Community Development

Recognizing the need to adopt integrated approach for sustainable development of rural community and natural environment conservation, promotion of improved land use in hilly regions subjected to shifting cultivation has been initiated by FREDA with the co-operation of JOFCA since 1998.

The objectives include reforestation of barren steep slopes in the form of community forests, introduction of appropriate agro-forestry technology, growing of leguminous plants for fodder and fruit trees for sustainable income generation.

A series of formal and informal meetings with the farmers and leaders of the target villages were sponsored by FREDA and JOFCA at the initial stage as well as in the process of implementation. Awareness has increased and farmers were stimulated to participate in the project. Based on their aspiration, introduction of appropriate land use activities, formation of community forests, introduction of fast growing fodder grasses, production of natural compost with new technique and improvement of the infrastructure like up- grading of the village road and water supply system were undertaken jointly under the project.

Participatory approach was thus achieved and the project has been on-going since 1998 in Peyintaung village tract of Kalaw Township in Southern Shan State. It is expected that increased productivity would lead to the sustainable development of the rural community and the practice of shifting cultivation would be reduced in the target areas of the project.

A similar programme was also implemented in Peinnepin village tract of Kalaw Township by FREDA to promote the establishment of orange orchards for income generation and alleviation of poverty. The programme was supported by GFE of Germany.

Co-financing is needed for the replication of successful activities on a much wider scale.

Watershed Management

Considering that the effective protection and resotration of the natural ecosystems with the participation of local community is essential along the Ayeyarwady river basin, a watershed management project is ongoing in the upper, central and lower watershed units of the Ayeyarwady drainage. The main objective is to implement such activities like sustainable management of the natural forests at the village level, promotion of agro-forestry and introduction of slope agriculture, land technology and other infrastructure developmevt measures against Tsunamis, cyclones, landslides, floods and drought.

Since it is becoming more and more important to involve the community in the environmental conservation and sustainable forest management, multi-disciplinary and integrated approach is deployed with the concerted effort of the relevant INGO like Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe(DKH), local NGO like FREDA, and the voluntary participation of the local communities to address the issue of environmental degradation in the river basin.
 

Human Resource Development

In partnership with NEF, FREDA has been supporting the outstanding scholars of local universities leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in various fields related to Botany, Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Forestry and Zoology. Since 1998, a total of 19 M.Sc. students and 29 Ph.D. candidates have been selected by FREDA for NEF scholarship awards.

FREDA has also awarded scholarships to outstanding undergraduate forestry students of every class studying at the Forestry University at Yezin and stipends to promising high school graduates who are financially handicapped to study forestry at the University. Support is also given to the outstanding students of the Myanmar Forest School at Pyin Oo Lwin every year. A total of forty undergraduates in forestry have been awarded scholarships and stipends since 1999 academic year.

Support to students in the academic field of environmental scinece is one of the avenues that FREDA is processing for increasing awareness, motivation and experience of the younger generation. It aims to promote effective conservation of the natural environment in Myanmar.