Our Conservation Work

Our Work

Today, Kyeintali remains relatively isolated in comparison to other regions of Myanmar. But with the opening up of the area by new forms of transportation and communication, development pressures have begun to put strain on our natural resources.

We work with Rakhine communities to protect our natural resources and rehabilitate areas that have already experienced degradation. Our main areas of action are mangrove forest conservation, wildlife protection, environmental education, improving the livelihoods of local people–especially farmers and fishermen, and disaster risk reduction.

Education and empowerment are crucial to the success of our work. In villages up and down the coast we have helped set up Village Conservation Committees (VCC), who then implement projects in a way that is best for their community. Long-term sustainability means that villages must understand why environmental protection is essential to their future, and become active players in deciding how they will manage their resources. Throughout this process, the RCA offers support and oversight, guiding VCCs in the management of their funds and providing capacity-building workshops for each type of project activity.

Our projects must improve the everyday lives of local people in order for our communities to take them up wholeheartedly. Today, Rakhine State is the second to last region in Myanmar in terms of development and prosperity. In many places we have seen how poor, hasty development choices lead to environmental degradation. We know this does not have to be the case, but at the same time, many Rakhine people are too poor to work for environmental protection only for its own sake. Their first concern, naturally, is survival.

By improving local livelihoods through conservation we have created a strong community that is committed to protecting their environment while they develop and seek prosperity. Best of all, decades of work to build community through conservation means that the way is prepared for new conservation projects – some of which are now originating within the communities themselves.