Lived multifunctionality: Indigenous perceptions of shifting cultivation landscapes in the Naga Hills of Myanmar
Research across 42 villages in Layshi Township, Myanmar's Naga Self-Administered Zone, found that jhum land often classified by the state as vacant or degraded was regarded locally as the most multifunctional land-use type, supporting food, medicines, construction materials, and cultural practice. Forests, home gardens, and paddy terraces complemented jhum as an interdependent landscape mosaic. The study reveals a gap between technocratic land categories and Indigenous knowledge but does not directly measure ecological performance.
Thai researchersAthong Makury · Arkar Soe Htet