1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Nyaungshwe
Region
Asia
Native title of the NBS intervention
ပြည်တွင်းနေရပ်စွန့်ခွါရွှေ့ပြောင်းသွားလာသူများအတွက် လူမှုအသိုက်အဝန်းဥယျာဉ်
Short description of the intervention
The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) Myanmar and its local collaborative organizations developed a community garden at Inn Dein village to ensure access to diverse and safe food amidst the current internal crisis in Myanmar. The community garden is a part of the wider research project “Climate-smart villages as platforms for resilience building, women empowerment, equity, and sustainable food systems”, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The expected outcomes are to benefit over 4,200 internally displaced persons (IDP) (due to COVID-19 and internal conflict) in Inn Dein and the Yangon Monastery Camp in Nyaungshwe. The community garden was established in the close vicinity of the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp. The garden area is about 1.5 acres and rented for three seasons from the owner. Saplings were supplied for agroforestry purposes and a community support fund has also been provided for income generation and livelihood activities. Sprinkler irrigation has been installed to cover the whole land area, and 20 types of crops, including several legumes crops and vegetables such as mustard, radish, carrot, coriander, okras, eggplant and pumpkin are being cultivated. This project is particularly important in the current situation "[because of the lack of opportunities to direct support to IDP camps and the risky situation in food supplies, access to food and nutrition for IDPs is critically important." This project benefits both addressing food insecurity and increasing green space in the neighbourhood of the IDP camps. (Ref 1).
Address

Inn Dein IDP Camp and the Yangon Monastery IDP Camp
Nyaungshwe Township, Southern Shan State, Myanmar
Nyaungshwe
Myanmar (Burma)

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
6070.00m²
NBS area
1393.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
Camp for Internally Displaced People (Ref 1)
Website of the intervention
https://iirr.org/news_and_updates/community-garden-myanmar/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2020
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2022
End date of the intervention
2022
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The project is a part of the Climate Smart Village (CSV) and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) research project and shares the same objectives.
- To ensure access to diverse and safe food amidst the crisis. (Ref 1)
- To enrich local food systems (Ref 1)
- To further enhance livelihoods and generation of income. (Ref 1)
- Studying the contributions of climate-smart villages (CSVs) (Ref 1)
- Identify and scale optimal climate-smart agriculture practices and interventions suitable for the four major agroecological regions of Myanmar: the central dry zone, the mountain uplands, the upland plateau, and the delta (Ref. 2)
Quantitative targets
- Creation of Green Space in 1393 sqm
- Number of Community Gardens - 1
- Creation of 20 garden beds in 5 blocks (Ref 1)
Monitoring indicators defined
The number of people benefiting, the total area of production and the total amount of produce. (Ref 1)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Inclusive governance
Effective management
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Economic development: agriculture
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable consumption
Sustainable production
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Other
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
Means for conservation governance
Biodiversity offsets
Raise public awareness
Public engagement
Capacity building
Protect and apply traditional knowledge and conservation practices
Please specify "other Type of NBS project"
Community-Based Adaptation through the support of displaced people (Ref 1).
Implementation activities
Farmers are cultivating a variety of vegetables and other foods which thrive in the local environment. The garden area is about 1.5 acres and rented for three seasons from the owner. Twenty beds in five blocks were set up in the 50’ x 3’ garden area. Sprinkler irrigation has been installed to cover the whole land area, and 20 types of crops, including several legumes crops and vegetables such as mustard, radish, carrot, coriander, okras, eggplant and pumpkin, are being cultivated. For CSA, targeted farmers were supplied with trees for agroforestry purposes. Participatory research methods are practiced here for the agricultural purposes and to engage the community.
Activities are managed by the management committee. As part of the management plan for the community garden, all have agreed to share the produce with other IDP camps across the Nyaungshwe Township. Moreover, it is expected that the community garden will benefit the IDP camp located in Yangon Monastery with over 300 IDPs, including children. (Ref 1, 2)
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Community gardens
Please specify "other Climate change adaptation activity"
Create climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices relevant to the conditions in the major agroecological regions of Myanmar (Ref. 2).
