Kaowao Newsgroup


ENVIRONMENT: Durae Stream
Siha Ong / Kaowao	July 16, 2008
From a small wooden bridge near the monastery of Durae village, Kundit is closely watching the small fish jumping up from the dark grimy waters in the polluted stream below. She disappointedly observes that these tiny fish are trying very hard to survive in the foul smelling water. In recent years, the summer season has been longer than usual, causing the stream and plants to retreat further and further from the community. On the bank beside the bridge there is a 'No Fishing' warning sign, but Kundit has rarely seen fish in Durae's only stream that circles around her village that had once supported a lush forest. She has been living in this community for over thirty years and can recall that when she was a teenager her village was well known as a model community because of its cleanliness and green environment. Durae is the biggest community among the 10 Mon villages that are built in neat rows that hug the Palean Mountain where Mother Nature provided a beautiful stream near which villagers could plant small garden plots on fertile soils, a place Kundit's ancestors had decided to settle many years ago wanting to live a peaceful and traditional way of life. The Palean area comprised of Durae, Andin, Hnee Hnue and Hneak Grake, and was known for its success in practicing horticulture based on small family garden plots, along with fishing and salt processing. Fertile soils allowed villagers to grow and harvest rice, coconut, mangos, papayas, citrus limes, and most importantly betel nut, a much valued resource in Burma . Visitors were attracted to the beauty of Durae because of a stream that stretches along the length of the village community. The fresh clean stream coursed its way along the monastery from the south, heading northeast and then back southeast. In the past during the rainy season the community would spring to life as fresh water filled up the stream that enabled the villagers to irrigate their local gardens, while laughing girls and boys plunged into the deep water. The pristine area attracted people from the surrounding communities to have picnics during the Waso Festival. The stream served the local people the year round. But now the villagers are at risk of losing their livelihoods and their traditional way of life through government neglect and non-existent sanitation infrastructure. Today, local farmers like Kundit find themselves trapped in the long dry season trying to find enough water to irrigate their crops. In the past one could hear the sound of a nearby waterfall that offered crystal clear water that was safe to drink amidst the chatter of tropical animals and an abundance of colourful flowers. But those days are gone and the waterfall has long grown silent due to the drying up of the stream. "There is less and less wilderness due to the area being turned into 'mono-crops' such as the growing of rubber plantations and the expansion of larger betel nut plantations built over the top of mountains," says local villager Nai Yea. Like many places in Burma , firewood and charcoal are used for cooking but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find firewood near to the village community. Many of Kundit's friends and the younger generation have left home seeking jobs in other Asian countries leaving villagers to hire outside help to do the manual labour in harvesting the crops. The village community was generally peaceful with social gatherings taking place at Bhae Taik, the Main Buddhist monastery, during festival time, but those have also grown less frequent. The lack of environmental education and pressure on farmland being built up with the informal settlement of people from upper Burma along with government laxity in providing proper sanitation methods have contributed to the deterioration of the environment. Without preserving their clean environment through community-based education programs on health and management of waste material, the stream has become choked up with human waste, plastic bags, and other pollutants. But also, the rapid movement of people into the area over the past 2 decades without sustainable policies has played a major role in harming the environment. Many local people have built their homes near to the stream and have dumped their garbage daily into it without knowledge or thought of the consequences. In particular they have built toilets that drain directly into it being one of the major reasons why the water level has diminished so dramatically. During the rainy season, Durae now faces more floods because of the shallow level and torrential rain floods out the village instead of running smoothly into the stream. People are aware now that flooding will occur more frequently as a result of the disappearing forests and soil erosion. According to the World Bank, Burma suffers from unsustainable forest logging practices. Further to this, the country has invested virtually nothing into educational programs with a focus on the proper management of human and natural resources. Observers say that this will only increase impoverishment; Durae is a good example of this. A once thriving local economy is being denuded by a lack of proper government policies. Without enough rain and forest coverage to preserve the soil for moisture, the natural water flow dries up in a hurry in the dry season and betel nut gardens can no longer produce nuts without a reliable water source, threatening the domestic market. Many betel nut trees have now died or are drying up and the villagers are wondering why. Villagers have requested the authorities of Agriculture Department to find the solution but even the authorities have no answer to give them. Meanwhile in the streams the lack of fish will further damage the rest of the ecosystem. Fifteen years ago, Kundit and her friend could catch enough fish near the village, but today she can only see stinking water. Villagers previously used an underground well for drinking but the fresh water is not safe to drink anymore and those who can afford it have to drink bottled water from the city while the poor suffer more diseases from drinking dirty water. "We did not have mosquitoes in the past, we did not have to bother with mosquito netting, but now at night we ensure our children are sleeping with nets," says Ahblai, a 40 year-old local villager. As a consequence of water not flowing into the stream and more flooding there are more mosquitoes in the village and more people suffer from malaria. Due to unclean water, villagers seek local medics for the treatment of diarrhea and other waterborne diseases. Medics, short of medical supplies, are busy attending to patients suffering from malaria and diarrhea to a much greater degree. The Durae Stream was a direct reflection of the village community that had represented the typical way of life of the Mon and is similar to other ethnic groups living in Burma . Fertile lands alongside river flood plains are areas in which people made a decision to settle down and build their thatched and bamboo homes. They tilled the soil with water buffalo, planted rice, grew staples and survived. There are many factors causing the spread of diseases, but the major one is the drying out and abuse of fresh water which has caused a sharp increase in rates of malaria, dengue fever and diarrhea, a worrying trend for a community that once prided itself on a high standard of living in a rural Mon community. "This used to be a high class area to live, but our way of life has gone with the stream. I see many people suffering from malaria and dengue fever and the medics are finding it difficult to attend to the needs of the people," Said Kundit, adding, "The water is too dirty and even the fish cannot survive."
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From a small wooden bridge near the monastery of Durae village, Kundit is closely watching the small fish jumping up from the dark grimy waters in the polluted stream below. She disappointedly observes that these tiny fish are trying very hard to survive in the foul smelling water. In recent years, the summer season has been longer than usual, causing the stream and plants to retreat further and further from the community.

