Journey with us into Myanmar as we discover the story of ‘The Guardians of the Forest'.
South and southeast of Myanmar, seven community leaders from the Karen indigenous community receive certificates from the Karen Forestry Department for their community forests.
These certificates officially give communities the right to manage the forests that lie within the boundaries of their villages, so they can make a living and protect the forests from outside encroachment.
"Last year, a nearby stream dried up, shocking the village. Everyone knew it was because nearby forests were being cut down illegally, and the stream served as a trigger for us to start conserving the forest," says Naw Cho Cho Khine, Chairwoman of the Padaukgyi Village Community.
She is one of the leaders being recognised in the certification ceremony, and is the village’s representative in the local community forest committee, attending trainings and facilitating collaboration between the local community forest groups.
Before certification, the people had little power to stop outside groups from coming in and logging illegally or surveying for mining. But with WWF support, they can now complete highly accurate satellite mapping to ensure their land claim is properly recognised and enforced.
Community forests in Myanmar also allows community members like Khine to earn a living from the land in a sustainable way, foregoing more destructive land use practices like logging or unsustainable agriculture.
The more the community invests in the health of their forest ecosystems, the more they ensure the health of their streams, which provide villages with clean water and fish. A healthy ecosystem also means more wildlife such as gibbons, gaur, porcupine, wild boars, and bears in the forest.
These communities in Southern Myanmar are located within the broader Dawna Tenasserim Landscape, a 178,000 square kilometre network of protected zones straddling the Myanmar-Thai border that is home to some of the largest remaining areas of contiguous tropical moist and deciduous forests in Southeast Asia.
But deforestation is an ever-looming threat in the region.
Every tract of land that is protected from clear cutting or conversion to monoculture crops is a victory against the destruction of this network of ecosystems. Each of these communities adds a piece to the puzzle, filling in gaps to create a more connected forest where wide-ranging species like elephants and tigers can roam freely and thrive.
The award ceremony begins with a traditional Karen dance performed by young people from surrounding villages. The village leaders look on as the community’s next generation work through their choreography in time with the rhythm of the drums, dressed in matching traditional outfits.
“This whole ceremony shows the attitude of the Karen people towards forest protection,” says Pdoh’ Man Ba Tun, Head of the Central Karen Forestry Department. “But it’s really for the next generation. They will be the next guardians of the forest.”
From reducing your use of single-use plastics like straws, or choosing environmentally-friendly food products, there are many ways to help our planet whether you live near a forest or in the city.
Every action you take helps our planet. If we all work together, we can help secure the future of our home and its incredible biodiversity!
To read the full story about the Karen indigenous people and how they protect their forests, you can follow this link here.