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
1
Vegetation Type
Garden beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Educational or biodiversity trails
Please specify "other marginalized group"
Internally Displaced People (Ref 1)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Cultural services
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Young people and children
Marginalized groups
Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants
Other
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
IIRR Myanmar - Budget Funding and supplying trees and crops
Internally Displaced People - Management (Ref 1, 2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
No information found
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Co-management/Joint management
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
As the initiative aimed at building Climate Smart Villages, it is worth mentioning that in 2015 Myanmar passed the Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (CSA), which seeks to "optimize the benefits and minimize the negative trade-offs across food security, agricultural development and climate change adaptation and mitigation." (Ref 4) The CSV was implemented in line with CSA. (Ref 3)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
Crops including several legumes crops and vegetables such as mustard, radish, carrot, coriander, okras, eggplant and pumpkin (Ref 1)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
675,000 EURO for the whole big project of Climate and nutrition smart villages as platforms to address food insecurity in Myanmar. (Ref 2)
Source(s) of funding
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of land
Provision of labour
Provision of expertise
Provision of other services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Please specify other Business model
The current project does not fit into any of the above-mentioned models. It was implemented to support the Internally Displaced People during the food crisis and to help them survive during Covid-19 and internal conflict in Myanmar. (Ref 1)
Business models
None of these
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Process innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The project is a process innovation as it employs practices and approaches belonging to Climate-smart villages - low-cost technologies and interventions in selected locations. The climate-smart village approach generates climate-smart agriculture with the aim to increase sustainable agricultural production by adapting to and building resilience to climate change. (Ref 2)
Please specify social innovation
I'd argue that in terms of novelty, the project is a governance innovation as it employs practices and approaches belonging to Climate-smart villages. This approach uses participatory methods and adaptive capacities, aiming to help IDP with food and nutrition as well as income generation (Ref 1, 2). Gardening in IDP camps is not always easy due to land scarcity, limited space and water scarcity therefore the present social innovation is even more valuable. (Ref 5)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Community-based adaptation approaches have been tested in the Philippines for the past three years and are currently being mainstreamed via national government processes. This project builds on lessons from these methodological, institutional, and model-building research efforts leveraging the linkages between agriculture, climate change, and nutrition. (Ref 2)
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved soil quality
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Reduced biodiversity loss
Description of environmental benefits
As the project ended in 2022, there are no available reports issued by the implementor. The implementation was under the CSV research project, and hence this is expected to have similar impacts on the environment and the CSV and CSA practices. Nevertheless, the implementor issued a set of recommendations that could contribute to restoring local agro-biodiversity (there should be an increase in the diversity of plants planted- beans, green leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, and millets), as well as local forests through reforestation. In the present community garden, 20 types of crops, including several legumes crops and vegetables such as mustard, radish, carrot, coriander, okra, eggplant and pumpkin, are being cultivated. Furthermore, it is mentioned that CSA (and rotation farming) helped to address declining fertility and increasing soil erosion. Land usage and access are regulated by the Forestry Department. With landscapes enrichened by vegetation (trees, shrubs), better soil and water management, and resilient-proven crop varieties, CSA can deliver multiple benefits. (Ref 3)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Description of social and cultural benefits
Though no reports regarding the social benefits were issued, sources mention that over 300 IDPs, including children, are currently staying at the camp, all benefiting from the intervention. With the set of recommendations issued by the implementor, it is expected to provide some support and training through informal and continuous education to support community-based adaptation. With the cultivation of 20 different types of crops, including several legumes crops and vegetables such as mustard, radish, carrot, coriander, okra, eggplant and pumpkin, the community is expected to gain access to healthy and affordable food. (Ref 1, 3)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Indicators
Type of plants planted
Number of people benefiting from the action (Ref 1, 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Covid-19 was one of the causes of the implementation of the action. (Ref 1)
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Focus Group
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Community Gardens supporting Internally Displaced People in Myanmar
Climate and nutrition smart villages as platforms to address food insecurity in…
Resource conservation in the uplands of Southern Shan: How climate-smart agricu…
Climate Laws, Myanmar Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Documenting the application of the Myanmar Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (2.9 MB) 2.9 MB
List of references
1. Community Gardens supporting Internally Displaced People in Myanmar (No Date), International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, available at https://iirr.org/news_and_updates/community-garden-myanmar/ (accessed 17.1.2023).
2. Climate and nutrition smart villages as platforms to address food insecurity in Myanmar (No Date), International Development Research Center, available at https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/climate-and-nutrition-smart-villages-platforms-address-food-insecurity-myanmar (accessed 17.1.2023).
3. Resource conservation in the uplands of Southern Shan: How climate-smart agriculture can help (January 2019), International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, available at https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/59381/IDL-59381.pdf (accessed 17.1.2023).
4. Climate Laws, Myanmar Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy, available at https://www.climate-laws.org/geographies/myanmar/policies/myanmar-climate-smart-agriculture-strategy (accessed 28.1.2023)
5. Concern (2022), Upwards, sideways, sloped: gardening in refugee camps, available at https://www.concern.org.uk/news/upwards-sideways-sloped-gardening-refugee-camps (accessed 3.2.2023)
Comments and notes
Public Images
Project participants growing mushrooms in the community garden
Project participants growing mushrooms in the community garden
Ref. 1
Participants working in the community garden
Participants working in the community garden
Ref. 1