Sustainable/alternative development in and for Burma

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Description: About 8,300 results (August 2017)
Source/publisher: Various sources via Youtube
Date of entry/update: 2017-08-20
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Description: Another development for Burma: Strengthening the capacity within the Burmese democracy movement for meeting future development challenges has been a recent major initiative. New capacity building activities will seek to strengthen further the democratic forces in the world...plus other related material
Source/publisher: Dag Hammarskold Foundation
Date of entry/update: 2009-12-04
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Documents on alternative development, including specifically on Burma.
Source/publisher: Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Date of entry/update: 2005-01-23
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Ethnic Community Development Forum (ECDF) is a focal point for social and community development organizations from the various ethnic nationality regions of Burma.ECDF was founded at the 6th Ethnic Community Development Seminar in July 2004. Today we have eight member organizations. Our members work in in Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Shan, Mon, Arakan, and Chin States. Each organization works independently to forward its own vision and solve the unique problems of its particular community. ECDF provides a meeting point for the staff and leadership to come together for training, dialogue, and joint efforts. Several times each year, ECDF brings the members of these organizations together to discuss the current situation and to continue the education of their staff. Alumni of these trainings then coordinate their own local projects with support from ECDF. These projects operate with the participation of all members of the community and reflect the development visions of local people. In bringing these organizations together, ECDF hopes to promote inter-ethnic cooperation and increased awareness of national issues and their solutions. ECDF also hopes to foster a participatory path to development in Burma as an alternative to the top-down, exploitative practices of the Naypyidaw government. In order to achieve this goal ECDF follows three core principles, formulated by its members in 2006: 1) Grass-Roots Ownership of Natural Resources The people shall have, in fact and in law, the rights to own, use, manage, and continue conservation of their natural resources and heritages which have been handed down from generation to generation.....Home... About ECDF... Our Members... Our Activities... Publications... Multimedia... Links... Contact Us... Burmese... AASYC... KORD... KSWDC... KDNG... NCCD... SRDC... History of Agriculture... BRN news... Photos... Kachin.
Source/publisher: Ethnic Community Development Forum
Date of entry/update: 2015-01-08
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English and Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ (Metadata: English and Burmese)
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Description: About KDNG : "Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) is a network of Kachin civil society groups and development organizations inside Kachin State and abroad. It was established in September 2004. KDNG promotes the formation of a healthy civil society based on equality and justice for local people. It works to document the military government?s exploitation of natural resources, collecting information on large scale development including mining, mono crop plantation and hydropower. It also works to promote an alternative to these destructive policies by working with local organizations and community members to assess the needs of villagers and develop local solutions to development problems. In all of this, the organization works to encourage the participation of women in development decisions and activities. Through these endeavors, KDNG hopes to contribute to the struggle for justice, social reform, and political change for the people of Kachin State and all of Burma"
Source/publisher: Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG)
Date of entry/update: 2015-06-26
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Description: ABOUT KESAN: "KESAN is a community based organisation with a central office in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We implement project activities on the Thai Burma border and in Karen and Kachin states in Burma. For the past eight years we have been working towards improving rural livelihood security using an approach that empowers and educates communities and institutions to sustain existing indigenous knowledge and practices to use and manage forest resources for the long term benefit of the community. KESAN also plays a leading role in addressing environmental and development concerns in environmental law and policy formulation in preparation for the post transition period in Burma. KESAN networks with local, regional and international organisations towards increased recognition of local and indigenous peoples rights to use and manage their natural resources for sustainable development. Vision Karen indigenous people in Burma live peacefully in a healthy environment and actively participate in maintaining ecological balance and livelihood security. Mission KESAN is a local organization working alongside local communities in Karen State and Kachin State, Burma to build up capacities in natural resource management, raise public environmental awareness, support community-based development initiatives; and collaborate with organizations at all levels to advocate for environment policies and development priorities that ensure sustainable ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits and gender equity . Objectives 1. To enhance capacities of local communities and community-based organizations to enable activities for environmental protection and social development 2. To develop indigenous environmental education and materials to increase children and youth awareness and participation in environmental protection 3. To support community-based development initiatives to preserve our environment, cultures and traditional livelihoods 4. To advocate for environment policies and practices and development priorities that are environmentally friendly, socially equitable, culturally beneficial and economically viable 5. To systematize and scale up ongoing efforts to mainstream a gender perspective in all aspects of KESANs program of work."
Source/publisher: Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN)
Date of entry/update: 2009-11-19
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Karen
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Description: ABOUT US: Message from Executive Director; Who We Are; History of NEED; Ecological Crisis in Burma; Why Sustainable Agriculture?; Volunteer... OUR PROJECTS: Model Farm (MF); MF - Our Approach; MF - Activities; MF - Blog; MFI School (MFI); MFI - Overview; MFI - Apply; MFI - FAQ; MFI - Calendar; Village Level Capacity Building (VCB); VCB - Skill Development; VCB - Alumni Activities...RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS: NEED Publications; NEED Videos; Photo Gallery; Alumni Resources; Related Publications; Resource Links; Contact Us; Donate Now; Sitemap; NEED Feeds; NEED Brochure - "Growing Food, Sharing Knowledge"
Source/publisher: Need-Burma
Date of entry/update: 2012-03-14
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Description: This section contains several articles and reports on economic and enviromental sustainability in Burma
Source/publisher: Online Burma/Myanmar Library
Date of entry/update: 2005-01-23
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: " Established by Jim Taylor and Debbie Aung Din, Proximity began life, in 2004, as a country office of iDE. Back then, we entered the Myanmar rural market with two treadle pumps, 13 staff and a distribution reach of just 600 villages. Now, eight years on, we?re accessible to nearly 80% of the rural population, employing a nationwide staff of over 350, and offering a complete range of services that address many of the most pressing needs of rural families. That?s no mean feat in a country like Myanmar. Over the years our environment has changed, and we?ve had to adapt quickly to respond to our customer?s needs. For the first few years, we focused on creating affordable irrigation products tailored to the Myanmar farmer. We worked on building a distribution network to help us reach scale, and perfecting quality, and service. We also began building a team of field staff across our project regions. At Proximity, we?ve always maintained that our staff are our most valuable asset, and this couldn?t have been more true in the days immediately after Cyclone Nargis hit the Ayarwady Delta in 2008. Although our team aren?t relief workers by title, they know and understand Delta farming families, and were able to identify their needs and employ our established distribution network to deliver over $16 million in aid to 1.2 million people. After the cyclone we began diversifying our line of services, and created our farm recovery services in direct response to the crop failings and pest infestations that Delta farmers were suffering from. We also formed our infrastructure service, rebuilding and building footpaths, embankments, bridges and canals to help with connectivity and water control. As relief became less critical, we grew and adapted these services to the changing situations; cash-for-work labour opportunities were provided on infrastructure projects, and Farm Advisory Services staff began teaching smart but simple farming techniques to farmers, for longer lasting impact. All the while, we?ve been continuing to design and manufacture a range of irrigation products. To make these technologies accessible to thousands more rural families, we developed a product financing service. More recently, we began offering a crop loan service, that provides credit for critical inputs, to help farmers set themselves up for a successful season. Each of these services increases incomes by an average of $250 per season. This last year, our ninth, has been our most successful one to date. We sold our 100,000th product, launched a successful range of solar lighting, and we?re beginning to spin off our crop loans into a larger entity called Proximity Finance. We were also honoured to be recipients of both the Skoll Foundation?s and the Schwab Foundation?s Award for social entrepreneurship..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-20
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Development Study on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development for Poverty Reduction Programme in the Central Dry Zone
Source/publisher: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Date of entry/update: 2010-01-01
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Individual Documents

Topic: Food and Nutrition, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Topic: Food and Nutrition, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Description: "During April 2-8, 2021, Mercy Corps’ Market Analysis Unit (MAU) conducted phone interviews with retailers in Rakhine State to measure the impact of recent events on supply chains for common household goods. Data are based on a convenience sample of 160 active retailers in eight townships, most of whom sell within marketplaces in towns. The study focuses on retailers of products tracked in the MAU’s monthly Market Price Reports.....Key Highlights: Nine in ten respondents faced major livelihood challenges in the past month, often related to poor demand, limited supply, rising prices, or poor access to cash and credit; Seventy percent of respondents saw reduced customers and spending last month; More than one-third of respondents report limited supply and larger lead times, particularly for non-food-items (NFIs) sourced from outside of Rakhine State; One-quarter of retailers expect to face limited supply next month, particularly for NFIs like hygiene and kitchenware but also food items like cooking oil and packaged foods; Half of retailers say they may raise prices this month on NFIs and certain foods, such as cooking oil and locally-produced rice and fish; Half of retailers say their access to cash is sustainable for two months or more; One-third of retailers expect to earn less income this month than last..."
