The newest Project Maje report is “Unsheltered Heights: Northern Chin State’s Environmental Is

The newest Project Maje report is “Unsheltered Heights: Northern Chin State’s Environmental Issues.” It provides an overview of the environmental situation in the northern mountains of the poorest region in Burma (Myanmar.) Topics include mining, forests, water and energy. www.projectmaje.org/chin_environmental_report.htmFrom the introduction:Chin State remains highly vulnerable to exploitation through non-sustainable resource extraction, which may be presented as beneficial to the State although it really is not. Burma’s environmental regulatory framework is weak and government officials are perceived as easily corrupted. The people of northern Chin State need:transparency on proposed projects or business venturesdetermination of environmental impactsclear procedures for informed consentland rights protectionLand rights, including traditional land use should be clarified, strengthened and respected. In September 2016, a settlement of people displaced in the 2015 flood disaster was forcibly removed to make way for a teak plantation near Falam. Vulnerable people without established legal rights to land should be treated humanely.There is an urgent need for scientific expertise in the State. Research studies and other types of academic involvement should be encouraged. Many people from Chin State who have been living overseas for education or work have excellent ideas for preserving and restoring the State’s environment while enhancing local livelihood opportunities. They should be encouraged to use their abilities to initiate, consult on and sponsor projects at local and State-wide levels.The mountain watershed of northern Chin State has been severely damaged by logging, field-clearing and other erosion. In 2015 deadly floods brought on by heavy monsoon rains and Cyclone Komen displaced over a million people in Burma. Hundreds in Chin State lost their homes to landslides and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation reported that over 190,000 acres were flooded on the plains of neighboring Sagaing Division. With climate change more flood-causing conditions are to be expected, so protecting this vital watershed is now more urgent than ever.Northern Chin State is at a crossroads where its people may be led down the road to resource extraction leading to terrible "natural” disasters or may instead choose a more cautious and well-informed path leading to sustainability, self-sufficiency and watershed protection. To assist with awareness and action, this Project Maje report contains summaries of environmental issues currently affecting northern Chin State. Links to relevant news articles and reports are included. -- source link

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