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Sustainable agro-forestry in Myanmar: from intentions to behavior

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Abstract

Environmental degradation, natural disasters, and urbanization have intensified pressure on Myanmar’s once unparalleled forests. This contrastive study of 200 households in two eco-marketing zones in Myanmar (accessible Central Myanmar vs. isolated Rakhine State) uses regression analysis to test three hypotheses derived from the previous literature to explain behavioral intentions and positive/negative environmental behavior. All three hypotheses were rejected, suggesting strong country specificity in selecting optimal behavior-based policies for forest conservation and non-destruction. Policy orientations were formulated to help reverse environmental degradation, promote community-oriented activities toward positive environmental behaviors, and provide sustainable pathways out of poverty for rural households. The main problem in Central Myanmar emerges as one of motivation, which could be promoted by public awareness programs, outside employment and financial viability. In Rakhine State, where the environmental footprint is heavier, policies should empower conservation by providing both technologies and the feeling of self-efficacy, particularly on the part of older people operating non-specialized farms close to the road. In the absence of pro-active government, these results can help bring the voice of rural Myanmar villagers to world attention.

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Abbreviations

ASEAN:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

DZGD:

Dry Zone Greening Department

GDP:

Gross Domestic Product

HDI:

Human development index

JICA:

Japanese International Cooperation Agency

MVI:

Management value index

NCEA:

National Commission for Environmental Affairs

UNDP:

Nations Development Program

NGO:

Non-governmental organization

NTFP:

Non-timber forest product

SBF:

Soppina Betta minor Forest

TFRK:

Traditional forest-related knowledge

ESCAP:

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

UNEP:

United Nations Environmental Program

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Peter Calkins & Pyi Pyi Thant

  2. CREA, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada

    Peter Calkins

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  1. Peter Calkins
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  2. Pyi Pyi Thant
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Correspondence to Peter Calkins.

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Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 6.

Table 6 Operational definitions of composite score variables
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Calkins, P., Thant, P.P. Sustainable agro-forestry in Myanmar: from intentions to behavior. Environ Dev Sustain 13, 439–461 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-010-9270-8

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