Source/publisher: Mercy Corps (Portland)
2021-04- 08
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 368.66 KB
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Topic: Agriculture, Recovery and Reconstruction
Sub-title: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Myanmar's Department of Agriculture (DoA) recently conducted a series of training sessions to support the capacity development of farmers and technical experts. The training aimed to support and restore the agricultural production and livelihoods of communities affected by the heavy monsoon rains in southern Myanmar.
Topic: Agriculture, Recovery and Reconstruction
Description: "A total of 214 farmers from communities in Mon and Kayin States and Tanintharyi Region participated in face-to-face training sessions in the following topics. Good Agricultural Practices: The topics covered in this session included farming practices such as vegetable production, soil fertility management and the proper use of fertilizers to help farmers improve their yields. Participating farmers gained knowledge on practices aimed towards enhancing the production of safe, high quality food, promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices, and ensuring the welfare of farm workers. Climate-Smart Agriculture: The training session was designed to help farmers understand how climate-induced shocks affect the agricultural sector and share climate-smart agricultural practices that enable families to improve production in a sustainable manner. Nutrition: The session covered topics related to basic nutrition including a balanced diet, meal planning, food hygiene, and the special feeding needs of children, women and men. Improving Knowledge: Post-Monsoon Forums In relation to strengthening early warning early action systems, FAO and the Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology organized virtual Post-Monsoon Forums in December 2020 for technical officers from relevant line ministries and agencies to share experiences, challenges and lessons learned during the 2020 southwest monsoon season. Some 200 technical officers participated in the discussions which aimed to review the southwest monsoon seasonal forecasts and seasonal climate and water level forecasts in Mon and Kayin States and Tanintharyi Region. Furthermore, the forums also aimed to solicit feedback from end users on the usability of the forecasts and recommendations to enhance the early warning system in order to respond to potential disasters through early action. Participants raised recommendations, gaps and challenges such as the need for meteorological information technology training for DoA staff, dissemination of real-time meteorological information, capacity development on collection and storage of meteorological records, installation of weather sensors in townships (where there are no meteorological centers in the region) and strengthened coordination and sharing of meteorological information and forecast reports with the DoA..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Rome) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2021-01-06
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Since late March, WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 34,800 returning migrants placed under quarantine in Kayin, Mon, Shan states and Tanintharyi and Yangon regions, as requested by the authorities. In terms of social protection, WFP is taking an active role in supporting government efforts in immediate and medium-to-long term socio-economic interventions. WFP is seeking to support the further scale up of the Government’s maternal and child cash-based transfers programme beyond internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As for common services support, with the US$ 1 million contribution from the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund, WFP has started coordinating the joint procurement of key hygiene and personal protective equipment for use by its staff and six UN/NGO partners. Furthermore, WFP is in the process of expanding the storage capacity in its Sittwe warehouse and replenishing emergency logistics stocks in preparation for the monsoon season in Myanmar (Please refer to COVID-19 Situation Report #5 and #6 for further details). • Rakhine and Chin: WFP received the green light from the authorities at the national level to deliver and preposition six months of emergency food assistance for conflict-affected and largely cut-off communities in Paletwa and Samee towns in Chin State. Across Rakhine State, despite a volatile security situation in areas with ongoing clashes between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed group the Arakan Army, WFP reached 27,100 newly-displaced people with emergency food assistance in May. In northern Rakhine, WFP assisted 135,700 conflict-affected people with emergency food and nutrition assistance, including 4,300 pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and 24,400 children aged 6-59 months in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. Meanwhile, in central Rakhine, WFP provided 130,500 food-insecure people with food and cash assistance, including 26,500 children aged 6-59 months and 5,200 PLW with fortified blended food..."
Source/publisher: World Food Programme (WFP) (Rome) via reliefweb (New York)
2020-06-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 183.08 KB
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Description: "A CASH-FOR-WORK programme will be launch-ed to provide jobs in 2,500 villages in Myanmar under its Covid-19 Economic Response Plan (CERP). Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Ministry's Rural Development Department director, U Zarni Min, said 25 billion kyat had been put aside for the programme, according to The Myanmar Times. Zarni said the project was one of two to be carried out by the department through CERP. "Some people lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They need money. "This project will provide financial support to the unemployed who participate in development projects launched in their villages." He said villagers would help build basic infrastructure in the villages in exchange for income. A sum of 10 million kyat will be distributed to each village and about 120,000 households are expected to benefit from it. The project period will take about 3½ months until September. Townships will be selected based on those with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index and with a high number of workers returning from overseas. The villages will be chosen based on the severity of road conditions, safety for trade, those which suffered the most damage from Covid-19 and those with potential for agriculture, livestock and aquaculture businesses. The other project launched earlier by the department will see 41 billion kyat distributed as loans to 1,700 villages under CERP..."
Source/publisher: "New Straits Times" (Malaysia)
2020-06-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "81 per cent of the households in informal settlements have at least one member who lost their job in the past 30 days. The percentage of job loss (either the respondent or a member of their household) for women respondents was 87.7 per cent; 13.2 percentage points higher than for men at 74.5 per cent. 94 per cent of households in informal settlements report a fall in income over the past 30 days. 90 per cent of households reported having no alternate sources of income. Household Debt 69 per cent of households have taken a loan in the past 30 days. Households in informal settlements were already highly indebted before the outbreak of COVID-19. Average household indebtedness was MMK 555,000. 61 per cent of households taking out a new loan in the past 30 days took out a loan of value greater than MMK 100,000. 88 per cent of households used the loan taken out in the past 30 days to buy food. Food Security 60 per cent of households in informal settlements reported receiving food assistance from the government. However, food insecurity remains high. All households (100 per cent) in the sample reported that they are worried their stock of food would run out before having money to buy food. Security of Tenure 53 per cent of households in informal settlements do not feel secure from eviction. More women respondents reported eviction-related insecurity (57 per cent) compared to men (49 per cent). Access to Healthcare 90 per cent of households live within 15 minutes of a health facility. For 65 per cent of households, the nearest health facility is a public hospital. Knowledge, Awareness and Practices (KAP) related to COVID-19 Households reported high awareness of three key actions for the prevention of COVID-19 - handwashing, use of masks and physical distancing. However, 62 per cent of households in informal settlements do not have space for physical distancing; a third of all households do not have money to buy masks. Majority of households rely on television and/or government notices and announcements for information on COVID-19..."
Source/publisher: UN-HABITAT (Kenya) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2020-06-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 9.59 MB
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Sub-title: Auxiliary firefighters had a bad reputation under military rule, but these days, communities celebrate their heroics as they battle blazes and the pandemic.
