Premium
Political transition and emergent forest‐conservation issues in Myanmar
Author(s) -
Prescott Graham W.,
Sutherland William J.,
Aguirre Daniel,
Baird Matthew,
Bowman Vicky,
Brunner Jake,
Connette Grant M.,
Cosier Martin,
Dapice David,
Alban Jose Don T.,
Diment Alex,
Fogerite Julia,
Fox Jefferson,
Hlaing Win,
Htun Saw,
Hurd Jack,
LaJeunesse Connette Katherine,
Lasmana Felicia,
Lim Cheng Ling,
Lynam Antony,
Maung Aye Chan,
McCarron Benjamin,
McCarthy John F.,
McShea William J.,
Momberg Frank,
Mon Myat Su,
Myint Than,
Oberndorf Robert,
Oo Thaung Naing,
Phelps Jacob,
Rao Madhu,
SchmidtVogt Dietrich,
Speechly Hugh,
SpringateBaginski Oliver,
Steinmetz Robert,
Talbott Kirk,
Than Maung Maung,
Thaung Tint Lwin,
Thawng Salai Cung Lian,
Thein Kyaw Min,
Thein Shwe,
Tizard Robert,
Whitten Tony,
Williams Guy,
Wilson Trevor,
Woods Kevin,
Ziegler Alan D.,
Zrust Michal,
Webb Edward L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13021
Subject(s) - deforestation (computer science) , politics , hydroelectricity , authoritarianism , civil society , revenue , corporate governance , government (linguistics) , state (computer science) , demise , business , democracy , political science , environmental resource management , natural resource economics , economics , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , accounting , finance , algorithm , computer science , law , biology , programming language
Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long‐running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon‐scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land‐tenure insecurity, large‐scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure‐ and energy‐project planning, and reforming land‐tenure and environmental‐protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions.