Background

Globally, Myanmar’s agricultural productivity ranks as the second most vulnerable to climate change [1]. A third of Myanmar’s population live in areas at high risk of flooding, and around 10 per cent of the country are likely to be affected by a sea level rise of more than one metre[2]. Accordingly, responding to the threat of climate change is crucial for Myanmar.

 

LIFT's Approach

According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Myanmar’s climate is changing, with several observable trends over the last six decades. These include an increase in mean temperature, an increase in overall rainfall in most areas with a declining trend in some areas, and the late onset and early termination of the south-west monsoon. Overall there has been an increase in extreme weather events and a rise in sea levels. The floods and landslides of July and August 2015 underline how vulnerable Myanmar’s agricultural sector is to extreme weather. Over 1.4 million acres (527,000 hectares) of farmland were flooded, more than 841,000 acres (341,000 hectares) of crop land was destroyed, and around 242,000 livestock were killed. 

Building the resilience of people and communities features strongly in the LIFT strategy, and resilience to climate change is a core component of this. LIFT continues to align with the Government of Myanmar’s National Climate Change Adaptation Programme of Action 2012, and many of its agricultural, forestry and fisheries programmes are run on the principles of climate smart agriculture.

Examples of LIFT’s support for climate change resilience and adaptation

Climate change adaption activities

Examples of LIFT-funded contributions in 2015

Supporting farmers to develop resilient agriculture systems

Developing resilient seeds: LIFT continues to support the trials of rice varieties that are adapted to conditions that will become more common as a result of climate change. IRRI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, focuses on the testing of new stress-tolerant, high-yield rice varieties that produce the grain quality preferred by local farmers, in the Delta, the Dry Zone and Rakhine State. Looking ahead to 2016, LIFT has set aside funds to work with the government on seed production for beans and pulses, and the private sector for seed multiplication, processing and marketing, with the aim of producing higher quality varieties that are suitable to the changing climate in the Dry Zone.

Crop diversification: LEAD and Radana Ayar have led efforts in the Delta to plant a variety of summer crops in areas of saline water intrusion, with varying success.

Post-harvest processes: GRET, WHH and IRRI work in the Delta to reduce post-harvest losses which are often connected to climate unpredictability. They are introducing drying facilities and weather-resistant storage so that farmers are able to store their crops and not have to sell them at harvest time when prices are lowest.

Climate-sensitive advisory services: Research by Proximity Designs resulted in farmers in saline areas of the Delta being able to grow a dry season paddy crop in 2015, using short growing resilient rice and a lunar-based method, irrigating only when the saline content of the water is lowest. Global GAP (good agricultural practices) certification is being offered to small holder farmers through the Radana Ayar-Heineken, Prime and Mercy Corps projects. In addition, UNESCO is developing mobile applications to provide farmers with timely information, including climate information and advice.

Diversifying household income through non-farm and off-farm small businesses

Financing off-farm small businesses: LIFT‘s Financial Inclusion programme works across the country to provide responsible financial products, supporting both farm and off-farm activities. The aim is also to promote the diversification of income sources, thereby increasing a household’s ability to handle a shock or setback. LIFT’s partners provided financial services to nearly one million clients in 2015.

Facilitating off-farm employment opportunities: In all geographic zones, LIFT supports communities by increasingly focusing on more diversification into non-farm-based livelihoods. Many non-farm-based livelihoods are less affected by natural disasters and continue to provide livelihood support in times of crisis.

Small business development: ADRA’s project supporting government TVET in Hpa ‘An provided vocational training leading to 62 per cent of graduates starting their own businesses in tailoring, mechanics and computer services in 2014. Another project promoting ‘stepping out’ of marginalized farming is seen in Cesvi’s income generating activities in northern Shan. Working across the country, the University of Sydney/EDNA project provides mentoring for small business entrepreneurs.

Migration: LIFT supports safe migration as both a response to stress and opportunity. In 2015, LIFT launched a new USD 18 million migration programme. See section 4.4 for details.