Description: "The public address system blared into life and triggered a burst of activity among the five volunteer firefighters. “Level 2 fire! At Myaungtagar, Hmawbi. Go now! Go now!” ordered the Fire Services Department. The team on duty in the community hall in Wei Lu Win ward that doubles as the headquarters of the Sanchaung Township-North Auxiliary Fire Brigade rushed to put on their protective clothing and load equipment into two ambulance vans before speeding off with the sirens wailing at about 3pm to Hmawbi on Yangon’s northern outskirts. It was a battery factory up in flames; a 15-deep pit shot up fire and spat out acid. About 100 firefighters, including members of two volunteer brigades, used foam and water to drive back the blaze. After eight hours, they deployed sand to soak up the heat of the smouldering wreck. Two full-time firefighters were treated for dehydration; everyone was exhausted, and the Sanchaung volunteers headed home. In Yangon, when a major fire breaks out, a volunteer usually shows up to help put it out. Often risking their lives for no compensation, auxiliary firefighters are not only tackling blazes these days, but also a new and more concealed enemy: the coronavirus. Support independent journalism in Myanmar. Sign up to be a Frontier member. Playing a frontline role transporting patients, disinfecting roads, and in rescue operations, they are praised as local heroes who rescue the vulnerable in their time of need. Their bravery might also be playing a part in overcoming memories of a time when the recruits were used as henchman by the military..."
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Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-06-06
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "In a survey by Visa, around 64 percent of consumers in Southeast Asia are confident of going cashless for a full day, highlighting the region’s strong drive towards digital payments. Moreover, the 2019 World Payments Report shows that the value of non-cash transactions in Asia is projected to grow from US$96.2 billion in 2017 to US$352.8 billion by 2022, a meteoric rise of over 266 percent. Contactless payments allow people to make payments by tapping their payment cards or phones on point of sales (POS) terminals instead of swiping or inserting their cards. QR (quick response) codes are two-dimensional bar codes which can carry purchase transaction information – allowing merchants to receive payments from customers when scanned. Surveying 504 people in Myanmar across Yangon, Pathein, Mandalay and Magway in September 2018, Visa found that up to 60 percent of consumers use cashless payments to settle payments in hypermarkets and supermarkets. Nevertheless, awareness of cashless payment systems in Myanmar is still rather low compared to other ASEAN member states. Obstacles There are several challenges in getting Myanmar to go cashless. Digital payment solutions rely on electricity and the internet, and the lack of reliable electricity supply in rural areas is probably the biggest obstacle in converting people from cash to digital. Another problem in Myanmar is a lack of training around such technology. “Even in Yangon and Mandalay, where people are familiar with technology, some employees do not know how to accept payments by phone or card and sometimes ask for cash instead because the internet is down,” Nyein Chan Soe Win, CEO and co-founder of e-commerce and ride hailing platform Get Myanmar told local media. Although the Ministry of Transport and Communications revealed that there were over 56.8 million mobile subscribers in the country during the fiscal year 2017-2018, relatively few people have bank accounts in Myanmar. Payment consultants Mercator Advisory Group estimates that 74 percent of Myanmar’s citizens do not have a bank account and only five percent have debit cards – making it hard to develop an e-payment system based on mobile phones..."
Source/publisher: "The ASEAN Post" (Malaysia)
2020-06-06
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The extension of a deadline for a long-awaited tender for on-grid solar power from one to two months is unlikely to mute criticism about its tricky terms.
Description: "The Ministry of Electricity and Energy has responded to criticism over its controversial 1060-megawatt solar power tender, extending the bid deadline by a month to give bidders more time to prepare proposals. Announced on May 18, the potentially billion-dollar tender for 30 sites across the country on 20-year contracts originally set a June 18 deadline for bids. The tight deadline prompted an outcry from potential investors and warnings that the government would end up paying more for power, particularly as tender rules require bidders to show evidence of having secured land when they submit their proposals. Given COVID-19-related restrictions on domestic and international travel makes it almost impossible to visit any of the sites, the one-month window effectively ruled out companies or consortiums that did not already have land near the proposed sites. Support independent journalism in Myanmar. Sign up to be a Frontier member. The extension notice, published in the Global New Light of Myanmar on June 3, pushes back the deadline to July 17, giving investors two months in total to prepare a bid. It represents a surprising backtrack for the ministry and its Electric Power Generation Enterprise, which had previously indicated it was not considering an extension. In a clarification document shared on May 29 with companies that had purchased tender documents, it responded to numerous requests for an extension by saying: “At the moment, EPGE does not consider any extension of Bid Submission Date.” In a meeting with foreign business chambers on May 29, Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun also seemed to endorse the tender, saying that the government “wanted to proceed with that quite fast” to expedite investment and stimulate the economy, which has been badly affected by COVID-19. The extension of the bid deadline is unlikely to mute the criticism, however..."
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Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-06-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region is among the most vibrantly biodiverse places in Asia. The southern tail of kite-shaped Myanmar, Tanintharyi encompasses hundreds of islands in the Myeik Archipelago, mangrove-lined coast, evergreen forests and the mountainous spine that forms the Thai-Myanmar border. The region holds some of Southeast Asia’s largest intact forests, which feed and house complex ecosystems of tigers, Asian elephants, gibbons, clouded leopards, tapirs, pangolins and people. Nearly 1.5 million people living across Tanintharyi’s forests and coastline rely on the region’s ecosystems to fish, hunt and harvest vegetables and herbs. But an alliance of local community groups in Tanintharyi is calling for the government and environmental organisations to drop plans for a US$21 million conservation project in the region. The UN-backed Ridge to Reef Project aims to turn 3.4 million acres of land—over a third of Tanintharyi—into conservation areas, but the Conservation Alliance Tanawthari (CAT) says the project will jeopardize local communities’ access to food and livelihoods. According to CAT, the conservation project will dispossess tens of thousands of indigenous people of their land, primarily ethnic Karen communities. Instead, the communities and groups behind CAT are calling for donors, environmental groups and the government to change course and embrace an inclusive, indigenous-led approach to conservation. Local groups also point to how top-down conservation efforts have so far failed, allowing logging, mining and destructive development projects. A new report by CAT outlines indigenous opposition to the UN project and lays out exactly how each party involved can let local residents take the lead—including how Myanmar needs to amend domestic laws to recognize local land management systems..."
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Source/publisher: "ASEAN Today" (Singapore)
2020-06-03
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Campaigners in the Tanintharyi region of southern Myanmar have urged international donors to support community conservation efforts, rather than what they see as a top-down approach that excludes indigenous groups. Campaigners in the Tanintharyi region of southern Myanmar have urged international donors to support community conservation efforts, rather than what they see as a top-down approach that excludes indigenous groups. Supporters of the Conservation Alliance of Tanintharyi (CAT) are opposing a $21 million development project, called Ridge to Reef, backed by the Myanmar government, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI). FOOD & AGRICULTURE Myanmar risks losing forests to oil palm Read now In a report released on Friday, CAT documents resistance in local communities to the imposition of protected areas, as well as their ongoing efforts to protect fish breeding grounds and water catchment areas, along with establishing their own protected community forests..."
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Source/publisher: "Eco-Business"
2020-05-28
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) is being criticised by the business community over a recent tender for solar power, with key foreign investors pressing for more time to prepare bids and for tough conditions to be revised.
Description: "The tender, issued by the ministry’s Electric Power Generation Enterprise (EPGE) on May 18, invites companies to bid for the construction of 30 ground-mounted solar plants capable of generating 1060MW of power in total under a 20-year build, operate and own basis. That’s about one third of the total dry-season generation capacity of Myanmar. The proposed solar sites are in Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magwe, Mandalay, Sagaing, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon’s Shwepyithar township. The announcement comes after the government released its COVID-19 economic relief plan in late April. The plan includes expediting “solicitation of renewable energy projects after monitoring cost developments to assess the quality of available deals” before the end of 2020. But European and US business groups say the one-month deadline is too tight to meet given the COVID-19 travel restrictions as well as time needed for land documentation. Myanmar has banned international flights until June 1, imposed strict facility quarantine measures for business travellers and may extend the flight ban by decree. So, prospective developers cannot visit the country, make investment decisions or inspect the sites before bidding. The deadline is difficult to achieve particularly because of the land acquisition requirement, commented Nishant Choudhary, a Yangon-based partner at law firm DFDL. Even for developers established in Myanmar, the schedule “poses a great challenge” to complete the preparation of bid, valuation, land documentation and other necessary work, “particularly in the backdrop of COVID situation, where most of the international players have temporarily relocated from Myanmar to their home country. Also, those interested cannot fly into Myanmar,” he said. According to a draft letter to the government seen by The Myanmar Times, the business groups are planning to ask for the deadline to be extended by at least two to three months..."
