WCS Annual Report 2012 - Wildlife Conservation Society

Saw Htun
As Deputy Country
Director for WCS’s
Myanmar program,
Saw Htun has
watched his nation
transition from military
rule to democratic
government and
embrace conservation
as an important
component of its
future success.
Here, he shares his
thoughts on WCS
efforts to monitor
threatened species
in the Hukaung Valley
Wildlife Sanctuary,
Myanmar’s biodiversity
investment vision,
and the majesty
of the endangered
Asiatic black bear.
What is your role at WCS?
I have been with WCS for 10 years, most recently
as Deputy Country Director for Myanmar. In
that role I have been supervising field projects,
building capacity and skills of field staff, and
developing project proposals, among other activities.
As a conservationist, I have been mainly
involved in protected area management planning,
biological and socioeconomic research, biological
and threat monitoring, community-based
natural resource management, and conservation
awareness and education.
How did you become interested in
wildlife conservation?
I was unsure of my specific interest in forestry
until I’d completed my second year as an undergraduate
at Myanmar’s University of Forestry.
When our rector taught us about protected area
management, he ignited a real passion for conservation
in me. I love intact forests, crystal clear
streams, and wildlife habitat. As I understood
more about the interconnectivity between all
living and non-living things through my studies
of forestry, biology, and ecology, I became
convinced that conservation is essential for the
survival of humankind.
How did WCS’s Myanmar conservation
program originate?
When it was launched in 1993, WCS’s Myanmar
Program originally focused on adding park rangers
and developing protected areas. In terms of
priority species, the program worked to protect
tigers, Asian elephants, and other large mammals.
We’ve built an effective conservation presence
in the country through a strong working
relationship with the Ministry of Environmental
Conservation and Forestry, as well as the Ministry
of Livestock and Fisheries.
What were the key challenges of working
in Myanmar during military rule?
Three things jump out. First, due to suspicion of
outsiders, the military government created a lot
of restrictions and burdensome procedures that
were time consuming and made conservation
activities ineffective. Second, the military government
was hampered by a tendency to overpromise
and a failure to deliver on the ground.
And third, the command economy provided no
systematic approach for development planning.
Businessmen backed by the military government
monopolized most of the lucrative businesses.
This created a lot of conflicts with conservation.
How has that changed under the
new leadership?
Since March 2011, Myanmar has experienced a
rapid change in its political landscape. President
U Thein Sein has signaled an intention to
conserve forests, woodlands, and wildlife, and
promised to identify economic development
opportunities in parallel with environmental
conservation. He suspended the construction
of Myitsone Dam in the north and cancelled a
4,000-megawatt coal-burning power plant in
the south. He also endorsed and promulgated
the Environmental Conservation Law. It may
be early to call him a “green” president, but he’s
heading in that direction.