Myanmar has one of the highest proportions of forest cover in mainland Southeast Asia. According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2015, 44.2% of the country’s territory is covered with forests. A considerable amount of these forests is still relatively intact, hosting exceptional biodiversity, including fishing cats, sun bears, dholes, binturongs, pangolins and more than 1,000 bird species. Moreover, an estimated 70% of the country’s population is living in rural areas and heavily dependent on forests for their basic needs.

To protect the country’s natural wealth, while also fulfilling various national and international commitments such as its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Myanmar is taking steps to implement REDD+ actions. With the support of the UN-REDD Programme, the government of Myanmar has been implementing the Myanmar UN-REDD National Programme since 2016. Under the programme, FAO has been supporting the government of Myanmar in the improvement of the country’s National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) and the implementation of a National Forest Inventory (NFI).

Myanmar has a long tradition of carrying out forest Inventories and is among the first countries in the world that had historically established, sample-based, large-area forest inventories with strip sampling in teak forests during the 1850s. The first attempt at a national-scale forest inventory began in 1980 - 81 and ended in 1992. However, this National Forest Inventory was never completed. Since then, the country has developed forest inventories only for forest management units at the scale of forest districts or compartments where harvesting operations would take place. 

To reactivate multi-purpose national-level forest monitoring activities for multiple purposes, while at the same time enhancing relevant skills and capacities, the Forest Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) has developed and endorsed the National Forest Monitoring Action Plan (NFMS-AP). This plan has become the basis for developing and upgrading the existing large-area forest inventory and monitoring capacities in the country. Actions for the improvement of reporting and measuring capacities for REDD+, as well as for efficient forest, climate change and environmental policy planning and evaluation, are included in this plan.

Read more on this link: UN - REDD Programme Website