Developing Designation Criteria and Policy Implications for Nature-Based Recreation Forests in Myanmar: Based on South Korea’s Forest Recreation Designation System

Abstract

This study aims to derive empirically grounded criteria and priority weights for establishing a nature-based recreation forest designation system in Myanmar by referencing South Korea’s Forest Culture and Recreation Act and its operational experience with natural recreation forests. A three-round Delphi survey was conducted with Myanmar national experts based in Myanmar, representing the forestry and tourism sectors across government, industry, academia, and research institutions. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), six main categories and 35 sub-criteria were evaluated and refined. The results identify four core categories—Landscape, Water System, Development Conditions, and Inducing Recreation—as the most influential factors for recreation forest designation. Among the sub-criteria, wildlife diversity, plant diversity, water quality, and watershed protection were assigned the highest importance, highlighting the critical role of ecological integrity and water resource management in Myanmar’s forest recreation policy. Based on these findings, key policy implications include: (1) institutionalizing an official recreation forest designation framework under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC); (2) integrating biodiversity conservation with water resource management; (3) strengthening community participation; (4) gradually introducing nature-based healing and wellness programs; and (5) promoting international cooperation and capacity building. This study demonstrates the applicability of Korea’s institutional experience to Myanmar and provides a policy-relevant framework for sustainable forest recreation development.