Forest Profile

During the reign of Myanmar Kings before 1856, and throughout the period of colonial rule, no separate Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Foresty was established and the Forest Department existed in name only. All forestry matters were supervised in coordination with the personnel of other administrative departments. The forest Department was systematically organized in 1856 with Dr.Dietrich Brand’s arrival in Myanmar and scientific forest management and systematic enumeration of forest resources were then initiated. After Myanmar was separated from India under the diarchy rule in January 1923, a separate Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry was formed. The Ministry was reformed as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in 1948, the year that independence was regained. The former Ministry of Agriculture and Forests was restructured into the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation respectively under the notification No. 17/92 dated 5.3.1992, issued by the State Law and Order Restoration Council. Myanmar is regarded as land of diverse culture, traditions and natural resources. It is endowed with one of the largest forest covers in the region. More than half of the country is still covered with forests, which are well managed under the Myanma Selection System, or MSS in short. Forest resources play a dominant role in improving the socio-economic life of the people of Myanmar. The Forestry sector meets the needs for forest products for domestic consumptions as well as export markets. The role of forests for environmental stability and for oil and water conservation is increasingly recognized by the State. The protected areas system is well established with the set up of parks and sanctuaries. Myanmar is committed to sustainable development of forests and biological resources through accession to a number of international conventions and agreements. The Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry is composed of the Minister’s Office, Planning and Statistic, Forest Department, Dry Zone Greening Department, Myanma Timber Enterprise and Environmental Department.