Rural economy
Individual Documents
Description:
"ABSTRACT: The recent history of rural economic transformation in Myanmar and the effects of COVID-19 and the military coup in February 2021 provide important lessons for the design and implementation of plans to help the country recover from these scourges. The impoverishment of farming communities in Myanmar during decades of socialist military rule, beginning in the 1960s until the turn of the century, led to an outflux of migrants to neighboring countries. As the country opened up to foreign investment through economic reforms initiated in 2011, rural wages surged and farm mechanization services expanded rapidly. Together with increased remittance flows from migrants, higher rural household incomes drove growth in a wide range of non-farm service enterprises. Nevertheless, agricultural growth was low and most crop subsectors stagnated due to underlying and unresolved structural constraints such as poor infrastructure and inequality in land access.
As in many other countries in Asia, border closures and lockdowns instituted to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020 resulted in widespread employment and income losses. The Myanmar government pro-actively sought to mitigate the impacts through expanded credit to farmers and businesses. By the end of 2020, Myanmar was beginning to recover from the economic stresses of COVID-19. However, the February 2021 military coup resulted in a far more severe economic downturn than COVID-19 due to the collapse of the financial system, the massive resignations by public sector employees, and the prolonged movement restrictions. Coup-induced state failure greatly magnified the health and economic consequences of COVID-19 in terms of poverty, food insecurity, and stalled economic transformation. This paper uses a combination of macro, meso, and micro-level analyses to measure the impacts of COVID-19 and state failure on rural economic transformation through the lens of the agri-food system, and to draw lessons for policies to support broad-based and resilient economic recovery..."
Source/publisher:
International Food Policy Research Institute
Date of publication:
2022-02-02
Date of entry/update:
2022-02-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Rural economy
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
680.59 KB (Original version) - 25 pages
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Description:
A Free Burma Rangers (FBR) team travelled to the town of Maw Chee [Mawchi] to get information about the Burma Army and mining activities in that area.
Mining operations in Maw Chee began at the time of the British occupation of Burma. Over the years it has increased with both Burmese and Chinese companies coming into this area to mine ore. Primarily the mines in the Maw Chee area extract tin...When looking at Maw Chee one can see scars all over the hill sides from where the mining operations have dumped debris and caused landslides. In October 2015, a large landslide killed 24 people when part of the mountain over Maw Chee came loose and destroyed 38 houses. This landslide was not directly linked to any one mine, but was caused by heavy rains and roadways built along the hillside. Myint Aung Hlaing came by helicopter, and the Burma Army ? along with many other organizations ? came to provide relief for the victims of the landslide..."
Source/publisher:
Free Burma Rangers
Date of publication:
2016-02-26
Date of entry/update:
2016-02-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Mining of iron and other metals, Rural economy
Language:
English
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Description:
Abstract: "With
the
major
economic
system
changes,
many
new
developments
are
observed
in
every
sector
of
Myanmar.
Urban
landscaping
is
an
integral
part
of
modern
urban
construction
and
also
presents
the
development
of
economic
conditions.
One
of
the
most
important
factors
of
urbanization
is
population
size.
Urbanization
is
developed
rapidly,
based
on
rural-‐urban
migration
and
natural
growth
of
cities
and
towns.
As
urban
area
develops
changes
occur
in
the
landscape
such
as
buildings,
roads,
recreational
sites.
etc.
Although
the
country?s
population
remains
largely
rural
because
of
Myanmar
economy
is
based
on
agriculture,
urban
population
growth
was
faster
than
spatial
growth.
Yangon
is
Myanmar?s
largest
urban
area.
However,
spatially
it
grew
between
2000
and
2010,
increasing
at
a
rate
of
0.5%
a
year,
from
370
square
kilometers
to
390.
This
paper
studies
many
social
(traffic
congestion,
waste
disposal,
water
problems)
and
environmental
issues
(pollution)
in
urbanization
and
concludes
that
long-‐term
solutions
to
these
problems.
Therefore
this
paper
presents
the
structure
of
urban
landscape
of
some
significant
features
within
Myanmar
and
the
controlling
factors
to
this
urban
landscape.
