Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environmental Conservation

Climate-smart agriculture, fisheries and

livestock for food security
Policy Guidance Brief 1 October 2017
 The Myanmar Climate Change Strategy & Action This Guidance Brief is one of a series produced by the
Plan (MCCSAP) is a 15-year road map of Myanmar’s Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) to help
strategic response to climate-related risks. MCCSAP develop understanding on key sectoral challenges,
aims to increase the adaptive capacity of the country strategic objectives and specific actions to effectively
and maximise opportunities for low-carbon and address climate change in Myanmar. The series aim at
climate-resilient development. To achieve this, the providing high-level policy guidance designed for use
Strategy is intended to guide investments in six by the Members of the six sectoral Working Groups
key development sectors including: (i) agriculture, on MCCSAP. In addition, the briefs seek to raise
fisheries and livestock; (ii) environment and natural awareness of various stakeholders on the national
resources; (iii) energy, transport and industry; (iv) urban priorities of action in the field of climate change.
development; (v) health and disaster risk reduction;
and (iv) education, public awareness and technology.

Key Points
• The agriculture sector (including livestock farming practices, improving water management
and fisheries) constitutes about 28 per cent of especially in rice production, reducing greenhouse
Myanmar’s gross domestic product and 61 per gas emissions from rice and livestock farming,
cent of the total employment. Moreover, 70 per promoting integrated farming systems and
cent of Myanmar’s population still lives in rural enhancing the capacity of farmers to respond to
areas and remains highly dependent on small-scale climate risks.
agriculture (crops, livestock, fishing). Rural poor • In the long-term, sectoral policy responses should
suffer insufficient access to food and nutrition. seek to establish productive, climate-smart
• Climate change has already challenged the farming systems and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
agriculture sector in Myanmar by affecting rice Enhancing the resilience to climate change of
yields and livestock production, while disasters agriculture has already been prioritized in the
such as floods and cyclones have caused massive National Adaptation Programme of Action.
destruction in rural areas. • According to the Climate Change Action Plan for
• Without adaptation, the long-term consequences the Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock sector, by
of climate change will likely include reduced 2030 Myanmar should achieve climate-resilient
productivity and huge economic losses, food productivity and promote climate-smart responses
insecurity, poverty and migration. to support food security and livelihood strategies
• There is an urgent need of further action to while also introducing resource-efficient and low-
promote sustainable agriculture. This requires carbon practices.
adapting crop varieties and corresponding • The expected results to achieve this outcome are:
(i) integrated climate change into relevant policies,
planning and budgeting procedures and have put
these into practice, taking into account gender
considerations; (ii) adopted climate-resilient
and environmentally sound adaptation
technologies and climate-smart
management practices, supported by
international and domestic finance;
(iii) established institutional
coordination and multi-
stakeholder engagement
framework.

2
 Myanmar is a net food exporter, the rural poor
Why is the agriculture sector (about 35-53 per cent of the rural population) face
of strategic importance for the high food and nutrition insecurity (MoALI, 2015).

