Earlier this year two rangers from Myanmar where funded by WWF's EFN programme to attend the Eighth World Ranger Congress in United State.
"We got a great chance to observe several national parks in the US during the congress. Their protected area management systems were great and inspired me to try implementing them in the park I'm currently managing here."Tin Mya Soe
Park Manager of Pan Laung & Pya Da Lin Cave Wildlife Sanctuary
"Plans we have drawn up for managing protected areas in our country are quite good comparing to international standards. The main problem is the lack of funding and also law enforcement as we cannot progress without them."Zin Win Tun
Ranger at Lan Pi Marine National Park
How long have you been a ranger?
Tin: I've been a ranger since 1986, nearly 30 years now. I started working as government staff and began to love nature and wildlife.
Zin: I started working at the Forestry Department in 2013. I chose to work for the government as it is a stable job and when I stepped into the field I understood the importance of this role.
What are the challenges you face as a ranger?
Tin: Creating natural reserves can be the start of the conflict between rangers and local people. To overcome this, we have to create community-based projects. Also from the forest, there is no wood to give or to sell to local communities. If this can be addressed there will be a reduction in the illegal logging in the natural reserve areas.
Zin: The unbalance between the size of the park and the staff population. We need to recruit more people but the salary of the day workers is only 90,000 kyats. In my region, it is easy to make money from the sea. Three to four people get on a boat and go on a 15-day trip to catch squids and they make 60 lakhs, so, they are not interested in making a living in conservation.
What is the awareness of rangers in Myanmar?
Tin: As a whole country I suspect understanding of the role of rangers is quite low. People with knowledge of conservation know the importance of the role, however for the grassroots communities striving for their day to day living, our work might not be seen as important. Some might view us as a disturbance.
Zin: To increase awareness we need to use the media. The department publishes a monthly journal but it is not widespread. Currently, the media does not portray the work of rangers. People watch television. Therefore, if TV channels come and film in the parks, it will be beneficial.
What did you learn at the World Ranger Congress that you'd like to bring to Myanmar?
Tin: The Protected Area Management in national parks in the U.S. is so incredible that I would like to try to implement it in the park I manage. The management plan for national parks in our country is standardised but hasn’t been implemented yet. The plan is on paper but there is no practical application. The main issue is the lack of funding and logistics. Also, management plans must be kept updated. If the plan is not implemented within 3 or 5 years, the plan becomes useless. In order to execute the management plan, we mainly need skilled rangers and funding.
Zin: Their training method. The training here is usually presentations in a room where we discuss by asking questions and responding. During the 10-day training in the States, we visited and explored every national park and had the opportunity to discuss with the rangers there. We gained a lot of benefit from this.
What can be done to improve the lives of Myanmar's rangers?
Tin: Rangers need a living salary. We met lots of American rangers who are very skillful and are supported with facilities. Their salary can feed the whole family and their children are supported to go to school. Here, even the park manager’s salary cannot fully cover his family’s expenditure.
Zin: Rangers need support. They spend their lives in the jungle and we have to provide them with the facilities and equipment they need to do their job properly.
The recent Ranger Insurance Report, released on World Ranger Day found that a worryingly high number of government rangers do not have life, health or long-term disability insurance, particularly in Asia and Africa.
The report commissioned by WWF and the Ranger Federation of Asia, in conjunction with the International Ranger Federation, Global Wildlife Conservation and the Global Tiger Forum is part of a series of reports on rangers working conditions.
