Author: Nang Seng Raw
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.DP-25-03
Year: 2025
Academic Program: Development Planning Management and Innovation (DPMI)
Type: Thesis (M. Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2025
Examination Committee: Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen (Chairperson); P. Abdul Salam, Salvatore G.P. Virdis (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: This study investigates the spatial expansion of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) mining and its socio-ecological consequences in Momauk Township, a conflict-affected area under the control of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) in Kachin State, Myanmar. Guided by a social-ecological systems (SES) framework, the research addresses three core questions: (1) how REE mining patterns have evolved over the past decade; (2) how mining expansion has changed local livelihoods and environmental systems; and (3) how grassroots self-governance enables community adaptation. Using a mixed-methods approach—including remote sensing analysis, 190 household surveys, 23 key informant interviews, and participatory fieldwork—the study reveals a dramatic expansion of mining areas, particularly post-2021, often at the expense of forests and agricultural lands. This land-use transformation has significantly eroded natural, social, and human capitals, while financial and political gains have been unevenly distributed and closely tied to extractive interests. Despite limited formal institutional capacity, communities have developed localized governance mechanisms, including grassroots movements and community forest initiatives, as strategies for resistance and adaptation. However, these efforts face critical constraints such as elite capture, political repression, and resource limitations. Correlation analysis confirms that self-arrangement, interdependency, and self-regulation are positively associated with resilience, although overall adaptive capacity remains fragile. The findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen grassroots governance, integrate environmental safeguards, and rethink extractive development policies in frontier and conflict-prone regions.
Scholarship Donor(s): AIT Scholarships
Note: A thesis submitted in patial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Development Planning Management and Innovation
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