The mangrove forests of the Ayeyarwady Delta have sustained one of the highest deforestation rates in Myanmar. The cause of this loss has been primarily anthropogenic in nature, including agricultural land expansion and the harvesting of wood for fuel and construction purposes. The effects of deforestation have negatively affected the stock of natural resources in the Delta. They have also resulted in lowering the capacity of mangrove forests to effectively act as a buffer against waves and storms surges.
Mangrove restoration process requires a decrease in the level of disturbance from economic activities based on wood. This does not mean that efforts for restoration should focus on heavily extracting other commodities. Conversely, and considering the Ayeyarwady landscape, the development of responsible business models and the improvement in value chains represent a sustainable opportunity to fulfill the economic income from mangrove wood-based activities.
This report analyses two bio-based value chains, hard-shell mud crab and dried food products, and recommends improvements within the value chain as a support and complement for mangrove restoration and conservation efforts.