Land and natural resources in Myanmar are central to the nation’s economy but also to the culture, identity, and livelihoods of its diverse peoples, to the power of the military and ethnic armed organizations, and to political and armed conflict.

Recent research by BACI’s Center for Policy, Research, and Innovation (CRPI) has highlighted a shared view among stakeholders that it is vital to address issues related to land and resource governance in the current context of political upheaval. As democratic actors struggle for a federal democratic union, they need to think about how to replace the current centralized Government of Myanmar system of land and resource governance with a federal one rooted in respect for the rights of the people.

In many parts of the country, also, land grabbing, illegal mining and logging, and other threats to land and natural resources have skyrocketed since the coup. And in areas controlled by resistance forces, there is a need to deliver good land and resource governance for the good of the people but also to shore up support for the democracy movement.

NUUM is establishing a new Center for Land and Natural Resources Policy (CLNRP) that will become a leading institution to support Myanmar policy stakeholders in the area of land and natural resource management and governance. Its three main areas of work are research and analysis, teaching, and civic engagement.