Description/subject: Links to the Convention, Myanmar reports etc.
Description/subject: "... Without local support, the long-term existence of PAs is not assured (Wells and McShane 2004). Local people are unlikely to support PAs if they have negative perceptions and attitudes toward them (Alkan et al. 2009). An attitude is a cognitive evaluation of a particular entity with favor or disfavor, and it reflects the beliefs that people hold about the attitude object or entity (Eagly and Chaiken 1998). Beliefs are the associations that people establish between the attitude object and various attributes (Allendorf 2007). Attitudes toward PAs, conservation, or wildlife may be influenced by PA staff or management interventions, local economic needs and history, or other indirectly related socioeconomic factors such as government policy. The cognitions or thoughts that are associated with attitudes are typically termed beliefs by attitude theorists (Eagly and Chaiken 1998). Perception refers to people's beliefs that derive from their experiences and interaction with a program or activity. Xu et al. (2006) argue that local people's perceptions are related to costs and benefits produced by PAs, their dependence on PA resources, and their knowledge about PAs. The influences of socioeconomic characteristics on local people's perceptions and attitudes toward an adjacent PA are often site-specific and inconsistent (Allendorf et al. 2006; Baral and Heinen 2007; Mehta and Heinen 2001; Rao et al. 2003; Shibia 2010; Shrestha and Alavalapati 2006; Xu et al. 2006). Some studies report that education is a strong predictor of attitude (Allendorf et al. 2006; Mehta and Heinen 2001; Shibia 2010; Shrestha and Alavalapati 2006; Xu et al. 2006), while others have found no correlation between educational status and people's perceptions and attitudes (Baral and Heinen 2007; Mehta and Heinen 2001). Mehta and Heinen (2001), Allendorf et al. (2006), and Xu et al. (2006) reported that women were less likely to hold positive attitudes, whereas Baral and Heinen (2007) and Shibia (2010) found no correlation between gender and attitude. Allendorf et al. (2006) and Shrestha and Alavalapati (2006) found that individuals from larger families have negative attitudes to PAs, whereas Xu et al. (2006) reported that individuals from larger families hold positive attitudes toward PAs. Jim and Xu (2002) and Alkan et al. (2009) argue that local people's perceptions and attitudes are shaped by their knowledge about the neighboring PA. This knowledge might include objectives, activities, size, regulations, or location of the boundary of PAs (Jim and Xu 2002; Rao et al. 2003; Xu et al. 2006). The knowledge is gained empirically through one's perceptions, and it is the recognition of something sensed or felt (Ziadat 2010). It is important to investigate whether more knowledge of PAs would be associated with positive perceptions and attitudes toward them. We examined the effects of both knowledge and socioeconomic factors on the perceptions and attitudes of local people toward Popa Mountain Park, in central Myanmar, and its management through a questionnaire survey. Myanmar is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, and its PAs play a crucial role in conserving the country's rich biodiversity (Myers et al. 2000). During the last 10 years the number of protected areas in Myanmar has increased from 20 to 42, covering 7.3% of total land area of the country (Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division 2008). The Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division (NWCD) of the Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry, is mainly responsible for PA management in Myanmar. Generally, PAs in Myanmar can be categorized into national park, marine park, wildlife sanctuary, nature reserve, and zoo park. Although Myanmar's PAs do not fully conform to PA categories of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they are most similar to IUCN category IV (Aung 2007). Myanmar's PA management rules and regulations prohibit local people from using resources within PAs. Conflicts arise as local people often have no other source of resource than the PA. Rao, Rabinowitz, and Khaing (2002) reported that nontimber forest products were extracted from 85% and fuelwood was collected from more than 50% of PAs in Myanmar. The mean annual population growth rate is 2.1% (Central Statistics Organisation 2006) and is highest in rural areas where most Myanmar PAs are located. Population increase is linked to an increase in the number of people seeking land for grazing, collecting fuelwood, and extracting timber and other forest products. The rapid growth of PAs and the huge pressures placed on them by the increasing human population are a great challenge for sustainable PA management. Popa Mountain Park (PMP) possesses a diverse forest ecosystem in central Myanmar where most forests have already disappeared. PMP was selected for the present study for two reasons: (1) a historic relationship between PMP and local communities and (2) high people's pressure on the park resulting from the high population density together with resource scarcity in the surrounding area. The Forest Department has had great success in the reforestation of Popa Mountain, which is a high priority for forest conservation. It is important to understand local people's perceptions and attitudes toward PMP for its sustainability. The objectives of the present study were (1) to examine the responses of local people toward the park and its management and (2) to study how local people's perceptions and attitudes toward the PA and its management relate to their socioeconomic status and knowledge about the park..."
Description/subject: "... From grassroots conservation projects to international committees on the environment, women are often underrepresented in the conservation process (Deda and Rubian 2004; Sodhi et al. 2010). Women's participation is often limited to awareness-raising activities and labor contribution projects (Arya 2007). In their review of implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Deda and Rubian (2004) conclude that greater efforts must be made to address the gender disparity in biodiversity conservation policy and actions. Positive relationships between local residents and protected areas are critical to the long-term successful conservation of protected areas. Ensuring that women's perspectives are included in our understanding of those relationships is not only an important component of a fair and inclusive conservation process, but also has positive practical implications for conservation of protected areas. On one hand, this is because protected areas can disproportionately impact women. For example, women have been shown to bear a greater share of the psychological and physical costs of wildlife