Jour. Myan. Acad. Arts & se:2007 Vol. V. No.5 Human's Adaptability to the Environment and Socio­ Economic.Development: A case 'study'of Yemyet In Area Aung Kyaw', My<iThaung', Nay Win 00', ZaWLall Tun', San Myint' and Associates" Abstract In-developing countries, majority of the economic activities are related to conditions of given natural environment, In areas where · natural environment is harsh and always changing people automatically adjust and adapt to,the given conditions. It always has alternative choices ofeconomic' 'activities for.the people living in regular changing environment. However, these alternative economic opportunities are changed or diminished when unprecedented climatic changes or policy interventions are involved . In that case, socio-economic conditions of the people living in the area-would lead to critical situations. This paper examine the above assumption based on data derived from the intensive field surveys conducted to the 'villagers of Yemyet In area during January and February 2006. It is found that human adaptability .to the regular environment changes is different among the villages located at the edge of the Yemyet In. The adaptability is highly based on the given natural environment, nature of people, and accessibility to the nearest town, etc. The impacts of development policy on the human adaptability of local people are also very clear. Finally, the paper discussed the concept of human adaptability in the application of socio-economic development ofan area. Key Ward: Human Adaptability, Alternative Economic Opportunity, Stlcio­ Economic Development Introduction - Human being lives onithe earth surface and uses the natural environment for their living. There are competitions among people for the natural resources because existing resources ' are limited fo r growing population or existing resources 'are depleted due to over exploitation. Sometimes natural environment is changed due to some major events that occur in the whole earth system. Climate change and its subsequent effect on the agriculture is a distinguished example. People living in'the area of harsh 1. Lecturer, Department of Geography, Taungoo University . 2. Retired Professor, Department ofGeography, Yangon University 3. Lecturer , Department ofGeography, pyaYUniversity . 4. Lecturer, Department ofGeography, Sittwe University 5. Professor, Department ofGeography, University ofEducation, Sagaing 6. Ph. D. candidates (Geography) from Yangon and Mandalay Universities 304 Jou r. Myan.Acnd. Arts & s« 2007 Vol. V. No.5 and regular changing natural environment automatically adjust and adapt to , , the given conditions, It always has alternative choices of .!:conomic activities for the people living in those regular changing environment. This concept is depicted . in Fig. , 1.' Natural environment in any area has seasonal and periodical variations based on climate. In Myanmar there are hot, wet, and c~1 ~eas6n~. Occupation opportunities of an area varied With season. In addition, it also has avariation of climate in fOT some years. Rainfall, for example has a variation in certain periods of the year. Human beings tried to adapt their occupations to the changing environment for their survival. It means, that any area should have major economy and alternative economy to sustain its population, 'Since people are well experienced with these two economies, they adapted' their occupation to this changing environment by means of saving and working. Basedontheir economy social and cultural .conditions are also .developed that is related to its economy. With the development-of social conditions (especially knowledge) people could be able to use natural resources effectively. Education and health .are the' good example of social conditions. People's ' traditions and culture are also well maintained in this system. ' " ' , However, ifthe existing natural environment is abruptly changed due to some climatic ' change 'of human interventions, both the ,major and ' alternative economic opportunities are changed or diminished. In that case, socio-economic conditions of the people living in the area would be lead to critical sitlla'tions. ' Jour. Myan. Acad. A rts & Sc. 2007 Vol. V. No. 5 305 Regular Condition .Regular economy I Eff~ct i ;e liseof {'r natural resources U • Social conditions (HecJth. Education. Tradition. Culture, etc.) --~ ·r-·- ---- Figure (I) Concept of human adaptation to the environment and socio-economic development. Problem Based en the above concept th is:paper tried to answer the following questions from the data derived from the intensive field survey conducted to the villagers of fe myet In area duringJanuary and February 2006. , , - (I) How docs the natural environment varies in the villages of Yemyet In Area? (2) How do people adapt themselves to the natural environment? (3) What are the relationships between human adaptation and socio-economic development? 