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Text Box: rectly. They are directly affected by the disappearance of non-timber forest products used as food and to obtain income. They are also indirectly affected by water shortages caused by deforestation. For example, in the Tantibin Township deforestation has affected the local people’s livelihoods as well as the local environment. Because of the destruction of the forest, it is very difficult for the local villagers to obtain building materials. One of the villagers in the Aung Myin Ywa SPDC concentration camp said: “I needed to build a house, so I went to ask permission from the KNU leader. I had permission to cut wood, but I didn't find any that was good enough to make house posts.” In the hot season of 2003, a KESAN researcher saw the villagers in Shansinboe village cut the Ko Ko trees, which are trees planted since at least before their grandparents, which give shade in the village. Now they are being used to make house posts and are used for timber. Today, only the few local villagers who have money to buy timber on the market are able to build houses. Fifty years ago, Yinsha village was close to the reserve forest and it was easy to collect firewood. At that time most people collected dead wood rather than living wood to use as firewood. But now most people collect greenwood for firewood. Today, the villagers who don't have bullock carts face the big problem of having to travel greater distances to collect firewood, at least a mile; this takes up a lot of time. Since the forests are being destroyed, villagers have to go very early in the morning to collect firewood. It gets too hot to collect the firewood in midday and afternoon, and then they aren't able to carry the wood. “I don't have a bullock cart, so it takes me half a day to collect firewood. Some days I can not go to be hired for daily work to earn rice for my family”, said a widower from the flatlands. Ter leaves play an important part in the livelihood of local people in the plains during the hot season. During the summer, Ter leaves are collected for trade or used to build roofs. However, official logging before 2000 has destroyed many Ter trees in the forest. Also since about 2000, the urban poor people have been cutting Ter trees for making bean gardens and building shelters. A relocated villager said: “When I saw urban people from Tantibin town cut the Ter forest for bean gardens and shelter, I felt very disappointed. Every year loggers burn the forest and the fire burns all Ter leaves, so I get less Ter leaves.” With many Ter trees being destroyed, it has affected the local people's livelihood. Impacts on Women Women especially face the difficulty of making a living after the destruction of the forest. The daily work of women involves childcare, cooking, cleaning the house, gardening, feeding the animals, and collecting water, firewood, Ter leaves and food (bamboo shoots, mushroom, cane, small fish, crabs, and shrimps). Women are more in touch with the forest then men because of these daily activities. It is women that have to collect firewood. “Now it takes us half a day for me to collect firewood and it is at least one mile away from my village to the reserved forest. It takes more time for me to collect firewood so I don't have enough time to do other work to make money to feed my children," said a woman in the concentration camp Aung Myin Ywa. Many poor women have a problem in collecting Ter leaves because urban poor have practiced slash and burn to make cash crop gardens in the reserved forest. It is hard for them to collect the Ter leaves to use for roofing and to make a small income for their family. “I collect Ter and I sell 100 Ter leaves, shingle and thatch, for 700 Kyat. Sometimes I exchange them for rice and fish paste. But because people do slash and burn to the forests, I am very upset because it is very hard for me to collect Ter leaves and make my living” said a displaced woman in Shansiboe village. The daily collection of food has also become increasingly difficult. “In the past when I went fishing I caught small fish, shrimps, and crabs enough for one or two meals. Today when I go fishing, I get only decayed tree leaves” said a woman of Wahloh village in Tantibin Township.