IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v146y2024ics0264837724002461.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 migrant returnees, access to land, and subsistence under uncertain times in Karen State, Myanmar

Author

Listed:
  • Swift, Peter
  • Htoo, Saw Eh
  • Klay, Saw Min
  • Rueff, Henri

Abstract

In addition to its impacts in terms of illness and death, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant socioeconomic hardship in Myanmar as it did around the world. How land was implicated in how people coped with this hardship remains poorly understood. Other pre-pandemic studies in the region have found that rural communities and land provide a safety net for migrants engaged in precarious work, to which they can return in times of crises; it is partly for this reason that people do not sell land despite it becoming less important for livelihoods. Research conducted between June and October 2020 in ten rural villages severely impacted by the loss of remittances accompanying the pandemic, and in which many returned migrants were now living, found that land did indeed provide a significant safety net but in unexpected and specific ways. Land replaced remittances as the main source of livelihood and security. It allowed returned migrants to survive as they waited to go back to Thailand, reinforcing the co-dependency between farmers and their migrant relatives. Yet many returned migrants only reluctantly turned to farming when they had no other options, and some households had land that was only partially used while others remained landless. Ultimately, land’s role as a safety net was limited due to the unviability of smallholder farming and the unequal distribution of land.

Suggested Citation

  • Swift, Peter & Htoo, Saw Eh & Klay, Saw Min & Rueff, Henri, 2024. "COVID-19 migrant returnees, access to land, and subsistence under uncertain times in Karen State, Myanmar," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:146:y:2024:i:c:s0264837724002461
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107293
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837724002461
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107293?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hammond, James & Siegal, Kim & Milner, Daniel & Elimu, Emmanuel & Vail, Taylor & Cathala, Paul & Gatera, Arsene & Karim, Azfar & Lee, Ja-Eun & Douxchamps, Sabine & Tu, Mai Thanh & Ouma, Emily & Lukuyu, 2022. "Perceived effects of COVID-19 restrictions on smallholder farmers: Evidence from seven lower- and middle-income countries," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    2. Innocent Otache, 2020. "The Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Nigeria’s Economy and Possible Coping Strategies," Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 7(3), pages 173-179.
    3. Fethiye Kaya Tilbe, 2023. "Labour market, social welfare, and migrant remittance: COVID-19 implications in the UK," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Rigg, Jonathan & Salamanca, Albert & Phongsiri, Monchai & Sripun, Mattara, 2018. "More farmers, less farming? Understanding the truncated agrarian transition in Thailand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 327-337.
    5. Myat Mon, 2010. "Burmese labour migration into Thailand: governance of migration and labour rights," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 33-44.
    6. Diao, Xinshen & Mahrt, Kristi, 2020. "Assessing the impact on household incomes and poverty of declines in remittances due to COVID-19," Myanmar SSP policy notes 6, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Boughton, Duncan & Goeb, Joey & Lambrecht, Isabel & Mather, David & Headey, Derek D., 2020. "Strengthening smallholder agriculture is essential to defend food and nutrition security and rural livelihoods in Myanmar against the COVID-19 threat: Elements for a proactive response," Myanmar SSP policy notes 2, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Ram B Bhagat & Reshmi R.S. & Sahoo, Harihar & Archana K. Roy & Dipti Govil, 2020. "The COVID-19, Migration and Livelihood in India: Challenges and Policy Issues," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 17(5), pages 705-718, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan & Prachuabmoh, Vipan & Knodel, John, 2019. "Productive aging in developing Southeast Asia: Comparative analyses between Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 161-171.
    2. Amare, Mulubrhan & Abay, Kibrom A. & Tiberti, Luca & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2021. "COVID-19 and food security: Panel data evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. Magnus Moglia & Kim S. Alexander & Silva Larson & Anne (Giger)-Dray & Garry Greenhalgh & Phommath Thammavong & Manithaythip Thephavanh & Peter Case, 2020. "Gendered Roles in Agrarian Transition: A Study of Lowland Rice Farming in Lao PDR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-20, July.
