Whose Agency Counts in Land Use Decision-Making in Myanmar? A Comparative Analysis of Three Cases in Tanintharyi Region

Lara M. Lundsgaard-Hansen, Flurina Schneider, Julie G. Zaehringer, Christoph Oberlack, Win Myint and Peter Messerli
Additional contact information
Lara M. Lundsgaard-Hansen: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Flurina Schneider: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Julie G. Zaehringer: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Christoph Oberlack: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Win Myint: Environmental Care and Community Security Institute, Yangon 11011 , Myanmar
Peter Messerli: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-30

Abstract: Myanmar has experienced profound transformations of land use and land governance, often at the expense of smallholders. Empirical evidence on the agency of actors included and excluded in land use decision-making remains scarce. This study analyses who influences land use decision-making, how they do this, and under what circumstances smallholders are included. Comparing three land use trajectories in southern Myanmar, we analysed actors’ agency—conceived as the meanings and means behind (re)actions—in land use decision-making using data from focus groups and interviews. Results showed that uneven distribution of means can lead to unequal decision-making power, enabling actors with more means to exclude those with less means: smallholders. However, this only applies in the case of top-down interventions with mutually exclusive actor interests regarding use of the same land. Where interests are compatible or a mediator supports smallholders in negotiations, actors are likely to develop a collaboration despite unequal means, leading to smallholders’ inclusion in decision-making. Transformation of current land governance towards sustainable development could be promoted by providing mediators to actors with few means, ensuring equal access for all to formal land tenure, engaging with brokers in the land governance network, and improving access to knowledge and financial capital for actors with few means.

Keywords: Burma; land system science; land governance; land use change; smallholders; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3823/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3823/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3823-:d:177424

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().