| Abstract | The research studied the Poverty Alleviation Program of Environmental Sustainable, Food
Security and Micro-income Opportunity Project implemented by UNDP/FAO in
collaboration with the Myanmar government launched in the Dry Zone for the rural poor.
This project covered three townships namely Magway, Kyaukpadaung and Chaung U in
the Dry Zone implemented during 1997-2001.
Main objectives of the research were to assess the impact and the benefit of the project to
the poor households to obtain beneficiary's perception and their level of satisfaction on the
project and to make recommendations to strengthen the future poverty alleviation program.
The research was conducted in two villages of different geographical areas of Chaung U
Township namely Than Pin Kan and Pae Pit Taw. The main data collection methods were
a household survey, key informants interview with project beneficiaries and key staffs of
the project, group discussions with members of community-based groups and participatory
poverty assessment and field observations on soil conservation, community woodlot,
private woodlot and agroforestry sites. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were
applied in data analysis of this research.
Research findings showed that there were positive changes to the poor households based
on social, economic, institutional and environmental impacts. Most of poor households
obtained viable benefits from soil conservation, forestry, agriculture, livestock and income
generation activities, which improved their standard of living. The highly positive impacts
to their living were found in terms of changing in number of food deficiency days,
consumption pattern, drudgery time in daily activity, accessibility to institutional services,
reducing in indebtedness and migration.
The benefits gained from soil conservation, livestock and agriculture activities were highly
perceived by the poor households. Their perceptions on impacts of the project were high in
all aspects. The poor households had a high level of satisfaction on the benefit gained from
soil conservation, agriculture, livestock and income generation activities that were highly
responsive to their needs. However, there were some problems encountered in this
Program. These were inadequate loan, inadequate seeds, maintenance on soil conservation
structures, inadequate fertilizer, inadequate draught cattle, lack of plants for forestation,
high cost of pig's feedstuff and medicine, inadequate knowledge on animal diseases, lack
of quality breed sow, and fluctuation of pig sale price.
Certain recommendations were suggested to strengthen the future improvement of the
poverty alleviation program including enhancing income generation opportunities, creation
of employment opportunities, extension of soil conservation activities and intensifying
forestry activities. Provision of credit scheme, promotion of soil conservation activity,
improving quality seed production, intensifying input supply on agriculture, increasing
farm implements and promotion and extension of forestry were also suggested to enhance
greater impacts to marginal farmers. Provision of credit scheme, increasing animal feed
program, promotion of extension service, provision of adequate quality breed sow and
providing market information were outlined to enhance the greater impacts to the landless. |