Natural connections: How natural capital supports Myanmar's people and economy

The assessment presented in this report shows where and how Myanmar’s natural capital contributes to clean and reliable drinking water sources, reduced risks from floods inland and storms along the coasts, and to maintaining the functioning of reservoirs and dams by preventing erosion. The results highlight areas that provide high levels of ecosystem services, where natural capital provides the greatest benefits to people and infrastructure. This initial assessment has focused on identifying important ecosystem service provisioning areas that benefit the greatest number of people at a national scale, emphasizing benefits to cities and other large population centres. Benefits to rural populations and to vulnerable subgroups are critical as well, and they should be considered in greater detail as a next step.

In addition, many of these areas important for ecosystem services provision coincide with areas important for biodiversity conservation. The effective management of these areas of synergy can help guarantee benefits to Myanmar’s people, infrastructure and wildlife not just now, but for decades to come.