Ecology in Southeast Asia: understanding, acting, and transmitting

In countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, ecology is not a priority, even though populations, especially young people, are already facing the direct consequences of climate change: deforestation, soil and water pollution, droughts, and floods, particularly in Myanmar and the Mekong Delta. These realities directly impact their daily lives and future prospects.

Indeed, there is no awareness or understanding of the consequences of climate change. The priority is to eat or work. Productivist techniques have been pushed by large agrochemical companies.

Agriculture, which remains at the heart of many families' lives, is now weakened: unstable yields, dependence on expensive chemical inputs, increasing debt. In this context, promoting practices such as organic farming or permaculture provides concrete, sustainable, and locally adapted solutions but requires awareness and demonstrating feasibility and economic benefits.

These issues are also social. Due to a lack of prospects, many young people leave rural areas, leading to a gradual loss of traditional knowledge and an imbalance in cities. Showing that sustainable agricultural models can be both profitable and rewarding creates a real alternative to this exodus. Especially since younger generations, who are more open to change, constitute a powerful lever: training a young person often transforms a family, or even an entire community.

Finally, ecology is also an economic issue. Sustainable practices reduce costs, increase product value, and open new markets. They thus help strengthen the autonomy of local populations.

An initiative rooted in local partnerships

Pour répondre à ces défis, Opportunity for Women Development agit en partenariat avec des acteurs locaux engagés. Au Myanmar, la collaboration avec Fondacio Myanmar est centrale.

Au cœur de ce dispositif, John Ze Hkang, le chef de projet “écologie intégrale”, issu d’une famille d’agriculteurs birmans, formé à la permaculture et à l’animation de la Fresque du Climat en France, accompagne les jeunes et les agriculteurs dans une démarche à la fois pédagogique et pratique. Son rôle est essentiel pour adapter les enjeux globaux aux réalités locales.

La première étape de cette approche consiste à sensibiliser les jeunes aux enjeux environnementaux.

À travers des ateliers de Fresque du Climat, les participants découvrent:

  • les causes du dérèglement climatique
  • ses impacts sur leur quotidien (agriculture, eau, ressources)

Cette méthode participative permet une compréhension rapide et profonde des enjeux, tout en créant une prise de conscience collective. Elle constitue un véritable point de départ, en donnant du sens aux actions à venir.

Mais comprendre ne suffit pas. Il est essentiel de proposer des solutions concrètes.

Our training and demonstration activities

OFWD is developing a concrete demonstrator in Yangon, at the Fondacio center, allowing for hands-on learning and testing of reproducible models.

The mushroom house: a simple and profitable solution

Mushroom cultivation, especially oyster mushrooms, offers many advantages:

  • it does not require agricultural land
  • it repurposes local waste such as rice straw or sawdust
  • it consumes little water and uses no pesticides

Accessible and quick to implement (a 3 to 5-week cycle), it generates income quickly with limited investment. It is also an excellent educational tool: results are visible, techniques are simple, and models are easily reproducible.

Adapted to Yangon's urban context, this activity can be developed in a small space, such as a house or a small plot of land. It also offers immediate outlets, particularly through local sales or integration into places like a café or a showroom.

The permaculture demonstrator: learning by doing

The permaculture demonstrator complements this approach by offering a concrete learning space.

It allows for:

  • making ecology tangible and credible
  • teaching simple practices (composting, companion planting, water management)
  • experimenting with directly applicable solutions

Directly linked to the Climate Fresk, it answers a fundamental question: what can be done concretely?

Beyond learning, this type of demonstrator opens up economic prospects: vegetable production, reduced food costs, possibility of local sales. It is also easily adaptable to an urban environment and requires little space.

Its impact is amplified by its ability to be reproduced: each trained young person can apply these techniques at home and pass them on to their entourage.

A consistent and sustainable approach

OFWD's actions are based on a simple and effective approach:

  • understand through awareness
  • experiment through demonstrators
  • produce and generate income
  • transmit within communities

By combining awareness, training, and experimentation, ecology becomes a concrete lever for autonomy, allowing young people to build a sustainable future connected to their territory.

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