    4. Forsyth, Tim, 2021. "Time to change? Technologies of futuring and transformative change in Nepal’s climate change policy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 107544, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Promkhambut, Arunee & Yokying, Phanwin & Woods, Kevin & Fisher, Micah & Li Yong, Ming & Manorom, Kanokwan & Baird, Ian G. & Fox, Jefferson, 2023. "Rethinking agrarian transition in Southeast Asia through rice farming in Thailand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    6. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Yan, Jingyang & Wang, Fuhao, 2024. "Impact of population aging on food security in the context of artificial intelligence: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    7. Iuliia Pinkovetskaia & Diego Felipe Arbelaez Campillo & Magda Julissa Rojas Bahamon, 2022. "Households income in 2021: influence of Covid-19 pandemic," Revista Finanzas y Politica Economica, Universidad Católica de Colombia, vol. 14(2), pages 541-559, June.
    8. Salaisook, Phastraporn & Faysse, Nicolas & Tsusaka, Takuji W., 2020. "Reasons for adoption of sustainable land management practices in a changing context: A mixed approach in Thailand," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    9. Oladeji Bamidele & Tunde Adegoke Amole, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Smallholder Poultry Farmers in Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-22, October.
    10. Princewilliams Odera Oguejiofor & Onwuasoigwe, Chioma Alice, 2024. "Hordes of Struggling African Youths will Continue to Migrate En Masse to Developed Countries: The Political Economy of “Japa†from Nigeria to the United Kingdom (2015-2023)," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(4), pages 144-156, April.
    11. Goswami, Rupak & Roy, Kalyan & Dutta, Sudarshan & Ray, Krishnendu & Sarkar, Sukamal & Brahmachari, Koushik & Nanda, Manoj Kr. & Mainuddin, Mohammed & Banerjee, Hirak & Timsina, Jagadish & Majumdar, Ka, 2021. "Multi-faceted impact and outcome of COVID-19 on smallholder agricultural systems: Integrating qualitative research and fuzzy cognitive mapping to explore resilient strategies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    12. Pinkovetskaia Iuliia, 2022. "Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on household income: results of a survey of the economically active population," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 32(1), pages 43-57, March.
    13. Richard F. Doner, 2023. "Comment on “Siamese Twin Failures: Structural and Regulatory Transformations in Unequal Thailand”," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 18(1), pages 71-72, January.
    14. Joshy Jesline & John Romate & Eslavath Rajkumar & Allen Joshua George, 2021. "The plight of migrants during COVID-19 and the impact of circular migration in India: a systematic review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Ginbert P. Cuaton & Laurence L. Delina, 2022. "Two decades of rice research in Indonesia and the Philippines: A systematic review and research agenda for the social sciences," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, December.
    16. Nanhthavong, Vong & Bieri, Sabin & Nguyen, Anh-Thu & Hett, Cornelia & Epprecht, Michael, 2022. "Proletarianization and gateways to precarization in the context of land-based investments for agricultural commercialization in Lao PDR," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    17. Margubur Rahaman & Avijit Roy & Pradip Chouhan & Kailash Chandra Das & Md Juel Rana, 2021. "Risk of COVID-19 Transmission and Livelihood Challenges of Stranded Migrant Labourers during Lockdown in India," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(3), pages 787-802, September.
    18. Bob Doherty & Pichawadee Kittipanya-Ngam, 2021. "The Role of Social Enterprise Hybrid Business Models in Inclusive Value Chain Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    19. Ullah, Ayat & Zeb, Alam & Liu, Jinlong & Mahmood, Nasir & Kächele, Harald, 2021. "Transhumant pastoralist knowledge of infectious diseases and adoption of alternative land use strategies in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region of Pakistan," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    20. Baird, Ian G., 2024. "Going organic: Challenges for government-supported organic rice promotion and certification nationalism in Thailand," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:146:y:2024:i:c:s0264837724002461. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.