Project

Community-based integrated catchment management to conserve the Upper Chindwin River Basin

SEI Asia and partners are supporting local communities in Myanmar’s Upper Chindwin River Basin with community-based water and resource management and biodiversity conservation.

Birds in the Bank of Khamti Town Photo: SEI Asia

Active project

2021–2024

Project contacts

Thanapon Piman / thanapon.piman@sei.orgRidhi Saluja / ridhi.saluja@sei.org

About

SEI Asia is implementing a community-based integrated catchment management project to conserve the Upper Chindwin River sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Darwin Initiative. The project is collaborating with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and Myanmar Environment Institute (MEI).

The project aims to improve the livelihoods of local communities in the Upper Chindwin River Basin’s Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) by implementing community-based water and resource management strategies and biodiversity conservation.

The Upper Chindwin KBA remains one the least protected areas in the Indo-Burma region although it is the habitat for many threatened and critically endangered flora and fauna including 38 freshwater animal species such as the critically endangered Batagur trivittata (Burmese Roofed Turtle).

It is critical to support the lives and livelihoods of the people who depend on the Upper Chindwin River Basin by improving land and water management practices and increasing public and policy awareness of the socio-ecological importance of, and the wide-ranging threats to, the basin’s biologically rich and diverse ecosystems.

Rice farming and fishing constitute the primary means of subsistence for the majority of the people in the basin, with eighty percent of the population depending on fields, forests, lakes, streams, and wetlands for their livelihoods and income. Hence, conservation and restoration of the basin ecosystems is critical for maintaining the quality of ecosystem services, especially given the increasing impacts of climate change.

The project integrates local communities’ perception of biodiversity and ecosystem services to develop Community Action Plans (CAPs). The CAPs aim to supplement the existing knowledge base to improve existing agricultural, mining, and water (and wetland) management practices. The project will also facilitate local community capacity building in defining conservation and restoration zones, improving community-based natural resource management, and promoting just transitions to more equitable and sustainable resource use. The project aims to benefit approximately 12,000 residents in nine villages.

Objectives

Building capacity of civil society and government agencies in assessing potential impacts of development and climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services and livelihoods.
Mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services values into policies and plans
Raising public awareness on biodiversity conservation.

Outputs

The KBA in the Upper Chindwin Basin will provide improved and more secure habitats for endangered species and better livelihood pathways through enhanced ecosystem services for the local people.

Baseline assessment of physical conditions, ecosystem services, critical biodiversity hotspots and habitats, and existing livelihood practices on water and land management, informing an endorsed habitat restoration plan and CAPs development.
Community Action Plans (CAP) focusing on integrated wetland ecosystem measures developed for nine villages, implemented in three priority villages.
Optimal ecological conditions agreed upon for endangered and key livelihood species and habitat restoration plan completed and shared.
Policy and recommendations published for upscaling CAP and conservation measures to other villages with Upper Chindwin Basin KBAs.

SEI in the Chindwin River Basin

SEI has worked with Myanmar’s partners and stakeholders for over a decade on environmental and development-related issues to accelerate the country’s transition to sustainable development.

SEI has previously worked on the Chindwin Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (CBES) 2017-2019 project, which helped to identify potential impacts of climate change on livelihoods and biodiversity, as well as supported decision-makers to strategize for integrated river basin management. Read more about it here.

The Chindwin Futures Projects (2015-2016), implemented by SEI, facilitated the connection between science and governance in Myanmar’s water sector. The project assisted in the establishment of Myanmar’s first River Basin Organization (RBO) for natural resource management.

Prior to the Chindwin Futures, The Ayeyarwady Futures Partnership (AFP) partnered with key environmental organizations and government agencies to enhance environmental research and resource management capabilities. Read more about it here.

Watch the short film about The Chindwin River

Implementation of Community Action Plans (CAP)

The Upper Chindwin River’s Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) serves as a habitat for endangered species within Myanmar. The KBA encompasses Hkamti Township, which harbors 38 freshwater species currently facing threats. Among these species are the Batagur trivittata (Burmese Roofed Turtle) and Puntius manipurensis, Schistura kangjupkhulensis, and Schistura reticulate, all of which are classified as Critically Endangered or Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017.

The town of Hkamti, situated along the Chindwin River, is characterized by several tributaries and streams that provide ample freshwater resources. The wetlands of this area hold significant value in terms of the resources and their contribution to the economic sustenance of the local population. These highly productive wetland ecosystems offer diverse habitats for a wide array of flora and fauna. The degradation of wetlands has been observed for several years, resulting from both natural and anthropogenic factors. Under anthropogenic pressure, the function and services of these ecosystems have deteriorated.

This practical action plan is being developed to address improper land and water management practices in the priority wetlands and associated villages. In addition, community-driven initiatives have the potential to sustain current livelihoods in an environmentally responsible manner through wetland conservation, rehabilitation, capacity-building, and awareness-raising programs (CEPA). Based on the research and expert deliberations, the favored approaches or actions include pisciculture, pig farming, provision of seed capital for rice and groundnut production, and financial support for land acquisition and tenure.

Wetland fact sheets

The significant information on habitat and biodiversity, livelihood type, the community depending on wetland resources and their utilization, and critical species required to conserve have been described in each wetland fact sheet. The fact sheets can be accessed below:

Conserving biodiversity in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar

SEI brief / These two policy briefs explore policy challenges for biodiversity conservation in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar.

9 January 2019 / About Disaster risk, Ecosystems, Food and agriculture and Wellbeing

Chindwin Futures: Natural resources, livelihoods, institutions and climate change in Myanmar’s Chindwin River Basin

Other publication / This socio-ecological assessment of the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar shows it is facing huge changes that can both benefit and harm vulnerable communities.

20 September 2021 / About Adaptation, Climate policy, Ecosystems, Forests and Water resources

Policy recommendations for environmental conservation in the Chindwin River Basin

SEI brief / This brief explores ideas for enhancing community-based conservation in the Chindwin River Basin.

1 October 2021 / About Water resources

1. Rapid Village Assessment

The project undertook rapid village assessments (RVA) in the priority villages as part of the project’s goals to preserve ecosystems to support livelihoods and implement community measures for the conservation of wetlands. The results of the RVA are intended to help prioritize villages for the next state of project activities, including more in-depth surveys and the development of Community Action Plans (CAP) to establish sustainable agricultural, mining and water management practices.

2. Baseline Assessment

Baseline survey

In July 2022, a survey was conducted in five priority wetlands and dependent villages. This survey aimed to develop a baseline for socioeconomics, biodiversity, and physical parameters, which would inform the development of Community Action Plans (CAPs) for livelihood enhancement and biodiversity conservation.

Data collection involved focus group discussions and in-depth surveys. Village Working Committees were also set up in each village to be engaged throughout to guide project activities.

Wetland at Tharyar Kone Village. Photo: Naga Social network organization (NSNO).

Focus group discussion at Nar Mittyar Village. Photo: Myanmar Environment Institute (MEI).

Focus group discussion at Phaung Saing Village. Photo: Myanmar Environment Institute (MEI).

Some key findings of the baseline assessment are as follows:

Most respondents have seasonal livelihoods and inadequate income and often struggle due to seasonal unemployment.
7 percent of respondents were involved in subsistence agriculture, with livestock (3.8 percent) and fishing (3.8 percent) being the second most crucial livelihood source.
Nearly all respondents (99.2 percent) agreed that healthy wetlands support their livelihood practices and need to be conserved.
Despite the prevalence of agricultural activities in the villages, agricultural expansion was not identified as a significant threat to the wetland ecosystems. In contrast, mining was highlighted as a significant threat in all villages. Illegal fishing techniques and land ownership issues also emerged as threats.
The wetlands provide a habitat for several endangered species, including the Burmese roofed turtle, Puntius manipurensis, Schistura kangjupkhulensis, Schistura reticulate, and Dipterocarpus retusus. The basin is adversely affected by an increased influx of sediments into these wetlands, as suggested by higher turbidity values.
Key implementation priorities include delineating wetland boundaries and conservation zones, establishing community-led wetland monitoring, rehabilitation activities for former logging and mining areas, developing regulations around sustainable fishing, promotion of alternative livelihood options (specifically, livestock rearing, agriculture and fishponds), and general awareness raising for sustainable livelihoods and wetland conservation.

The project’s next steps will be to develop the CAPs and build local capacity to implement livelihood options and conservation activities. A follow-up biodiversity and biophysical wetland survey will be undertaken in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Introduction of capacity building training program

The training of trainers (TOT) was organized to build the capacity of our local partner, Naga Social Network Organization (NSNO) team members on specific topics including 1. wetland conservation, 2. small-scale fish farming, aquaculture and food processing of fish-product, 3. biodiversity and ecosystem services in the year of 2023 and 2024. The comprehensive training took 3-4 days for each topic to ensure a good understanding of the course materials and the role of resource persons.

Following the TOT trainings, the community training programs were conducted to facilitate knowledge sharing with the NSNO, leading these efforts to empower the community in the four priority villages. In addition, after the co-developing of Community Action Plans (CAP), local wetland rules and regulations and CAPs discussions have been carried out by the NSNO with the village working committee (VWC) and the community in four priority villages on various dates throughout April, May, and June of 2024. These trainings aimed to enhance community members’ awareness, mainly targeting the VWC, monitoring team, and interested persons dedicated to conserving the wetland and ecosystem. This training will enhance greater community participation in conservation and restoration activities as the local community becomes more aware of the significance of wetland existence and the value of ecosystem services.

Empowering the community, the village working committee (VWC) in the four priority villages through training sessions that can enhance the capacity in conservation efforts and apply sustainable practices.