Agriculture provides work for thousands of people across Shan State, a livelihood that produces food consumed throughout Myanmar and drives substantial earnings through exports. It is, however, possible to enhance agricultural productivity by implementing better farming methods, choosing appropriate crops, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which contribute to environmental degradation. Since the military takeover in February 2021, economic instability in Myanmar has further exacerbated farmers' challenges. Seed and fertilizer prices have risen, access to markets and supply chains has been disrupted, and available credit is limited, which is vital for many farmers who lack the money to pay for critical agricultural inputs between sowing the crops and selling the harvest.  UNDP is providing wide-ranging support to farmers in southern Shan State, including harnessing affordable, climate change-resilient technological solutions to increase the productivity of their land. To ensure success, new ideas are piloted with farmers. Here are three of UNDP’s latest initiatives. Irrigating crops with solar pumps Myanmar’s annual monsoon provides sufficient rain for farmers to grow groundnuts and ginger. However, other crops, such as rice paddy, garlic, tomatoes, and chilli peppers, require additional irrigation.  Farmers in one village rely on diesel-powered pumps to extract water from a local creek to access this water. With fuel prices rising, this is a costly endeavour. "I had to cut down on fertilizer expenses to compensate for the high fuel costs. As a result, vegetable yields on my farm suffered. Additionally, the diesel engine pumps used by all farmers in the village during the harvesting season caused noise and air pollution," said U Bhone. To overcome these issues and facilitate a sustainable way to irrigate crops, UNDP provided a solar pumping system to support farmers' production needs, alleviating concerns about fuel costs. "To ensure the system's maintenance, the group of farmers using the solar pumping system contribute a small amount of money," U Bhone added. "The success of this pilot project has sparked interest among other households in the village, who are now considering installing their own solar pumping systems." Fertilizer + irrigation = fertigation
Fertigation is the process by which fertilizer is dissolved in an irrigation system’s water and delivered directly to the plants’ roots. Although using the system requires training and close management, it improves the uptake of nutrients, saves farmers’ time, and increases crop yields. As part of a pilot project, UNDP provided pipes, water tanks and technical support to establish the fertigation system in a southern Shan State village. The process reduced the amount of fertilizer used from 25kg to 1.5kg. At a time when fertilizer costs have soared from between 15 and 40 percent, these savings are significant. "Previously, my tomato farm had very low yields, and the cost of fertilizer was overwhelming. Additionally, my wife and I had to pay labor fees as we worked tirelessly to manage the farm. After selling the tomatoes at the market, there wasn't much money left for my family. I was barely breaking even," said U Kyaw Oo. Now using a fertigation system, he is spending 10 percent of what he previously spent on fertilizer and his labor costs have fallen. The family income has grown 40 percent with these savings and increased harvests.  U Kyaw Oo is now expanding his fertigation use beyond tomatoes to other crops, including long beans, peanuts, and cucumbers. Although fertigation requires some initial investment, he explained that with the increased productivity, he will recover his investment in as little as six months. Experimenting with different rice seeds When it comes to growing rice, farmers in Shan State have limited options on the seeds they can use. They often rely on imported paddy used for one season and cannot be saved for future harvests.  To introduce farmers to new, more productive rice varieties, UNDP has set up a demonstration farm in a southern Shan State village. Here farmers are taught sustainable practices, such as reducing chemical inputs and replacing them with organic alternatives, and managing pests effectively. By experimenting with different rice varieties, farmer U Win Myint discovered that basmati was best for his farm. It is a better-quality grain with higher market demand and price due to its popularity.  "Unlike [the imported seeds], which are expensive and cannot be preserved for future use, basmati seeds can be stored and used for multiple years, providing long-term benefits," U Win Myint said, adding how he is even able to share surplus rice with his neighbours so they can grow it too. UNDP has also helped renovate a canal to ensure plentiful water is available for irrigation in the village. Now dry land around the canal can also be farmed, and the project provided temporary work and income for around 80 residents. With more water available, farmers can start growing paddy earlier. These activities are delivered through UNDP’s Enabling Community Recovery and Resilience (ENCORE) project. The pilots are showcasing technical options available to farmers in Shan State who can embrace and replicate new these innovative farming techniques, while UNDP continues to provide technical support. This article was originally published on the UNDP Myanmar website on August 23. 

The political instability that has been affecting Myanmar since 2021 has proved difficult for communities across the country, including those from border areas between Shan and Kayah states. Theresa, a mother of two from Shan’s Pekon Township, across from Kayah State, moved to an internally displaced person’s (IDP) site in Taunggyi in Shan. “We often heard fighting and explosions because our home in Pekon was close to a conflict area, so we fled to Taunggyi for our safety. My husband remains there to secure our home, and at the same time, he is also working and sending us remittances.” Upon arriving at the IDP site, Theresa built a small hut to lodge in with the support of other Kayah people who also left their homes. “It was really freezing there and we were getting sick. When we first arrived, some people already there gave us some food. But I was very sad at having to stay in this desolate area surrounded by hills.” Theresa explained that though the initial period of settlement was tough, their situation eventually stabilized with the support she received from Parami Development Network, IOM's partner in Shan that's supporting displaced populations.* “The rice and oil we received truly helped to ease our burden. The health examinations, medicine and blankets, especially, as they helped to ensure the well-being of my precious children.” Hoping to supplement her income, she attended a farming and animal husbandry training, as well as received coaching on using these skills for income generation. “I received some small capital which I’m using to breed livestock, such as chickens and pigs. I hope to get some extra income from this, and I also plan to use what I learned once I’m able to go back home.” Though local organizations are doing their best to support, many needs remain at IDP sites, such as for healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. “There are many families with children living here, and with high demand for water, the camp sometimes runs out of petrol to run the water pumps.” Theresa of course hopes to one day be able to return to her home. “I need to enroll my kids in school as they are almost old enough.” While the situation remains challenging, she remains determined to make it through this. “It’s not easy here but we have to do any job we can find or think of. Most of us here can brew Kayah millet wine and make Kayah sausages. If there is demand for these, we can support our livelihoods.”   *Note: The South-East is one of the areas of Myanmar most affected by the current political instability. Theresa is one of over 34,000 internally displaced and vulnerable individuals in Southern Shan that IOM and PDN have assisted with funding support from the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT).   **This story was originally published by IOM - Theresa's Journey of Hope amidst Myanmar's Political Challenges | IOM Myanmar.