conflicts in India (Ogra 2008). If these differences are not recognized, women may receive fewer direct benefits from conservation and be left bearing more costs (Hunter et al. 1990). On the other hand, women can make significant contributions to conservation. Westermann et al. (2005) found in natural resource management groups in 20 countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, that collaboration, solidarity, and conflict resolution were greater in groups where women were present. In Nepal and India, Agarwal (2009) found that greater women's participation in forestry groups was correlated with better forest condition, in terms of both conservation and regeneration, and increased forest patrolling and rule compliance. Unfortunately, our understanding of gender in the context of people's attitudes toward protected areas (PAs) is limited. Many studies limit their sample to household heads, who are most often men (e.g., Tessema et al. 2010; Vodouheˆ et al. 2010), or do not break down results by gender (e.g., Silori 2007; Rinzin et al. 2009). Studies that include gender as one of many socioeconomic characteristics that may influence people's relationships with PAs, along with others such as education and wealth, have had mixed results. Some studies find that men have more positive attitudes toward specific protected areas (Mehta and Heinen 2001; Xu et al. 2006; King and Peralvo 2010), some find women more positive (Arjunan et al. 2006), and some find no difference (Bauer 2003; Carrus et al. 2005; Wang et al. 2006; Baral and Heinen 2007; Ferreira and Freire 2009). As described earlier, studies examine the role of gender in conservation without attention to attitudes toward protected areas or they explore the determinants of attitudes toward protected areas without a focus on gender. To our knowledge, however, there are no studies that focus on the effect of gender on attitudes toward protected areas. Thus, this article contributes to the literature by directly examining gender differences in local residents' perceptions of protected areas in Myanmar. We explore whether men and women differ in their attitudes toward the protected areas and perceptions of protected area benefits and problems. Then we explore whether gendered differences in perceptions and socioeconomic characteristics account for any difference in women's and men's attitude toward the protected areas..."
Description/subject: "... The first commercial small-scale oil palm plantations were introduced to Myanmar in 1926 covering 120 ha. In the 1980's the European Economic Community and Swiss government implemented a palm oil project to stimulate growth in the sector. As of 2014 401,813 ha have been allocated and 134,539 ha planted. The government target is to plant 282,470 ha by 2030. The land is allocated to 44 companies, comprising 43 local companies and one Foreign Direct Investment. Three foreign companies have joint-ventures with local companies. Although much land is now planted, there appears to be significant scope to improve yields with better technical capacity and planting material. Down-stream, there are five mills owned by three companies with crude palm oil (CPO) processing capacity varying from 1.5 to 60 tonnes of fresh fruit bunch per hour (Zaw Win, 2014). Expansion of mills currently faces financing constraints. The main driver for expansion is to meet domestic demand for edible oil; there are 60 million people in Myanmar consuming 400-500,000 metric tonnes of edible oil (palm oil, sesame and ground nut). Myanmar is importing palm oil; in 2012 this was 330,000 metric tonnes with a value of $376 million from Indonesia and Malaysia. Self sufficiency in edible palm oil is a national target, but local production is currently dwarfed by these imports. Oil palm plantations in Myanmar are principally found within a narrow belt of coastal lowlands in Myeik and Kawthaung Districts (Figure 1). Donald et al. 2014 report that potential productivity in this area is low by international standards (Figure 2) due to climatic conditions. As a contribution to assessing the long term commercial viability of Myanmar's oil palm industry, as well as its social and environmental impacts, we surveyed the agroecological conditions where it presently occurs and where it could be further developed. The Agritech Portal of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University states that, "Oil palm requires evenly distributed annual rainfall [of at least] 2000 mm without a defined dry season. In areas with a dry spell, deep soil with high water holding capacity and a shallow water table augmented with copious irrigation will satisfy the water requirement of the oil palm. "Temperature can be a limiting factor for oil palm production. Best oil palm yields are obtained in places where a maximum average temperature of 29o-33oC and minimum average temperature of 22o-24oC are available. Higher diurnal temperature variation causes floral abortion in regions with a dry season." Within Myanmar, annual rainfall, the presence of a distinct dry season (Figure 3) and elevation (an indicator of local variation in diurnal temperature range) already limit the area suitable for plantations. Sandy loam soils restrict the potential for irrigation and make the requirements for fertilizer high. Across the entire country, the duration and reliability of the wet season has decreased as climate variability has increased, and this trend is likely to continue..."
Description/subject: "... Mangrove forests are one of the most valuable, thriving, and diverse ecosystems on the planet, but they are becoming increasingly exploited and mismanaged (Lee 1999; Giri et al. 2008). In Myanmar, many of these mangrove stands flourished for centuries, virtually untouched until extensive deforestation began in the late 1970's. At the time there was no legislation to promote sustainable forest management, and as a result the forests were depleted at alarming rates. During the 1990's, multiple environmental acts were passed to help regulate tree harvesting processes, including the 1992 Forest Law and the 1995 Forest Policy, but they were only mildly successful and difficult to enforce (Oo 2002). The 2000's brought a new chapter as Myanmar's expanding economy and lifted political embargos created an explosion of infrastructure and agriculture, once again encroaching on the mangrove's habitat. Even with the increasing development and encroachment on mangroves, Myanmar's long state of isolation has made it one of the most species rich countries in all of South-east Asia, and is considered to be one of the last strongholds for large mammals such as tigers and elephants (Leimgruber etal. 2005). In a country with such rich biodiversity and a large dependence on natural resources for income, fuel, and food, preserving Myanmar's mangroves and raising awareness