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Deforestation in Myanmar

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Under British rule, Myanmar's forests were logged for timber on an industrial scale for the first time. After independence, commercial logging greatly expanded under the military government of Ne Win. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, Myanmar lost 19%, or 7,445,000 hectares (28,750 sq mi), of its forest between 1990 and 2010. In the 21st century, contributing factors to deforestation in Myanmar include continued timber extraction, illegal logging, agricultural expansion, land disputes and civil conflict. Deforestation has increased amidst the escalation of civil war following the 2021 coup d'état.

History

Colonial era

Although the traditional agricultural practice of swiddening has been practised in Burma for thousands of years, there are no signs that it led to significant deforestation and may in fact have helped maintain the forests. Significant deforestation in Burma began in the 1800s during the colonial era as the British cut down large expanses of forest for timber, a resource in high demand for their empire. Hardwoods were very important to the British for shipbuilding, especially teak which was valued for its durability and water resistant properties.

Following the annexation of Lower Burma in 1856, the British colonial government established the Forest Department in an effort to establish a sustainable system for logging. Coming mainly from the Pegu Range of central Burma, logs would be pulled by elephants to rivers and then floated downstream to sawmills. The imperial demand for timber established logging as the main source of revenue for British Burma. Right before World War II, British Burma peaked logging operations, producing 447,000 tons of timber.

Post-independence

After independence in 1948, ethnic uprisings and civil unrest pushed aside both conservation and logging efforts. Insurgent groups holding control of the majority of Burma's forested regions made it increasingly dangerous for the Forest Department and the State Timber Board (the government's organisation in charge of teak extraction) to carry out operations.

State logging activities recommenced with vigor, however, after the establishment of General Ne Win's military regime in 1962. The government, under military rule and the Burma Socialist Programme Party, claimed control of the forests and supported a State Timber Board nearly seven times larger than the 1952 establishment. The growth of the State Timber Board represents the growing importance of timber exports. While teak exports represented only 4% of total exports in 1952, by the late 1980s they accounted for up to 42%. As a result, over 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 sq mi) of forest cover were lost between the late 1960s and the late 1980s. Forest cover decreased from about 70% at the time of independence to 46% in the late 1980s.

The 1988 uprising and formation of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) changed little in terms of the state's policy on deforestation. In 1989, the Burmese state made deals with 42 Thai logging companies to log within the Thai-Burmese border resulting in the deforestation over up to 18,000 square kilometres (7,000 sq mi). In 1992 the SLORC passed a new Forest Law that, for the first time, put emphasis on environmental conservation and in 1993 shut down the Thai logging deals. Despite the new law, unregulated logging operations and exports continue to threaten the hardwood forests and continue the pace of deforestation.

The deforestation rate of Myanmar declined from 0.95% per year in the years 1990–2010 to about 0.3% per year, making Myanmar's rate lower than other countries of the region such as Indonesia or Vietnam. Despite the diversity and size of Burma's forests, only 6.3% of the land was protected and much of it remained under the threat of deforestation. Three main factors contributed to continued deforestation by this stage; unsustainable and illegal logging, unresolved land rights and land disputes and extensive agricultural development.

Following political liberalisation during the 2010s, Myanmar's forest department and more than 45 non-governmental organizations and civil society groups began working to address deforestation and land tenure issues. These efforts were curtailed after the military seized power in the 2021 coup d'état. After the coup, illegal logging, mining and forest product exports all increased amidst the escalation of civil war. Conservation efforts by civil society groups were curtailed by the conflict. Timber exports are the responsibility of the Myanma Timber Enterprise and raise funds for the military government.

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