutional, governance, and policy reforms needed to create an enabling environment for both public and private-sector investment. This should help in contributing to improved understanding of the currently underutilized potential of Southern Sudan's forest resources; (b) analyze what has worked and what has not worked prior to and since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); and (c) suggest priority solutions and actions towards revitalizing the forestry sector. Key policy issues addressed in this note include: 1) strengthening forest resource information and knowledge base; 2) developing a coherent legislative and policy framework, organizational structure, and capacity for the sector; 3) promoting participatory forest and woodland management; 4) enabling forest-based industries to thrive; 5) creating an enabling environment for attracting private-sector investment; 6) protecting and enhancing forest-related environmental services; 7) using technical approaches to conservation and sustainable management of forest resources; and 8) introducing predictable and sustainable long-term financing mechanisms.Publication Lessons from the Rain Forest : Experiences of the Pilot Program to Conserve the Amazon and Atlantic Forests of Brazil(Washington, DC, 2003-01)The largest hydrographic basin in the world, the Amazon is the source of 20 percent of all the fresh water on the planet. The Basin covers some 600 million hectares in nine countries, over half of which are located within Brazil's national boundaries. A striking characteristic of the Amazon region is its tremendous biodiversity, which includes an estimated 50,000 species of plants, 3,000 species of fish and over 400 known species of mammals. To date, scientists have classified 467 species of reptiles and 516 species of amphibians. Nearly 2,000 known species of birds and the majority of the world's primates are endemic to Amazonia. An estimated 20 million people currently live in the Brazilian Amazon, the majority in urban areas. The region is home to over 170 indigenous groups with distinct cultures, in various levels of contact with the outside world. A variety of social and economic groups are also part of the rural landscape, including rubber-tappers, Brazil nut gatherers, riverine populations, migrant settlers, placer miners, loggers and cattle ranchers. In the 1960s and 1970s, a rapid process of frontier expansion was initiated in the Brazilian Amazon, associated with cattle ranching, commercial logging, and creation of rural settlements, mining, road construction and hydroelectric projects. Over a period of four decades, approximately 78 million hectares in the Brazilian Amazon (15.3 percent of the total area) were cleared. About 70 percent of this deforestation has occurred along the southern flanks of the Amazon, in the states of Para, Mato Grosso and Rondonia.Publication India : Unlocking Opportunities for Forest-Dependent People in India, Volume 1, Main Report(Washington, DC, 2005-12)This study by the World Bank indicates that forests offer vast potential for poverty reduction and rural economic growth in India while also supporting critical national conservation goals. An estimated 275 million people in rural areas depend on forests for at least part of their livelihoods. Forest dwellers, which include a high proportion of tribals, are among the poorest and most vulnerable groups in society. The government of India has adopted Joint Forest Management as a principal approach for community-based forestry. The program now covers 27 percent of the national forest area across 27 states, and encompasses 85,000 village committees. Over the past decade, the Joint Forest Management model has been evolving from an approach heavily oriented towards commercial timber managed by state forest departments (with communities providing labor), to an approach more supportive of forest conservation with communities sharing benefits in return for assisting with limited management activities. Although this transition has been successful by some measures, most communities still fail to utilize the full potential of forests to improve local livelihoods. Forests are mainly used as a safety net during difficult economic periods, or for seasonal subsistence products like fuelwood and fodder. For communities to better exploit the untapped potential of forests, wide ranging and carefully phased reforms are required at both the national and state levels addressing: 1) stronger forest rights and responsibilities for forest communities; 2) more effective management systems targeted at communities involved with forestry; 3) improved access to more efficient market systems for major and minor products; and 4) more effective and flexible institutions and capacities.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.