about sustainability has become a national priority. This study mapped the spatial extent of three main mangrove regions along the coast of Myanmar during 2000 and 2013, including the Ayeyarwardy Delta, Rakhine and Tanintharyi regions (Oo 2002). The three regions are spread along the coast and vary in population density, which provides a valuable comparison among the regions as to how human and economic pressures can affect mangroves. The Ayeyarwady Delta is centrally located and has the highest population density, followed by Rakhine to the north, and the most remote region being the Tanintharyi to the south. A land change model was then used to produce change maps between 2000 and 2013 and project mangrove coverage to the year 2030 to help resource managers and policy makers craft future decisions. Once the mangroves were classified and projected, SRTM data were used to derive tree canopy heights and biomass estimations using allometric equations. Mangroves in Myanmar house thriving biodiversity and provide citizens with essential natural products such as food, firewood, and construction materials (Oo 2002). This ecological forecasting project helped the Myanmar government visualize and quantify their current largest mangrove areas, as well as shed light on the success of previous preservation efforts that may influence future conservation strategies. This project ultimately allowed important decision makers to assess the negative impacts that have occurred due to the deforestation and degradation of mangrove ecosystems. To successfully implement this study and its findings, Dr. Peter Leimgruber and Ellen Aiken at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute were irreplaceable as they officially handed off the project and its decision making tools to the Myanmar Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Forestry. The project will serve as a valuable reference for efficiently allocating resources and man power, while adapting new management strategies to the changing mangrove landscape..."
Description/subject: "...This report is composed of three main parts, providing the latest information on the country's implementation on biodiversity conservation since the Fourth National Report in 2009. Part I provides the latest information on the Status, Trends and Threats to the different types of Biodiversity in Myanmar. Part II presents the current degreeof implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), and the achievements of mainstreaming biodiversity into relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies, plans and programmes. Finally, Part III examines the linkages and contribution of Myanmar's NBSAP implementation towards the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the 2015 Targets of the Millennium Development Goals..."
Description/subject: "... Extremely rapid growth in Chinese imports of 'redwood', 'rosewoods' or 'Hongmu' timbers from Myanmar in the past two years is directly driving increased illegal and unsustainable logging, posing a real threat to governance, the rule of law and the viability Myanmar's dwindling forests. EIA research shows that, based on current trends, the two most targeted Hongmu species in Myanmar - tamalan and padauk - could be logged to commercial extinction in as little as three years. With financial rewards for illegal loggers and timber smugglers dwarfing traditional incomes, and evidence of corruption facilitating illegal business, Myanmar's domestic controls will be unable to effectively stem illegal trade. Myanmar urgently needs to engender legal reciprocity from strategic timber trade partners, particularly China, to ensure Myanmar's forestry and trade laws are respected along its land border. In the absence of laws prohibiting illegal timber in China, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) presents the most immediate and effective mechanism to secure China's respect for Myanmar's forestry and trade laws. The Myanmar Government should seek CITES Appendix III protection for its at-risk Hongmu species – Dalbergia oliveri / bariensis (tamalan) and Pterocarpus macrocarpus (padauk) - at the soonest opportunity to ensure trade is in line with sustainable exploitation of existing standing stocks. The CITES community should assist Myanmar in both instituting and enforcing CITES listings for these key species, and in seeking regional Appendix II listings by the 17th CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) in 2016. Enhancing the capacity of Myanmar's existing CITES Management and Scientific Authorities will be an important element of this work...."
Description/subject: "... Myanmar is a predominantly agricultural country in Mekong River Basin, also known as Burma, the second largest country in mainland South-East Asia, known as the ''Asia's Barn'' in the past years, once the world's largest exporter of rice. Myanmar is a resource-rich country that has abundant arable land, timber, mineral resources, natural gas and oil, which made it one of the best developing countries in South-East Asia until the early 1960s. Myanmar's total area is 676 578 km2. Forest area is 317 730 km2, 48.32% of land area; other wooded land accounts for 30.59% of land area; other land accounts for 21.09% of land area, and inland water area is 19 030 km2 (FAO, 2010). Extensive changes in altitude and latitude produced a seemingly unparalleled abundance of habitats and species. Myanmar occupied completely or partially nine of the Global 200 Eco-regions (Olson and Dinerstein, 2002). Indo-Burma includes most of Myanmar is described as one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al., 2000). There is no doubt that Myanmar has an unmatched level of biological diversity. Myanmar has 7000 plant species, has 1027 known bird species, 4 of which are endemic, and 19 others are restricted range birds. Myanmar is also home to 300 known species of mammals, 425 reptile and amphibian species, and 350 freshwater fish, especially the endangered species such as the one-horned rhinoceros, the Irrawaddy Dolphin and the Gurney's Pitta (BEWG, 2011)..."
Description/subject: "... This is a resource for organisations and individuals advocating about sustainable development issues in Burma. This resource provides information about the concept of sustainable development and about the government of Burma's commitments and responsibilities when it comes to sustainable development. Sustainable development is development that does not damage the environment or the country's natural resources, and that meets people's needs, including the needs of the most vulnerable communities. Sustainable development relates to many aspects of the natural world and of people's lives. These aspects include: biodiversity (variety in the natural environment), land (including mining), forests, agriculture, water, energy, and the economy..."
Description/subject: Ndai gaw uhpung uhpawng ni hte tinghkrai hku nna myen mung Kata n amazing bawng ring lam a matu sut nhprang laika rai nga ai. Ndai sut nhprang laika gaw, matut manoi kyem mazing bawng ring masa a shiga hte dai mazing bawng ring lam galaw sa wa yang myen mungdan a ap nawng ai hte lit la ai shiga hpe jaw nga ai. Madi shadaw kyem mazing bawng ring masa gaw makau grup yin hpe n jahten shaza ai (sh) mungdan a shingra nhprang sut rai hpe n jahten ai bawngring lam rai nna grau jahten shaza hkrum ai shinggyim uhpawng ni mada' shawa masha ni hta ra ai lam ni hpe jahkum shatsup ya nga ai. Kawn" mazing bawng ring lam gaw shingra mungkan hte shinggyim masha ni a asak hkrung lam hta na nsam maka law law hte matut mahkai nga ai. Ndai nsam maka kumla ni hta lawm ai gaw sakhkrung hpan hkum (grup yin nga ai arai amyu baw hkum sumhpa), lamu ga (ja maw, sut nhprang maw ni lawm ai), nam maling hkai sun, hka tsam n-gun hte sut masa ni rai nga ma ai.
Description/subject: "... Inle Lake situated in Southern Shan State is well known by local populace and foreign visitors for the natural beauty of the lake waters, surrounding mountain ranges, tomato floating gardens and leg rowers of boats. The lake plays a vital role for the ecosystem and economy of Shan State, providing many important goods and services for the communities. It is an ASEAN heritage site and also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is the main water source for Lawpita hydroelectricity power plant, a major tourist attraction site and a habitant for rich biodiversity and traditional culture. The lake is now facing devastating effects of unsustainable practices in forestry, agriculture and fishing activities. The situation is accelerated by impact of climate change. Water surface area and sanitation is decreasing, fish and plant species are disappearing at a fast rate while water hyacinth species are increasing, blocking water ways and dominating other useful water cress that farmers use for building floating gardens. Therefore with the collaboration of Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF), UNDP and UNESCO, a fund has been provided from Norwegian Government to implement conservation and rehabilitation activities in the area. UNDP acting as the funding agency is working together with implementing partners to restore the area with the assistance of local communities. Due to the need of the communities, organic farming and market linkages activity has been implemented by Doe Taung Thu, a local non-government organization. For Organic farming, farmers have been trained in compost making, vermiculture, production of agriculture organic inputs such as natural pesticides, plant juice, fruit juice containing indigenous micro-organisms. With these products farmers are utilizing natural resources in the area. In addition an attempt is made to utilize water hyacinth for agricultural use. Objectives ï'· To collect water hyacinth from water ways and shred into small pieces for compost making ï'· To decrease water hyacinth in the lake and clear water ways for easy access to villages ï'· To use shredded water hyacinth for mulching crops in a form of composting ï'· To conserve moisture in soil by mulching, protect soil erosion and slow down rain run off so that moisture can penetrate deep down to the roots ï'· To prevent rain splashing onto leaves and minimize leaf diseases ï'· To suppress weeds and minimize weeding ï'· To use chopped water hyacinth to feed earth worms ï'· To increase chicken and duck feed for communities..."
Description/subject: "... Pyoe Pin is a programme aimed at strengthening civil society in Myanmar. The programme is supported by DFID, the British Department for International Cooperation and implemented through the British council in partnership with local NGOs. Community Forestry (CF) is a key element of the programme, as it is seen as pathway to increasing the participation of civil society in influencing policy and practice with regards to communities. access and sustainable use of forestry land. CF can also improve forestry conservation and enhance the livelihoods of communities. CF has been a national development tool since 1995, when the Ministry of Forestry issued instructions for the issuing of Community Forest certificates. In Kachin state in northern Myanmar bordering China, Pyoe Pin has been working with two local NGOs (ECODEV and Shalom Foundation), who are in turn engaging with forest villages, to increase their awareness of appropriate forest usage and management, through assisting these communities to apply for community forest certificates. These certificates provide community rights to forest products and tenure for 30 years. Working through 120 villages, 54 Forest User Groups (FUGs) consisting of about 40,000 people have been created, who are replanting degraded forest areas, and also balancing their livelihood needs with greater understanding of sustainability. So far, 31,445 acres have been prepared for CF, but aside from 3000 of these acres, the rest has not yet been granted the lease, largely a result of lack of institutional support for this process as government prioritizes commercial allocations of land over community allocations for CF. As yet, CF has not shown significant direct economic impacts, but it is hoped that income from forest products, produced by and for the communities engaged, will have an impact on the incomes of the communities and households involved. One of the challenges has been how to increase the commercial viability and impact of CF by bringing greater alignment between commercial and community priorities. Some parts of the CF Instruction have hindered the maximization of economic benefits that can be gained by CF as they limit community rights to harvesting and selling at minimal levels. In addition, both private sector and Government have not considered CF as a potential partner for sourcing raw materials. But the environment is ripe for undertaking analysis and piloting of alternative models. There is a new Minister of Forestry, formerly head of Myanmar Timber Enterprise, who has experience in extensive forest-based commercial ventures. In addition, a recent national CF workshop was the first of the kind to bring experts from around the region to discuss findings from a national-level appraisal of CF in Myanmar since inception 15 years ago. In this context, Pyoe Pin envisages to develop a pilot project that will seek to demonstrate: 1. the value of CF as a real national development tool for the poorest communities, and to increase institutional support for its realization. 2. CF can be a commercially viable business partner for private sector 3. that it is important that communities who apply for CF status should be supported with the expedient granting of leases 4. that CF Instructions need to be revised to allow communities to commercialize their CF Towards these objectives, Pyoe Pin started to identify CF products that could have the greatest market potential and feasibility of being taken up by community forestry, which can then supply the products to larger domestic and possibly even international markets. An initial brainstorming session with foresters from NGOs and research institutes and businessmen from the Timber Market Association in December 2010 identified a preliminary shortlist of forest products. This selection was mainly based on secondary sources of information on market potential to help narrow down a more appropriate list for additional value-chain analysis..."
