Review of Efforts to Combat Desertification and Arrest and Reverse Land Degradation in Myanmar - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 268

Keywords Dry Zone • Dry Zone Greening Department (DZGD) • 30-year Master
Plan • Afforestation • Fuelwood • UNCCD • Fuel-efficient stoves • Water short-
age • Drought • Irrigation soil erosion • Vegetables • Grains • Rice • Salinity •
Ayeyawady Delta

1 Introduction

The Union of Myanmar is the largest country of South-East Asia. It is a tropical
country located between latitudes 9 ı 28 0 N and 28 ı 29 0 N and longitudes 92 ı 10 0 E
and 101 ı 10 0 E. The length from northern to southern tip of the country is about
2,060 km. The total land area of Myanmar is 676,577 km 2 , of which about 51 % is
covered by forests and about 27 % is arable (or potentially arable) land of 13 % is
sown at any one time and 14 % is under fallow or is idle land. Existing farmlands
are protected against changes to other uses so some land awaits development for
cropping. Myanmar is regarded as an agriculture based country as it accounts for
40.2 % of the GDP and employs 64.1 % of the work force.
The country has several distinct climate zones ranging from the temperate region
of the north to the Dry Zone in central Myanmar and the monsoonal belts in the
northwest, west and south. It has a tropical climate with three seasons namely Rainy
(mid-May to mid-October), Winter (mid-October to mid-February) and Summer
(mid-February to mid-May). There is large variation in average precipitation as
coastal areas receive average precipitation in the range of 4,000-5,600 mm while
central dry zone receives precipitation in the range of 600 and 1,400 mm. During
the wet season annual rainfall received by each region is quite different. In general,
there is shortage of soil moisture in the dry zone even in the wet season, while excess
moisture prevails in lower Myanmar. At the end of the wet (monsoon) season it is
totally dry and most of the crops planted in the season need to rely on residual
soil moisture, except those in irrigated tracts. In order to provide supplementary
irrigation for monsoon crops and full irrigation for winter season sown crops,
dams, weirs, reservoirs were constructed and pump stations were established so that
enough food will be produced for the growing population.

2 Implications of Human Settlement Expansion

on Farmland, Landscape, Forestland, Wetlands,
and Biological Diversity in Coastal Areas

The government's policy objectives to boost agricultural production included
development of land resources for agricultural expansion, provision of adequate
irrigation water for agricultural purposes, support for agricultural mechanization
accelerated transfer of improved new technologies and development and utilization