BIODIVERSITY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT ON MOEYUNGYI WETLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (July 2014) BIODIVERSITY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC SURVEY OF MOEYUNGYI WETLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (July 2014) The survey is funded by Amatae Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................ 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………………………………………. .6 1. THE WETLAND ........................................................................................................................ 14 1.1 Definition of Wetlands ................................................................................................... 14 1.2 Convention on Wetlands ................................................................................................ 14 1.3 Wetland Services, Functions and Values ....................................................................... 15 2. MOEYUNGYI WETLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY .............................................. 15 2.1 Location and Size ........................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Topographic Feature and Relief..................................................................................... 18 2.4 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 19 2.5 The natural vegetation.................................................................................................... 20 2.6 Soils................................................................................................................................ 20 3. PREVIOUS SURVEYS IN MOEYUNGYI WETLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY.............................................................................................................. 21 3.1 Biodiversity Surveys………………………………………………………………15 3.2 Socio-economic Studies in Moeyungyi WS ............................................................... 16 4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................ 23 5. CURRENT BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS ...................................................................................... 23 5.1 Avifauna ......................................................................................................................... 23 5.1.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 24 5.1.2 Study Sites ..................................................................................................................... 25 5.1.3 Results............................................................................................................................ 25 5.2 Mammals........................................................................................................................ 26 5.2.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 26 5.2.2 Results............................................................................................................................ 27 5.3 Herpetofauna .................................................................................................................. 31 5.3.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 31 i Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association 5.3.2 Results............................................................................................................................ 32 5.4 Flora ............................................................................................................................... 35 5.4.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 35 5.4.2 Results............................................................................................................................ 35 5.5 Fish ................................................................................................................................. 37 5.5.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 37 5.5.2 Results............................................................................................................................ 40 5.6 Entomology .................................................................................................................... 41 5.6.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 41 5.6.2 Results............................................................................................................................ 42 6. SOCIAL SURVEY ..................................................................................................................... 44 6.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 44 6.2 People in the vicinity of Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary ................................ 46 6.2.1 Population ...................................................................................................................... 46 6.2.2 Race and Religion .......................................................................................................... 47 6.2.3 Households and Housing conditions .............................................................................. 48 6.2.4 Education ....................................................................................................................... 50 6.2.5 Health ............................................................................................................................. 51 6.2.6 Settlement Pattern .......................................................................................................... 51 6.2.7 Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 52 7. ECONOMIC FACTORS ............................................................................................................ 53 7.1 Agriculture ..................................................................................................................... 53 7.2 Fishery............................................................................................................................ 54 7.3 Occupation and Ownership ............................................................................................ 55 7.4 Income and Expense ...................................................................................................... 56 7.5 Energy and Water Use ................................................................................................... 57 7.6 Small Scale industry and Transportation ....................................................................... 59 8. ANALYSIS ON THE SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS ..................................................... 60 8.1 Identification of the socio-economic condition of the 8 selected villages ..................... 60 ii Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association 8.2 Positive Results Derived from the Moeyungyi Wetland to the Local Inhabitants ............................................................................................................................ 61 8.3 The Negative Impacts Caused by the Local Inhabitants ................................................ 62 9. ISSUES AND THREATS ........................................................................................................... 63 9.1 Ranking Threats ............................................................................................................. 64 10. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE CONSERVATION MEASURES ........................... 67 10.1 Electric Shock Fishing ................................................................................................. 67 10.2. Bird Hinting/Trapping with Nets ................................................................................ 68 10.3 Trading of Turtles and Snakes ..................................................................................... 69 10.4 Land encroachment (paddy field) ................................................................................ 70 10.5 Water Use..................................................................................................................... 72 10.6 Raising of Livestock .................................................................................................... 73 10.7 Population Growth ....................................................................................................... 74 10.8 Indiscriminate dumping of solid and liquid waste ....................................................... 75 10.9 Flooding during rainy season ....................................................................................... 76 10.10 Fuel wood Collection ................................................................................................. 77 10.11 Trapping Small Mammals.........................................................................................