Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a sovereign state situated in Southeast Asia, sharing its borders with India to the northwest, Bangladesh to the west, China to the northeast, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south.
Environmental matters within Myanmar fall under the purview of the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF). The conservation and management of peatlands in Myanmar are coordinated as part of the broader SEApeat project, a significant initiative funded by the European Union.
In recent efforts to identify and assess peatlands within Myanmar, initial findings have revealed the presence of floating peat in regions near Inle Lake. Additionally, more peat deposits have been identified in back mangrove areas along the country’s coast. Myanmar’s rich and diverse landscape offers several other areas suspected to contain peat, and plans are in place to assess these regions in the upcoming months.
To facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of these valuable peatland ecosystems, a training session was conducted in May 2012. This training aimed to equip personnel with the necessary skills and knowledge to assess and protect peatlands effectively.
As Myanmar continues its endeavors to better understand, preserve, and manage its peatlands, these efforts align with broader regional and global initiatives aimed at conserving and utilizing these ecosystems responsibly. The identification and assessment of peatlands are pivotal steps in safeguarding these unique environments and their contribution to the country’s biodiversity and environmental well-being.
ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (APMS) and Training Modules on Peat Assessment (in Myanmar language)