sustainable development of In future, Myanmar will have to meet

a growing demand for nutritious food,
Myanmar? while securing export revenues from the
agriculture sector. This means a growing
Myanmar’s agriculture, fisheries and pressure on land, water, forest and marine
livestock sectors contribute significantly resources.
to the national economic growth, poverty Unsustainable land use management and poor
reduction and food security. farming practices have already affected the health
of vital ecosystems and reduced land productivity
Agriculture constitutes about 28 per cent of the
(MoNREC, 2012b). For instance, farmers often
country’s gross domestic product, 61 per cent of
overuse chemical fertilizers and pesticides to
the total employment and 16 per cent of the total
optimize their production, which results in pollution
export earnings (MoALI, 2015; MoNREC, 2017).
of soil and water resources. Furthermore, the
Almost two-thirds of the cultivated land is used for
expansion of agricultural and temporary cropped
rice production, and one-third for beans and pulses
areas is a primary cause of deforestation in Myanmar.
(both leading export crops); other crops include
Over the period 1990-2011, the agricultural fields
oilseeds, vegetables, chilies, maize, cotton, rubber,
increased by 7.73 million hectares (ADB, 2015).
sugarcane and tropical fruit (MoNREC, 2017). The
crop production in Myanmar is mostly rain-fed, The health and productivity of coastal ecosystems
which makes it sensitive to variations in rainfall. have also been affected by human activities such
Fisheries sector accounts for about ten per cent of as over exploitation of mangrove forests for timber
the national output and employs more than five per and fuelwood, industrial shrimp farming, as well as
cent of the total population. Livestock production pollution from agriculture, industries and human
is dominated by backyard cattle, buffalo, pigs and settlements (MoNREC, 2012b).
poultry farming.
Agriculture sector accounts for approximately
The agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors 70 per cent of the total freshwater consumption
are characterized by a small-scale production and (MoNREC, 2012b). While the country has abundant
remain the main source of livelihood in rural regions water resources, the water demand is growing and
where 70 per cent of Myanmar’s population lives. water availability significantly varies between wet
About 85 per cent of those living below the poverty and dry seasons. Current plans for development of
line reside in rural areas (MoNREC, 2017). Although irrigation infrastructure will put additional stress on
3
 Total greenhouse gas emissions from
agriculture in 2000 (CO2 eq*), by source
* Equivalent carbon dioxide

Manure management
4.64% Rice cultivation

37.59% 46.63%

Enteric fermen-
tation
11.12%
Emissions from
Source: Figures obtained from MoNREC (2012a) agricultural soils

Myanmar’s water resources.

Over the last 20 years, fisheries catches have increased

What are the impacts of
dramatically due to a growing foreign demand (ADB, climate change on agriculture,
2015). The use of traditional fishing practices has
mitigated the effects on the environment. However, fisheries and livestock?
as the fishing sector is developing and attracting
technological innovations, the pressure on fish
stocks may increase. Increasing temperatures and erratic
rainfall, combined with frequent
The agriculture sector is the major source occurrence of droughts and floods, will
of methane (CH4) emissions in the country, likely result in a loss of agricultural
accounting for 31 per cent of the total productivity, including short-term crop
greenhouse gas emissions in 2000. failures and livestock losses, and long-
In 2000, agriculture and livestock production term production declines.
contributed 18 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively,
Droughts and change in rainfall patterns will
to the total greenhouse gas emissions in Myanmar
affect the rice production, 80 per cent of which is
(MoNREC, 2012a). The greenhouse gas releases
rain-fed. Increasing temperatures and prolonged
from agriculture originated from rice cultivation (81
dry conditions may lead to a higher demand for
per cent) and soil management (19 per cent). The
irrigation that could put water and land resources
CH4 accumulated from irrigated rice production
under growing pressure. Furthermore, extreme heat
accounted for 44 per cent of the total CH4 emissions
and change in moisture may bring negative impacts
from rice fields. Most livestock emissions of CH4
on rice and wheat yields, and increase the risk of
were produced from enteric fermentation (89 per
significant losses due to plant pests and diseases
cent), particularly from cattle and buffalos, but also
(MoNREC, 2012b). Strong winds, heavy rainfall,
from manure management (11 per cent).
droughts and floods will increase the risk of soil
erosion in many agricultural regions.
Recent trends reveal that emissions from
agriculture are continuously growing due Cyclones, sea level rise, floods and droughts may lead
to expansion of agricultural land, rising to severe animal feed and water shortages, as well
as diseases, and consequent loss of livestock. This
use of fertilizers and increasing livestock
suggests a loss of essential food and income security
production.
4
asset for many rural households. For example, past
extreme drought and flooding events that affected
the Central Dry Zone have caused animal feed
shortage and consequent local productivity decline
(MoNREC, 2017). Moreover, stored seeds and grain
could be damaged by hazards such as floods and
diseases, which would threaten the food security of
entire communities.

In future, parts of inhabited and productive

coastal areas could become permanently
inundated, while others could be affected
by intrusion of saltwater into groundwater
systems, soil salinization and coastal
“I take care of 20 goats for their owner. ... for
erosion processes. three months during the year, when there’s
For instance, a stakeholder consultation revealed
the drought, it’s difficult to have enough feed
for the goats because the earth gets so dry.
that in the Ayeyawady Delta every two years around
I managed to earn enough money for a year
two million hectares of land are flooded and more
as a farmer but then the drought got more
than three million hectares are moderately inundated
severe. For a couple of years after 2003 it was
(MoNREC, 2017).
really hard to put food on the table.”
Credit: MCCA/UN-Habitat (2016)

FUTURE CLIMATE IN MYANMAR AND IMPACTS ON

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND LIVESTOCK SECTOR
Increasing average temperatures and Erratic rainfall - periods of heavy and
heat extremes and higher water intense rains followed by long-lasting dry
demand for irrigation spells - leading to a loss of agricultural
productivity.

0.7-1.1°C 1.3-2.7°C Impacts on rice production and high

economic losses due to natural disasters
increase increase that are growing more frequent and
2011 - 2040 2041 - 2070
intense with the global warming.

Changes is seasonal weather patterns and

Sea level rise shortened monsoon periods will affect
cropping cycles.
2050 2080

41 cm 83 cm Insecure access to water for crops and

livestock, and loss of ecosystem services.

Increasing risk of coastal hazards - coastal

flooding, storm surges, strong winds and
Note: The provided values for increase in
temperatures and sea level refer to projections with cyclones - and salinization of land and
base period 1980-2005 and 2000-2004, respectively. water resources in low-lying coastal areas.
Summarized from: Horton R. et al., 2016; MNREC, 2012; MNREC, 2017.

5
 “We started to see the effects of climate
change around the year 2000. The
temperatures are so high during summer
now. Rainfall patterns are changing too.
Before, we could grow two crops a year
but now we can only grow one crop
because of limited rainfall during the pre-
monsoon period... The monsoon used to
come 45 days after Thingyan but now it
comes much later and it ends sooner than
it used to. The monsoon used to finish
in October, but now it’s the first week
of September. This really affects us as
farmers. Since July there’s been a severe
drought and this has lowered our farm
Credit: MCCA (2017). “The Rising Tide” film, Yangon Film School yields. We just can’t grow our crops like
we used to and we worry a lot.”

Coastal disasters are growing more frequent and traditional ways of living and impacts on
intense with the global warming. The increasing human health.
number of coastal hazards has already brought
enormous agricultural losses in low-lying coastal A decline in crop and livestock productivity could
areas, including the Ayeyawady Delta (MoNREC, lead to an increase in food prices and threaten the
2017). In 2008, Cyclone Nargis damaged four food security of low-income families. Furthermore,
million hectares of rice (57 per cent of the country’s climate change and recent disasters are new drivers
total annual production), while floods in 2011 that of migration to cities and neighbouring countries.
affected Ayeyawady, Bago, Mon and Rakhine For example, changes in climate observed over the
regions resulted in loss of around 1.7 million tons last 20 years in the Central Dry Zone affected crop
of rice. productivity and conditioned migration to urban
areas in Myanmar or to other countries (GoM,
Moreover, cyclones and tropical storms along the
2015). The loss of rural labour force may transform
country’s coastline, and floods along major rivers,
the traditional agriculture and challenge the socio-
will likely lead to a loss of fishing boats and assets,
economic development of rural Myanmar.
and damages to infrastructure. After major disasters,
affected fishermen could lose their sole source of
income.
Climate change and migration of men
are already forcing women to take central
Ocean warming and human activities have already roles in agriculture and household food
affected fisheries worldwide, including in Myanmar.
security. In future, rural women will play
In future, the country’s coastal ecosystems such as
a critical role in building resilience to
mangroves, coral reefs and sea-grass beds could be
lost, leading to a sharp decline in fish and shrimp climate change in the agriculture sector.
stocks and widespread poverty among coastal
Socio-economic and environmental changes in rural
communities.
Myanmar have a significant impact on women’s
well-being including challenges to secure household
Without adaptation, the long-term food, water and energy, and growing burden of
effects of climate change on agriculture, unpaid care work. The capacity of rural women
fisheries and livestock are likely to include to adapt to climate change is further constrained
migration, food insecurity, poverty and by social norms and limited access to resources
high intangible costs such as loss of and skills. For instance, in many cases, women’s
contribution to the fisheries and agriculture sectors
6
 “We used to plant twice “I’ve worked all morning for
a year. Now, because the only one basket [of fish].
rains come later, we can Not enough for petrol. How
only plant once a year…. can we manage?”
In the morning, I harvest Credit: MCCA (2017). “The Rising Tide” film, Yangon Film School

sesame. In the afternoon,

I sort beans. I can’t get mixed farming systems for improved household
food security.
any workers, I’m dying of The initiatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
exhaustion.” and Irrigation (MoALI) are currently focused on
implementing various climate change adaptation
and mitigation measures such as soil and water
is informal and, if paid for their labour, they receive conservation, introduction of stress-resistant crop
lower wages than men. varieties, improved pest and weed control, measures
to reduce emissions from rice fields, and improved
irrigation efficiency (MoALI, 2015).

What is the current response The Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (2016-2030)

aims at transforming Myanmar into “a climate-
to climate change? resilient, food, and nutrition, secure country, with
a globally competitive agriculture sector attaining
high productivity through climate-smart good
Over recent years, Myanmar has developed a agricultural practices resulting in a higher standard
number of climate-related strategic documents for of living especially in the rural areas”. Adaptation
the agriculture sector. The National Strategy on Rural programmes under the Strategy focus on: (i) crop
Development and Poverty Alleviation (2011) defines and income loss risk management for improved
eight priority areas of action such as agriculture, farmers’ livelihood; (ii) disaster risk management
livestock and fishery production, rural renewable to build resilience of farmers; (iii) adapting crop
energy and environmental conservation among varieties and corresponding farming practices to
others. The National Adaptation Programme of enhance farmers’ adaptive capacities. Mitigation
Action (2012) promotes climate-smart approaches, targets include reduced CH4 emissions from rice
the use of climate-resilient varieties and crop fields and reduced land degradation and soil erosion
diversification, as well as introduction of integrated/ through conservation agriculture.

7
 poor, landless families, women and marginalised
What is the required people.
response? Overall, Myanmar could seek to:

• Integrate climate change into policies, plans

Rapid-onset climate hazards and gradual and extension systems across agriculture-
environmental changes are already affecting related sectors;
Myanmar’s agriculture sector and rural development. • Strengthen institutional coordination
In future, the country will be challenged by increasing mechanisms and the capacity of various actors;
greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and • Increase climate investment and strengthen
livestock, growing pressure on natural resources, the financing framework for climate-smart
and higher demand for food. Against this backdrop, agriculture, livestock and fisheries;
Myanmar needs to promote resource-efficient and
• Promote climate-smart farming practices and
low-carbon practices, and build resilient farming
improve access to adaptation and mitigation
systems.
technologies, information and knowledge;
Although the country has laid the foundations of • Encourage multi-stakeholder partnerships to
climate change action in the agriculture sector, support implementation of climate change
much more efforts are needed to move from adaptation and mitigation activities (MoNREC,
planning to practice to achieve reduction of 2017).
greenhouse gas emissions from rice production
and livestock farming. Strategic climate change
adaptation responses are also needed in the fishery
and livestock sectors. Sector-specific policies and What is the climate change
measures should focus on vulnerable groups living
in climate-sensitive geographic areas such as rural
strategy for the agriculture
sector?