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Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-05-24
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Major solar power tender's terms are seemingly designed to leave foreign investors in the dark
Description: "Myanmar is rushing ahead with a major solar power initiative amid the Covid-19 pandemic, giving potential investors just a month to submit bids and raising questions about the tender’s intent and viability. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy published a notice on its official Facebook page dated May 18 inviting companies to submit pre-qualifying bids to construct solar energy plants on a 20-year concession basis. The ministry will buy power from 30 “designated connection points” on a build-operate-own basis, according to the announcement. The tender deadline is June 18, giving investors one month to assemble and submit their bids, a fast-tracked time table that is raising concerns about non-competive bidding and possible related land-grabbing. The tender document, reviewed by Asia Times, includes 30 solar plants ranging from 30 to 50 megawatts (MW), with a combined capacity of 1060 MW. That’s equivalent to one third of the country’s current dry season available capacity of 3,100 MW. That capacity, the ministry says, is generated by 20 gas-fired, 62 hydropower and one coal-fired plant. Developers are required to start operating the plants within 180 days after an official letter of acceptance is issued, with stiff financial penalities for non-production after the deadline, according to the document. More controversially, bidders are required to include evidence of prior land acquisition for solar plant sites in their proposals..."
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Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2020-05-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Walk into any hardware store or sword shop in southern Kachin State and you will find intricately designed and shiny blades stamped with the name “Soe.” This is the work of Soe Khaing—a third generation Shan-ni swordsmith near Indawgyi, Myanmar’s largest lake, who uses recovered metal from derelict bus frames to shape his high-quality blades. Yet for such a popular brand, he’s a hard man to find.
Description: "Despite being in Kachin State, the surrounding lowlands make up the heartland of the Shan-ni people – an ethnic group native to northern Myanmar comprising of at least over 100,000 speakers. According to their 1901 book named Burma, Max and Martha Ferrars observe that the Shan-ni are commonly known to be “the best metallurgists north of the [Malay] Peninsula” (p. 145). Among other skills, this includes master swordsmithing. They forge designs from simple machetes all the way to decorative sabers imprinted with dragons running along the spine. For Soe Khaing, he follows in this tradition in an inherently sustainable way. Soe Khaing’s shop quietly sits in Nyaung Gone, a village on the outskirts of the historic Shan-ni town of Mohnyin. Of all the sword shops in downtown Mohnyin, only one store owner knows him personally and can lead us by motorbike to the family workshop twenty minutes away. There, Soe Khaing welcomes us and invites everyone into a bamboo and thatch structure for some tea. His operation also connects to his home, where he and his wife live together with their three children and extended family. It’s from here that he begins to tell his story. Now 40 years old, Soe Khaing follows in a family business that began with his grandfather. In the early days, advanced sword-making was mostly reserved for high ranking authorities of the Mohnyin kingdom, which was part of a more extensive network of independent Shan states ruled by “saopha” or princes. His grandfather’s shop only produced for palace guards and used expensive raw materials such as iron, leather, and gold to make his swords. Once the saopha’s power dissolved in the early 1900s with British influence, the next generation began to make this Shan-ni practice more accessible to the general public..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-05-08
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "...Myanmar, where the amount of natural rainforest is still high and the amount of economic activity is still low, really is one of the last countries that can be considered 'empty' in our 'full world'. But the country currently undergoes deep transition processes. These processes are not only of social, but also of economic and ecologic nature. Such changes pose opportunities and also threats to society as well as the ecosystem. Particularly energy management is an important issue: In areas where level of electricity is often below thirty percent, producing energy and improving electric infrastructure is crucial to increase the standard of living, especially in a low-income country. But do the current energy projects benefit the local people while at the same time maintaining the further existence of the surrounding ecosystem?In order to show the opportunities and threats that occur during the transition of Burma towards democracy, I will assess the impacts of energy management and electrification, namely a coal power project in the Mon State and hydropower in the Shan state, on local livelihoods. I will use the methodology of institutional and resource economics as well as the knowledge from Southeast Asian area studies to analyze, energy policies, governance structures and the social situation that play a role in recent energy projects. Finally, I will advocate the strengthening of the local civil societies to play a greater role in deciding on energy policy to avoid societal and environmental negative outcomes of energy management in this country of deep transformation..."
Creator/author:
2016-11-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : PDF
Size: 2.35 MB
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Description: "From a distance, ChuChu Design, a single-storey building across the river from Myanmar’s bustling commercial capital, looks like any other on the impoverished outskirts of the city. But on closer inspection, the roof has been fashioned from old tyres, the walls are made of glass bottles and the lampshades from melted plastic, all items upcycled by the social enterprise as part of a mission to educate people about waste. ChuChu – named after the Burmese for “plastic house” – sells handicrafts and fashion products recycled from the thousands of tonnes of trash dumped in Yangon every day. The design of the house is intended as a statement about waste, said 68-year-old Wendy Neampui, the managing director of the business, which she founded in 2014 with the help of Italian non-profit organization Cesvi. “I wanted to transform trash from an ugly landfill site into beautiful items,” she said, as she stitched together plastic sheets to be ironed into a colourful patchwork bottle holder, a technique she learned from the internet..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2020-03-05
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Residents accuse local cement factory of coal pollution, but expert says more testing is needed
Description: "The 500 residents of Karen state’s Yedwingone village now depend on the charity of others for clean drinking water. Until recently, each of the 120 households in this village near the state capital Hpa-an got all the water it needed from its own well. But in October villagers began noticing the water in their wells had turned black. “Our skin would itch when we used it to bathe,” said 67-year-old Thaung Nyein. “We won’t drink it.” One resident told Myanmar Now his family broke out in blisters after using the water to bathe. Monks and local civil service organizations arrived almost immediately with donated drinking water, but villagers say the giving has since tapered off. “I only have drinking water if donors show up. I have to mix distilled and boiled well water to bathe the children, and I don’t have money to go to the clinic if they get sick from it,” said Thaung Nyein. In mid-January Myanmar Now visited Yedwingone, Natkone, Ngapyawtaw, Kawpatine and Pankone villages in Hpa-an township, where locals said the same thing has happened in 22 nearby villages. Officials from the state and from a nearby factory that locals accuse of polluting the groundwater insist the water is potable and safe, but cannot explain the cause of the change in colour. Meanwhile, locals refuse to drink it..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
2020-03-02
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is trying to increase the content of renewable energy sources by tapping all available energy sources to generate electricity, said Union Minister for Electricity and Energy Win Khaing. As the country is blessed with solar energy, wind power and other renewable energy sources, a 40-megawatt solar power plant has been built in Minbu and the plant is distributing electricity through the national grid. The minister stressed the need to increase employing energy sources that have little impact on the environment. The government is trying to generate electricity covering the whole country by 2030. n a three-year period from 2016-2017 fiscal year to 2018-2019 FY, over 11,000 kilowatt hours of hydropower electricity and around 9,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from natural gas were produced on a yearly basis, the Central Statistics Organization quoted the statement issued by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Currently, the national electrification plan is being implemented with a loan of US$400 million from the World Bank. Of 63,264 villages in the country, 14,570 have access to electricity, according to the ministry..."
Source/publisher: "The Star Online" (Selangor)
2020-02-13
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar has a total of 2,681 petrol stations across the country and 1,754 of them are located in Mandalay, Bago, Sagaing, Ayeyawady, Yangon and Magway regions, according to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. More than 290 petrol stations were allowed in 2019 bringing to 2,681 petrol stations across the country. There are 95 petrol stations in Nay Pyi Taw, 187 petrol stations in Yangon Region, 655 petrol stations in Mandalay Region, 213 petrol stations in Ayeyawady Region, 267 petrol stations in Bago Region, 193 petrol stations in Magway Region, 239 petrol stations in Sagaing Region, 30 petrol stations in Taninthayi Region, 120 petrol stations in Kachin State, 18 petrol stations in Kayah State, 52 petrol stations in Kayin State, 5 petrol stations in Chin State, 137 petrol stations in Mon State, 38 petrol stations in Rakhine State, 58 petrol stations in eastern Shan State, 195 petrol stations in northern Shan State and 179 petrol stations in southern Shan State. The fine for misappropriating the quality and measurement of fuel oil is increased up to Ks1 million per case, announced Myanmar Fuel Oil Exporters and Distributors Association on September 27, 2019..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Eleven Media Group (Myanmar)
2020-02-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: civil society, democratisation, civil–military relations, ethnic confict, aid, Myanmar, transition, development, civil war, peace‐building.
Topic: civil society, democratisation, civil–military relations, ethnic confict, aid, Myanmar, transition, development, civil war, peace‐building.
Description: "The political landscape of Myanmar has changed signifcantly since former dictator Than Shwe paved the way for a series of wide‐ranging reforms in 2011. A nominally civilian government was sworn in and political prisoners were freed. Most visibly, long‐term opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has ascended to power after her long‐banned opposition party – the National League of Democracy (NLD) – won the historic elections of 2015 by a wide margin. The country’s vibrant civil society also benefted from the lifting of restrictive laws on media and public mobilisation. Despite these remarkable transformations, Myanmar’s transition has seemingly slowed down and the space for progressive social and political action has contracted once again. Particularly worrying is the situation in the country’s borderlands, where long‐running sectarian conficts have escalated since 2011. In order to understand the challenges that persisting authoritarianism, state violence, and civil war pose to civil society in Myanmar, this article situates contemporary social and political action within a historical analysis of political transition. It asks about: (a) the nature of political transition in Myanmar, (b) the challenges that the trajectory of political transition poses for civil society actors, and (c) the implications for international development and peace‐building initiatives. This article argues that Myanmar’s political transition should not be understood as a process of democratisation that is driven by pro‐democratic forces and which might eventually lead to liberal democracy. Viewing the country’s transition through the lens of democratisation is not only misleading but deeply problematic. Political reforms were planned and executed by the country’s military: the Tatmadaw. The emergent hybrid civil–military order safeguards authoritarian rule and military dominance. This top‐down nature of political transition poses signifcant challenges for civil society. In combination with fragility and confict, liberalising the public sphere has not only benefted progressive social and political action but has also enabled the growth of uncivil society,3 whose pursuit of exclusionary identity politics fuels sectarian violence..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: IDS Bulletin
2019-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 222.04 KB (22 pages)
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Description: "Myanmar is generating about 3,200 megawatts of electricity at the present, according to figures from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. The maximum electricity production is 3,199 megawatts of electricity on January 29 and it only produced 3,649 megawatts of electricity on November 19 last year. It is less than 450 megawatts compared with the highest electricity production within two months. Yangon Region is topped with consuming of 1,286 megawatts of electricity (over 40 per cent of the entire production) daily and Mandalay Region followed second with 485 megawatts of electricity (over 15 per cent). Nay Pyi Taw is consuming 130 megawatts of electricity (about 4 per cent). Other states and regions are spending over 1,372 megawatts of electricity (over 42 per cent of the entire production). Myanmar will need about 5,000 megawatts in the coming summer and it is implementing seven power projects to generate over 1,000 megawatts of electricity to meet the demand, said Deputy Minister Khin Maung Win of Electricity and Energy..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Eleven Media Group" (Myanmar)
2020-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "At the juncture of East, South and Southeast Asia, Myanmar is home to a culturally and ecologically diverse country with rich traditions. In a largely rural but rapidly changing economy, around 54m people of different ethnic and religious groups strive to overcome a legacy of armed conflict, military rule and self-imposed isolation. In spite of substantial progress during the past decade, about 14% of the population is undernourished, 29% of children are stunted and the maternal mortality rate is 282 deaths per 100,000 births, the second-highest in the region. The Government of Myanmar is managing a challenging transition towards democracy, a peaceful and pluralistic society as well as an open and inclusive economy. Through the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) 2018-2030, the country is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2017, attacks on 30 police posts in Northern Rakhine by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) provoked a violent response by the security forces Executive summary that reportedly resulted in the death of 10,000 people and caused more than 700,000 to flee to Bangladesh. Denouncing the lack of accountability, several Western countries imposed targeted sanctions, private investments slowed, and the country came under increasing international criticism. Under the integrated Swiss Cooperation Strategy Myanmar 2013-2017, extended through 2018, Switzerland supported initiatives in vocational skills development, agriculture and food security, health, social services and local governance as well as peace promotion, democratisation and protection, with a total expenditure of CHF 179m over 6 years..."
Source/publisher: "Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation" (Bern)
2020-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 1.68 MB
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Sub-title: Every minute, 17 people die of cancer somewhere in the world with more than half of these deaths in the most deprived parts of the world. As World Cancer Day approaches on 4th February, we have an opportunity to make ourselves aware of the risks and the steps we can take to help prevent premature deaths and suffering from cancer. The World Health Organisation’s ‘I can. We can’ campaign this year is a reminder that we can all play a part.
Description: "Between 30 and 50 percent of all cancers are preventable if people avoid exposure to risk factors. Tobacco – whether smoked, chewed or inhaled passively – is the biggest of these risk factors, responsible for a vast number of deaths froom lung, mouth, stomach, cervical and other cancers. Approximately 65,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases in Myanmar every year highlighting the need for urgent action to reduce its use. Obesity, alcohol excess and sedentary living are among other lifestyle choices which put us at greater risk of developing cancer. Certain infections are also associated with cancers. Some of these such as Hepatitis B, which can cause liver cancer and the human papilloma virus (which in turn can cause cervical cancer), can be prevented by widespread use of vaccines. The environment and us Environmental pollution particularly from chemicals in the air are a significant risk factor in the urban setting in Myanmar. In rural areas the risk is greater from household air pollution from cooking with solid fuels such as wood and coal. According to the World Bank, poor air quality contributed to an estimated 45,000 deaths in Myanmar in just one year, higher than the average for Southeast Asia. Other risk factors in our environment include exposure to radiation and chemicals such as asbestos in our home or work settings..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Solar energy startup Cygni, an Indian Institute of Technology, Madras incubatee company, is looking to break into the lucrative export markets in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The company, which manufactures solar power backup and DC (direct current) micro-grid solutions, apart from battery for electric vehicles at its Hyderabad plant, is planning to explore the offshore markets from the next 2020-21 financial year, Cygni Energy CEO Venkat Rajaraman told Business Standard here on Wednesday. “While we are targetting to double our revenues from nearly Rs 100 crore in 2018-19 to more than Rs 200 crore this fiscal year, we are targetting to export our products in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh,” he informed. In 2018, the company had raised an equity funding of $US 6.4 million (roughly Rs 45 crore) from Endiya Partners for its expansion. “We have invested Rs 25 crore in our manufacturing facility, which has a current plant load factor of nearly 60 per cent,” he said adding more funds would be invested to ramp up the installed capacity and towards the research & development (R&D) going forward. The R&D unit is situated in the IIT Madras campus, he said. Meanwhile, Cygni has launched its new range of products in the Uttar Pradesh market, which Rajaranman noted was the largest yet ‘challenging’ market for the company, owing to the emphasis on the affordability factor. Cygni battery caters to both the e-rickshaw and e-scooter categories, while it also offers energy solutions for homes and offices, he said. “The USP of Cygi is the ‘value for money’, energy efficiency and technologically advanced energy solutions propositions for the customers.”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Business Standard" (New Delhi)
2020-01-29
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Solar mini-grids in Myanmar are expected to take off as the private sector sees solar energy as a potentially commercially viable solution in Myanmar’s journey towards full electrification.
