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SEARCA-ASRF Conducts Proposal Development Assistance Workshop in Myanmar

  • 15 July 2015

Dr. Thaung Naing Oo, Director of Forest Research Institute graces the PDA Workshop.

NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar – The ASEAN Social Forestry Network Strategic Response Fund (ASRF) conducted a Project Development Assistance (PDA) workshop at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar on 7-9 July 2015. The ASRF conducts PDA workshops to assist ASEAN Member States (AMS) in developing project proposals that would respond to the needs of the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN) Focal Points in addressing emerging issues related to social forestry in their respective countries. The PDA is also intended to identify issues and determine priority interventions that will help address them. Myanmar is the third AMS to benefit from this type of grant under the ASRF, the others are Lao PDR and Indonesia.

Myanmar’s project proposal is aimed at enhancing the 1995 Community Forestry Instruction (CFI), the instrument that defines the scope of social forestry in the country which primarily focuses on providing basic needs for the local communities. Revising the CFI to include the recent policy reforms and Millennium Development Goals such as food security, poverty reduction, and climate change adaptation is seen to be a key factor in achieving the target of establishing 900,000 hectares of social forestry areas by 2031 as indicated in Myanmar’s National Forestry Master Plan. Said proposal will be subjected to the ASRF review process.

The writeshop was attended by participants from the central office of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF), Forest Department, Forest Research Institute, University of Forestry, and representatives of communities from the Wundwin Township. The PDA was facilitated by Mr. Kyaw Moe Aungwith overall supervision by Ms. Amy M. Lecciones, ASRF Regional Coordinator.

The event was also graced by the presence of Dr. Thaung Naing Oo, Director of the Forest Research Institute who expressed his thanks and appreciation to SEARCA-ASRF for including Myanmar in its PDA activities. In his remarks, he emphasized that the PDA will help strengthen Community Forestry in Myanmar. (Amy Lecciones)

Ms. Amy Lecciones, Regional Program Coordinator, Ma. Edeliza Silot, Project Support Staff with the PDA participants.

Mr. Kyaw Moe Aung facilitated the discussion during the workshop.

The participants as they brainstorm on their proposal.