Total in Burma : the yadana pipeline project

The onshore stretch of the Yadana pipeline runs 63 kilometers in an east-west direction through a fairly isolated, sparsely populated - around 40 people per square kilometer - region in southern Myanmar's Tenasserim district. The nearest large city is Tavoy (Dawei), located approximately 60 kilometers further south. Along the coast there are a few fishing villages whose inhabitants also cultivate rice and raise animals. The center of the region is sparse scrubland, crossed by a number of waterways, including two fairly large rivers, the Heinze Chaung and the Dawei. Farmers live in scattered large clearings, raising crops and animals in the traditional manner, with very little equipment available to them. The oxcart is the most common means of transportation. The terrain becomes more inhospitable further to the east toward the Thai border at an altitude of 850 meters. It is rugged and densely covered with degraded forest and undisturbed tropical forest.

The pipeline runs north of the tropical forest to protect it, following an existing track.

The ethnic makeup of the region is fairly diverse. The coastal villages around Daminseik are mainly inhabited by Mon fishermen. Three villages in the center of the area, near the Dawei River, are occupied by Karen, usually Christians (Baptists). The other villages are dominated by Burman Buddhists. The largest city, Kanbauk, also has a small Muslim community and a mosque. Relations between ethnic groups are peaceful in the interior of the region.

Remote from large cities and with dirt access roads that were washed away during the monsoon season, the region through which the pipeline runs was very isolated. Its inhabitants were unprepared for a major construction project that would include many foreigners. To avoid culture shock for the local communities, it was first necessary to gain in-depth knowledge of their way of life and traditions. Two detailed surveys were therefore carried out in 1994 and 1995 before construction began. One focused on understanding the socio-economic conditions of the region and identifying its needs in this area, and was performed with the assistance of Beicip-Franlab, a multi-disciplinary consultant working mainly for the oil industry. The other, covering cultural aspects, was conducted by the History Department of Yangon University. These surveys provided a valuable foundation for establishing structures for dialogue with local communities and for jointly defining a socio-economic program that would meet their needs and expectations.

The population in the original pipeline zone has grown from 35,000 people in 1996 to over 50,000 persons at end-2006. Demographic distinctions have to be made between the inhabitants of the original 13 villages covered by the SEP since 1995 (where it numbered 18,400 people in 1996), the 25 villages (the original 13 plus12) covered by the program since it was expanded in 2001 (27,000 persons in 1996), and the population of the entire area. Initiatives implemented under the SEP are defined at village level, but many of them, especially in the areas of health care and education, are available "beyond the pipeline."

Estimated Population

	Years		25 villages covered by the Socio-Economic Program since 2001				Pipeline area
	2001		30,900				40,000 / 43,000
	2004		31,175				45,813
	2005		31,231				44,894
	2006		36,688				50,351