Description/subject: "Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to Myanmar, as well as objectives and methodology of the NBSAP. In Chapter 2, a detailed description about the diversity in ecosystems, habitats and species in Myanmar is presented, including the indication on species' status as being endemic, threatened or invasive. Chapter 3 discusses the background of national policies, institutions and legal frameworks applicable to biodiversity conservation in Myanmar. Chapter 4 analyses and highlights conservation priorities, major threats to the conservation of biodiversity as well as the important matter of sustainable and equitable use of biological resources in Myanmar. Chapter 5 presents the comprehensive national strategy and action plans for implementing biodiversity conservation in Myanmar within a 5-year framework that includes strengthening and expanding on priority sites for conservation, mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation in other sectors and policies, implementing of priority species conservation, supporting for more active participation of NGOs and other institutions in society towards biodiversity conservation, implementing actions towards biosafety and invasive species issues, strengthening legislative process for environmental conservation and enhancing awareness on biodiversity conservation. In this chapter, sustainable management of natural resources and development of ecotourism are also mentioned. Chapter 6 presents the required institutional mechanism for improving biodiversity conservation, the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation, as well as sustainability, of the NBSAP. It is trusted that the NBSAP provides a comprehensive framework for planning biodiversity conservation, management and utilization in a sustainable manner, as well as to ensure the long term survival of Myanmar's rich biodiversity..."
Description/subject: "... Protected areas (PAs) are important tools for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. PAs safeguard ecosystems and their services, such as water provision, food production, carbon sequestration and climate regulation, thus improving people's livelihoods. They preserve the integrity of spiritual and cultural values placed by indigenous people on wild areas and offer opportunities of inspiration, study and recreation. Due to a long period of isolation, Myanmar has conserved an extraordinary natural and cultural heritage that is in part represented in its protected area system. The expansion of agriculture and industry, pollution, population growth, along with uncontrolled use and extraction of resources, are causing severe environmental and ecosystem degradation. Loss of biodiversity is the most pressing environmental problem because species extinction is irreversible. Realising the urgency of Myanmar environmental challenges, several stakeholders, at national, international and regional level, have committed to support conservation and management of PAs. However, baseline information on natural resources, threats, management, staff, infrastructure, land use, tourism and research in Myanmar PAs was hardly ever updated and not systematically organised, thus limiting the subsequent planning and management of resources. Therefore, the aim of this publication is twofold: to raise awareness on the condition of the conservation of PAs and to mobilise national and international support for cost-effective initiatives, innovative approaches and targeted research in priority sites. The document provides background information on Myanmar natural features, environmental, government and non-government frameworks (Chapter 1). The core section makes available the information retrieved in the period 2009-2010 on the status of Myanmar PAs (Chapter 2) and the results of the research conducted in Lampi Island Marine National Park (Chapter 3) and Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range Wildlife Reserve (Chapter 4). Data collection, analysis and organisation were part of the larger Myanmar Environmental Project (MEP) managed by Istituto Oikos in partnership with BANCA. Conclusion and recommendations for the management of Myanmar PAs (Chapter 5) were jointly formulated by stakeholders during the MEP closing workshop held on March 17th 2011 in Yangon. The information presented in this publication is also organised in a database available to stakeholders that will be updated with new data provided by PA managers, academic institutions, environmental organisations and community-based groups working in Myanmar PAs to fill the existing gaps..."
Description/subject: "... The survey on the Hoolock Gibbon and biodiversity was conducted by the Karen Environmental Social Action Network (KESAN), with technical support from the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF). Funding was provided to the PRCF by the Gibbon Conservation Alliance. The survey is a contribution to the project Myanmar Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Status Review project, which is jointly implemented by the PRCF, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), and the Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA). Methods and approach are generally speaking those being adopted for the Status Review, to allow comparison between all survey sites throughout Myanmar..."
Description/subject: "... Officials of Myanmar recognize that with a certain development in the country, deforestation, water pollution and other adverse environmental conditions may have occurred, though off the record, from various economic and industrial sectors. Like elsewhere in the world, the demands of a growing population and a market-oriented economy have altered consumption patterns and infringed on natural resources. In the effort to keep a balance between development and environment, Myanmar has made efforts and will have to sustain them to protect the environment. Whatever the awareness and commitment, the efforts may not be perfect in achieving this comprehensive task; there is strength and so are the weaknesses. This paper is to track down the success in this aspect and identify the challenges that may be awaiting..."


