U Mg Mg Win( Director of Shan State Forestry Department), Dr. Khin Hnin Yu ( Retired Professor of Yezin Agricultural University), Sai Sai Ngin (Coordinator of A Phyu Young Sey Ta Nar), Naw Ei Ei Min (Director of POINT)
The debate was carried out in the Capital of Shan State, Taung Kyi, in respect of how to protect biodiversity in Myanmar. Owning to illegal commercialization, lot of natural resources above and under the ground were lost in Myanmar. In debate program, present forest coverage in Myanmar, the activities of forest department and government policies related to forest or biodiversity, the situation of biodiversity lost, the awareness of local people on biodiversity loss and the role of local people who earn their living from the forest, in biodiversity conservation. The forest coverage is estimate 47% of total area in government report and 28 % in the UN report. There is 27.9 percent reserved and protected forest under the management of forestry department and have planned to extent to 30 percent according to 2002 to 2030 Master plan of forestry department. There is 5.6 percent under the management of environmental conservation program and extending to 10 percent. Forestry department have to extend to 40 percent under its management. Losing lots of biodiversity in Myanmar is especially due to lack of law enforcement and forest policies, lack of community participation and lack of opportunity to participate in maintaining biodiversity and illegal commercialization. Some of the local people or communities are facing the problem of insecurity and threatening of illegal loggers and power holders. The main drivers to biodiversity loss are power holders and chambers of commerce. The problem is lack of enough staffs in forest department while one of forest department staff is responsible for 10,000 acres. The role of community is very important in biodiversity conservation.
The voice of 70% of the local communities who live in the forest and earn their living from the forest was ignored in making laws related to forest and environment. The community or local people are more familiar and near with forest or biodiversity than others. Therefore, the government needs to make sure the participation of community in decision making in biodiversity conservation, designating reserved and protected areas. On the other, the government and forestry department need to ensure the security and the role of the community in working with forest department in biodiversity conservation.
To give reliable information by doing research on the state of biodiversity lost and the research need to be participatory research in which the community take part. Teaching the students since primary level to love the environment is essential in protecting biodiversity lost. To protect loss of biodiversity in the long run, the cooperation of government departments by harmonizing policies and laws of respective departments is necessary.
