Myanmar

Myanmar covers an area of 676,578 square kilometers and has a population of nearly 54 million people (CIA, 2011). Ranked 135 of 169 on the Human Development Index (UNDP, 2010), Myanmar is the lowest ranked country in East and Southeast Asia and the only one classified as having a “low” level of human development. Much of its struggling economy is based on fossil fuel industries (CIA, 2011) that contribute to environmental degradation. The climate of Myanmar is roughly divided into three seasons: summer, rainy season and cold season. Summer is from March to mid-May; the rain falls from mid-May to the end of October; and the cold season starts in November and ends at the end of February. Generally, Myanmar enjoys a tropical monsoon climate. However, climatic conditions differ widely from place to place due to widely differing topographical situations. For instance, Central Myanmar has an annual rainfall of less than 1016 mm while the Rakhine coast gets about 5080 mm. Major environmental issues include industrial pollution of air, soil, water, inadequate sanitation and deforestation.