Review of Efforts to Combat Desertification and Arrest and Reverse Land Degradation in Myanmar - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 273

Unfortunately, scanty rain is not enough to wash out the accumulated salts. In
addition, using saline irrigation water causes salinization. Alkalinization also occurs
in the same way in dry zone areas.
The area of land degradation due to water logging is smaller than other affected
areas. Less than 1 % of the total land area found in the Ayeyawady Delta Region
is affected by water logging. Although the extent is small, water logging creates
adverse effects because of its occurrence in major rice production areas. Thus,
the nature and extent of water logging need to be studied to develop preventive
measures. Unfortunately, scanty rain is not enough to wash out the accumulated
salts. In addition, using saline irrigation water causes salinization. Alkalinization
also occurs in the same way in dry zone areas. The area of land degradation due to
water logging is smaller than other affected areas. Less than 1 % of the total land
area found in the Ayeyawady Delta Region is affected by water logging. Although
the extent is small, water logging creates adverse effects because of its occurrence
in major rice production areas. Thus, the nature and extent of water logging need to
be studied to develop preventive measures.

5 Deforestation

The Dry zone was once a heavily forested region. The heavy cutting of forests to
fire brick kilns for construction of stupas and pagodas are said to be primary cause
of forest destruction since 11 AD. The inevitable consequence of forest destruction
was drastic change in climate, gradually moving from bad to worse. Other main
causes of deforestation in Dry zone can be grouped into the following heads:

• Population growth

• Agricultural encroachment

• Increasing livestock population

• Increasing demand for fuel wood

The population, as well as population density, increased in all three Dry zone
divisions. The population density from 32 persons per km 2 in 1941 increased to
70 persons per km 2 in 1993. It led to encroachment on reserves and protected
areas. The increased population led to extension of agricultural fields and thus
encroachment of reserved and protected forests. In addition, it also led to increased
demand for domestic fuel as well as industrial usage. The deterioration of land due
to erosion and deforestation has made the agricultural production base unstable. The
main reasons include increased human as well as cattle population and demand for
fuel wood for domestic as well as industrial use. The natural resources of Dry zone
are being depleted more rapidly than nature can renew itself.
Fuel wood consumption is one of the main causes of deforestation, and excessive
cutting of trees for fire-wood before they are fully grown, leads to the loss of
growth potential of the forest stands. Therefore, Forest Department had launched
fuel-wood substitution program to reduce pressure on the utilization of wood for