Protect Burma

protect

burma

info pack

At the moment the Burma rainforest is only protected over an area of 3%, which is tiny compared to the size of the rain forest. The whole country has been relativity closed due to its secrecy and years of war since there independence from Britain in 1948, which has meant that these forests are largely undiscovered and explored. The forest is under threat from felling and poachers. If the forest is not protected soon then we could lose some of the most undiscovered forest in the world. It is in our capable hands to try and stop the destruction of this forest and help protect it today.

introduction The introduction I will simply consist of the project and the Burma rainforest. The key areas will be explained and also describe the reasons for starting the campaign and the background behind it. The intro will also focus on current affairs happening in Burma at the moment and what the future could hold for the country.

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contents

the problems effecting the forest?

This section will be looking thoroughly into the problems affecting the forest, which include felling, poaching and the destruction which is slowly occurring in the forest. This info pack will also describe how it can be prevented now.

the animals effected The next sections will look at the nature that is going to be and is currently being effected by the problems occurring in Burma. This part will hopefully tug on the readers heart strings pull them in to get them to push this campaign forward. This section will be very visual with large images of the animals and beautiful scenery to make the user think this amazing forest land needs to be protected. I will have different small sections on each animal which will include the asian elephant, tigers, sun bears and bird species.

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why is the forest important?

This next section will roll on nicely from the last one, where I will talk about why the forest is important for the future and what role it could play with new species being discovered and how protecting this largely undiscovered forest will preserve the nature for the next generations. I will be able to take information from the BBC documentary where they found hundreds of new species from insects, monkeys and birds.

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what is being done ?

This next section does what it says, it will be informing people what is being done at the moment, what can be done and what is in the pipeline for the future of the forest.

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how can you help ?

This will be a simple section where I will be looking at how the public can help and informing them what they can do and how they can do it.

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thank you.

I will have a simple conclusion at the end and last information about why the project came about. I also want to include some links to other important and innovative organisation who are running similar campaigns to raise awareness for global issues.

39 - 40 + useful references If this project has interested you, then these links will connect you with some other interesting campaigns looking at protecting other areas of the world.

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introduction

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The forest is under threat from felling and poachers. If the forest is not protected soon then we could lose some of the most undiscovered forest in the world.

Burma is going through a great time in its bid for reform, through the reformist government of President Thein Sein. The country is now offically called Myanmar. In the Uk we have only recently come to terms with the new name Myanmar as it has not been largely know world wide.

The name was changed in 1989 through the ruling military junta, a year after thousands were killed in the suppression of a popular uprising. In Burma the

formal term is Myanmar and the informal, everyday term which is Burma. Myanmar is the literary form, which is ceremonial and official. The sovereign state is in Southeast Asia and borders: Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. this is key in the push to help protect more forest as the country is now commercially open for business and development China and many other asian countrys will be pushing to start developing in Burma. There will also there for be a rise in felling and poaching across the country in these unprotected areas.

The main aim for this project ‘Protect Burma’, is to raise awareness for the problems affecting the countries forests and the wildlife that thrives through out it. The main aim is to get people speaking about it try and get the attention of larger organisations which could start to help protect the beautiful forests in the future.

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The Problem - At the moment the Burma rainforest is only protected over an area of 3% which is tiny compared to the size of the rain forest. The whole country has been relativity closed due to its secrecy and years of war since there independence from Britain in 1948, which has meant that these forests are largely undiscovered and explored.

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Burma (Myanmar)

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basic facts - Burma is the largest country in mainland South-East Asia and about 40% is forested - however, “forest� can include anything from a silent, severely degraded habitat that supports relatively few animals, to ancient, old-growth habitat teeming with life.

- The country is known to support 233 globally threatened species, including 37 that are critically endangered and 65 endangered.

- The forested hills and mountains of Burma conceal rich deposits of coal, copper, gold, zinc, tungsten, gems and other minerals.

- The vast majority of high-quality rubies on the world market come from Burma - it is also a top producer of jadeite, the most expensive form of jade.

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- The habitats of Burma are extremely diverse, ranging from rich alpine floras and tropical pine forests in the north, to dry hardwood and mixed deciduous forest in the central dry zone, to tropical rainforests in the far south.

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the problems affecting the forest

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In the past, these forests were logged heavily for their timber.

Currently, the primary causes of deforestation are shifting cultivation, although illegal logging still occurs. Cutting trees for fuelwood and fodder, regular burning to encourage new growth

for livestock, and overgrazing and trampling by livestock are other overarching threats. Demand for wildlife and wildlife products from China market is a serious threat to these areas’ biodiversity. Lack of enforcement encourages the poachers and wildlife traders.

Rarity of tiger in this ecoregions is the result of tiger trade over last two decade.

What this all means is that today Burma has one of the highest rates of forest loss on Earth. Between 1990 and 2005, Burma lost an average of 466,000 hectares of forest per year—or 18 percent of its total forest cover during that period.

The deforestation rate has increased by 13.5 percent since the close of the 1990s.

