Development of the DZGD
5.3 Case study: Rehabilitation of Shin-ma-taung Hill in the Central dry zone of Myanmar
5.3.1 General characteristics
This is an isolated hill in central flat land peaking at 525 masl Figure 7. The total area of 7 687 ha is made up of 7 300 ha of reserved forest and 400 ha of unclassed forests. Severe weather and environmental conditions such as low rainfall, high temperature and frequent droughts are common. The average annual rainfall has been 450 mm for the last 20 years. Maximum day time temperature rises to 45°C in summer months March to May; the lowest temperature is about 12°C on winter nights December to February. The soil is poor, mostly sandy gravel and rocky, and is not productive. Natural vegetation is dry-thorn forests, dominated by Acacia, Ziziphus and Neem species. The area is well known for Limonia acidissima, locally called Thanakha, from which facial and body cream is made. Figure 7. Location of Shin-ma-taung Hill Source: DZGD 2013.5.3.2 Deforestation and forest degradation in the area
Shin-ma-taung Hill used to be covered with good dry forest until the 1960s. Since the 1970s, the area faced severe pressure for logs, poles, posts, fuelwood and so forth. After 30 years of such intensive cutting and overexploitation, the once-green hill became highly degraded and partly barren. Local streams and ponds dried out, and the wild animals disappeared. Furthermore, the harsh climatic and edaphic conditions made it difficult for the degraded forests to recover naturally.5.3.3 Rehabilitation efforts
Rehabilitation was initiated by the Forest Department in 1995. Since its formation in 1997, the DZGD took over this responsibility and has been carrying out the work to date. The main strategy is a combination of plantation establishment and protection of remaining natural vegetation. The protection of remaining natural forests is applied where genetic resources such as mother trees and stumps still remain. From 1998 to 2003 a total 4 926 ha of degraded forest has been kept under continuous care and protection Figure 8. Plantation establishment was applied in barren areas with no vegetation for natural recovery. In this case both village fuelwood plantation, community forest plantation, watershed plantation and hill regreening were established. The aim was to rehabilitate the area and also to provide basic needs for local communities. Trees used for plantation establishment are mostly local indigenous hardy species like Acacia, Ziziphus and Neem. From 1995 to 2001, 2 165 ha of forest plantation were established. This included 807 ha of village fuelwood plantation, 31 ha of community forest plantation, 324 ha of watershed plantation and 1 001 ha of hill regreening plantation. The total rehabilitated area, a combination of natural forest protection area and forest plantation, has reached up to 7 091 ha, or 92 percent of the hill area. Only 596 ha remain untouched. These untouched areas are mostly steep slopes and rocky areas that are difficult for any field operation. Authorities are expecting them to recover naturally over time. Site Location Shin-ma-taung Hill Yesagyo Township, Pakokku District, Magway Region, Central Dry Zone of Myanmar 96 Currently, after 18 years of continuous rehabilitation efforts, Shin-ma-taung Hill has been regreened, and provides all of its former ecological services Figure 9. Streams and ponds have regained their sustainable water levels even in the dry season, wildlife has returned birds, squirrels, rabbits and deer, along with an abundance of fuelwood and fodder for local communities.5.3.4 Conclusion
This case study clearly shows the success of a combination of two different forest rehabilitation strategies, i.e. forest plantation establishment and protection of remaining natural vegetation. If applied appropriately, with continuous follow up, even heavily degraded forest areas that are unproductive can be fully rehabilitated within two decades. At the moment, 17 severely degraded hills and mountains of the Central dry zone of Myanmar are being rehabilitated by the DZGD using this model. Figure 8. Shin-ma-taung Hill in 2000 Figure 9. Shin-ma-taung Hill in 2012Parts
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» Natural regeneration forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Agroforestry forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Ecological restoration forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» China forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Indonesia forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Myanmar forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Nepal forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Philippines forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Thailand forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Principles of CNFM Technical indicators with quantitative options
» Stand Operation Regime The five operational tasks of CNFM
» Commercial forest zone – timber production with no restriction on operation intensity.
» Species consideration for the MFFM plan
» Design of the FDT and operation models
» Brief cases of FLR in other regions
» Tentative results The five operational tasks of CNFM
» Causes of forest degradation
» Direct causes forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Underlying causes and agents of deforestation
» History of initiatives, strategies and techniques
» Major policies influencing rehabilitation initiatives in the New Order Era
» Industrial timber plantations HTI
» State forest rehabilitation programmes implemented by state-owned companies
» The FMU as an FLR approach: Sumbawa, Eastern Indonesia
» Gunungkidul District in Yogyakarta
» Conditions for success Broader socio-economic and political causes
» National strategy for forest and landscape restoration
» Permanent forest estate in 2002
» Forest landownership Broader socio-economic and political causes
» History of deforestation and forest degradation
» Deforestation rate Broader socio-economic and political causes
» Forest degradation Broader socio-economic and political causes
» Current status Broader socio-economic and political causes
» PFE status Broader socio-economic and political causes
» Direct causes Broader socio-economic and political causes
» Overexploitation and illegal logging
» Shifting cultivation forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Expansion of agricultural lands and construction of dams
» Demand on woodfuel forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Settlements and urbanization forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Population growth forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Poverty forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Weak law enforcement forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Conventional forest administration and lack of people’s participation
» Insufficient budget forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Impact on livelihoods No proper all-inclusive land-use policy
» Impact on biodiversity No proper all-inclusive land-use policy
» Impact of forest managementgovernance
» Plantation establishment forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Community forestry development forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Case study: Rehabilitation of Shin-ma-taung Hill in the Central dry zone of Myanmar
» General characteristics forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Deforestation and forest degradation in the area
» Rehabilitation efforts forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Reforming forest policies forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Reconciling global and national policies
» Public awareness forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Monitoring and evaluation forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Financing forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» The private sector National budget
» Location and topography National budget
» Land classification National budget
» Forest landownership National budget
» Current status of forest degradation and deforestation
» State of forest degradation and rehabilitation needs
» Forests under non-forest use
» Direct causes National budget
» Underlying causes National budget
» Environmental degradation in Nepal
» Technical approaches Other initiatives to implement forest restoration
» Economic assessment of different possible forest restorationrehabilitation strategies
» Case study: Chautara pine reforestation sites
» Conditions for success Forest restorationrehabilitation strategies
» Policy measures forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» National strategy for forest and landscape restoration: the way forward
» Brief overview Economic and market approaches
» Current status of forest degradation
» Economic impacts Underlying causes
» Environmental impacts Underlying causes
» Economic assessment of different forest restoration and rehabilitation techniques and approaches
» Conditions for success Techniques
» Reforms in major policy areas
» Consistency with current national policies
» Consistency with major international commitments
» Causes of forest degradation – direct causes
» Underlying causes Descriptive FLR strategies
» Environmental impact: extreme weather, change in soil resources
» Economic loss Descriptive FLR strategies
» Social consequences Descriptive FLR strategies
» A history of initiatives, strategies and techniques
» Forest area decline Forest restoration measures and methods
» Direct causes Forest restoration measures and methods
» Overharvesting of forests forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Infrastructure development forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Armed conflicts forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Underlying causes Forest fires
» Poverty and high population pressures
» Economic development policies forest landscape restoration for asia pacific forests 2016 04 eng
» Institutional weakness, weak law enforcement and financial deficits
» Conditions for success Finance
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