MYANMAR National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) MYANMAR National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) October 2016 Forward Mangroves are unique intertidal ecosystems that occur primarily in tropical regions of the world. They support genetically diverse communities of terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora, and their ecosystems are of direct and indirect environmental, economic and social values to human societies throughout the world. Sustainable development of mangrove ecosystems implies the maintenance and rational use of the natural resources to ensure ecological resilience and economic opportunities for present and future generations. Since the recent decades, new findings have shown that the mangrove ecosystems are recognized as high carbon sequestration and sinks that attract climate change mitigation initiatives in the world. Most importantly, after the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004, the whole world has been awakened by the role of mangroves serving as a significant function in protecting coastal regions from such huge waves and catastrophic storms. Again, as most obvious event happened in Myanmar, the deadliest impacts of Cyclone Nargis highlight the values of mangroves that saved thousands of people in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Mangroves in Myanmar extensively grow throughout the coastal strip of the country providing ecosystem goods and services to coastal communities in particular and to the people of the country as a whole. The most extensive mangroves thrive in the Ayeyarwady Delta, the Tanintharyi Coastline and the Rakhine Coastline. They stand for the seventh largest extent in the world, and the second largest in the Asian region. In this context, mangroves are considered to be one of the key components in coastal conservation and management. Without well-conserved and managed mangroves, other related coastal resources such as coral reefs and sea grasses would not have well survived. These coastal ecosystems are interconnected to each other. Therefore, the mangroves together with adjoining coastal ecosystems are one of the natural capitals of the country providing tangible and intangible benefits for the sustainable development. Therefore, Myanmar endeavors to improve closely working together with Asian countries and the Indian Ocean Ring Countries as well in the task of managing mangrove ecosystems for sustainable purposes; establishment of procedures and methodologies for assessing the status of mangrove ecosystems and for managing them, implementing national legal provisions and strengthening institutional setup for the protection and conservation of mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a partnership-based initiative promoting investment in coastal ecosystems for sustainable development. MFF works towards achieving the vision of a healthier, more prosperous and secure future for all coastal communities. Being endorsed as a MFF full membership in October, 2014 is a milestone to move forwards the effective conservation and management of coastal resources in Myanmar. NSAP is a product of a long collaborative process by the National Coordinating Body (NCB) including governmental organizations, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, academic institutions, and private organizations. The experts in mangrove and coastal-related sectors also made their invaluable contributions including comments, suggestions, consultations, updated data and discussions. The development of NSAP has opened a new chapter and created a new platform in practicing effective conservation and protection, sustainable management and wise use of coastal resources emphasizing mangrove ecosystems. The sustainable management of coastal resources means developing the balance among economic, social and environmental aspects, more than just an economic progress of a country. In this regards, the NSAP offers us opportunities to harmonize all three aspects of economic, social and environmental approaches. The NSAP prioritizes five collective actions; environmental profiling, capacity development, integrated coastal management (ICM) policies and frameworks development, civil society engagement and management of marine protected areas (MPAs). Parallel to these frameworks, five cross-cutting issues, which are very important for the current needs of the coastal society in Myanmar are also considered; knowledge management and communications, responding to climate change, community resilience, gender equality, and private sector partnership. What we need to do now is to translate those identified action plans to actual implementation on the ground. With the great expectation on the effective conservation and management of coastal resources in Myanmar, I sincerely and earnestly urge all the segments of society to commit the effective implementation of the action plans prescribed in this NSAP for mangroves for the future program in Myanmar. H.E. U Ohn Win The Union Minister Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation The Republic of the Union of Myanmar ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The National Coordinating Body (NCB) in Myanmar thankfully acknowledges the Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Program of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to have unanimously endorsed Myanmar as a MFF full member country at the MFF 11th Regional Steering Committee Meeting in October 26, 2014 held in Cambodia. Thanks are also due to Dr. Kyaw Tint, Chairman of Myanmar Environmental Rehabilitation- conservation Network (MERN) for providing the necessary start-up activities for the preparation of the National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) in Myanmar, and to PYOE PIN program by Department for International Development (DFID) at the Embassy of United Kingdom in Myanmar for providing the funds for formulating the National Strategy and Action Plan for Mangroves for the Future Program in Myanmar. We are also grateful for receiving full support and contributions from all members of National Coordinating Body (NCB) from the government departments, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, academic institutions, and private sector. Without their invaluable contributions including comments, suggestions, consultations, updated data and discussions, it would be difficult to accomplish the NSAP for the MFF program in Myanmar. For U Aung Thant Zin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Myanmar Environmental Rehabilitation-conservation Network (MERN), and Mr. Saroj Srisai, the outreach coordinator of MFF program in Myanmar, and the experts and consultants from the MFF program of IUCN, they all deserve our gratitude for their enormous endeavors from the beginning to the end of the NSAP formulation process. Without the agreement and endorsement by the Board including the funding partners and the MFF full members, Myanmar would not have become a MFF full member in 2014. Therefore, we greatly acknowledge the institutional and funding to the MFF Program, UNDP, IUCN, FAO, UNEP, Wetlands International, DANIDA, NORAD and SIDA as well as the representatives of the existing MFF full members, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, respectively. Most importantly, the NSAP would not have been possible without the support and guidance of the Minister and Deputy Ministers from the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry. The National Coordinating Body is also indebted to the MFF Secretariat Office in Myanmar for its technical and financial supports in conducting a series of NCB meetings and stakeholder workshop which finally and collectively achieved the formation of the NSAP in Myanmar. We also thank experts from the MFF Secretariat for editing NSAP in Myanmar, and for his invaluable comments and suggestions to improve NSAP Myanmar. Nyi Nyi Kyaw, Ph. D Director General, Forest Department Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Chairman, National Coordinating Body in Myanmar TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………...…………i ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................................................................................iii SECTION I: INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXTUAL SETTING ...................................... 1 1.1 MANGROVES FOR THE FUTURE - A LONG-TERM VISION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION .............................. 1 1.2 THE MYANMAR CONTEXT – RELEVANCE OF MFF IN MYANMAR ............................................................. 2 SECTION II: CURRENT STATE AND TRENDS OF MYANMAR COAST ...................... 4 2.1 BIO-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.1 Myanmar Coastal Regions .................................................................................................... 4 2.1.2 Climate .................................................................................................................................. 5 2.1.3 Key Coastal Habitats ............................................................................................................. 6 Mangroves ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Coral Reefs ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Seagrass Beds ........................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.4 Fishery