Rural Economy and Poverty in the Myanmar Delta: A Case Study of Ahmar Sub-township, Ayeyarwady Region

Abstract

This study highlights the poverty in the rural area of Ahmar, Ayeyarwady Region, the underlying reasons causing poverty, the consequences of poverty and the means to reduce poverty in the area. In Ahmar Sub-township, poverty is directly related to the economy of the area. Rural economic activities such as agriculture, fishing and making thatch play important roles in the economy. Most people are poor; they earn only about US$ 1 per day. In agriculture, monocropping is mainly practised due to the saline soils in this area. Agriculture is not very successful because saltwater intrudes into the paddy fields at the end of each rainy season. Some local people own areas of Nippa land that produces leaves twice a year. Some are fishermen who catch fish along the streams. They have permission to fish in the streams from the persons who got a licence for fishing from the government. Migration, labour shortage, high dropout rate from school, early marriage, high fertility, low life expectancy and poor access to healthcare are found as consequences of poverty. The objectives of this chapter are to examine the rural economic activities that cause poverty in this rural area, to understand the present socio-economic conditions of the people who live in the area and to explore the consequences of poverty and the means to reduce the poverty in the area. To present this chapter, primary data were collected. The participatory rural appraisal approach was applied to obtain the primary data and to get a thorough understanding of the rural economy and poverty in the area.