The HEA assessment included fieldwork in Minu and Thazi Townships and covered two livelihood zones: the Thazi Rainfed Lowland and Minbu Rainfed Upland Livelihood Zones. This report comprises the introduction - there are two corresponding Livelihood Profiles for each zone.
Information was gathered for a specific reference year (2010-2011), which was a relatively normal year in the Thazi Rainfed Lowland Livelihood Zone and a below normal year in the Minbu Rainfed Upland Livelihood Zone.
In 2011, Oxfam GB obtained a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation for livelihoods programming in Minbu and Pauk Townships in Magway Division and Thazi and Meiktila Townships in Mandalay Division. In order to design a comprehensive programme, it was decided that a baseline of the current household economic situation was required and that an HEA should be carried out.