Natural Resource Management

Water management:

  1. In September, LIFT signed an agreement with the Water Resources and Utilisation Department for the USD 5 million refurbishment of the Pyawt Ywa irrigation scheme in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region. The project will enable 1,000 farmers to avoid being completely reliant on risky rain-fed agriculture. The project is also a pilot to develop and demonstrate procedures that can be used to increase the viability of irrigation schemes in general.
  2. Communities in Chin can experience water shortages for up to six months per year. GRET/CORAD has supported over 100 upland villages by helping them to connect to dependable water sources for irrigating agricultural terraces.
  3. The Tat Lan Programme in Rakhine protects farmland from storm surges and salt water intrusion. By the end of 2015, 148 kilometres of robust embankments with 31 sluice gates and 27 culverts had been built to protect 22,297 acres of paddy land.
  4. Terre des Hommes Italy has introduced water-efficient technologies such as drip irrigation and hydroponics in the Dry Zone. Along with an earlier project by Proximity Designs, they re-built village ponds to improve water security.
  5. In 2016, LIFT will undertake a study to map ground water resources in the Dry Zone in order to develop a comprehensive water management plan for two townships.

Agroforestry:  LIFT is funding a project implemented by the World Agroforestry Centre and local partner Ar Yone Oo in Chin and Shan States, both of which are prone to soil degradation from deforestation. Heavy flooding in Chin has complicated the start of the project, but trees have now been planted and the first cropping cycle will start with the 2016 rainy season.

Community forestry: Past and future projects by MERN and CARE have focused on environmental sustainability through registration of community forest.

Community approaches to reducing vulnerabilities

Village action plans and disaster risk preparedness and management:

  1. In the Delta, World Vision is strengthening existing disaster management committees at community level, and the development disaster preparedness plans that feed township plans to address climate change. The project will build community and institutional understanding of climate risk, drive increased responsiveness, and promote scale-up and replication of resilient practices in the face of climate extremes.
  2. Also in the Delta, Mercy Corps is doing a Strategic Resilience Assessment (STRESS) based on methodologies used for a similar Dry Zone STRESS conducted in 2014. The STRESS process will be used to develop (or adapt) a strategy for building resilience and will provide a guide for operationalizing resilience and measuring impact.

 

LIFT's Key Projects

Tat Lan Sustainable Food Security And Livelihoods Programme

Reducing Risks And Improving Livelihoods In The Rice Environments

Livelihoods Support For Vulnerable Communities In Bogalay, Maw Gyun And Labutta

Improving Livelihoods Of Rice-based Rural Households In The Lower Delta

 

Photos

 

The Ayeyarwady Region is the rice bowl of Myanmar, but it is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. New farming techniques, like crop diversification, are helping farmers increase yields and incomes. 

Farmers harvesting rice in the Ayeyarwady delta. In some villages, farmers have traditionally been restricted to growing one crop per year during the monsoon season.

Photo: Minzayar Oo / World Bank

 

 

 

 

To grow healthier crops and increase incomes, farmers have benefited from new knowledge and techniques learned through community programmes by NGOs like Proximity Designs who provide farm advisory services, with support from LIFT. 

Photo: Minzayar Oo / World Bank 

 

 

 

In a village in Mawlamyinegyun Township, farmers have recently started growing secondary crops such as sticky rice in the summer after learning about crop diversification. Sticky rice is well suited for this village as it is more resilient to salt water. For Khin Maung Oo, sticky rice can fetch MMK 950,000 (USD 778) per 100 baskets, compared to MMK 750,000 (USD 614) for monsoon rice paddy.​

Photo: Minzayar Oo / World Bank 

 

 

 

Good farming practices, crop diversification and high prices for sticky rice have helped farmers make a profit from their investments.

Photo: Minzayar Oo/World Bank

 

 

 

Video

Al Jazeera English report explains how Myanmar is affected by climate change and how  farmer advisory services provided by LIFT partner Proximity Designs helps to keep farmers one  step ahead of the impacts of climate change:Myanmar's Smart Farmers

 

 

 

[1] Wheeler, D. Quantifying Vulnerability to Climate Change: Implications for Adaption Assistance, Washington DC: Center for Global Development, Working paper 240, January 2011

[2] Africa Development Bank (ADB), Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific—Final Report, 201

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