We love Amazon right ? There's no question about it. We eat it, we drink it, we shop it... Amazon is the bomb.
As a marketer, website owner or a blogger... Amazon has to mean something to you.
However, a small startup called Flubit has it sites on changing that dominance. The idea is for "you" to find a product that is sold on Amazon and tell Flubit that you want it cheaper.
Flubit makes a bold promise that it can find it cheaper in 48 hours or less from all the retailers it has partnerships with. Sounds pretty cool to me.
However, here's the caveat.. there are no guarantees people.
Nevertheless, the proposition of what they are able to do and the concept alone is enough to intrigue interest.. lots of it.
Currently Flubit is "invite" only and it only works in the UK, BUT with a startup like this getting the kind of attention it's deservedly acquired.. it's only a matter of time before it's here in the US.
So as you're thinking of how this could be used, how this could impact your marketing and strategies of employment for your products and traffic.. now is a great time to start brainstorming.
Can you imagine what an affiliate program would look like for these guys ? I firmly believe that when it gets here, it's going to be a game changer.


Some of you may recall the Grammys in which Macklemore proceeded to sweep teach critical thinking skills kindergarten way through the majority of rap awards—awards that the general public believed would go to Kendrick Lamar.
While praising Ahmed, many also give Stanford kudos in the same breath for being so open-minded and progressive. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would have been one thing if Ahmed had composed a coherent essay on why he supports Black Lives Matter.
It turns out that page after page after page of his manuscript reads: At just 18 years old, Ahmed has already been invited to the White House Iftar dinner and recognized as an Muslim-American change-maker under the Obama administration. Ahmed, a Muslim American of Bangladeshi descent, pointed out why his essay was nothing more than an exercise in essay about my favorite color duplication: That's when Ahmed took a gamble.
A Stanford Standout First, I applaud the audacity of the student. It is indisputable that Black Lives Matter. The question was part of a larger application that delved into his leadership roles and included a number of prompts. College and high school administrators, students, and parents have all had strong opinions about whether essay on internet advantages and disadvantages in punjabi student deserved his acceptance.
Several years ago a student asked me if he could answer an essay prompt with a single question mark. Last Friday, Ahmed received an acceptance letter from the California school and tweeted a photo that quickly went viral.
Using the basic idea as a starting point, the student could have easily expanded on it. The image of the acceptance letter Thesis statement on animals in zoos posted on Twitter says, "Everyone who reviewed your application was inspired by your passion, determination, accomplishments, and heart.
It is a genuine example of racial injustice.
It has also been essay on internet advantages and disadvantages in punjabi by members of Campaign Zeroa police reform campaign, and some of its founders, Brittany Packnett and Samuel Sinyangwe. The risky decision paid off.
He has until May 1 to decide which school to attend. He felt it was bold, showed an understanding of his own limitations, and a desire to learn.
Ahmed, who is not black, was offered a seat that could be filled by an equally or more qualified black applicant who bothered to write an actual admissions essay. Instead, he cut kalikasan essay tagalog pasted a hashtag — times.
He also interned for presidential candidate Martin O'Malley, volunteered with the Hilary Clinton campaign and attended and was recognized by Barack Obama at a White House dinner. Ziad Ahmed is one lucky young man.
At best, this is a prime example of allies and institutions reaping rewards of their novel proximity to Blackness and social justice. For personal help with the college application essay, contact Craig Heller at craig. It was not simply that Ahmed decided to write BlackLivesMatter, but that he chose to broadcast it after the fact.
BlackLivesMatter pic. Curriculum vitae tatuatore this case, it takes the form of a non-Black PoC Muslim being praised for simply restating what Black people have been actively fighting first draft dissertation. For instance: That distinguished university, with which I have been affiliated as a media fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, has a finite number of spots for incoming freshmen.
At a certain point, each of us needs to evaluate the threshold between when our actions no longer benefit those we claim to be advocating for and instead cross into territory that winds up centering us.
Mentally disturbed author Jack Torrance menacingly portrayed by Jack Nicholson has been very busy writing his new novel thesis statement on animals in zoos his typewriter. Copyright Instead, he used repetition alone to make his point.
The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. Since the story dropped, many have come out in praise of the young man for his seemingly bold decision to write the politicized phrase on such an important application not just once, but times.
Perhaps his acceptance to Stanford isn't only because of his bold application statement, but because of Ahmed's long resume. To act as if using this hashtag—something born out of the work and blood of Blackness—to get into college will somehow offer significant aid to the Black folks it pertains to is a long-shot.
Ahmed has an entrepreneurial spirit and often times that requires taking a lot of risks. As a college application essay tutor for over ten years, therefore, I thought I should offer my own thoughts on this controversial subject.


