MONREC is also the focal agency addressing climate change. FD has been planning to set up a “Mangrove Section” under Watershed Management Division, FD since 2014 for strengthening mangrove management. In the context of policy, Forest Policy, forest law, forest rules, wildlife and wild animal protection law, community forestry instruction, periodical regulations are critical tools of Myanmar forest management system. Even though it has policy tools and institutional systems, mangrove forest had deteriorated, both by natural and anthropogenic actions, outbreaks of insects; outbreaks of diseases, severe weather events, such as snow, storm and drought (FRA, 2015). The current study is conducted to understand existing law and policy, and institutional arrangement status; the cause and barriers, and ways to cope with deforestation. II. METHODOLOGY A. Study area A 2,400 km long coast line (between (southern most of 9°54’22.63”N, 98°30’26.94” E) and (northern most of 21°24’49.75”N, 92° 21’ 28.44”E) and between (eastern most of 11° 39’ 14.24”N, 99°37’34.92”E) and (western most of 21°6’43.44”N, 92°9’54.48”E) belongs to Myanmar and facing Bay of Bengal in the west of the country and Andaman Sea in the south. It composes 3 main coastal zones; Rakhine coastal zone (RCZ) of 740 km; Ayeyarwaddy Delta Coastal zone (ADCZ) of 460 km; and Tanintharyi Coastal zone (TCZ) of 1,200 km. It belongs to 6 (2 States and 4 Regions) out of 14 States and Regions nation- wide. Mangroves grow well along the coast but these are being degraded and deforested due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. FD I. INTRODUCTION Myanmar, the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia with v a r i e d topographic regions, is a country rich in natural resources, with forest covering 46.69% of the total land area (677,000 km2), and a population of 51.42 million as of 2014 census. Its socio-economic development is very reliant on natural resources including territorial and coastal forest or mangrove. It consists of diverse topographies including a long coast line bordering with Bay of Bengal in the West and with Andaman Sea in the South; a low and flat dry zone, mountainous zones, and even snowcapped mountains in the northernmost part of the country. Mangrove in Myanmar, among 8 major forest types, is playing a key role in providing ecosystem services to coastal communities and the nation. Myanmar had mangrove vegetation of 555,500 ha in 1980; 536,100 ha in 1990; 518,646 ha in 1999; 516,700 in 2000 but this drops to 507,000 ha in 2005 (FAO, 2007) and to 502,911 ha in 2010 (Spalding, Kainuma, & Collins, 2010). It stood at third with its area in Ayeyarwaddy Delfa Coastal zone (ADCZ) in 2005 in Asia even though it had declined since 1980. This followed Indonesia (2,900,000 ha) and Malaysia (565,000 ha). Annual change is (-1,940 ha) or (-0.3% of its total) between 1980 and 1990, (-1,940 ha) or (-0.4%) between 1990 and 2000, (-1,940 ha) or (-0.4%) between 2000 and 2005 (FAO, 2007). Myanmar forests were systematically managed especially with selection system known as Myanmar Selection System (MSS) since 18th century, during British colonial times. Forest Department (FD), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) is focal agency in Ayeyarwaddy Delta Coastal Zone (ADCZ) in terms of forest management and conservation. Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the 89 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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