Ye Htut Deputy Director Nature and wildlife Conservation Division Forest Department

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1 Ye Htut Deputy Director Nature and wildlife Conservation Division Forest Department 9-14 June, 2013

marshes, fish ponds, seasonally flooded plains, estuaries with extensive mangrove swamps Provides a range of

2 I. Introduction Myanmar possesses diverse form of wetlands due to its unique topographic nature Water is Life: Too Much or Too Little, Every Drop Counts Wetland ecosystems such as rivers, streams, fresh water lakes, marshes, fish ponds, seasonally flooded plains, estuaries with extensive mangrove swamps Provides a range of products and services such as food, water filter, unique habitat for different species SEARCA Photo Contest 2012

3 2. Major Wetland Regions in Myanmar Thanlwin River Basin WETLAND REGIONs Ayeyawady/Chindwin River Basin NO. OF SITES Thanlwin River Basin 6 Sittaung River Basin 5 Mekong River Basin 0 Rakhine Coastal Region 3 Thanintharyi Coastal Region 0 85 TOTAL 99 Source: A Wetland Inventory for Myanmar (2004)

4 3. Wetland Types in Myanmar Wetlands of Myanmar under Ramsar Classification Lacustrine (Lakes and Ponds) Palustrine (Marshes and Swamps) Riverine (Rivers and Streams) Coastal Wetlands

5 4. Wetlands in Protected Areas 36 protected areas established (5.6%) 10 of these are important wetland sites Hkakaborazi National Park Indawgyi Widlife Sanctuary Inle Wildlife Sanctuary Wethikan Bird Sanctuary Moeyongyi Wildlife Sanctuary Hlawga Wildlife Park Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary Thamihla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary Moscos Islands Wildlife Sanctuary Lampi Marine National Park

5. Important Birds Areas Designation of Important Birds Area (IBAs) Important Bird Areas 55 IBAs are critical sites for the conservation of the world s birds.

6 5. Important Birds Areas Designation of Important Birds Area (IBAs) Important Bird Areas 55 IBAs are critical sites for the conservation of the world s birds. Key Biodiversity Areas 76 KBAs are sites of global significance for biodiversity conservation, identified using globally standard criteria and thresholds and based on the occurrence of species from all animal and plant groups.

7 6. Policy and Legal Framework Laws and Legislations related to Wetland Conservation Others Conservation of Water Resources and River Law (2006)

8 7. Action Plans related to Wetlands Conservation Myanmar NBSAP has outlined.. Five-year Action Plans Toward Sustainable Freshwater Resource Management Implement integrated water resource management using a river basin approach. Promote river training activities. Establish proper sewage treatment systems. Construct wastewater treatment facilities in selected cities and areas. List more wetlands in the ASEAN s wetlands of international importance. Increase participation in water resources program of the Mekong River Commission.

8. Strategies to promote CEPA in Myanmar Communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) Awareness messages Using a series of simple messages

9 8. Strategies to promote CEPA in Myanmar Communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) Awareness messages Using a series of simple messages is an effective CEPA strategy. Using local communication tools Using the local media facilities, whether this be newspapers, newsletters or word of mouth, can be effective in reaching a broad range of people. Web sites can also reach some target groups. Information products Brochures, fact sheets and posters are examples of information products that can be developed. It is important to keep content simple and suitable for the target audience.

10 9. Current Conservation Activities Patrolling to prevent hunting of wetland species Regular Surveys on Water birds Monitoring the occurrence of migratory birds Research on wetlands and water birds collaborating with universities, NGOs and INGOs Education and public awareness Conducted Wetland Management Trainings and Workshops Promoting Ecotourism in important wetland areas

11 10. Opportunities for International Cooperation Myanmar has great opportunity for international collaboration on wetlands because of her unique geographical position. Myanmar is overlapping three distinct ecoregions as below: Sino Himalayan region in the North Indochinese region in the East Malayan peninsula in the South In addition, two flyways for migratory bird species are observed in Myanmar: Central Asian Flyway East Asian Australasian Flyway

12 11. Implementing Ramsar Convention in Myanmar National wide World Wetlands Day is commemorating on every 2 nd February. National consultation workshop to designate Gulf of Matarban as Ramsar Site

13 12. Why Gulf of Martaban? 48 spoon-billed sandpiper is recorded in 2010 Over waders counted, over seen and estimated over waders It is designaged IBA and clearly meet Ramsar site criteria Potential network site for EAAFP

14 13. Current cooperation activities on Wetlands Feasibility study on designating Gulf of Mottama as Ramsar site with BANCA. Inlay lake rehabilitation activities with UNDP and local NGOs Strengthening the environmental education facilities with BANCA, funded by Ministry of Environment, Japan. Development of a collaborative management system for Indawgyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary with FFI. Ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation through community participation in Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary with FFI funded by GIZ Sustainable fisheries and social cohesion in Indawgyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary with IMC

15 14. Ways Forward Already approved by Minister for the membership to EEAFP and waiting for approval from Cabinet Establishing Gulf of Mottama as a Ramsar Site in collaboration with local NGO and INGOs. Extension of Ramsar Sites in other wetlands with the global significance (e.g Indawgyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary) Promoting the communication, education and public awareness programs (CEPA) among the communities on wetlands and their importance.

16 15. Conclusion Myanmar recognizes wetlands as one of the major sources for local livelihoods as well as country s economy. In addition, wetlands are important ecotourism sites in Myanmar. Myanmar is paying attention to the sustainability of wetlands However, several issues are threatening the wetlands and addressing these issues is urgently needed. Moreover, it is needed to develop the specific guidelines and rules for wetlands management and conservation so that these can be integrated in the existing conservation laws and rules. Collaborations with EAAFP will support to fulfill the gaps and the target of achieving the sustainability of wetlands

17 Thank you for your attention

Nature-tourism in Myanmar

ArcCona Consulting Nature-tourism in Myanmar Evening exodus of bats at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon Myanmar is the largest country in mainland south-east Asia Its continuous coastline of almost 3,000