text:
Kevin Walters got his dream job. Here's everything he needs to fix to stop it becoming a nightmare
Chris Paine@chrisreespaine
He's coached at Origin level, but the NRL is a whole different beast.Source: Getty Images
Imagine for a moment you were walking into this on day one of your first ever head coaching role in the NRL.
Take a deep breath, you're going to need it:
— The biggest rugby league club in the country;
— The biggest membership base in the country;
— A board that reneged on a handshake deal to give you the job two years ago;
— A wooden spoon;
— An outgoing CEO with no clarity on the identity of the next top boss;
— Speculation another coach will come in above you, maybe in a year's time, in a role yet to be determined;
— A leak from the board that half of them wanted another guy for the job;
— Rumours that players were contacted by your chief rival, telling them he'd won the race;
— A culture of entitled, tone deaf players;
— Huge contracts owned by misfiring veterans;
— A scant free market of available talent;
— A recruitment manager who signed Anthony Milford and Jack Bird to huge deals, yet couldn't keep David Fifita;
— No fullback;
— Three defeats of 48-0 or worse in 12 months;
— A best player who will most likely not be available to play until June next year;
— Walls covered in Anthony Seibold buzzwords, a reminder of a horrible 24 months in Red Hill;
— A garbage bin full of wooden spoons thrown onto your training field;
— The ghost of Wayne Bennett;
— A laundry list of disenfranchised club greats waiting for your phone call.
If you're gasping for air with a pit in your stomach just reading that, imagine how Kevin Walters must be feeling today.
And he's not even yet been unveiled as the fifth full-time head coach in the Brisbane Broncos' 33-year history.
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Before he even steps foot into the club's Red Hill headquarters, a place he knows better than anyone not named Wayne Bennett, Allan Langer or Darren Lockyer, he's being pulled in a dozen directions.
The expectations are even worse.
Here comes Brisbane's favourite son, on equal footing in that respect with Messrs Langer and Lockyer.
Here comes the man who won five premierships as a player.
The man who coached halves Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt to their best respective seasons as NRL players, and nearly to a grand final in 2015 as an assistant.
Two of Brisbane's favourite sons are now pulling in the same direction.Source: Getty Images
The man beloved by all those ex-players who've turned their back in disgust on this entitled modern group of misfiring millennials.
Not only is Kevin Walters expected to save the team that won just three games this year, he's expected to perform a top to bottom, whole-of-club miracle.
There aren't enough hats Walters must wear over the next two years.
There aren't enough people already lining up to tell him he's doomed to fail.
Gus Gould fears it will all "end in tears".
"We're all cheering for him, but I'm just worried and be careful what you wish for sometimes," Gould said.
"I want it to be successful for him. I would die if this ends in tears for him."
Gould's trepidation is perfectly reasonable. Just take another look at all those bullet points. Kevvie's not even through the door yet, though, and Gus is already talking about it hitting him on the way back out.
NRL 360 co-host Paul Kent described the appointment as "the right choice but also a Trojan horse job".
"He is there to turn public opinion and save the board as much as he is there to win games," Kent wrote in The Daily Telegraph.
"The board was split on hiring Walters or Paul Green as head coach. Green interviewed more impressively, it was leaked, but Walters was a popular old boy and so had the support of the other half of the board."
Walters served as an assistant under Bennett, helping guide them to the 2015 grand final.Source: Getty Images
Indeed no one has ever faced such a task as Kevin Walters does as he finally gets his dream job. He was the bridesmaid last time and this time, at best, a 50-50 choice.
One could argue the Broncos are blessed with the resources and enough playing talent to enable Walters to enjoy success. The problem won't be with getting these guys to play to their ability. Walters is renowned as an excellent man manager who'll get the players to buy in. He'll also have money made available to hire his pick of assistant coaches. He should use it and go after the most experienced guys available.
Kevin Walters needs experienced assistants, like Stephen Kearney.Source: Getty Images
This model worked well for Mal Meninga at Origin level. Run the program and set the tone, then surround yourself with smart football operators to refine the game plan.
But even if, and that's a big if, going on what the Broncos turned in during this most forgettable and regrettable of NRL campaigns, there's still so much work for Kevvie to do.
He's going to start with the club's image and its culture, both of which are in bits and pieces right now. Addressing these deep-rooted problems, and they pre date Seibold's ill-fated tenure, is why many believe Walters ended up getting the job over Paul Green. If you need anyone to bring that loving Broncos feeling back to Brisbane, it's Kevin Walters.
The Broncos need to see a LOT of this next year.Source: Getty Images
Then there's recruitment.
What's he supposed to do with players on huge deals who aren't performing? Is the current head of recruitment Peter Nolan going to be part of the new era? In fact, who will the CEO be? At last check, Ben Ikin had withdrawn from the race and the Storm were threatening legal action if the Broncos go after Dave Donaghy.
Again, even if these things work themselves out, there's not a hell of a lot of blue-chip talent on the free agent market.
On the field, Kevvie needs a spine. He's a playmaking guru, so it's a good place to start. Who's going to be the five-eighth? It's safe to say Tom Dearden has a lock on the No.7 jersey, but Anthony Milford hasn't turned heads since the grand final five years ago and Brodie Croft went from Seibold's prized recruit to exiled afterthought in six unhappy months.
Anthony Milford has been a head-scratching enigma for the Broncos.Source: Getty Images
To add injury to insult, Kotoni Staggs will miss a chunk of next season.Source: Getty Images
Kotoni Staggs, Brisbane's best player, may have been a solution at No.6 but we'll never find out, not at least until midway through next year.
It was awfully fitting that such a horrible season would end with such horrible news, an ACL tear that will sideline Staggs until June at the earliest.
Oh, and, who's going to play fullback?
So, so many questions face Kevin Walters.
And as a man with many masters, he's expected to come up with all the answers. Quickly.
It's enough to make anyone baulk, but this is the job he's always wanted.
Now he just needs a bit of clear air to try and do it, to try and coach in his own way. Fixing one problem at a time.

