Environmental conservation efforts hampered by fighting in Arakan 

By Admin 05 Jun 2024

DMG Newsroom
5 June 2024, Sittwe

World Environment Day was celebrated across the globe on June 5, but environmental conservation activities in Arakan State are at a standstill due to the ongoing armed conflict between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA).

Environmentalists say Arakan State has suffered from climate change and other negative effects in recent years due to weak environmental protection efforts.

“During 2023-2024, we see more environmental damage. The heat has intensified due to environmental damage,” said Dr. Maung Maung Kyi, chairman of the Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (RBANCA).

Cyclone Mocha, which hit Arakan State on May 14, 2023, was the strongest in decades, and many forest trees were destroyed by the storm. This year, temperatures in Arakan State have risen to record highs due in part to the El Nino phenomenon.

Environmentalists say that due to weak protection of mangroves and other forests by the relevant authorities, timber smugglers have proliferated and natural resources have been lost.

There is also a very real environmental cost to the many munitions being used in the conflict in Arakan State, and many other conflict zones across the country.

“Whether the explosion of a large weapon in water or in the forest, the damage will still be there. As a result, the resources begin to decline,” Dr. Maung Maung Kyi said.

In terms of the human stewards involved, environmental conservation efforts are increasingly limited by the practical realities of war and the instability it brings: Many people, including environmental activists, have fled their homes in recent months due to the armed conflict in Arakan State, and now lead lives where considerations of day-to-day survival are often paramount to other endeavours.

Environmental activists say that only if government and the public work together to care for the environment will they be able to preserve and protect the country’s forests, mountains, water, land, and other natural resources.