Each year, between June and October, communities across Myanmar’s Rakhine State brace themselves for the near-daily deluges that sweep across the region during the monsoon season. This year, the monsoon will bring unique challenges. In May, Cyclone Mocha, the most severe storm to hit Myanmar since Cyclone Nargis struck in 2008, made landfall on Rakhine State’s coast, causing widespread destruction. Two months after it pummelled western Myanmar and southern Bangladesh, scenes of devastation can still be seen along roads radiating out from Sittwe, the state capital. Buildings with collapsed walls, missing roofs, and broken windows, interspersed with fallen electrical poles and other damaged infrastructure, dot the landscape. Rakhine State is home to over 228,000 internally displaced people forced from their homes by bouts of intercommunal violence and conflict, including 157,000 ethnic Rohingya who have been living in overcrowded camps since 2012. In Dar Paing, a camp for over 12,000 internally displaced Rohingya, debris and waterlogged soil stretches for as far as the eye can see. The camp was among the hardest hit by the cyclone, with 10 recorded deaths. Sittwe Township, where Dar Paing is located, is at the confluence of three rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean – the Kaladan, Lay Myo and Mayu. The township was in the cyclone’s direct path and the accompanying storm surge triggered large-scale flooding in low-lying areas, causing a still-unknown number of casualties. The community in Dar Paing had little time to mourn. With the monsoon rains already starting, residents of the camp are attempting to rebuild as best they can before the rainy season reaches its peak. But so far, only a fraction of damaged and destroyed shelters have been repaired, and thousands of people remain exposed to the elements.   “Our community is facing a lot of challenges. A lot of people need help to fix their roofs. The rains have arrived, and I am worried the situation will become unsustainable,” says Amraan, a community volunteer at the camp.  The monsoon season adds to the hardships faced by communities already living on the brink. The Rohingya face severe discrimination in Myanmar, impeding their access to fundamental rights. Many live in extreme poverty due to restrictions on their freedom of movement that have limited their ability to earn an income and access basic services such as education and healthcare.   UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and local partners are redoubling efforts to assist both displaced and non-displaced communities by ramping up their assistance in areas where the de facto authorities have granted limited humanitarian access. Work is ongoing in displacement camps and villages to quickly distribute tarpaulins and reconstruct communal longhouses. To date, over 100,000 people have received shelter assistance and basic household items. “Needs for the monsoon this year are immense,” says Federico Sersale, UNHCR’s Head of Office in Sittwe. “While we have been able to reach a large number of people, increased access is needed so we can reach more communities and help them stay protected from the rain.” Stories of loss and hardship abound all along the Rakhine coast. Abia Khartu, 63, an ethnic Rohingya from Basara village, lost her home and belongings to the cyclone. “[After the cyclone hit], I was in shock. I could not even find my house. Everything has been destroyed,” she says. She now lives in a makeshift shelter covered by a tarpaulin provided by UNHCR. The space inside is spartan with few personal items besides a sleeping mat, bucket, blanket and kitchen set. These basic household items are distributed by UNHCR and partners to help communities cope with the loss of their belongings. Longer-term solutions needed No community in the path of the cyclone was spared. In downtown Sittwe, residents of Ngai Sa Rai Monastery worry about the damaged state of communal shelters and facilities. “The cyclone destroyed 10 of the 12 latrines here. Now, there are long waits every morning and we also lack bathing spaces for women,” Ma Soe Yai, 31, says. The Buddhist monastery has been a refuge for 35 Rakhine families since they were displaced by the conflict between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar Armed Forces in 2020. Every communal longhouse at the site, each housing up to six families, sustained moderate to severe damage from the cyclone. “It’s difficult for me to not worry. My roof leaks whenever it rains. If another storm comes, my shelter might collapse. I am miserable,” says Ma Soe Yai. UNHCR is working closely with partner organizations to ensure tarpaulins are distributed, damaged shelters are reconstructed, and communal facilities are repaired.   Nearby in Set Yon Su Ward, an informal settlement where a small number of displaced ethnic Rakhine live, U Aye Dun, 65, has recently finished reconstructing his shelter which collapsed during the storm. Topped with a white tarpaulin provided by UNHCR, it took him over two weeks to reconstruct his home. “I fixed everything myself. I have skills in bamboo craft, so I was able to rebuild my shelter without hiring additional labour. Otherwise, it would have been extremely expensive,” he says. But as a daily wage labourer, U Aye Dun was unable to earn an income while he was rebuilding. Many others in this economically vulnerable community face the dilemma of having to forgo daily wages to fix their shelters so they can stay dry during the monsoon.  As commodity prices skyrocket in the aftermath of the cyclone, the provision of tarpaulins and basic household items has provided some much-needed relief to vulnerable families. But more remains to be done. The UN estimates that at least 657,000 people across Rakhine need help with shelter, up from 390,000 people before the cyclone hit. Many are in hard-to-reach locations with limited humanitarian access. “Our priority right now is to ensure people have a roof over their heads, but it is also important to continue to support displaced communities with long-term solutions, including access to basic rights and services, and help to return to their places of origin or preference,” says UNHCR’s Sersale.