Distribution of forest income among rural households: a case study from Natma Taung national park, Myanmar

Abstract

Rural households across developing countries rely on diversified sources of income, and forest resources play important role in this regard. There is no background information about the situation in Myanmar in regards forest income. This study analyses how the socio-economic factors determine the households' dependency on forest income among rural households in Chin State of Myanmar. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews of 40 households in two villages located around the Natma Taung national park, Myanmar. The results show that the better off households receive more forest income than medium and poor groups in both villages. The household size (p < 0.01) and numbers of adult labour (p < 0.05) are significantly correlated with household total forest income in Tone Nge village. While in Hee Laung village, household size (p < 0.01), size of agricultural land (p < 0.05) and total livestock value (p < 0.05) are significantly associated with household total forest income. The study highlights that national parks full protection and restriction of access could potentially affect households who depend on forest income as a matter of necessity and suggests that households' socio-economic factors should be incorporated in conservation interventions in order to apply target-oriented actions and enforcement activities.

Keywords::

• forest-based livelihood
• forest dependence
• capital resources
• development
• wealth ranking
• protected areas
• Myanmar

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) for granting the scholarship for the M.Sc. study for the first author in Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Germany. We also thank the staff of Natma Taung national park especially U. Tin Mya Soe, Park Warder and U Myint Hlaing, Range Officer for their cooperation and assistance during the field survey. Special thanks are due to Forest Department, Ministry of Forestry, Myanmar, for allowing the first author to participate in Tropical Forestry Master Course in Tharandt, Germany.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors