"The aim of social and livelihood baseline report is to provide background information for an enhanced understanding by decision makers and other stakeholders of the range of stakeholder values and priorities that need to be taken into account in formulating the sustainable hydropower development pathway. Selected policies, plans and priorities for social issues and livelihoods are briefly described. These include: 20-year National Comprehensive Development Plan 2011-2031 (NCDP); Comprehensive Development Vision of 2010-35; 2nd 5-Year National Plan from 2016-17 to 2020-21; Framework for Economic and Social Reforms" (FESR); National Social Protection Strategic Plan; and National Urban System of Myanmar and the Urban Development Prioritization. National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women. National Land Use Policy (NLUP). Demographics, urbanization, migration are relevant for hydropower sector planning as they are issues that sets the backdrop for energy demand assessment and broader energy supply planning. By 2040, the population is forecast to be 62.8 million. The annual population growth rate has decreased from 2.1 in 1985 to 0.9 in 2015. The average household size, indicating degree of modernization, is significantly higher in predominantly ethnic minority areas than in Barma dominated areas. Population density, indicating general pressure on, and demand for resources, is significantly lower in predominantly ethnic minority areas. Two million people live outside Myanmar (2014), 70% in Thailand. 1.2 million are men. The largest numbers of emigrants are from Mon, Kayin, Shan, Bago and Rakhine. Employment and search for employment is the main driver of migration. The urban growth rate is at 2.5%, rural growth rate 0% (2015). There is strong rural to urban migration with Yangon and Mandalay being the main centres of attraction. Yangon has 4.7 million people (36% of urban population), while Mandalay has a population of 1.2 million (9%). 40% of the town population live in towns with between 25,000 and 250,000 people and 25% of the town population live in around 100 towns of less than 100,000 people. Occupations and livelihoods are relevant for potential impacts on livelihoods that are directly dependent on rivers and related natural resources. However, Census 2014 aggregate occupations in agriculture, forestry and fishing into one category, and this constrains the analysis of livelihoods that are mainly dependent on river resources. The largest category in Census 2014 data on ‘usual activities’ of people is ‘own account worker’ (‘self-employed’). A measure of the dependence on rivers for livelihoods is attempted through the proxy indicator of ownership to boats, which was included in the Census 2014. Poverty, vulnerability to flooding, food security: hydropower plants’ potential direct impacts on poor people can be significant with both negative and positive effects. The latest nation-wide poverty data from 2010 are sample based not allowing for basin level analysis. The poverty incidence decreased between 2005 and 2010 in all State/Regions, except Chin urban. However, many households fluctuate around the poverty line and temporary, or transitory poverty, affected 28% of all households vs. 10% of all households that are chronically poor between 2005-2010. Transitory poverty is linked to the extensive dependence of the majority of the population on agriculture and natural resources with the associated vulnerability to floods and droughts, storms and diseases. The potential for flood protection measures is an important consideration in Myanmar. Between 1970 and 2016, 12.4 million people were affected by floods; of these 11.2 million were affected by riverine floods in 15 events. Large parts of rural Myanmar are still vulnerable to food insecurity especially caused by natural disasters. About half a million people were in need of food assistance in Myanmar in January 2017. 35% of children under the age of five suffer chronic malnutrition. Vulnerabilities with direct linkages to hydropower development include: storm surge, flood, drought, earthquake and landslides. Other vulnerabilities include under-and malnutrition and trafficking/migration..."