Description: "With a US$1.6 million mini-grid installed, more than a thousand households on the island of Yesagyo in Magway Region were connected to electricity for the first time last month. The project was partly funded by the World Bank and Myanmar firm Parami Energy. Mandalay Yoma Energy also sees the potential in the sector and operates over 40 solar hybrid mini-grids Myanmar. It is a joint venture between French Engie Group’s GDF International SAS and Singapore-based consultancy Sol Partners. CEO Kapil Smith expects his firm to double the electricity generation capacity this year. “It is fulfilling to see how the sector has grown in Myanmar in the past two years versus other countries which have been trying for years,” he said. The rising business interest in Myanmar solar mini-grids reflects the vast potential of solar energy in the country as well as the role solar panels could play in bridging the nation’s energy deficit. Only less than half of Myanmar’s population has been connected to electricity, and rural areas generally lag behind cities in terms of electrification rate. The energy ministry’s National Electrification Plan aims to provide access to electricity to three-quarters of the population in 2025, and complete electrification by the end of this decade. The scheme is supported by the World Bank’s US$400 million worth of loans. However, access still seems like a distant dream for communities residing in islands and mountainous areas. The World Bank estimated it could take years or even more than a decade for the roughly 1.3 million people in remote areas in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Shan, Rakhine, Tanintharyi and Sagaing states and regions to be connected to the national grid. “Off-grid solutions provide an alternative for communities in a decentralised manner, which is particularly useful for locations that will not receive access to the national grid for a significant period of time,” said Jordan Zele of Myanmar Energy Monitor..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-01-21
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The Yoma Yangon International Marathon took place for the eighth time in Yangon on Sunday with the participation of more than 11,000 runners in four categories.
Description: "YYIM is jointly organised by Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd, First Myanmar Investment Public Company Limited and Yangon City Development Committee. The four categories are 42km Full Marathon, 21km Half Marathon, 10.5km Challenge and 3km Fun Run/Walk which started and finished at Thuwunnabhumi Event Park. In the Men’s Full Marathon, Philip Lagat from Kenya finished first with a time of 2 hours 33 minutes 33 seconds (02:33:33). Coming in second was Htay Ko from Myanmar with a time of 2 hours 55 minutes 44 seconds (02:55:44) while Zaw Thwe Win from Myanmar came in third with a time of 2 hours 55 minutes 44 seconds (02:55:44). In the Women’s Full Marathon, Edinah Mutahi from Kenya took home the title after clocking 3 hours 2 minutes 37 seconds (03:02:37) to come first. Finishing behind her was Masako Nakamura from Japan in second place (03:11:08) and Thidar Cho from Myanmar in third (03:15:34). In the Men’s Half Marathon Challenge, John Muiruri Mburu from Kenya came in first place with a time of 1 hour 2 minutes 8 seconds (01:02:08)..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-01-19
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Chinese electricity companies have been working with local residents in Myanmar to help the latter tackle electricity shortages. Of Myanmar’s 10.88 million households, half have experienced electricity shortages and about 43,000 villages have yet to be connected to the national electricity network. Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi had said that to improve people’s livelihood, the first thing to do is to develop the electricity industry. To increase electricity supply and develop the electricity industry is the priority task of the Myanmar government, as well as the urgent need of the country to boost economy and improve people’s well-being. U Thaung Tun, Myanmar’s Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, expressed that Myanmar is willing to accelerate implementation of cooperative projects with China in key fields such as electricity and transportation.
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "News Ghana" (Ghana)
2020-01-15
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Font: Zawgyi
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Description: "As the restarting of nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)-based peace process gears to restart after more than a year of standstill, it is important to note that the government intention is to link the projected achievement of peace along the line with its Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) launched to cover the time span from 2018 to 2030. The ambitious government plan launched in August 2018, now over a year old, is a 66-page document, which incorporates existing and draft plans and policies, sets out 3 pillars, 5 goals, 28 strategies and 251 action plans. The three pillars are “Peace and Stability; Prosperity and Partnership; and People and Planet”. Under Peace and Stability, there are two goals. One is “Peace, National Reconciliation, Security and Good Governance” and the other, “Economic Stability and Strengthened Macro Economic Management”. Under Prosperity and Partnership, “Job Creation and Private Sector Led Growth” is the goal. Finally, under People and Planet, there are two goals. One is “Human Resources and Social Development for a 21st Century Society” and the other, “Natural Resources and the Environment for Posterity of the Nation”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Shan Herald Agency for News" (Myanmar)
2020-01-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Social enterprise Doh Eain wants to make the booming city more liveable by transforming the city's alleys into green, open spaces that encourage community ownership
Description: "FOR years, Yee Lay kept the back door of her ground floor apartment firmly shut to keep out both the stench from the rubbish that other tenants would carelessly throw behind the building and the hordes of rats that fed on it. Now, standing in the narrow back alley in downtown Yangon, the longtime resident beamed at the scene in front of her. There were colourful wall murals, neatly potted plants, small wooden seats, swings and a bright green and yellow see-saw. The alley's transformation from a trash-strewn street into a public playground and garden occurred in 2017, spearheaded by Doh Eain, a social enterprise determined to make this booming city more liveable. "Yangon has one of the lowest ratios of public spaces in the region or in the world," said Doh Eain founder Emilie Roell at another colourfully-painted alley behind their office..."
Source/publisher: "Business Times" (Singapore)
2020-01-07
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "You may have heard about CWS and the ACT Alliance before. ACT is a coalition of churches and faith-based organizations that work in countries all over the world. It’s a platform for its members, including CWS, to coordinate our programs to be as efficient and effective as possible. To that end, many countries, including Myanmar, have ACT national forums. There are 10 ACT Alliance members who work in Myanmar, and we meet regularly. We’ve taken this partnership one step further and have a joint program in Kayin State, near the border with Thailand. We’re working with a key local organization, the Karen Baptist Convention, to help families improve their livelihoods. All 10 organizations are involved with financial support, technical advice or implementing. CWS is helping to fund this program. Recently, I traveled with a group of ACT leaders to two of the participating communities to see the program in action.One of our first stops was a Farmer Field School (which, by the way, is not unique to our work in Myanmar. CWS also supports Farmer Field Schools in Nicaragua). The FFS is a place for local farmers to come together and improve their collective experience. They share challenges they are facing and ideas for how to address them, and they can receive information and support from experts. In this case, the FFS was focusing on how to adapt planting techniques in the face of climate change. One technique is called the System of Rice Intensification, which uses less water than customary rice planting in Myanmar usually does. This is critically important in areas with water challenges, which is most of southeastern Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Church World Service" (USA)
2020-01-06
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Once a seat of kings, the city of Mandalay in northern Myanmar has seen turbulent chapters in its 162-year history – the fall of Burma’s last royal dynasty and decades of colonial rule. Now, officials are attempting to transform the former royal capital into Myanmar’s first “smart city”. In a country where officials still largely labor with pen and ink, surrounded by stacks of moldering papers, authorities in Mandalay are tapping social media and new technologies such as artificial intelligence software and drones to revamp a lethargic bureaucracy. Under the secretive military junta that ruled Myanmar until 2011, people in the country’s second largest city rarely had any contact with those who governed them. Now, they talk to the mayor on Facebook and pay for services with QR codes, something not available in Myanmar’s commercial capital, Yangon. Authorities track garbage disposal with GPS and control traffic flows with remote sensors. “It is very good that we can communicate with the mayor like this,” said 55-year-old taxi driver Kyi Thein. “Before, we could only see their motorcades.”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2019-08-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar Union Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Thaung Tun called for clear and open discussions at the 2nd Development Effectiveness Roundtable which kicked off in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday. U Thaung Tun, in his capacity as the vice chair of the Development Assistance Coordination Unit (DACU), stressed that the mobilization and coordination of a wide variety of sources of development finance are required to achieve the vision set forth within the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan. He said that poverty in Myanmar is on the decline, access to education and life-saving medicines is on the rise, and a second wave of social and economic reforms is underway, while economic growth remains strong by both regional and global standards. “The progress could not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of those gathered here today,” said the minister, adding that Myanmar government reaffirms its commitment to working with all like-minded partners from domestic and international civil society and private sectors, for transparency and effectiveness in the delivery of development assistance..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-12-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A ceremony was held in eastern Myanmar to mark the completion of 2,900 homes built under a reconstruction support project by the Nippon Foundation, a Japanese charity group, for refugees and other victims of ethnic conflicts in the Southeast Asian country. The ceremony took place in the village of Lay Kay Kaw in the state of Kayin on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the second stage of the reconstruction project in Kayin and the neighboring state of Mon. The support project has been carried out at the request of the government of Myanmar and ethnic armed groups, including the Karen National Union, which have agreed on a ceasefire with the government. Besides the homes, 34 schools, 11 medical facilities and 33 wells were built using ¥3.6 billion in funds provided by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in the first stage of the project that started in March 2016 and the second stage from November 2017. In the third stage launched in October this year, ¥2.5 billion will be used to build homes and a job training facility aimed at helping local residents become financially independent. “Myanmar can exert its potential for development if it overcomes the challenges it faces,” Ambassador to Myanmar Ichiro Maruyama said at the ceremony..."
