Threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar: Insights and policy recommendations

This fact sheet by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin of Myanmar, identifying key vulnerable areas and providing policy recommendations for integrated water resources management and institutional coordination.

• The primary threats to biodiversity and livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin are open-pit mining, climate change, deforestation, agricultural expansion, and other land use changes, all of which contribute to the depletion of natural resources and habitat loss.
• Five key biodiversity areas (KBAs) in the basin are highly affected: the Upper Chindwin River, the Uyu River, Thaungdut, Mahamyaing, and Pauk Inn wetlands. Pauk Inn is identified as the most vulnerable due to over-fishing, city expansion, and agricultural land use changes. The Uyu River zone is primarily threatened by deforestation and mining, while Mahamyaing's forest reserves are threatened by illegal logging and road construction.
• Efforts to address biodiversity impacts are hindered by several challenges, including limited data, a lack of public participation in environmental planning, scarce human resources, insufficient infrastructure and financial resources, and restricted access to protected areas.
• The Chindwin River Basin Committee (CRBC), the Forest Department, and the Environmental Conservation Department are identified as the most influential entities with high interest in addressing biodiversity threats. The document recommends that the CRBC design pilot activities to reverse biodiversity loss and provide advice on integrated water resources management (IWRM) to the private sector and local administration.
• To improve institutional coordination, the Sagaing regional government is advised to consolidate conservation activities into a single department, such as the Department of Environmental Conservation, to coordinate all NGO and international donor projects.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). Threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar: Insights and policy recommendations. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chindwin-biodiversity-8nov2018.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar: Insights and policy recommendations. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chindwin-biodiversity-8nov2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar: Insights and policy recommendations |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chindwin-biodiversity-8nov2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendthreats, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Threats to biodiversity and local livelihoods in the Chindwin River Basin in Myanmar: Insights and policy recommendations}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chindwin-biodiversity-8nov2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }