Myanmar’s rich biodiversity stems from its diverse ecosystems, which range from sea level to mountain peaks. The country’s forests play a crucial role in maintaining environmental stability. Additionally, Myanmar is home to a wide variety of freshwater ecosystems, including fast-flowing mountain streams, expansive slow-flowing lowland rivers, lakes, and other stagnant wetlands.

It also boasts some of the most extensive and pristine coastal and marine ecosystems in mainland Southeast Asia. Along its lengthy coastline, Myanmar features around half a million hectares of brackish and freshwater swamplands that perform vital ecological functions, serving as spawning, nursery, and feeding grounds for economically important aquatic organisms such as fish and prawns.

	Score	Rank	Change
Total Score – NCI 2024	47.73	167	N/A
Land Management	52	98	N/A
Protected Areas (Terrestrial)	22	156	N/A
Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	100	1	N/A
Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	59	73	N/A
Protected Areas (Marine)	2	108	N/A
Pristine Habitat (Converted Land)	99	124	N/A
Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution)	60	18	N/A
Sustainable Pesticide Use	24	103	N/A
Threats to Biodiversity	53	159	N/A
Threatened Species (Terrestrial)	86	99	N/A
Threatened Species (Marine)	67	49	N/A
Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas	47	165	N/A
Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas	71	119	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial)	5	156	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Marine)	0	10	N/A
Depleted Fisheries	4	36	N/A
Fishery Pressure in the High Seas	100	87	N/A
Invasive Species Pressure	99	30	N/A
Capacity and Governance	50	169	N/A
Total Management Cost	100	16	N/A
Conservation Culturomics	28	150	N/A
Conservation Legislation	43	67	N/A
Ratification of CBD	100	1	N/A
Ratification of CITES	100	1	N/A
Political Stability and Absence of Violence	10	161	N/A
Control of Corruption	26	157	N/A
Government Effectiveness	16	169	N/A
Future Trends	36	126	N/A
Climate Change Mitigation	36	126	N/A

Four pillars elaborated:

Land Management

Myanmar’s Protected Areas vary significantly in size, from the 0.5 km² (0.19 mi²) Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary near Bagan to the 22,000 km² (8,494 mi²) Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Northern Kachin State. Newer protected areas are generally larger, designed to encompass entire landscapes to support species like Asian elephants and tigers that require extensive contiguous habitats for survival. Additionally, three Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) are being established in the Myeik Archipelago alongside the Lampi Marine National Park, managed primarily by local coastal communities and aimed at traditional community-based fisheries management rather than direct marine biodiversity conservation.

About a quarter of Protected Areas incorporate some form of community-based natural resource management and community forestry, often with outreach programs. Despite facing significant management challenges, including conflicts with local communities and armed groups in 15% of the sites, even the less effectively managed ‘paper parks’ play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation.

Threats to Biodiversity

Myanmar’s vast genetic diversity is diminishing due to the introduction of modern agricultural varieties and technologies intended to support a growing population. The country has 144 globally threatened species, including four critically endangered mammals, birds, and reptiles each, along with 13 critically endangered plant species. Additionally, there are 39 endangered species, comprising 12 plants and 10 reptiles, and 80 vulnerable species, including 33 birds and 26 mammals. Notable declines are observed in marine turtles—affected by hunting, habitat destruction, and egg collection—and large mammals such as tigers and elephants, which face threats from skewed sex ratios and shrinking habitats due to human activities.

Forests, covering about 50% of Myanmar’s land area as per the FAO’s 2005 assessment, have decreased by 7% between 1990 and 2005 due to human pressures. Similarly, inland water biodiversity is declining from increased freshwater use and wetland drainage for agriculture and urbanization. Major threats include hunting, overfishing, forest depletion, habitat destruction, forest fires, climate change, invasive species, and the illegal wildlife trade, exacerbated by growing demand in neighboring countries.

Capacity and Governance

Efforts to conserve biodiversity in Myanmar include protecting and rehabilitating natural forests, establishing forest plantations to combat desertification, and promoting substitutes for wood fuel. Community forestry initiatives and the rescue of endangered wild crop species and landraces are underway, alongside the characterization of genetic diversity for sustainable crop resource use. Agro-environmental techniques are being developed, and systems for managing plant genetic resources, including seed banks and collections, have been established. International cooperation has been enhanced to protect threatened marine turtles.

Organic farming practices have been encouraged to improve soil biodiversity, and numerous research activities aim to conserve plant genetic diversity. Under the guidance of the National Forest Policy and Master Plan, the Forest Department has significantly expanded protected areas, establishing 36 protected zones, six of which are ASEAN Heritage Parks, covering 37,894.48 km² (14,631.14 mi²) or 5.6% of the country as of 2010.

Future Trends

Myanmar’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) provides a detailed framework to preserve the country’s diverse biological resources. The plan is responsive to the dynamic political, economic, and social reforms occurring within Myanmar and aligns with the Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Key objectives include protecting ecosystems and habitats, conserving species diversity, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, enhancing public awareness and participation, and strengthening institutional capacity and governance to make meaningful advancements in biodiversity conservation.

Biodiversity

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has extraordinary biodiversity due to its diverse range of ecosystems, including tropical and subtropical forests, wetlands, coastal and marine environments, and highland regions. The country’s location at the intersection of the Indo-Malayan, Sino-Himalayan, and Indo-Burmese biodiversity hotspots contributes to its rich flora and fauna. Myanmar’s forests are home to over 11,000 plant species, with significant forested areas such as the Hkakabo Razi and Alaungdaw Kathapa National Parks supporting a variety of wildlife, including the Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, and the critically endangered Myanmar snub-nosed monkey.

The country’s wetlands and river systems, particularly the Irrawaddy River and its delta, play a pivotal role in both biodiversity and local livelihoods. These areas are not just habitats, but lifelines, supporting a range of aquatic species, including the unique Irrawaddy dolphin, various species of freshwater fish, and numerous migratory bird species. The Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River is also notable for its unique floodplain ecosystems that provide habitats for a rich diversity of plant and animal life, underscoring its importance in sustaining the local ecosystem and communities.

In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Myanmar only):

	Species (World rank)	Threatened	% Threatened	Endemic	% Endemic
Mammals	354 (#24)	49	13.8%	9	2.5%
Birds	1,038 (#14)	57	5.5%	10	1.0%
Reptiles	377 (#21)	30	8.0%	52	13.8%
Amphibians	138 (#27)	3	2.2%	24	17.4%
Fishes	1,120 (#34)	72	6.4%	58	5.2%
Plants	11,800 (#26)	61	0.5%	1,071	9.5%