8
The Government of Myanmar has recently formulated
the Myanmar National Climate Change Policy, which
is a high-level statement of the country’s long-term The set of proposed climate response for the
vision and position on climate change. agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors are fully
aligned with the priorities of the National Climate
Myanmar’s vision is to be a climate- Smart Agriculture Strategy (2016), the National
resilient, low-carbon society that is Adaptation Programme of Action and the Intended
sustainable, prosperous and inclusive, Nationally Determined Contribution.
for the well-being of present and future The sectoral response rests on the following key
generations. principles embedded in MCCSAP:
The Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action • Inclusive development to include poor, landless,
Plan (MCCSAP) 2016-2030 is the prime instrument marginalised and vulnerable women and men to act
for the implementation of the Climate Change Policy, as agents of change, and all geographic regions to
which defines sectoral objectives and response shape and benefit from opportunities provided by
actions. climate-resilient and low-carbon development. The
needs of vulnerable groups should be addressed
The Climate Change Action Plan for the Agriculture,
to ensure inclusive development of the agriculture,
Fisheries and Livestock Sector aims at:
fisheries, livestock and food security sector.

Promoting climate-resilient productivity • Integrated development to direct government,

and climate-smart responses to support development partners, civil society, private sector
food security and livelihood strategies entities and communities to align, harmonise and
while also introducing resource-efficient coordinate policies and programmes to support the
strategy‘s overall objectives.
and low-carbon practices.
9
 How does the Climate Change Action Plan for the Agriculture,
Fisheries and Livestock Sector address the climate change
vulnerability of Myanmar?
Potential impacts of climate Key vulnerability factors Action Plan for the Indicators for monitoring
change and sector-specific Agriculture, Fisheries and progress
issues Livestock Sectors
(expected results)

Decline of yield in Growing emissions of CH4 The agriculture, fisheries # of sectoral polices, plans,
agriculture and fisheries, and livestock sectors have research and development
Resource- intensive
and reduced agricultural integrated climate change strategy and extension
production, unsustainable
productivity in the long- into their relevant policies, services that integrate
agricultural practices and
term planning and budgeting climate change and are
poor land use management
procedures and have put practiced at national, sub-
Increasing risk of slow- and
Rural-urban migration, rural these into practice, taking national and local levels;
rapid-onset disasters, and
poverty and food insecurity into account gender
sea level rise, which can # of officials trained on
considerations.
cause damages to crops High vulnerability of sector-specific guidelines
and loss of livestock growing in number women- The agriculture, fisheries and tools for integrating
headed households in rural and livestock sectors have climate change into
Direct impacts on crop
regions adopted climate-resilient planning and budgeting
productivity, especially in
and environmentally sound systems;
rain-fed areas Increasing human pressure
adaptation technologies
on water, land, forest and # of sectors, geographical
Increased incidences of and climate-smart
marine resources areas, and technology-
plant pests and diseases, management practices,
specific institutional
and animal sickness Limited capacities of farmers supported by international
arrangements, including
to respond and adapt and domestic finance.
Increased demand for a multi-stakeholder
farming practices to the
irrigation, and increased Institutional coordination engagement framework
growing climate challenges
drought risk and multi-stakeholder developed to implement
Low level of farmers’ engagement framework climate change responses at
Permanent inundation of
awareness on climate have been established national, sub-national and
agricultural land in coastal
change and support the local levels;
areas, and salinization of
implementation of climate-
soil and water # of climate change
smart responses in the
adaptation projects
Loss of food and income agricultural, fisheries and
implemented through
security assets for rural livestock sectors, including
externally supported finance
households innovative business
and domestic resources;
Low or negative economic models and gender-
sensitive approaches. # of climate-smart
growth in the sector,
technologies and good
unemployment and
practices introduced and
migration
scaled up in Central Dry
Zone, the Ayeyawady Delta
and Coastal Zone and
lowland areas;
# of farmers (both men and
women) benefiting from
the introduction of climate-
smart technologies and
other responses;
# of multi-stakeholder
partnerships that supported
the scaling up of climate-
resilient and low-carbon
responses.