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text:
Aliasify is a [transform](https://github.com/substack/node-browserify#btransformtr) for [browserify](https://github.com/substack/node-browserify) which lets you rewrite calls to `require`.

Installation
============

Install with `npm install --save-dev aliasify`.

Usage
=====

To use, add a section to your package.json:

    {
        "aliasify": {
            aliases: {
                "d3": "./shims/d3.js"
                "underscore": "lodash"
            }
        }
    }

Now if you have a file in src/browserify/index.js which looks like:

    d3 = require('d3')
    _ = require('underscore')
    ...

This will automatically be transformed to:

    d3 = require('../../shims/d3.js')
    _ = require('lodash')
    ...

Any replacement that starts with a "." will be resolved as a relative path (as "d3" above.)  Replacements that start with any other character will be replaced verbatim (as with "underscore" above.)

Configuration
=============

Configuration can be loaded in multiple ways;  You can put your configuration directly in package.json, as in the example above, or you can use an external json or js file.  In your package.json:

    {
        "aliasify": "./aliasifyConfig.js"
    }

Then in aliasifyConfig.js:

    module.exports = {
        aliases: {
            "d3": "./shims/d3.js"
        },
        verbose: false
    };

Note that using a js file means you can change your configuration based on environment variables.

Alternatively, if you're using the Browserify API, you can configure your aliasify programatically:

    aliasify = require('aliasify').configure({
        aliases: {
            "d3": "./shims/d3.js"
        },
        configDir: __dirname,
        verbose: false
    });

note that `configure()` returns a new `aliasify` instance.

Configuration options:
* `aliases` - An object mapping aliases to their replacements.
* `verbose` - If true, then aliasify will print modificiations it is making to stdout.
* `configDir` - An absolute path to resolve relative paths against.  If you're using package.json, this will automatically be filled in for you with the directory containing package.json.  If you're using a .js file for configuration, set this to `__dirname`.
* `appliesTo` - Controls which files will be transformed.  By default, only JS type files will be transformed ('.js', '.coffee', etc...).  See [browserify-trasnform-tools documentation](https://github.com/benbria/browserify-transform-tools/wiki/Transform-Configuration#common-configuration) for details.

Relative Requires
=================

When you specify:

    aliases: {
        "d3": "./shims/d3.js"
    }

The "./" means this will be resolved relative to the configuration file which contains the line.
Sometimes it is desirable to literally replace an alias; to resolve the alias relative to the
file which is doing the `require` call.  In this case you can do:

    aliases: {
        "d3": {"relative": "./shims/d3.js"}
    }

This will cause all occurences of `require("d3")` to be replaced with `require("./shims/d3.js")`,
regardless of where those files are in the directory tree.

Alternatives
============

`aliasify` is essentially a fancy version of the [`browser` field](https://gist.github.com/defunctzombie/4339901#replace-specific-files---advanced) from package.json, which is [interpreted](https://github.com/substack/node-browserify#packagejson) by browserify.

Using the `browser` field is probably going to be faster, as it doesn't involve running a transform on each of your files.  On the other hand, `aliasify` gives you a finer degree of control and can be run before other transforms (for example, you can run `aliasify` before [debowerify](https://github.com/eugeneware/debowerify), which will let you replace certain components that debowerify would otherwise replace.)

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