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Until the late 1990s, large parts of southern and eastern Burma had remained free from military rule due to the resistance of indigenous groups. However the inflow of foreign capital, mainly through offshore natural gas concessions to foregin firms, has given the military the means to assert control over these regions and increasingly exploit teak and other forest resources, in addition to local populations.

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poaching Poaching is the illegal taking or possession of game animals and fish, non-game, and protected, threatened, or endangered fish and wildlife species.

Poachers have different motivations for what they do. Some kill illegally for food, others for strictly a monetary profit. Some poach in order to secure what they consider to be valuable trophies. A few individuals poach just for the thrill of seeing how many animals they can kill in a given time frame in competition with others. Poaching is a growing problem that occurs year around. At markets along the Burmese border, forest animals and pieces thereof are freely for sale. Poaching one tiger represents the equivalent of a lottery win in a country where the average person makes only $2 (ÂŁ1.23) a day.

Felling is the process of downing individual trees, an element of the task of logging. Felling can be both a practice and a science. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and the environment. However when done in illegally, it is not done as a profesional practice, it is souely done to get the wood and leave. The desruction and devastation left in their path. According to the environmental advocacy group, Global Witness, 15 tonnes of illegal logs were being smuggled into China’s Kunming province every seven minutes in 2005.

With Burma opening its doors to the world, industry and modernisation from their own goverment and companies from across the world will soon start. Not only will there be a boom in modernising the country, but Burma is also home to many precious stones and gems. This means this industry could boom too if there are not sanctions set out to protect the forest and to stop minins being able to be set up anywhere they like.

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industry

felling

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"Some experts warn an influx of foreign capital into Myanmar might cause significant environmental harm"

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the animals effected

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As the Burma forests covers such a vast area of land, the amount of animals that would be affacted by

these forests, if they are not being protected for the future would be massive. The mass array of life that lives and thrives in these forests is atsonishing and to see these beautiful edangered animals that are nearly extinct in other areas of the world not protected for this planet would be devastating.

As the wildlife has had full run of the forests for years now, it has meant there is a very strong eco system running through these Burmese lands. Which means there are many animals and wildlife flourishing from all ends of the spectrum, from insects and bugs, to elephants and rhinos. There is such a wide amount of different animals living in these forests.

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Myanmar boasts a variety of environments, from the Himalayan foothills of the north, to the fertile plains surrounding the Irrawaddy River in its center, to the tropical forests and mangroves of its coastal south. These diverse habitats support a huge number of species, making it one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Its residents include many endemic species, such as the white-browed nuthatch, Myanmar snub-nosed monkey, Burmese star tortoise, and Burmese roof turtle. In total, 233 threatened species are found here, 65 of them classified as Endangered, and 37 as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

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asian tiger Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family, one of four “big cats�, and the largest of all cats, living or extinct. Tigers are predatory carnivores. Most tigers live in forests and grasslands, for which their camouflage is ideally suited. Tigers hunt alone, and their diet consists primarily of medium-sized herbivores such as deer, wild pigs, and buffalo, but they will also take larger or smaller prey if the circumstances demand it. Humans are probably the tiger’s only predator, often illegally killing tigers for their fur or their penises, believed to be aphrodisiacs. From the destruction of its habitat, to the poaching for the fur, tiger numbers have decreased in size and have been placed on the endangered species list. The tiger is one of many animals at the top of the food chain.

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sun bear Sun bears are so named because of the bib-shaped patch on their chests, which legend says represents the rising sun.

The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. sun bears are nocturnal. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches (ten centimeters) in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.�

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Sumatran rhinoceros

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The two-horned Sumatran rhinoceros shares the bleak distinction of world’s most endangered rhino with its regional cousin, the Javan rhino. The smallest of the rhino family, the Sumatran rhinoceros lives in isolated pockets in the dense mountain forests of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Burma.

Unlike its Indian and African cousins, the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros is covered with patches of stiff hair, most prominent on its ears. Sumatran rhinos are generally solitary creatures that feed on fruit, twigs, leaves, and shrubs. The horns for which rhinos are so well known have been their downfall. Many animals have been killed for this hard growth, which is made of a hair-like substance and is revered for medicinal use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The horn is also valued in the Middle East, Yemen especially, and North Africa as an ornamental dagger handle.

Listed as critically endangered, there are thought to be fewer than 400 Sumatran rhinos in existence today. While a number of these animals are kept in zoos, they rarely breed in captivity.

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red panda

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The red panda is dwarfed by the black and white giant that shares its name. These pandas typically grow to the size of a house cat, though their big, bushy tails add an additional 18 inches (46 centimeters). The pandas use their ringed tails as wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights. Red pandas live in the mountains of Nepal and northern Burma, as well as in central China.

They are shy and solitary except when mating.

Females give birth in the spring and summer, typically to one to four young. Young red pandas remain in their nests for about 90 days, during which time their mother cares for them.

Red pandas are endangered, victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture.

