Back to news
18 Apr 2017 | News

Myanmar Builds Ground for REDD+

Having inaugurated the REDD+ Himalaya Initiative in an official ceremony in August 2015, Myanmar is making progress on its national roadmap for REDD+ readiness. In this first preparatory phase, countries design their national REDD+ strategies and build capacity for the following stages.

2 mins Read

70% Complete
Meeting with REDD+ team at Forest Research Institute (FRI), Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar Photo: ICIMOD

Since the inception of the Initiative in Myanmar, partners have participated in a range of REDD+ Himalaya activities including a training on “financial procedures and disbursement mechanism” giving them insight into how to manage and administer the Initiative’s financial resources. In order to contribute to the establishment of a national forest monitoring system, a remote sensing workshop was conducted to build the capacities of relevant national officials and stakeholders in relation to REDD+ monitoring, and reporting and verification (MRV) in July 2016. In the framework of the South-South learning platform of REDD+ Himalaya, Myanmar also hosted a regional workshop on REDD+ MRV for the Initiative’s partner countries in October 2016.

2
1. (L-R) Dr Thaung Naing Oo, Director, FRI, Myanmar; Mr Muhammad Sohail, REDD+ Specialist, ICIMOD; Mr Thein Saung, Staff Officer, FRI, Myanmar Photo: ICIMOD 2. REDD+ Himalaya Initiative Office at FRI, Myanmar Photo: ICIMOD

After receiving initial funding in the beginning 2017 and using already acquired capabilities, Myanmar partners are committed to actively implementing their work plan for the year. One of the highlights is the opening of the REDD+ Himalaya Initiative office that is now located at the premises of the Forest Research Institute (FRI) at Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw. External staff have been hired to support the Initiative’s day-to-day operation and suitable equipment will soon be acquired to make sure that everything runs smoothly. “The establishment of a REDD+ Himalaya project office within the premises of one of the partners in Myanmar indicates the dedicated efforts of FRI and the Forest Department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), towards achieving their goals. This will support efficient coordination with ICIMOD and other regional partners as well as the effective implementation of activities on the ground,” says Muhammad Sohail, REDD+ Specialist at ICIMOD who met with partners recently to discuss progress in Myanmar. In addition, three villages in Taunggyi district of Shan state have been selected for the demonstration of REDD+ activities. After an inception workshop in January 2017, a public dialogue and stakeholder consultation meeting were organized to involve local communities and other actors right from the beginning. Stakeholders in Taunggyi will also play an important role in the analysis of deforestation and forest degradation in the area. The analysis will be conducted to contribute to Myanmar’s preparations for its national REDD+ strategy.

Several activities are planned for the first half of this year. Local communities will receive training on how to prepare a forest and carbon inventory, integrating them more and more into REDD+ processes by handing over forest monitoring responsibilities. Fuelwood issues and the reduction of human pressure on surrounding natural forests will be addressed by distributing fuel efficient stoves among farmers in the area. In order to supplement degraded community forests, enrichment planting will be carried out with the support of local people during the monsoon. In addition, community members from the three selected villages in Taungyyi and the REDD+ Himalaya Initiative staff of Myanmar will visit Nepal to get insight into the country’s community forest system and foster further regional cooperation on REDD+.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

11 Dec 2015 News
UAV Research in Khumbu Valley

Against the unparalleled backdrop of Everest and Nuptse, the late November sun warms the glaciologist slightly as he prepares for ...

12 Apr 2016 News
ADAPTHIMAL Partners on the Job Training at ICIMOD

Partners Uttarakhand Gramya Vikas Samiti, Integrated Livelihood Support Project (UGVS-ILSP), India and High Value Agriculture Project in Hill ...

30 Jul 2018 HUC
HUC Academy 2018: Building Mountain Research Capacity

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, a global asset for food, energy and water resources, is ...

17 Feb 2015 News
Improving Water Management through Satellite Remote Sensing Applications

At the inaugural session, Kamran Ali Qureshi, Federal Secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology, emphasized ...

5 May 2017 Himalica
Chinese and Pakistani Bodies Sign MOU to Develop and Leverage Sea Buckthorn Industry in Pakistan

The AKRSP is the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) implementation partner for the Support to Rural Livelihoods and ...

2 Jan 2015 Climate change
Good science a must to address climate change in the HKH region

He issued a call for enhanced transboundary cooperation to address climate change in the HKH region. “Green house gas emissions, and ...

15 May 2017 SANDEE
Solar drier to reduce human dependency on forest resources in Mizoram, India

As a measure to promote value addition in agricultural practices on farmlands, the project has supported local communities in the ...

11 Aug 2015 News
Stakeholders discuss way forward for adaptation programme

Representatives of the promoters, partners, and stakeholders of the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) met in Delhi from 17-19 June 2015 ...