Skip to content
Donate
Water lily flowers, Indawgyi Lake. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora

Water lily flowers, Indawgyi Lake. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora

Myanmar

Natural riches in urgent need of protection

Country

Myanmar is the second largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, home to a wide array of species and habitats. Its natural ecosystems are some of the most intact in the world. The country features far-reaching tracts of tropical and subtropical forest, savannahs, wetlands, karst and some of Southeast Asia’s most extensive and least disturbed coastal and marine ecosystems, supporting coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds.

Although Myanmar is rich in untouched nature, it’s a race against time to secure its protection. Accelerating land-use intensification and overexploitation threaten the future of the country’s precious biodiversity, as well as the sustainable livelihoods of those living closest to nature – two issues which must be addressed side by side.

What wildlife does Myanmar support?

Myanmar is home to thousands of plant and animal species, including nearly 300 known mammal species and 300 reptile species. Some of its most charismatic, but most severely threatened, fauna includes the red panda, the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey, the Indochinese tiger and the Burmese peacock softshell turtle.

In Myanmar’s coastal and marine areas, you can find over 800 marine fish species, as well as nine seagrass species and 51 types of coral.

Fauna & Flora’s work in Myanmar

Fauna & Flora has been supporting conservation work by local civil society organisations in Myanmar since 2008, and we were one of the first international conservation organisations on the ground as the country began to open up in 2011.

Our work in Myanmar spans a wide range of ecosystems including forests, wetlands and marine environments, and focuses on community-based conservation, as well as collaborative protected area management.

In all instances, we work to mitigate conservation challenges through collaborative efforts with local communities, organisations and the government, while providing support for sustainable livelihood development, such as community forestry, sustainable fisheries, organic farming and responsible ecotourism.

Through our research, we are also identifying critical areas for biodiversity and supporting the Myanmar government in planning and establishing protected areas at these sites. We played an instrumental role in the designation of Myanmar’s first locally managed marine areas, two Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Lake Indawgyi, all of which we are now supporting communities to manage.

More about our work in Myanmar

Asian elephant
Asian elephant collecting grass in woodland habitat. © Nick Everett / Getty Images
Species

Asian elephant

Delve into the life of Asia's largest land mammal and discover how Fauna & Flora is addressing the increasing threats to...
Hornbills
Great hornbill. © Biraj Sarkar/ BIA / Minden / Nature Picture Library
Species

Hornbills

Hornbills are under threat from deforestation and hunting. Find out more about these extraordinary birds and how we can ...
Myanmar snub-nosed monkey
Myanmar snub-nosed monkey. © Yin Yang
Species

Myanmar snub-nosed monkey

Uncover the secrets of Myanmar's very own sneezing monkey and learn about our efforts to secure its future.