LIFT Uplands Programme: Scoping Assessment Report
LIFT Uplands Programme: Scoping Assessment Report
Prepared by UNOPS-LIFT Consultant Team: Aaron M. Becker (Team Leader) U San Thein (Livelihoods Expert) U Cin Tham Kham (Livelihoods Expert) Ms. Channsitha Mark (Political Expert) With assistance of Mary Callahan (Political Advisor)
(Revised version, edited by LIFT FMO)
July 2015
This assignment is supported and guided by the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). This report does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of UNOPS, LIFT’s donor consortia or partner governments.
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 2
Table of Contents
List of Acronyms ...... 6
Foreword ...... 9
1. Introduction ...... 11 1.1. LIFT strategy ...... 12 1.2. Rationale supporting a distinct LIFT ‘Upland Areas’ programme ...... 12 1.3. The assignment...... 14 1.4. Gaps in knowledge and further consultations required ...... 15
2. The Myanmar uplands geography ...... 16 2.1. Broad description of the ‘Uplands’ ...... 16 2.2. Three proposed geographic/geopolitical Upland Subzones ...... 17 2.3. Agro-Ecology ...... 18 Northwest Subzone ...... 19 North and Northeastern Subzone ...... 21 Southeast Subzone ...... 23 2.4. Population ...... 25 Northwest Subzone, population ...... 26 North and Northeast Subzone, population ...... 26 Southeast Subzone, population ...... 26
3. The uplands political economy ...... 28 3.1. Subzone Political Economy ...... 28 3.1.1. Northwest Uplands political economy ...... 29 3.1.2. North-northeast Uplands political economy ...... 29 3.1.3. Southeast Uplands political economy ...... 30 3.2. From the ceasefires to a ‘Peace Process’ ...... 31 3.2.1. Government reform agenda ...... 31 3.2.2. Challenges to ceasefire arrangements ...... 31 3.2.3. The ‘Peace Process’ ...... 32 3.3. Pre-existing tensions and conflict related issues ...... 33 3.3.1. Governance ...... 33 3.3.2. Economic development ...... 34 3.3.3. Opium economy ...... 35 3.3.4. Land tenure and dispossession ...... 36 3.3.5. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)...... 37 3.4. Considerations regarding LIFT programming ...... 39 3.4.1. Managing conflict within the Programme ...... 40 3.4.2. Partnership and stakeholders ...... 40 3.4.3. Working with IDPs ...... 45
4. The uplands food security & livelihoods...... 47 4.1. Upland Poverty: ...... 48 4.1.1. Northwest Subzone poverty ...... 51 4.1.2. North and Northeast Subzone poverty ...... 52 4.1.3. South and Southeast Subzone poverty ...... 53
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 3 4.2. Upland Food Security: ...... 55 4.2.1. Northwest Subzone food security...... 57 4.2.2. North-Northeast Subzone food security ...... 58 4.2.3. South and Southeast Subzone food security ...... 59 4.3. Agriculture ...... 60 4.4. Agro-ecosystems and natural resources ...... 61 4.4.1. Enhancing investments in Upland Area agro-ecosystems ...... 61 4.4.2. Natural resource management ...... 62 4.4.3. Climate change ...... 72 4.5. Markets and value chains ...... 74 4.5.1. Upland economies and market development ...... 75 4.5.2. Inclusive agri-business modalities ...... 77 4.5.3. Productive interest groups and inclusive multi-stakeholder planning ...... 79 4.6. Non-farm employment and livelihoods ...... 81 4.6.1. Alternative livelihood development and non-farm employment ...... 81 4.6.2. Migration and remittances ...... 82 4.7. Rural finance ...... 84 4.7.1. Micro-finance ...... 84 4.7.2. Rural Finance ...... 85 4.8. Nutrition and WASH ...... 87 4.8.1. Nutrition ...... 87 4.8.2. WASH ...... 88 4.9. Social protection ...... 89 4.9.1. Social safety nets and protection ...... 89 4.9.2. Cash transfers and debt-relief ...... 90 4.10. Governance and inclusiveness ...... 91 4.10.1. Governance, participation and extending services ...... 91 4.10.2. Limitations in access ...... 92 4.10.3. Gender ...... 95 4.11. Relevant Upland national programmes, strategies and priorities ...... 96
5. Conclusion ...... 101
6. Annexes...... 103 Annex 1. List of persons/organisations consulted ...... 103 Annex 2. Upland Area Strength, Opportunity, Weakness and Threat (SWOT) Analysis ...... 103 Annex 3. Key Actors ...... 113 Annex 4. Active areas of Non-state Armed Groups in 2013...... 125 Annex 5. Support maps and statistics ...... 126 Annex 6. Literature and documentation consulted ...... 131
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 4 Tables: TABLE 1: SUMMARISED NW UPLAND SUBZONE AGRO-ECOSYSTEM/NRM CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES ...... 21 TABLE 2: SUMMARISED N-NE UPLAND SUBZONE AGRO-ECOSYSTEM/NRM CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIESERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. TABLE 3: SUMMARISED SE UPLAND SUBZONE AGRO-ECOSYSTEM/NRM CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES ...... 24 TABLE 4: ESTIMATED POPULATION IN THE UPLAND PROGRAMME AREA (SOURCE: MIMU AND 2014 CENSUS – PROVISIONAL RESULTS) ...... 25 TABLE 5: POVERTY INCIDENCE, STATE/REGIONS WITH UPLANDS, 2010 ...... 48 TABLE 6: LOWLAND POVERTY INCIDENCE, 2010 ...... 48 TABLE 7: POVERTY AT STATE AND SUB-REGION LEVELS, 2010 ...... 49 TABLE 8: PURCHASING POWER, ACCESS TO FOOD ...... 56 TABLE 9: EXAMPLE OF ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY IN STATE/REGIONS WITH UPLAND AREAS ...... 56 TABLE 10: LAND USE PATTERNS OF MYANMAR AGRICULTURE IN STATES/REGIONS HOME TO UPLANDS ...... 64 TABLE 11: LAND CONCESSIONS IN UPLAND AREAS, 2012 ...... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. TABLE 12: WATER USE DISTRIBUTION, MYANMAR (2009) ...... 68 TABLE 13: MYANMAR FOREST COVER, 2012 (HA) ...... 70 TABLE 14: POTENTIAL AGRI-BUSINESS MODALITIES/BENEFITS TO SMALL-MEDIUM FARMERSERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
