Lessons

1
Lessons and Learning of preparatory study period
(2002-2005)
Socioeconomic condition and Community Forestry
Activities
Community Forestry Instruction (CFI) and
Government Support
Technologies Required for the CF Activities
Surrounding Environment

• Target area of the reserved forests (RF) are
  protected from encroachment and prohibited land
  use except forest by law.
• Household economy relies on natural resources and
  people fells into food insecure condition for
  eating from hand to mouth.
• People tends to move living places in rather
  short time from needs to looking for new natural
  resources after consuming all the deltas
  fertilities (land and fish) nearby.
• There are historical Myanmar social strata of
  owner of land, boats, cows for farming, etc., and
  labor of landless.
• Villages in RF are registered but not delineated
  village borders because of forest law be enacted
  prohibition of inhabitancy.
• Most of producers prices/benefits of the areas
  production are limited to less than 10-20 of
  retail prices/benefits.

• CFI (1996) is understood and accepted well by the
  people of the target area.
• CFI is applied for only for plantation and
  Natural Forest Improvement Operation (NFIO).
• Production from CF activities are limited to
  NFIO and trading of CF production with sales
  voucher is just at a stage of trial.
• After 1st year of CF activity, people has less
  incentive engages in the activities because of
  less CF activities or less benefits.
• CFI procedure is complicated and needs training
  of FD staff for its extension and promotion.
• Successful or continuing CF activities (active CF
  user groups) is limited in the area.
• Extension of mangrove technologies for FD staff
  and CF people have to be urged.

• Mangrove rehabilitation and plantation in the
  area are started in early 1990s.
• Limited species of mangrove (fast growing
  species) are applied to seedling production.
• The species are applied to the plantation with
  less consideration about site condition (grand
  levels).
• Several of FD staff has enough knowledge and
  technologies and enough capacity of mangrove
  management and rehabilitation.
• FD developed mangrove plantations, but most of
  the plantation is encroached by pressures for
  felling or exploitation of paddies or shrimp
  ponds, etc.
• Some villages or houses are faced to fell into
  river/creek because of the bank erosion.

• Mangrove is decreasing rapidly because of
  exploiting pressures such as shrimp ponds,
  paddies, etc. Could be disappeared soon!
• Dweller is illegal against to the forest law. But
  they are not forced to relocate except special
  conservation area (IRM area and wild life
  sanction).
• Peoples life or production technologies are not
  supported by public extension services except
  community forestry of FD
• Taxation by FD, DOF or others covers the area.
• Population growth of the delta area is bigger
  than the townships average because of immigrants
  (avg. 3 and target area exceeding 5).
• Even not sustainable production from illegal
  shrimp pond, contributes GDP of Myanmar

Lessons
Almost all supported activities were suspended
when the projects were over!
Can participatory type projects initiate
sustainable activities ?

• Promotion of sustainable land use is essential
  for mangrove rehabilitation and improvement of
  livelihood.
• Technologies enabling sustainable productions on
  the sustainable land use are essential instead of
  catching or extraction of soil fertility.
• CF user group have to be consolidated by
  formulation of CF sub-group of producers,
  management / accounting and trading group.
• Continual CF activities have to be started that
  sustains peoples livelihood and long time
  settlement.

• CF activities have to be diversified within the
  definition of the instruction.
• CF activities have to have continual incentives
  for the people in a poverty condition.
• Harvest and trading of CF products have to be
  started immediately.
• Capacity development of FD officer/staff is
  requested for implementation of the Project.
• Manual to support understanding of CFI and
  practicing CF activity have to be utilized.
• Acceptable and profitable model CF activities are
  essential for extension.
• Market oriented CF activities have to be started
  for getting sustainable incentives.

• FD and CF user group enables to collaborate
  mangrove rehabilitation and management.
• But mangrove rehabilitation and management
  technologies are requested to be extended to all
  stakeholders.
• Diversified mangrove rehabilitation and
  management technologies have to be demonstrated
  to the people.
• Peoples trainings are essential for starting
  sustainable CF activities, i.e. mangrove
  plantation, monitoring, accounting, etc.
• Mangrove area have to be protected from
  encroachment Patrol!
• Simple monitoring method has to be employed for
  measuring growth of mangrove by CF user group
  for controlling harvests and trades.

• Mangrove disappearing speed have to be delayed.
• It is requested to develop models for fulfillment
  of annual, future production plan and mangrove
  conservation plans.
• Increasing improper exploitation pressures on the
  mangrove have to be stopped for securing
  livelihood of the people and conservation of
  mangrove vegetation.
• Effective countermeasures are essential for
  controlling population growth and illegal
  activities.
• Collaboration among agencies of forest,
  agriculture and fishery departments related to
  diversified CF activities is essential.

Learning

• Long time continuing participatory activities
  would be achieved by

• continual benefits (incentives) through
  diversification of CF products (activities), and
• proper land use (not in a short time production,
  permanent utilization of land for production)

Outputs and Conceptual Activities of the Project
The Project to be a foundation
for continuation of the activities!
Output 1 Sustainable CF Activities

• Will apply integrated CF activities of CF
  agroforestry, CF aquaculture and CF forestry
  including processing for getting sustainable
  incentives of CF activities and implying
  improvement of livelihood.
• Will develop the CF models at key areas of
  transportation of CF products.
• Will develop the CF models applied integrated CF
  activities.
• Will develop CF direct trading models.
• Will utilize a manual for engage in CF promotion
  and support.
• Would be started mangrove division after
  completion of the project for continuing mangrove
  rehabilitation and management activities through
  CFI.

Output 2 Establishment of CF management and
support system
Output 4 Establishment of Coordination System
among Departments
Output 3 Establishment of Mangrove Forestry
Technology

• Will apply CFI for legalization of dweller for
  settlement in the RFs.
• Will apply CFI for development of economical
  foundation of the people in the target area, also
  (trial of CF fish culture and CF agroforestry).
• Will apply CFI to improve nutrition condition of
  the people by means of CF agroforestry and
  aqua-agroforestry.
• Will apply concept of CF producers group
  association for trading of CF products.
• Will develop example of CF management through
  those application of CFI.

• Will develop a plantations for introducing
  mangrove rehabilitation techniques at different
  condition area.
• Will integrate mangrove rehabilitation and
  management technologies and applied its for
  plantation.
• Will develop CF extension center and nurseries as
  station of the CF activities.
• Value adding production and trade will be tried
  (nypa sheets, residue charcoal (coconuts shells
  or nypa seeds).
• On and off the job training will be applied.

• Will be commenced continual and effective public
  information aims at decreasing pressures on
  mangrove through seminar, news letter, or
  starting celebration day of mangrove
  rehabilitation.
• Will be utilized about lesson and learning of
  adjacent countries about loosing mangrove
  resources and functions.
• Will be fostered understanding about mangrove
  functions through the public information.
• Will be involvement of Myanma Agriculture
  Services (agroforestry) and Department of Fishery
  (fish culture).

Shiro ARAI (Chief Advisor), The Integrated
Mangrove Rehabilitation and Management Project
through Community Participation in the Ayeyawady
Delta, Myanmar E-mail myankpjt2_at_mptmail.net.mn
Japan International Cooperation Agency