10
10
 technologies
Sectoral Action Plan

Policies and legislation Institutions

Objective: Integrate climate change into agriculture, Objective: Establish and reinforce institutional
fishery and livestock policies, plans, research and arrangements to plan and implement climate
development, and extension services at national, change responses
sectoral and local levels
Activities:
Activities:
• Establish national-level climate change and
• Develop guidelines (tools, contents) to agriculture, fishery and livestock working groups
mainstream climate change into agriculture, to improve coordination and synergy
fisheries, livestock and irrigation • Establish climate change cell or division within
• Pilot and promote inclusive and participatory the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and
adaptation planning at the local level to Irrigation (MoALI)
integrate climate change in local government, • Establish institutional platform to exchange
civil society organisations and community-based learning and share knowledge on climate-smart
organisations agriculture and livelihood plans agriculture, fisheries and livestock
• Develop climate change research and extension • Develop terms of reference for climate change
strategy for agriculture, fisheries and livestock cell and human resource capacity to integrate
sectors, including an action plan for climate- climate change within MoALI
smart agriculture strategy • Conduct gender analysis and develop capacity
• Develop guidelines and action plan to to integrate gender perspectives into climate
mainstream gender in climate change-related change responses to agriculture
policies of agriculture, fisheries, livestock and • Develop institutional guidelines and strategy for
irrigation sectors promoting decentralised community institutions
• Develop training modules for fisherfolk and for effective climate change response
farmers on how to integrate climate change into • Establish and strengthen cooperatives or farmer,
local-level planning fisherfolk, water user, herder associations to
• Implement efficient water management collectively deal with climate change issues
practices in vulnerable townships and states,
including mountainous and flood-prone areas,
delta regions and the Dry Zone
• Implement eco-friendly crops and bio- Capacities
energy schemes targeting climate vulnerable
households in Shan state and the Dry Zone Objective: Enhance awareness and capacity to
• Identify and implement livelihood diversification promote and implement climate-resilient and low-
activities (both on- and off- farm) in vulnerable carbon responses
areas of dry, delta, mountain and coastal areas,
targeting poor and landless households Activities:
• Develop mitigation and low-carbon strategy,
including plan for agriculture, fisheries and • Establish climate change database management
livestock sectors, in line with the Intended system at the MoALI
Nationally Determined Contribution and the • Provide training to MoALI monitoring unit on
National Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy approaches to improve climate risk analysis and
• Implement information and communication related data monitoring and management
technology based monitoring system and • Develop flood hazard maps in flood-prone areas
retrofitting works in irrigation systems for to assess the agricultural damage
effective water management by using geospatial • Build capacity to develop national and regional
11
 monitoring and surveillance plan for the fisheries of crops, livestock and fisheries due to climate-
sector induced disasters
• Build capacity to establish more agro- and • Establish and promote microcredit cooperatives
hydro-meteorological stations to strengthen to increase access to financing for small
weather and climate information enterprises, benefiting vulnerable households
• Carry out trainings for farmers on using agro- • Develop budget guidelines and spending
met and hydro-met information tracking system within MoALI to integrate
• Build capacity to carry out hydrological analysis climate change in annual budgeting
in all flood- sensitive areas • Identify and promote financial incentive
• Carry out advanced trainings for hydrologic mechanisms — such as loans, microcredit and
and hydraulic modelling with earth observation grants — targeting vulnerable households in Dry
systems and; set up technical co-operation with Zone and delta areas, with gender considerations
international agencies based on gender analysis
• Strengthen capacity to improve land use maps • Integrate climate change economic and
of vulnerable townships in the Dry Zone, delta investment appraisal criteria — such as cost
and coastal areas benefit analysis— into internal MoALI strategy
• Establish an agriculture information management and plans
system and agro-advisory mechanism for
improving farmers‘ access to climate-relevant
information
Technology and innovation
• Carry out climate change awareness-raising and
capacity-building activities, targeting extension
agents and government staff Objective: Increase access to climate-resilient and
• Provide climate change training for staff of low-carbon technologies and practices
academic and research institutions so they
can generate climate-relevant information and Activities:
knowledge
• Identify climate-smart agricultural technology
• Establish environment clubs or societies in
and practices such as efficient and improved
schools and universities and support them to
water management technologies that are
integrate climate change within their activities
suitable for dry, delta, mountain and coastal
• Develop farmer-friendly, gender-sensitive
areas; prepare the extension materials
training and awareness-raising materials to
• Provide trainings to farmers and fisherfolk
address climate change
on climate-smart agriculture technologies
• Provide awareness and training on improved
and practices — such as improved soil and
water, soil-nutrient, pest and disease management
nutrient management, improved cropping
practices, with gender considerations
and community aquaculture — with gender
• Develop flood hazard map and carry out
considerations and based on gender analysis
structural measures in flood-prone areas to
• Establish and promote climate-smart villages
assess agricultural damage
that focus on technology demonstration and
generating climate change knowledge
• Carry out infrastructure design and studies to
Financing protect agricultural land in coastal and delta
areas from salt water intrusion
• Implement dam instrumentation, hydro-
Objective: Establish financial mechanisms to
meteorological monitoring and forecasting
mobilise and allocate resources for climate change
models for operating reservoirs in the context
response and climate-responsive development
of climate change; and monitor reservoir areas
Activities: using geospatial technologies
• Establish real-time hydro-meteorological
• Develop, integrate and legalise a risk-based monitoring and warning systems in the reservoir
insurance system to cover the loss and damage area using information and communication
12
 technology and geospatial technologies
• Develop and promote early maturing and heat Partnerships
tolerant rice varieties to cope with drought and
water stress-in the Dry Zone, and delta and Objective: Promote multi-stakeholder partnerships
coastal areas to support and scale up climate-resilient and low-
• Promote community-based seed bank in the carbon responses
Dry Zone to increase access to resilient seed and
planting materials Activities:
• Promote stress-tolerant fish and livestock
• Establish national, regional, district and township-
breeds, targeting vulnerable households in the
level multi-stakeholder climate change response
Dry Zone, delta and coastal areas
committees
• Establish early warning system, auto rain gauge,
• Develop guidelines and regulations to enable
telemetry and auto water level monitoring
private sector and other stakeholder investment
system in the Lower Delta region
on risk financing
• Introduce low-emission farming technology and
• Develop collaborative projects targeting a third
practices, targeting farmers in climate-impacted
of the most vulnerable households in five states/
regions (Dry, Coastal, Delta and Hilly Zones,
regions on an annual basis
flood-prone areas), with gender considerations
• Establish a national-level, multi-stakeholder
based on gender analysis
engaged risk-based financing mechanism (loss
• Test and promote eco-friendly plans and
and damage fund and modality) to support
bioenergy schemes in selected townships
climate-vulnerable households
located in the Dry Zone
• Establish three pilot stations for climate
change research (crop, fishery and livestock
improvement research)
• Promote fuel-efficient agro-machineries, residue
management and reduced tillage practices and
technology

