Breakthrough from the conservation stewards program in southern Rakhine Yoma, Myanmar Htet Eain Khant1, Myint Aung2; and Naris Bhumpakphan3 1Tropical Forestry Program, Graduate School, Kasetsart University, Thailand 2Friends of Wildlife Organization, Myanmar 3Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Thailand E-mail: hekforester@gmail.com1, myintaungwildlife@gmail.com2, ffornrb@ku.ac.th3 Abstract-The fences-and-fines approach to wildlife protection is now perceived by many to have failed in developing countries, including Myanmar. One alternative approach is a conservation stewards program where partial management responsibilities for natural resources have been assigned to local people under a community-based program. Friends of Wildlife, a local Conservation NGO and Indo-Myanmar Conservation, and an International Conservation NGO have been working with 24 households of 127 Chin communities, who are skilled hunters living near the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary (RYES). There is no economic alternative so they hunt a wide range of species including gaurs, elephants, and all available vertebrates down to the endangered Rakhine forest turtle (Heosemys depressa). The program methods include negotiating incentive agreements, awareness raising, educational support, 30-year leases for land tenure and providing training courses like wildlife surveys, agricultural farming, and community forestry. Recognizable changes have been noted from the initial inactive to active participation in various activities. A total of 123 out of 127 persons engaged by RYES stopped poaching, participated in joint patrols and elephant surveys with RYES staff, and support anti-poaching efforts and human-elephant conflict mitigation as part of forest resource management. Changing the people’s attitude to choose conservation and providing the techniques for their livelihoods to increase incomes could lead to the sustainable development of RYES areas. Overall, this approach has been successful though it took more than 7 years even for small communities to see strong results and suggestions to use this stewards program anywhere there is human-elephant conflict. Keywords: Chin ethnic communities, human- elephant conflict, livelihood support, Rakhine Yoma I. INTRODUCTION Chin ethnic group is one of 53 Chin races that were formerly found in the southern part of Chin State, who moved to the southern Rakhine Yoma in the early 2000s after they poached out the large mammals in that area where Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary 160 Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Proceedings of International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals : Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016 at the Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
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