Union of Myanmar

A Last Frontier of Biodiversity

By virtue of its strategic location, Myanmar forms a bridge between the peoples and cultures of South and Southeast Asia. The largest country in the subregion, it borders India and Bangladesh to the northwest, the PRC to the northeast, the Lao PDR to the east, and Thailand to the southeast.

Besides substantial arable land, Myanmar is endowed with large freshwater and marine resources, and significant deposits of minerals including oil and gas. The wide range of climactic conditions accommodates both tropical crops and those that thrive in moderate temperate climates.

Forest resources cover about half of the land area and also play a dominant role in the country's development. As Thailand's supplies of top-quality teak have dwindled, Myanmar, whose forests hold about 80% of the teak remaining in the world, could eventually be the sole supplier. Shrinking world supply has pushed up the price of top-quality teak to nearly $20,000 per tree. Besides teak and other hardwoods, Myanmar's forests also yield bamboo, rattan, and other products.

But these forests are under threat from logging, shifting cultivation, and fuelwood extraction. Shifting cultivation is practiced by about 2.56 million people living mostly in the Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, and Shan states, an area of about 142,000 ha. Further, few rural homes have gas or electricity. The people rely heavily on fuelwood, leading to depletion of forest cover in marginal forests outside the reserve forest areas. Obviously, as the population grows, the demand for fuelwood will grow.

Myanmar is one of the richest areas of natural resources in the world, and its ecosystems are home to numerous fauna and flora species, some of which are endangered. The country, once called the "last frontier of biodiversity in Asia," has 300 known specials of mammals, 370 reptile, 1,000 bird, and 7,000 plant species.

Economic activities have created new pressures on the country's natural resource base and environment. The exploitation of natural gas and minerals and the development of large dam projects continue. There is relatively minimal air and water pollution from industry or agriculture because of the low level of industrialization and the small amount of chemicals used in agriculture. This provides Myanmar with the opportunity to design effective policies and programs for pollution management and control in anticipation of future industrial development and agricultural expansion. Sustainable development will depend, in part, on new environmental policies and regulations, combined with financial support to improve institutions and environmental management skills.

Facts and Figures

Source: Greater Mekong Subregion Atlas of the Environment