306 Jour.,Myan. Acad; Arts & Sc. 2007 Vol. V. No. 5 Data and Method To be able to answer above questions, intensive-field survey and open interviews were conducted to the' people from three villages (out of five villages)located at the edge of Yemyet In through several trips during March 2005 and April 2006. In addition 'intensive ' structured, interviews were conducted to 91' households (28 'from Padu; 36 from Yedwingaung; 27 from Yemyet) during 25 January and 3 Ijebruary 2006. Based on the field survey and interViewed results, the nature' of , natural environment.is reconstructed. Then, the analysis focuses on the way of people's adaptation to the natural environment before depicting the process that forced the people to 'make such adaptation. BaSed on the above analysis the relationship. between human adaptation to the natural environment and socio-economic development is discussed: Natural Environment and Economic Opportunity in the Study Area Relief, drainage and climate are considered as major environmental conditions generating the economic opportunities in the given area. Relief and Drainage .Yemyet In is located !It the 23.3 Kilometers (9 miles) distance from Sagaing Town (Fig. 3). It is a wide Jjlbout 18.13 Kilometer) lowland, lying between Mingun Range (123meters (1322 ii :~t) in it highest part lying along the western bank ofAyeyarwady River) and Shwetaungone (46.45meters (500 feet» hill in the west. Soutl]westernpart of this flat plain is also'bounded,by a" hill called Phoe Khaung Taung (37.16 meters (400 feet» . There is a narrow flat plain near Saye Village in the southeastern part of the plain. Northern part of the plain extended for ' 'many miles up to Shwebo . plain.- From its topography, the .rain falling in the surroundingm ountain ranges and northern part of the plain accumulated asan open water surface into Yemyet In. From its location and topography the depth of tile Yemyet In is very shallow. The southern part ofthe lake is reiatively deeper than the northern part. ,It receives about 33 inches of annual rainfall. Due to its wide area, the ' .distribution of rainfall is not uniform.' Due to ,its flat topography, varied rainfall distribution and high evaporation rate, the water level ofthe Yemyet In is'ever changing. It is like putting water ~ a flat pan wherew ater evaporates Jour. M.van. Acad: Arts & Sc, 2007 Vol. V. No. S 307 from it. Its topography and climatic conditions generate two sudden water level changes: water could be filled up in the whole In area within one or two days if the rain is received in all parts ofthe flat plain; the whole In area could be dried up within a very short period. Water level ' ~d area of Yemyet In is always changing in two directions: seasonally and periodically. Figure (2) shows the water levels for various periods. In general the In is dried up in every 3 to 4 years and need about 2 to 3 years to reach its highest water level again. Yemyet In is 14 miles long and 4 miles wide when it's maximum water level is attained: . There are 7 saline streams flowing into the Yemyet In from the southwestern part. Another 11 fresh water streams flowing into the In from the west and northwestem parts (San .Myint, 2005). The salts and alkali carried by the saline streams are accumulated in the In. When the water is dried up the salts diluted in the In's water are accumulated on the soil. After many fluctuations ofthese dried up process throughout its history the water of the In become salty. In addition, alkaline and salts are accumulated in the soil of the southern sections of lake near Yemyct Village which is the lowest area for the whole In. There is no natural vegetation and it is also impossible to cultivate in the southern part ofthc In since soap powder and salt are emerging. From Fig. (2) it is distinguished that the northern part of the lake water level is very fluctuating. If the rainfall is relatively low in the high water level period, the water does not reach the northern part. Therefore, northern part becomes swampy and vegetation such as "Shinmwelun" and "Thetkel" thrive there. In addition to the above periodical water level .fluctuation, there is also seasonally fluctuations. Seasonal variation, however, do not have much affect on the occupation opportunities c)f the area. 308 Jour. Myan. Acad. Arts & Sc. 2007 Vol. V. No.5 ," , I I I I .Monnyingya ,g ,, I I I , I , Kangyigon I I ' ' I \ I i \ ~ Kyaukpanan k \ ~ ~__ ' : - ...'::<. fI • Village Yeruyet ~'".... /. 'I Il i~ Em b .n k m . n, ~~_' III \ . ' i:\1R811road ' ~_ -.:t/ . I NRood ' I' - ,. ~\ I/\,,/ VlllagA lra;l -""''-, ~ . '= :la;s,...J . Wate r levels varlation$ , I ' , 1977-78 N1978.79 i'v 1992· 93 NLoWBst '. Agriculturezone IlII Fish pond. (mcdc) Figure (2) Water level fluctuation and development projects inYemyet In Source: Myanma Agriculture Enterprise, Sagaing Township, J our. Myun. Acad. Arts & Sc. 2007 Vol. V, No.5 309 . ude 9S-j 4S' EagLoogitudi.:::-.::;• • ... ' -. ' :.4• WellerTownship " ~' . ' "(o'.r---";i!<c--I,,-";"'''''' "'''.302' '--':: -..~ ThitaulrYltl\l\ to...Tau.. ~~ ; 4.' ('oc -.. 1nkfwII m Ie« SouICehQtx~ N () _~ ·W .