Which natural resource governance arrangements empower local communities to shape development in Arakan State?: the Case Study of Shwe Gas Project
Keywords:
natural resource governance, local community, empowerment, developmentAbstract
Several studies have previously explored the environmental impacts of the government's weak policies on natural resource production and the suffering experienced by the local population. A few research papers have discussed the role of local community empowerment in regional development. The government ignored the local people and the development of the region. It adopted policies that only favored the companies working on the project and the foreign companies' interests. Local people in the project area suffered negative impacts as the project progressed. Development projects affect local people negatively, including the environment and the confiscation of land. Despite several case studies of natural resource projects in Myanmar, there are not many papers that discuss the details of the projects as research papers with theoretical discussions. Therefore, we conducted a case study to evaluate the Kyaukphyu Shwe Gas Project to analyze the governance of the government on local people. A weak level of community participation was noticeable in the development of this project. Our findings suggest the need to strengthen the role of local communities in the development of their areas and empower them to participate in decision-making. Furthermore, this research emphasizes the need for a resource management framework that takes local opinions into account when developing a governance structure.
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