Source/publisher: "The Japan News" (Japan)
2019-11-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is building an airport in the far-flung mountainous Falam township of Chin state to bring more tourists to the region. the Department of Civil Aviation has said. The authorities are using a state budget of 19.93 billion kyats (13.28 million U.S. dollars) for the first phase of the Surbung Airport project, according to the Department of Civil Aviation late on Monday. Runways, terminals and navigation facilities are being built and 58.3 percent of the airport construction work are said to have been completed. The airport runway extends 1,800 meters in length and 30 meters in width. It is hard for people to move within the state due to the lack of reliable transport infrastructure and in the monsoon season, landslide and floods make it almost impossible to travel. Chin state, having nine townships, remains one of the least developed in Myanmar due to a lack of proper transport and infrastructure..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-11-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "UP TO 152km of rural roads will be upgraded at a cost of US$51.2 million (RM212 million) by the Asia Development Bank (ADB) in Myanmar. The all-weather and climate-resilient roads will be built to benefit communities of some 150 villages in the Ayeyarwady and Magwe regions, according to The Myanmar Times. In a statement by the financial institution that is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific, the funding consists of a US$45.4 million loan from ADB and a US$5.8 million grant from the Asian Development Fund. On top of that, the Myanmar government will contribute US$1.2 million. The ADB said the project aims to enable people in the region to connect better and cut down traveling time once completed by 2025. The project will also see road surfaces elevated in areas prone to floods and materials to be used will be durable, such as concrete. ADB senior transport specialist for Southeast Asia, Shihiru Date, said the improved roads can help address climate change challenges which can cause damage to deteriorating rural links. “The project will provide rural residents in four townships of Ayeyarwady and Magwe with reliable, climate-proof roads, so they can better access markets and job opportunities,” he added. Myanmar has one of the lowest rates of rural road access in Asia, with more than 40 per cent of the country’s rural population having no access to all-season roads, according to the Rural Access Index database. The country's total population is estimated at around 53 million. ADB studies revealed that over four million people in Myanmar are not connected by road, and 10 million more are connected by roads that are not passable during the rainy season. About 6 per cent of the country’s 95,000km rural road network is considered paved, while 28 per cent have gravel or stone surfaces..."
Source/publisher: "New Straits Times" (Malaysia)
2019-11-16
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Climate Change Myanmar, Sustainability
Topic: Climate Change Myanmar, Sustainability
Description: "In July 2018, Myanmar experienced severe monsoon floods and landslides, which devastated several states including Kayin, Mon, Tanintharyi and Bago. At least 20 people died, 268,438 were displaced, and infrastructure damage was estimated at US$3.6 million. Farmers were especially hard hit. “Our paddy fields were completely destroyed. Since the roads were damaged, we could not work in the fields or go to the market to sell our produce,” says Daw Yi Htwe, a mother of seven who ekes out a living growing rice. “The children couldn’t go to school and had to stay at home.” Daw Yi Htwe’s children range from nine to 30 years in age, the eldest having left the town for work in Thailand. She wants them to be educated and have a better future. Paddy farming forms the backbone of Myanmar’s agriculture. Mon state has approximately three million acres of arable land, most of it rice paddies. When monsoon flooding hit 90 percent of the crop damage was in the paddies, and small-scale farmers were hardest hit. Ah Hta Ya village, with its unpaved roads and wooden houses with sloping roofs, sits next to the Attran river that elegantly snakes through the landscape. Picturesque as this might seem, and despite the benefits for agriculture and rearing livestock, the river’s proximity can wreak havoc during the monsoon..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (USA)
2019-10-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar's Yangon Bus Service (YBS) will implement a card payment system to replace the present cash box system to facilitate passengers in taking buses by the end of this year. According to the Yangon Region Transport Authority Monday, more than 1,500 buses will get the e-ticketing machines in the initial stage. The Asia Starmar Transport Intelligent Company, which is the tender winner for taking up the project, will start the trial run services by November or December once the imported machines of the system arrived in Yangon. The transport authorities have invited local and foreign joint-venture companies to bid for tender for operating related card payment services since last year that include card issuing, card acquiring and card top-up agency. Aimed at enhancing better transport service and reducing traffic congestion, the regional government introduced the new Yangon Bus Service (YBS) system in January last year, under which the number of bus lines was initially cut from more than 300 to 70 to solve the traffic jam problem..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-10-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has stressed the need to produce outstanding experts and technicians to serve the country, according to the Ministry of Education Thursday. Suu Kyi made the remarks when addressing the Conference on Implementing Development of Universities-2019 which began in Nay Pyi Taw Wednesday. Development of human resources, including the young generation, is a vital need for the country as they will perform state duties in the future, said Suu Kyi, adding that the government is striving for harmonious development of basic and higher education and for promoting the country's education up to the international level. She maintained that education is a lifelong process and a necessary investment for socio-economic development of the country..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-10-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A loan of 100 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank International Development Association (IDA) is being sought in Myanmar's Union Parliament, parliament sources said Wednesday. The loan is meant for the Ministry of Education to conduct inclusive access and quality education program and will be carried out in 115 townships, Minister of Education Myo Thein Gyi told the parliament on Tuesday. He clarified that the aim of the loan is for all students in the basic education schools to have access to learning opportunities for out-of-school school-age youngsters and to strengthen financial and management ability. The world bank loan represents part of the program's total value of 180 million U.S. dollars, while 70 million dollars was a grant from Global Partner for Education and 10 million dollars was a grant from the European Union, he said. As part of the efforts to reduce drop-outs from schools, the out-of-school quality education will be provided to 77,000 out-of-school school-age youngsters under the four-year program, he added..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-09-18
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "How will Myanmar farmers and their families benefit from the dramatic changes taking place in Myanmar’s rural economy? This was the central question at a day-long workshop that brought together American and Myanmar researchers and Government of Myanmar policy makers and agricultural program implementers, according to a press release. U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel opened the day-long workshop in Yangon on September 26. He said, “The United States is committed to supporting Myanmar’s economic transformation and democratic transition. For Myanmar, that means working to help transform the agricultural sector, a source of livelihood for more than seventy percent of rural households.” Faculty of Michigan State University facilitated four panel discussions about the findings from the Food Security Policy Project, a five-year investment co-financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT). Participants reviewed findings from surveys of close to 8000 rural households, 800 communities, and more than 1150 enterprises in agricultural value chains in eight states and regions, including Mon, the Delta, the Dry Zone, and Shan. Panelists encouraged government policy makers to understand how farmers can benefit from changes such as the maize boom in Shan State, the rise of aquaculture in the Delta, changes affecting communities working with oilseed and pulses in the Dry Zone, and the recent surge in mechanization in agriculture. They discussed farmers’ needs to access and utilize land, seed and credit, the changing rural economy, migration, and the need to consider gender issues in policies and programs..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
2019-09-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "As a bamboo design and construction company, Pounamu’s business relies on the supply of bamboo. So in 2017, the company thought: How can we make the business more sustainable? The answer lies in training communities on sustainable bamboo forestry, treatment, and construction. “Actually the bamboo is a sustainable material in itself, but … we [should care] and ... [be] good [in] managing and taking the bamboo from the forest,” Pounamu Operations Director Soe Win Zaw told Devex at the 7th Asia-Pacific Housing Forum in Bangkok. Bamboo technology in the housing sector isn’t new, but Pounamu’s work with the community on sustainable and productive practices in the sourcing and utilization of bamboo has earned the company the first Asia-Pacific Housing Forum Innovation Awards in the category of community initiatives and spatial planning. The innovation awards are initiated by Habitat for Humanity with support from the Hilti Foundation and the Cities Alliance..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "devex" (USA)
