Story by Frank Weisenberger, Frank Weisenberger Consulting
In November of 2018, the indigenous Karen people of Myanmar commenced their Healthy Country Planning process to develop a strategic conservation management plan for the Dawna Tanintharyi landscape in eastern Myanmar. The plan will help the Kawthoolei Forestry Department, the Karen Wildlife Conservation Initiative, and Karen communities manage their culturally-rich, biodiverse landscape. The vast tropical and deciduous forests are still largely intact and are home to globally important wildlife, including tigers and Asian elephants.
At a three-day workshop, 23 representatives from the Kawthoolei Forestry Department developed their vision for a healthy landscape, identified conservation targets, ranked the viability of those targets, and prioritised corresponding threats. The workshop was facilitated by coaches Frank Weisenberger and Stuart Cowell.
The Dawna Tanintharyi Landscape Healthy Country Plan is coordinated by Wildlife Asia, in collaboration with the Kawthoolei Forestry Department and the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network, and receives financial support from WWF Myanmar, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme, and other donors.
Workshop participants analyse target information with support from a conservation coach. Photo by Stuart Cowell, Conservation Management.
Workshop participants who helped develop the strategic conservation management plan for the Dawna Tanintharyi landscape in eastern Myanmar, November 2018. Photo by Frank Weisenberger, Frank Weisenberger Consulting.
