Documenting the application of the Myanmar Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy

Abstract

This paper documents the testimonials of those who implemented the Myanmar Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (MCSAS) and accounts of those who experienced its application on the ground. Success stories and challenges in implementing MCSAS were documented. Based on the stakeholder interviews conducted, MCSAS is proven to be a valuable document in guiding the implementation of context-specific climate actions in Myanmar. Nineteen government and NGO programs, four policy documents, and an estimate of one billion USD investments were influenced by MCSAS. Following the MCSAS, the National Climate-Smart Agriculture Center of Yezin Agricultural University was established in 2018. Several projects focusing on farmers, particularly the Climate-Smart Village in the Dry Zone and the Farmer Field School in the Delta Zone, were also studied to understand the depth of the influence of MCSAS. In these cases, climate-smart practices adopted have helped farmers coped with climate change and increased their household incomes. Nevertheless, suggestions were made to further improve the Strategy with more specific actions that could be implemented and the funding options that implementers could pursue. The Strategy also needs to be integrated into the current programs of the government and its contents translated in the local language in a format that local people can understand.