If
population
growth
and
urbanization
are
given
sufficient
attention
in
economic
policies
which
must
seek
to
manage
for
the
sustainable
future
urban
landscape
of
Myanmar.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-26 July 2015.
Thin Thin Khaing
Source/publisher:
International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-26 July 2015
Date of publication:
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Urban development, Environmental and social impact assessments, Sustainable development, Rural economy, Rural development in Burma/Myanmar, International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS) 23-26 July, 2015
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.21 MB
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Description:
This report includes a situation update submitted to KHRG in July 2012 by a community member describing events occurring in Nyaunglebin District, during July 2012. It describes the Norwegian government?s plans for a development project in Kheh Der village tract, which is to support the villagers with their livelihood needs. In addition, the legislator of Kyauk Kyi Township, U Nyan Shwe, reported that he was going to undertake a stone-mining development project in the township, which led the Burmese government to order a company, U Paing, to go and test the stone in Maw Day village on July 1st, 2012. U Paing had left the area by the 8th of July due to safety concerns after a landmine explosion occurred in the near vicinity. Also described are villagers? fears to do with such projects, particularly in regards to environmental damage that could result from mining.
Source/publisher:
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication:
2012-09-05
Date of entry/update:
2012-11-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
263.01 KB
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Description:
This report presents the results of a study of social deprivation in rural communities in three distinct areas of Myanmar. It grew out of a survey of 20,000 households in 23 townships conducted in 1995-96. It offers a series of five observable indicators for identifying the socially deprived in the rural areas of the country: roof type, land-holding, livestock, toilet facilities and gender-based household headship. Brief portraits of six villages in Northern Arakan State, two in the dry region of Myanmar, two in southern Shan State and two in the Irrawaddy delta area provide fascinating details of social change and the lack of it in rural Myanmar in the mid-nineties.
Paul Shaffer
Source/publisher:
United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs
Date of publication:
1999-04-00
Date of entry/update:
2004-12-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Rural economy
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
396.77 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"The SPDC often portrays economic investment in Burma"At the outset, an olive branch was extended to the armed groups that have been fighting the government for decades. Following successful negotiations these groups returned to the legal fold. National unity was achieved. Peace now reigns in the entire country, providing an opportunity for long neglected border areas to develop quickly. The gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed. At the same time we have taken developmental initiatives to promote a better life for our peoples. We have worked tirelessly to provide better health care, education and housing for all our peoples"..."
R Sharples
Source/publisher:
"Burma Isues" October 2003
Date of publication:
2003-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2003-12-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Rural economy, Border Area Developmsnt
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
514.29 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"Mawchi is a township in Northwest Karenni that was once a successful mining town. It was often referred to as 'little England' because of the life style on display there and its accompanying standards of living. Private British business interests developed the mines in Mawchi between the world wars, but the local economy began to decline, with the rest of Burma, with Ne Win?s Burmese Way to Socialism. The economy of Mawchi, and the standard of living for people in the Township, has continued to decline across successive military governments.
The latest and the most severe economic crisis in Mawchi is the result of the regime's 1996 forced relocation campaign. This program led to the total collapse of agricultural production in the area and the subsequent collapse of the rest of the economy. All the villagers from the surrounding areas were forced to move into the town of Mawchi. The cessation of agricultural production brought about a massive increase in the price of food and a large increase in unemployment. Now most people are more or less constantly hungry and spend their days scrounging around looking for food. All the children in the city are engaged in helping their parents obtain food - collecting birds, worms, frogs and insects to eat. Hardly any rice produced gets to market as it is kept for the family to eat and to pay back debts. The small amount of rice that does reach the market, which most cannot afford, is of the lowest quality and fit only for being boiled. This has caused most people to leave the township for Thailand and a number of the cease-fire areas..."
Alison Vicary
Source/publisher:
BURMA ECONOMIC WATCH
Date of publication:
2003-05-14
Date of entry/update:
2003-06-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma Economic Watch and its members (analyses), Economy of Karenni (Kayah) State, Rural economy, Mining of iron and other metals
Language:
English
Format :
htm
Size:
86.39 KB
Local URL:
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