Midcourse Manoeuvres: Community Strategies and Remedies for Natural Resource Conflicts in Myanmar

Since the 1960s, and particularly in the last decade, Southeast Asia has been attracting significant foreign investments. Myanmar, despite its land titling and registration tangles, is no exception. Investors all across the globe are vying for a piece of the “Golden Land” and the country is responding with equal fervor. The building of a modern industrialized nation through agricultural development is one of the country's economic objectives. Foreign investments are being encouraged, private businesses are being pushed, and attractive tax and duty rebates are being offered.

This study seeks to map and understand how land use change has occurred throughout Myanmar and what impacts it has had on farmers and communities. It explores the various strategies employed by the people affected by land use changes and the outcomes of these efforts.

The report is part of a three-year study to understand how communities in Indonesia, India, and Myanmar secure land and natural resources that are intrinsic to their survival and livelihoods and to what effect. An overview report on the methodology and findings from the three countries is also available, along with individual country reports on Indonesia and India.