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asian elephant The elephant is Earth’s largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears. Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep these large animals cool, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Elephants are fond of water and enjoy showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves.

Elephants use their tusks to dig for roots and water, strip bark from trees, and even fight each other. Unfortunately their ivory has gotten them into a lot of trouble. Because ivory is so valuable to some humans, many elephants have been killed for their tusks. This trade is illegal today, but it has not been completely eliminated.

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burmese starred tourtoise The Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota) is a critically endangered tortoise species, native to the dry, deciduous forests of Burma. It is close to extinction in Myanmar, as it is eaten both by the native Burmese, and is still exported to the Chinese food markets. The Burmese Star Tortoise has radiating star-shaped patterns on its strongly domed carapace. This tortoise can easily be distinguished from the more common Indian star tortoise by comparing the plastrons of the two species.

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Snub-Nosed monkey Burmese snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) is a critically threatened species of colobine monkey discovered in 2010 in northern Burma. It was formally described as a novel species of Primate in 2011 based on its fur, beard and tail. A group of the species was discovered in China in 2011. The species spend summer months in temperate mixed forests at upper altitudes of their range, and descend to lower ground in the winter to escape snow. Deforestation due to logging operations, isolation and hunting by local humans for food are considered dangers to the small extant population. The known Burmese population size is 260 - 330 individuals, and it is believed less than 100 remain in China. It is recognized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

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why the forest is important The forest is important in many ways for nature and its wildlife thriving its vast land.

The reason it is important, is because this has been such a protected forest for the past 50 plus years, as the country has been shut off from the world. If we change this now, and don’t protect it, the consequences will be disastrous. This is a perfect operunity to create a vast area of protected rainforest for all these endangered creatures. This would mean we can preserve these

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animals for the future and make sure for generations to come, that these animals are here to stay and been observed, instead of driven from there homes through felling, poaching and the boom in industry to create only memeries and stories of these animals. It is both nature and the animals that need protecting, as the forests and habitats are some of the most beautiful and un-touched land across the world. We can help to preserve these incredible cretions for the future.

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new species

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Recently a group of scientists working with the BBC went out to the Burmese forests to document the thriving wildlife, and to discover if there were any new species living in these lands. They found many new species including many insects and birds. But recently the snub-nosed monkey has been discovered and also a new species of snake, which is a new species of caecilian amphibians, an order of amphibians which superficially resemble earthworms or snakes, and scientists say it stands out because of its distinct coloring. However there is such a vast amount of forest which hasnt been discovered, which means there could be so many ore new creatures waiting out there for us to find them.

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"Will Burma go the way of Cambodia, where 50% of the old-growth forests fell to the chainsaw within 10 years of free elections in 1993?"

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what is being done

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This is a very current issue in the world today, with Burma just begining to open its doors to the world. There has been small steps by the Burmese goverment to try and protect these forests, with the “logging export Ban” which was set to begin on April 1st, of 2014. This is to help stop the forest shrinking, as according to official figures, 6.4 million cubic meters of raw timber logs have been exported from Burma, since the year 2000. The environmental group says its studies indicate that almost half of the wood felled in Burma is illegal, but widespread corruption hides the true extent of the country’s illegal logging, which would mean that the real figure of how much wood has been felled, could be much higher.

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There have been many positive movements recently. One being from a group of british sceintists, who went out to Burma with the one sole purpose of motivating the goverment to protect more of the forests that grace the Burma soil. They aimed to produce a documentary which showed the wide diversity of wildlife which was thriving in the forests. To show the goverment that these animals need protecting for the future. The project was highly successful and they discovered many new species and they ere also able to show many endangered animals living very robust lives throughout these forests.

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how can you help?

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who can do something about this. If every one who gets this info pack, sends a post card to the goverment, they will start to notice people are wanting to help this forest for the future and try and do something about it. This could then become a world issue. Word of mouth is a simple skill we have all been graced with and it is one of the most simple ways of raising awareness, as every single one of us, can do this.

It is in our hands to help protect the Burma rainforests for the future for our future generations.

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There are many simple ways you can help this project and the animals being affacted in Burma. The most simple ways of pushing this project forward, is simply word of mouth and telling people about ‘Protect Burma’. You can also raise your own awareness through the information included in this information pack.

There are posters, stickers, badges and tags that you can use in your local areas to promote the campaign and get other people interested. There are also post cards, so you can let people not in the vasinity know about the project. The other main idea with the post cards, is to send them to important people,

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thank you.

We would like to Thank You for your support so far and for your interest in getting the information pack sent to you.

We hope that you are as a motivated as us to help protect the wildlife thats thrives through the Burma forests. Togther it is in our hands to help these animals and wildlife, so lets get out there and let people know about what is happeneing across the vast Burma forests that grace their land.

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useful refernce's If this Campaign is something that has interested you, then please help support some charities that are trying to help other problems effecting the world today.

WWF - www.wwf.com World Land Trust - http://www.worldlandtrust.org World Society for the Protection of Animals - http://www.wspa.org.uk

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