Linking Resources to Livelihoods: A Comparative Study of Two Villages in the Chin State of Myanmar

Abstract

The various uses of resources, especially land and forests (as well as water resources, to a limited extent), in the Tualzaang and Ngalzaang villages of Myanmar’s northern Chin State are compared here. First, the types of resources utilised by the people of these two villages for livelihoods and the practices employed by them as a way of life are described. Second, the impacts of these practices on the productivity and sustainability of the systems in the villages are analysed, and the existing mechanisms employed by the villagers to conserve or improve existing resources as well as the opportunities and constraints brought about by these systems of resource utilisation assessed. Third, a critical analysis of existing legal instruments that regulate access to and utilisation of resources, and public awareness of these instruments is presented, along with a few cases that highlight potential issues arising from their implementation. Finally, the paper suggests recommendations for improving productivity and sustainability by linking resources to livelihoods from the economic, social, environmental and legal perspectives.