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Southern Chin State is a mountainous region, whose ethnic minority communities rely on subsistence agriculture on sloping lands. Food and livelihood security levels in southern Chin State are low; on the basis of a variety of health-related indicators, this region was identified by UNICEF as the highest-risk area for children in Myanmar. During a CARE village-level needs assessment conducted in April 2002, food shortages were reported for 4-9 months in each year. The trend is toward ever-worsening livelihood security, due to the interlinked dynamics of population growth, decrease in available land, land degradation and decreasing productivity of agricultural lands. There are very few opportunities for non-natural-resource-based (farm or forest) income generation, other than out-migration for labor.

Therefore improved food and livelihood security in southern Chin will have to be based on the natural resources of the area, emphasizing: sustainable agricultural production on sloping lands, agroforestry/community forestry, watershed conservation, and income generation through improved livestock. During the needs assessment, communities identified poor health as a factor constraining food security, since recurring preventable disease curtails the amount of time spent on productive activities. For this reason community-based health education will be integral to the project.

Project Goal and Objectives: To improve status of and capacity for accessing food and livelihood security in Mindat and Kanpelet Townships, southern Chin State, Myanmar.

Specific Objectives:
1. Improved food and nutritional security in participating households.
2.  Participating women and men have increased access to sustainable economic resources, specifically improved agricultural land and natural resource base.
3. Participating men and women have improved knowledge and behavior of positive health practices to support food security and productive activities.
4. Increased capacity of communities to plan, implement, and monitor and evaluate impact of livelihood security activities.

01.10.2002 - 30.09.2007

European Commission, Government of Austria, CARE Österreich

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