Figures: FIGURE 1: MAP OF MYANMAR ...... 8 FIGURE 2: UPLAND AREAS PROGRAMME DEFINITION ...... 17 FIGURE 3: UPLAND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES ...... 19 FIGURE 4: MYANMAR DOMINANT SOILS ...... 20 FIGURE 5: IDP SNAPSHOT, 2012-2013 ...... 37 FIGURE 6: REGION/STATE MAPPING OF THE PROPORTION OF HOUSEHOLDS IN POVERTY ...... 50 FIGURE 7: KACHIN LAND USE TYPES BY AREA COVERAGE...... 58 FIGURE 8: IMPEDIMENTS TO UPLAND AREA POVERTY AND HUNGER ...... 94
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 5
List of Acronyms
ABC Agri-business company ASEAN Association of South-East Asia Nations BGF Border Guard Force CBO Community Based Organisation CF Community Forestry CSO Civil Society Organization CP Charoen Pokphand Group DFID UK Department for International Development EAG Ethnic Armed Group EPA Environmental Performance Assessment ESIA Environmental Social Impact Assessment FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations FFS Farmer Field School FMO Fund Management Office GAD General Administration Department (Ministry of Home Affairs) GDP Gross Domestic Product IDA International Donor Assistance IDP Internally Displaced Person IHLCA Integrated Households Living Condition Assessment INGO International Non-Governmental Organisation IP Implementing Partner IPM Integrated Pest Management KIO Kachin Independent Organization LAUSC Land Allotment and Utilisation Scrutiny Committee LIFT Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund LIFT-FMO Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund – Fund Management Office Local NGO Local Non-Governmental Organization MADB Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank MDRI Myanmar Development and Resource Institute MDRI- Myanmar Development and Resource Institute-Centre for Economic and Social CESD Development MIMU Myanmar Information Management Unit MMK Myanmar Kyat MLFRD Ministry of Livestock, Fishery and Rural Development MOAI Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation NAPA National Adaptation Plan of Action NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NCA National Ceasefire Agreement NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NSAG Non-State Armed Group NRM Natural Resource Management NSDS National Sustainable Development Strategy OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs PES Payments for Environmental Services PMF People’s Militia Force PRC People’s Republic of China RCSS Restoration Council of Shan State SAZ Special Administrative Zone SLRD Survey and Land Records Department SME Small-Medium Enterprise SMF Small-Medium Farmer SSPP Shan State Progressive Party
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 6 SWOT Strength Weakness Opportunities Threat TNLA Ta’ang National Liberation Army UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNODC United Nation Office for Drug Control UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services UNREDD United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation VFVL Vacant, Fallow, Virgin Land WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 7 Figure 1: Map of Myanmar (source: MIMU, 2013)
LIFT-Uplands Programme, Scoping Assessment Report 8 Foreword
Since 2011, LIFT has funded fifteen projects in the Upland areas, mostly in Chin, Kachin and Shan States.
In 2014 LIFT redefined its strategic direction to better align to the rapidly changing context resulting from Myanmar’s economic and political reform. LIFT is now extending its programmes under this strategy, including the establishment of a major new programme for Myanmar’s Upland areas. The new Upland’s Programme will support innovative projects that reach across the diverse range of communities typical of the Upland areas, including those affected by conflict.
This scoping study for an Uplands Programme was commissioned to help identify needs, outcomes and potential interventions relevant to the complex environments of the upland areas. Central to the study was an analysis of the conflict context along with the identification of potential conflict-sensitive livelihood solutions. The study took place between September 2014 and January 2015.
In addition to the scoping report, the LIFT Fund Board visited projects and stakeholders of LIFT implementation partners and others in Kachin State in July 2014, and Chin State in February 2015. These visits provided valuable perspective for the programme decisions that have followed the completion of the scoping study.
The Uplands Programme that has been developed on the basis of this scoping study aligns with the four purpose level outcomes that guide the new LIFT strategy: