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A SOCIO -ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF MANGROVE AREAS IN SITTWE, PAUKTAW, MINBYA AND MYEBON TOWNSHIPS, NORTH RAKHINE STATE MYANMAR ASSESSMENT REPORT NOVEMBER 2015 MONTH YEAR A Socio-Economic Assessment of Mangroves Areas in North Rakhine State Acknowledgements: Many thanks to all of the villagers who gave their time freely and with enthusiasm. Many thanks to the field assessment team of Ma Sann Htay and Ko Kyaw Zan from Community Empowerment and Resilience Association (CERA) and Kyaw Shwe, from ACTED, who carried on with the work despite flood conditions and the general frenzy which accompanies any emergency. Many thanks to Ollie and Benoit, trusty companions throughout. Dave Storey, Consultant Disclaimer: This study is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of REACH Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. They also do not necessarily reflect the views of IDN-RAND consortium partners the International Organisation for Migration, ACTED, Swanyee Development Foundation, or the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Cover photo: About REACH REACH is a joint initiative of two international non-governmental organisations - ACTED and IMPACT Initiatives - and the UN Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s mission is to strengthen evidence- based decision making by aid actors through efficient data collection, management and analysis before, during and after an emergency. By doing so, REACH contributes to ensuring that communities affected by emergencies receive the support they need. All REACH activities are conducted in support to and within the framework of inter- agency aid coordination mechanisms. For more information please visit our website: www.reach-initiative.org. You can contact us directly at: [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @REACH_info. 1 A Socio-Economic Assessment of Mangroves Areas in North Rakhine State SUMMARY Using a combination of remote sensing and data retrieved from the field, this Socio-Ecological Assessment sought to investigate the major trends and drivers of change affecting the current status of mangroves in Sittwe, Pauktaw, Minbya and Myebon townships in northern Rakhine state under the IOM-led consortium project, the “Program for Improved Disaster Management and Resilience against Natural Disaster in Rakhine State, Burma/Myanmar.” In support of this study, a remote sensing analysis of mangrove coverage in 1988, 2000, and 2015 was conducted by UNOSAT. According to this analysis, Myebon and Pauktaw have lost 22 and 43 percent of their mangroves over the course of the reference period, signifying an alarming rate of loss. On the other hand by 1988, Minbya and Sittwe had already lost most of their mangroves and in fact experienced modest gains during the reference period. In order to understand the drivers and dynamics behind these observed changes, the remote sensing was followed up by a review of secondary data and primary data collection, through participatory assessments, in six villages across the project area. These exercises indicate that the major causes for the losses in mangroves in Myebon and Pauktaw were ambiguities over land tenure and corruption, an overall increase in extensive shrimp and rice farms, as well as ongoing firewood collection for domestic use. Additional factors are the cumulative impact of natural disasters as well as the repercussions of recent conflict. Those most affected by the mangrove degradation include fishers and shrimp farmers who have experienced a serious decline in their primary means of livelihoods. In addition, partly due to deforestation, villagers in the area are now significantly more exposed to the threat of natural disasters, especially in terms of cyclones and flooding as well as ongoing riverbank and shoreline erosion. The report concludes by recommending that actors working on mangrove ecosystems in the state, more specifically to: Work to raise the knowledge and awareness of local people on the importance of protecting the ecosystem on which they depend. Investigate broader social, economic and ecological contexts of mangroves in Rakhine state as well as in Myanmar more generally, with specific focuses on issues such as land tenure, priority areas for protection and the potential of community forestry and ecological mangrove restoration. Investigate options for long term financing for mangrove protection, in particular the option of carbon funding. 2 A Socio-Economic Assessment of Mangroves Areas in North Rakhine State CONTENTS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................... 5 PRA Villages ............................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Maps....................................................................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................... 6 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 7 2. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................10 Desk review .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Remote Sensing ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Participatory rural appraisal ............................................................................................................................ 10 Limitations ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Remote sensing ........................................................................................................................................ 11 PRA ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 3. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................13 Society ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 General overview – Human development ................................................................................................. 13 Society in relation to mangroves ............................................................................................................... 14 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Economy ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 General overview – Livelihoods and Food Security .................................................................................. 16 Economy in relation to mangroves ............................................................................................................ 18 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Environment .................................................................................................................................................... 19 General state of the environment .............................................................................................................. 19 Environmental status of mangroves .......................................................................................................... 20 Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 21 4. REMOTE SENSING RESULTS ..................................................................................................................22 State level land coverage ................................................................................................................................ 22 Land coverage in 2015 .............................................................................................................................. 22 Mangrove coverage trends ........................................................................................................................ 22 Township level land coverage ........................................................................................................................
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