On the bank beside the bridge there is a 'No Fishing' warning sign, but Kundit has rarely seen fish in Durae's only stream that circles around her village that had once supported a lush forest. She has been living in this community for over thirty years and can recall that when she was a teenager her village was well known as a model community because of its cleanliness and green environment. Durae is the biggest community among the 10 Mon villages that are built in neat rows that hug the Palean Mountain where Mother Nature provided a beautiful stream near which villagers could plant small garden plots on fertile soils, a place Kundit's ancestors had decided to settle many years ago wanting to live a peaceful and traditional way of life.

The Palean area comprised of Durae, Andin, Hnee Hnue and Hneak Grake, and was known for its success in practicing horticulture based on small family garden plots, along with fishing and salt processing. Fertile soils allowed villagers to grow and harvest rice, coconut, mangos, papayas, citrus limes, and most importantly betel nut, a much valued resource in Burma . Visitors were attracted to the beauty of Durae because of a stream that stretches along the length of the village community. The fresh clean stream coursed its way along the monastery from the south, heading northeast and then back southeast. In the past during the rainy season the community would spring to life as fresh water filled up the stream that enabled the villagers to irrigate their local gardens, while laughing girls and boys plunged into the deep water. The pristine area attracted people from the surrounding communities to have picnics during the Waso Festival. The stream served the local people the year round.

But now the villagers are at risk of losing their livelihoods and their traditional way of life through government neglect and non-existent sanitation infrastructure. Today, local farmers like Kundit find themselves trapped in the long dry season trying to find enough water to irrigate their crops. In the past one could hear the sound of a nearby waterfall that offered crystal clear water that was safe to drink amidst the chatter of tropical animals and an abundance of colourful flowers. But those days are gone and the waterfall has long grown silent due to the drying up of the stream.

"There is less and less wilderness due to the area being turned into 'mono-crops' such as the growing of rubber plantations and the expansion of larger betel nut plantations built over the top of mountains," says local villager Nai Yea. Like many places in Burma , firewood and charcoal are used for cooking but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find firewood near to the village community.

Many of Kundit's friends and the younger generation have left home seeking jobs in other Asian countries leaving villagers to hire outside help to do the manual labour in harvesting the crops. The village community was generally peaceful with social gatherings taking place at Bhae Taik, the Main Buddhist monastery, during festival time, but those have also grown less frequent. The lack of environmental education and pressure on farmland being built up with the informal settlement of people from upper Burma along with government laxity in providing proper sanitation methods have contributed to the deterioration of the environment. Without preserving their clean environment through community-based education programs on health and management of waste material, the stream has become choked up with human waste, plastic bags, and other pollutants. But also, the rapid movement of people into the area over the past 2 decades without sustainable policies has played a major role in harming the environment. Many local people have built their homes near to the stream and have dumped their garbage daily into it without knowledge or thought of the consequences. In particular they have built toilets that drain directly into it being one of the major reasons why the water level has diminished so dramatically.

During the rainy season, Durae now faces more floods because of the shallow level and torrential rain floods out the village instead of running smoothly into the stream. People are aware now that flooding will occur more frequently as a result of the disappearing forests and soil erosion.

According to the World Bank, Burma suffers from unsustainable forest logging practices. Further to this, the country has invested virtually nothing into educational programs with a focus on the proper management of human and natural resources. Observers say that this will only increase impoverishment; Durae is a good example of this. A once thriving local economy is being denuded by a lack of proper government policies. Without enough rain and forest coverage to preserve the soil for moisture, the natural water flow dries up in a hurry in the dry season and betel nut gardens can no longer produce nuts without a reliable water source, threatening the domestic market. Many betel nut trees have now died or are drying up and the villagers are wondering why. Villagers have requested the authorities of Agriculture Department to find the solution but even the authorities have no answer to give them.

Meanwhile in the streams the lack of fish will further damage the rest of the ecosystem. Fifteen years ago, Kundit and her friend could catch enough fish near the village, but today she can only see stinking water. Villagers previously used an underground well for drinking but the fresh water is not safe to drink anymore and those who can afford it have to drink bottled water from the city while the poor suffer more diseases from drinking dirty water.

"We did not have mosquitoes in the past, we did not have to bother with mosquito netting, but now at night we ensure our children are sleeping with nets," says Ahblai, a 40 year-old local villager.

As a consequence of water not flowing into the stream and more flooding there are more mosquitoes in the village and more people suffer from malaria. Due to unclean water, villagers seek local medics for the treatment of diarrhea and other waterborne diseases. Medics, short of medical supplies, are busy attending to patients suffering from malaria and diarrhea to a much greater degree.

The Durae Stream was a direct reflection of the village community that had represented the typical way of life of the Mon and is similar to other ethnic groups living in Burma . Fertile lands alongside river flood plains are areas in which people made a decision to settle down and build their thatched and bamboo homes. They tilled the soil with water buffalo, planted rice, grew staples and survived. There are many factors causing the spread of diseases, but the major one is the drying out and abuse of fresh water which has caused a sharp increase in rates of malaria, dengue fever and diarrhea, a worrying trend for a community that once prided itself on a high standard of living in a rural Mon community.

"This used to be a high class area to live, but our way of life has gone with the stream. I see many people suffering from malaria and dengue fever and the medics are finding it difficult to attend to the needs of the people," Said Kundit, adding, "The water is too dirty and even the fish cannot survive."