Title: Food security and Socio-economic impacts of soil salinization in the central Myanmar: A case study

Speaker: Dr. Aung Naing Oo, CSEAS visiting research scholar and Associate Professor, Department of Soil and Water Science, Yezin Agricultural University, Myanmar

Date and Time: July 6th (Thurs.) 13:30- 15:00

Venue: Tonan-tei (Room No. 201) on the 2nd floor of Inamori Foundation Memorial Building, CSEAS, Kyoto University

Moderator: Kazuo ANDO, CSEAS, Kyoto University

Abstract:
The study area, Htein Kan Gyi village in Myittha Township, Mandalay Division is located in the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Myanmar. The central Myanmar is known as Dry Zone because of its physical characteristics such as low annual precipitation, instable distribution pattern, significant high temperature and low relative humidity. In the study area, more than 700 acres of the land is salt-affected due to the water logging from the result of left main canal system of Kinda Dam. Soil salinity has been one of the most important issues for local farmers who live in this village. Decreasing soil productivity caused by salinization has led to social tension, unemployment and reducing incomes of all households. This study surveyed the impacts of soil salinity on the crop production and to describe the food security and social and economic conditions in the Htein Kan Gyi village, Myittha Township. All respondents have more or less acreage of salt affected soil in this study. Some people had no cultivated rice fields because of severe affected by salinity, and thereby families survive mainly as seasonal agricultural laborers. General socio-economic characteristics of the studied village are high population density, low agricultural productivity, low technological base, low producer prices, high costs and diminished margins, limited access to institutional credit, high degree of indebtedness, large percentage of landlessness, high incidence of seasonal migration, shortage of labor supply on large holdings and limited alternative income sources. This finding could suggest that development extension agencies should provide farmers with financial and technical assistance to make available salt tolerant rice varieties, knowledge and improved technologies in order to increase food sufficiency. Every project to be implemented in the village should pay more attention to the most vulnerable landless and small farmer households.

About the speaker:
Dr. Aung Naing Oo is an Associate Professor, Department of Soil and Water Science, Yezin Agricultural University, Myanmar. He served 18 years working not only for teaching, but also research and extension in the University. He graduated a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Yezin Agricultural University in 1999. He holds a doctoral degree, specialization with Land Resources and Environment, from Khon Kaen University, Thailand in 2012. His research interests focus on soil and water management, soil conservation and rural development. He has a lot of working experiences in agriculture and currently, he is carrying out such kind of research works in Myanmar.