Myanmar has total land area of 676,577 square kilometres. The topography can roughly be divided into three parts: the Western Hills, the Central Valley, and the Eastern Hills. The population of Myanmar is estimated to be 55.7 million with a population growth rate of 1.03% as of July 2014. Approximately 70% of the population lives in rural and remote areas (Government of Myanmar 2013).
Forest Department, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation (MONREC), has been managing its natural forests under Myanmar Selection System, which is a system of sustainable forest management, for over 100 years. The FD is responsible for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable management of forest resources in the country.
