Rapid ecosystem service assessment of a protected wetland in Myanmar, and implications for policy development and management
Rapid ecosystem service assessment of a protected wetland in Myanmar, and implications for policy development and management
Many of the world's wetlands have been degraded or destroyed, with Asia being one of the most impacted regions globally. Given the likelihood that Myanmar will increase rice production in the coming years, we assessed the impact of this on the Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar, and the ecosystem services it provides. Using a framework outlined in the Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA), we estimated that sanctuary provides annual benefits of at least $22 million y
-1 ($2130 ha
−1 y
-1; 2014 US dollars) and that these benefits are received by local communities (c.12,000 households), downstream rice farms, and the international communities. We show that an increase in water use for increasing rice production in nearby town was not considered to have a significant effect on the benefits that the wetland currently provides. However, our results are subject to methodological assumptions and limitations. Notwithstanding this, we found TESSA to be useful for providing information to local and national stakeholders on the broader importance of the conservation of wetlands. Our case study demonstrates how rapid ecosystem service assessments may pave the way to sustainable management of Myanmar's wetlands.
Conservation, Cost-benefit assessment, Paddy, Rice production, TESSA
Thiri Dae We Aung,
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Sai Wunna Kyi,
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Suzue, Keiko
182c6823-43c5-425b-8b47-efcd379d8f8a
Saw Mon Theint,
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Tsujita, Kaori
e189cc3a-9513-4860-a4ad-e0e28bb7167f
Thin Thin Yu,
0946876b-0b74-48fe-9bee-b156a668db91
Merriman, Jennifer C.
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Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
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August 2021
Thiri Dae We Aung,
d5c4a309-2037-40d7-9bde-fbc5ac348a48
Sai Wunna Kyi,
2b1bd2b0-3287-4516-9e75-cfb3a07e9847
Suzue, Keiko
182c6823-43c5-425b-8b47-efcd379d8f8a
Saw Mon Theint,
0e707f58-c3d8-4531-8d50-2154f213d70d
Tsujita, Kaori
e189cc3a-9513-4860-a4ad-e0e28bb7167f
Thin Thin Yu,
0946876b-0b74-48fe-9bee-b156a668db91
Merriman, Jennifer C.
cbe0211d-72bc-4dd0-a084-37572b926b63
Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
0bd60207-dad8-43fb-a84a-a15e09b024cc
Thiri Dae We Aung, , Sai Wunna Kyi, , Suzue, Keiko, Saw Mon Theint, , Tsujita, Kaori, Thin Thin Yu, , Merriman, Jennifer C. and Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
(2021)
Rapid ecosystem service assessment of a protected wetland in Myanmar, and implications for policy development and management.
Ecosystem Services, 50, [101336].
(doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101336).
Abstract
Many of the world's wetlands have been degraded or destroyed, with Asia being one of the most impacted regions globally. Given the likelihood that Myanmar will increase rice production in the coming years, we assessed the impact of this on the Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar, and the ecosystem services it provides. Using a framework outlined in the Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA), we estimated that sanctuary provides annual benefits of at least $22 million y
-1 ($2130 ha
−1 y
-1; 2014 US dollars) and that these benefits are received by local communities (c.12,000 households), downstream rice farms, and the international communities. We show that an increase in water use for increasing rice production in nearby town was not considered to have a significant effect on the benefits that the wetland currently provides. However, our results are subject to methodological assumptions and limitations. Notwithstanding this, we found TESSA to be useful for providing information to local and national stakeholders on the broader importance of the conservation of wetlands. Our case study demonstrates how rapid ecosystem service assessments may pave the way to sustainable management of Myanmar's wetlands.
Text
Thiri et al - 2021 - Rapid ecosystem service assessment of a protected wetland in Myanmar - Accepted (1)
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Submitted date: 11 September 2020
Accepted/In Press date: 29 June 2021
Published date: August 2021
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This project was funded by the Ministry of Environment Japan. We are grateful to the Director General of the Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (Myanmar) for permission to conduct the surveys in Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary. We thank Natsuki Murata and staff members from Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary for providing us with field support. We are also grateful to U Myint Soe (Assistant Director of Irrigation Department, Bago Region) for his input, and the staff members of BANCA for their assistance with field surveys.
Funding Information:
This project was funded by the Ministry of Environment Japan. We are grateful to the Director General of the Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (Myanmar) for permission to conduct the surveys in Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary. We thank Natsuki Murata and staff members from Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary for providing us with field support. We are also grateful to U Myint Soe (Assistant Director of Irrigation Department, Bago Region) for his input, and the staff members of BANCA for their assistance with field surveys.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords:
Conservation, Cost-benefit assessment, Paddy, Rice production, TESSA
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 450543
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/450543
ISSN: 2212-0416
PURE UUID: 5541e128-b81f-4e58-ae7f-6cd8692a1168
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Date deposited: 03 Aug 2021 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:12
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Contributors
Author:
Thiri Dae We Aung
Author:
Sai Wunna Kyi
Author:
Keiko Suzue
Author:
Saw Mon Theint
Author:
Kaori Tsujita
Author:
Thin Thin Yu
Author:
Jennifer C. Merriman
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