According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), biodiversity is all the different kinds of life that we will find in one area_ the variety of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.
“Biodiversity as a whole forms a shield protecting each of the species that together compose it, ourselves included”__ E.O.Wilson, “Half-Earth”
In the mean of biodiversity, there are several ecosystem diversities; including forest ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, coastal and marine ecosystems, mountain ecosystems, agricultural ecosystem, and species diversities; wild species diversity and domesticated biodiversity.
For human survival, biodiversity is the essential thing and it can provide ecosystem services like food and medicine, many other supplements that is important for the human health (clean air, clean water, healthy soil, and diversity of raw materials including wood, biofuels and plant oils). Moreover, it maintains our ecosystem to be balanced and giver resilience to us.
According to the Global assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services, around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. This is the result of humans’ pressure (using and consuming more resources than ever before). Human overexploited the natural resources and make the ecosystem to reach the unhealthy situation. These conditions lead to disaster and climate crisis to our environment.
In Myanmar, the history pattern of conserving environment include using religious practices that ban hunting, fishing in sacred areas to traditional cultivation systems that protect riparian and watershed forests. Modern conservation efforts like establishment of protected areas which focus on protection of select species and habits to protection of entire landscapes and ecosystems are rooted in the early 1980s. Myanmar has a number of policies and regulations to safeguard the environment. They are:
(1)    National Environment Policy (1994)
(2)    Forest Policy (1995)
(3)    Myanmar Agenda 21 (1997)
(4)    National Sustainable development Strategy (2009)
The legislation mainly concerned with the natural resources and biodiversity are as follow,
(1)    Law Relating to Aquaculture (1989)
(2)    Pesticide Law (1990)
(3)    Freshwater Fisheries Law (1991)
(4)    Forest Law (1992)
(5)    Law relating to fishing rights of foreign fishing vessels (1993)
(6)    Myanmar Marine fisheries law (1993)
(7)    Myanmar Mines law (1994)
(8)    Protection of Wildlife and Protected Areas Law (1994)
(9)    Fertilizers Law (2002)
(10)Plant Pest Quarantine Law (2011)
(11)Seed Law (2011)
(12)Conservation of water resources and river law (2006)
(13)Environmental conservation law (2012)
(14)Animals health and development law (2012)
Although many laws and regulation were existed, the practices are rare and law enforcement is weak in Myanmar. Moreover, in the sector of penalties in those laws and regulations are required to updated and awareness giving to local people about these existing laws are needed.