Timeframe to achieve results

2020 2025 2030

Achieving all policy and institutional Major achievements made in all The capacities created operate in
objectives action areas the country effectively

Initiating the capacity-building and Financial mechanisms exist that Finance is channelled to building
financial mechanisms that are enable expected results ongoing resilience and adaptation
essential to achieving the goal

Capacities have been created or are All key milestones have been
well underway achieved

All development choices are informed

by sustainability concerns

13
 How can the response
to climate change within
the agriculture, fisheries
and livestock sectors bring
sustainable development
outcomes?
Building resilience of the agriculture, fisheries and
livestock sectors can create jobs, secure income
and help alleviate poverty in rural areas despite the policies ensure conservation, restoration and
challenges of climate change. If sectoral climate sustainable use of land, water, forest and marine
change policies address the needs and capacities resources, communities will be able to benefit from
of the poor, migrants and other vulnerable groups, ecosystem services in future.
they can reduce inequality.
Engaging the private sector to contribute to climate
Promoting climate-smart practices in agriculture can change adaptation and mitigation, and raising
form a long-term pathway to achieve food security, awareness of farmers on climate change and how
preserve nature and bring multiple socio-economic to adapt their farming practices through climate-
benefits to rural communities such as improved informed agricultural planning can help achieve
well-being. sustainable consumption and production patterns
within the sector.
When climate change adaptation and mitigation
Integrating gender consideration into sectoral
policies and raising awareness of communities on
the role of women in climate change adaptation
and mitigation can help reduce gender
inequalities.

