Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Myanmar

Abstract

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Myanmar Country Forest Note

“…Estimates put the value of unlicensed or illegal timber exports at four times the documented value (Raitzer et al 2015;UNODC 2013). In 2018, large volumes of timber were reportedly exported illegally to China through the Ruili route.…”

Myanmar Country Environmental Analysis

“…Direct contributions to economic production are undervalued due to illicit and informal use of natural resources. Estimates put the value of unlicensed or illegal timber exports at four times the documented value (Raitzer, Samson, and Nam 2015;UNODC 2013), and timber is estimated to account for a small proportion of the total volume of forest products. Over 80 percent of woody biomass extracted in 2017 was for wood fuels (based on FAO 2018a).…”

Myanmar Country Environmental Analysis

“…Myanmar's EIA system is struggling to cope with the demands it faces from an environment sector that is increasingly under stress. EIAs are critical to identifying and managing the potential impacts of large-scale development and striking the balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and social inclusion (IFC 2017;Raitzer, Samson, and Nam 2015). Significant recent progress has been achieved in establishing the legal and regulatory framework.…”

“…Timber can now only legally be exported through Yangon (with a minor concession from Myeik port in southern Tanintharyi). Estimates put the value of unlicensed or illegal timber exports at four times the documented value (Raitzer, Samson, and Nam 2015;UNODC 2015). In 2018, large volumes of timber were still reported to be exported illegally to China through the Ruili route, which partially explains the discrepancy of export data.…”