14
 Women farmers in Nepal
leading on climate-smart
agriculture
Erratic rainfall and increasing
Climate-smart agriculture temperatures are having high
Climate change mitigation impact on the food and income
The Consultative Group on security of rural communities
opportunities in the
International Agricultural in Nepal, where migration of
livestock sector
Research (CGIAR) has established men for economic opportunities
A report developed by the Food a knowledge-sharing platform has left many women behind
and Agriculture Organization of ‘Climate-Smart Technologies and to deal with these challenges.
the United Nations (FAO) provides Practices’ under the research The film ‘Farmers of the
a comprehensive overview of program on Climate Change, Future’ – one of a series of
feasible and efficient practices to Agriculture and Food Security the Climate&Development
reduce emissions from livestock (CCAFS). Through a database of Knowledge Network (CDKN)
production including case studies various projects, tools and stories Short films - shows how women
and implications for policy- from around the world, the farmers can take the leading role
making. The livestock species flagship programme addresses in implementation of climate-
included in the assessment the challenge of how to transition smart agriculture.
are large ruminants (cattle and to a climate-smart agriculture.
buffalo), small ruminants (sheep Learn more:
Learn more: https://cdkn.org/2017/02/
and goats), and pigs and poultry.
www.ccafs.cgiar.org/flagships/ film-farmers-of-the-future-new-
Learn more: climate-smart-technologies-and- film-shows-nepals-women-
Gerber, P.J., Steinfeld, H., practices farmers-leading-on-climate-smart-
Henderson, B., Mottet, A., Opio, C., agriculture/?loclang=en_gb
Dijkman, J., Falcucci, A. & Tempio,
G. (2013). Tackling climate change
through livestock – A global
assessment of emissions and
mitigation opportunities. Food
and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), Rome.
Available at: www.fao.org/3/i3437e.
pdf.

15
The Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) was launched in 2013 to support the Government of the
Union of the Republic of Myanmar in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. MCCA is an
initiative of the Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environmental Conservation (MoNREC). It is funded by the European Union as part of the Global Climate
Change Alliance (GCCA), and implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment).
For more information: www.myanmarccalliance.org; Facebook: @myanmarccalliance.

Learn more:

Asian Development Bank (2015). Achieving Environmental Sustainability in Myanmar. ADB Economics Working Paper
Series, No. 467 | December 2015. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2016. Available at: www.
adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/177586/ewp-467.pdf.
Government of Myanmar (2015). The Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Union Report, the 2014 Myanmar and
Housing Census. Census Report Volume 2. Department of Population, Ministry of Immigration and Population. Avai-
lable at: https://data.unhcr.org/thailand/download.php?id=421
Horton, R., De Mel, M., Peters, D., Lesk, C., Bartlett, R., Helsingen, H., Bader, D., Capizzi, P., Martin, S. and Rosenzweig, C.
(2016). Assessing Climate Risk in Myanmar. New York, NY, USA: Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia
University, WWF-US and WWF-Myanmar.
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) [online]. Support to Rural Livelihoods and Clima-
te Change Adaptation in the Himalayas (Himalica) Initiative web-portal. Available at: www.icimod.org/?q=13764
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (2015). Myanmar Climate-smart Agriculture Strategy 2015.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (2012,a). Myanmar Initial National Communication
under UNFCCC.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (2012,b). Myanmar’s National Adaptation Programme
of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (2017) Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action
Plan (MCCSAP) 2016–2030. Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar: The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

© 2017 MCCA/UN-Habitat. All rights reserved.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position
of the United Nations, including United Nations Member States and UN-Habitat.
Photos: © MCCA/UN-Habitat (unless otherwise specified)
Front and back cover photos: Women in Labutta/ Labutta fields, Credit: MCCA (2016)

European Union