2019-09-19
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-20
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Doh Eain to present ways on “How to reduce your waste as a Yangonite”
Sub-title: We the City: Making Yangon
Topic: Doh Eain to present ways on “How to reduce your waste as a Yangonite”
Description: "“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.” We’ve been chanting this nursery rhyme while writing this advertisement, hoping that the heavy rain outside will soon stop. Our washing won’t dry, and the trash is building up inside. But however much we wish, the rain doesn’t wash away the rubbish - either in the home, or on the streets. Yangon, the crowded commercial capital of the country, produces 2300 tonnes to 2500 tonnes of trash a day, or about 0.5 kilograms of waste per person, according to the Yangon City Development Committee. That’s a lot of waste! Doh Eain, a social enterprise organisation dedicated to building a better Yangon, is hosting the 9th “We The City - Making Yangon” event at the Pansuriya Gallery. The theme of this year’s event is “what Yangonites can do to reduce waste”. You will have the opportunity to listen to ideas on how best to separate, reduce and reuse waste in the How-To-Reduce-Your-Waste-Market. Or, you can get inspired and hear about how you or your organisation can help clean up the city. A panel discussion will also explore how we can improve our own waste disposal habits as humble Yangon folks..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
2019-09-09
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar's Yangon regional government has initiated a project of developing apartments on state-owned land to tackle the issue of squatters and the project will be implemented in September, according to the office of the regional government on Wednesday. "The regional government will offer a long term installment payment plan to squatters to help them purchase the apartments," Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein told in a coordination meeting with private entrepreneurs, adding that the regional government will contribute land and obtain a loan for the housing project, under which the apartments will be sold at 12-13 million kyats (8,000-8,600 U.S. dollars) per unit. He warned that squatting in industrial zones and other commercial sites can cause damage to the drainage system of the industrial zone and increase risk of fire. Besides squatters, civil servants and private company staffs who have not occupied any house will be allowed to apply for the to-be-developed apartments. The apartments will be regarded as community-owned property and those allowed to live in the apartments will be restricted from re-selling them, according to him..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua"
2019-08-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The Government of Myanmar, with the help of the World Bank, is rolling out on-grid and off-grid electricity services to rural communities as part of its National Electrification Plan. The plan aims to bring electricity to everyone in Myanmar by 2030, installing modern solar home systems and mini-grids for remote villages that would otherwise have to wait years for a grid connection. The new electricity source will help Ei Po Po Aung to study without disruption, helping her achieve her dream of becoming a teacher in the future. It will also help her family save on daily expenses and enabling them to be more productive..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "World Bank"
2017-06-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Staying ahead in Myanmar’s changing irrigation market Our irrigation business designs innovative products to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Myanmar’s smallholder farmers. While treadle pump sales declined 16 percent this year, the introduction of our new sprinkler system has contributed significantly in boosting overall sales. Precision irrigation systems (drip and sprinkler products) now account for 52 percent of total sales, up from 28 percent last year, reflecting broader technology trends throughout Myanmar. As urban and out migration have increased so have rural labor shortages, and consequently farmers continue to demand more labor-saving products. By making our precision irrigation systems compatible with mechanized pumps and focusing on technologies that optimize farmers’ limited resources, we are pivoting to meet their demands. As a result, product sales increased to 24,627 units, 17 percent higher than last year. Yetagon Irrigation’s production and delivery methods are evolving alongside its portfolio mix. The manufacturing team is now using foreign parts to assemble products in the South Dagon workshop, speeding up the production process, lowering costs, and improving the quality of our products. We have also refined our four-channel delivery system: agents are now trained to install products, allowing sales representatives and agro dealers to improve their closing rates to 30 percent, while an improved online platform allows us to engage with customers outside the reach of previously existing channels. This year the direct sales force, comprised of 83 sales representatives, held 47,510 product demonstrations and drove the majority of our irrigation product sales (73 percent). Although total product sales have increased, sales of specific products such as the Lotus solar pump were considerably lower than expected. In order to combat this low uptake, we have developed a new sales incentive structure and rent-to-own payment system for the solar pump. These new initiatives will be rolled out in Q1 FY2018..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2017-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Size: 817.61 KB
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Description: "This year, we served a total number of 149,042 farm customers through crop loans, irrigation products and agronomy advice - a 34 percent increase from the last fiscal year. • 87,695 of our customers were new, first-time customers. • We had a total of 207,5061 farm households actively using a Proximity product or service – representing approximately 892,000 people.2 • Our total customer base in Myanmar is now over 640,000 farm households (close to 2.75 million people) located across more than ten thousand villages. • Total rural household incomes increased by an estimated over USD 50 million across all of our active customers.3 This translates into USD 5 of rural incomes increased per dollar spent for operations and USD 15 of rural income increased per donor dollar spent for operations. • Our “Yetagon” Irrigation farm tech unit sold 26,051 irrigation products to 11,583 growers who are now using advanced micro irrigation systems. • 51,496 farm households adopted improved agronomic practices or used a service provided by our Farm Advisory Services unit..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2018-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 1.18 MB
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Description: "With the new fiscal year underway, our Yangon team moved into a new head office in September—bringing all business units and teams under one roof. Our Irrigation business launched its newest product—a micro irrigation sprinkler system with 60 units sold in the first month. Our Farm Advisory Services expanded operations from the Delta to the central Dry Zone. Proximity Finance, our farm finance business, now serves 57,695 rural borrowers. Our economic research team produced a short discussion paper, entitled “Internal and External Challenges to Unity in Myanmar,” in response to the country’s critical juncture in democratic transition. Proximity Labs, our design team, is working on a pipeline of products and services including a soil moisture sensor, seed multiplication services, and a redesigned solar irrigation pump..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2016-09-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 1.78 MB
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Description: "At our mid-year point, Proximity has served over 85,000 customer households with our irrigation technology, rural finance, and advisory services. Year-to-date irrigation sales are up 11 percent, compared to FY2016, and our new sprinkler irrigation product has been well-received by farmers. Adoption rates for our farm advisory services jumped to 68 percent by quarter end, as our extension staff served 8.2 farmers each per working day. Proximity Finance is now serving 60,238 active customers with an outstanding portfolio of USD11.7 million. Proximity Research focused on recent inter-communal violence in Rakhine State with domestic research visits, and made preparations to take Myanmar leaders to visit Indonesia and Maluku in the next quarter. Our in-house product and service design team, Proximity Labs, completed a full-season pilot of our SMS-messaging service to advise farmers on timely fertilizer application, ready for launch next quarter..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2016-12-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Format : pdf
Size: 2.42 MB
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Description: "We achieved impressive growth in both our farm advisory and irrigation businesses this quarter. Our product pipeline of newly designed irrigation products, agronomy services and financial services is strong. This quarter we’ve focused on improving both the unit economics of providing our services and increasing the levels of earned income from those services. We’re confident we’ll reach our milestone of 118,000 new customers by 30 June 2018. Our irrigation business is still highly seasonal with Q1 traditionally being our slowest quarter. This year the monsoon season lasted longer than normal, which resulted in sales of only 3,432 units this quarter, still representing a 66 percent, YoY increase. 60 percent of sales are now our micro-irrigation sprinklers and drip systems. A new rent-to-own option was introduced to boost sales of the Lotus solar water pump. Farm Advisory Services advised 25,437 unique farmers in Q1, a dramatic year-on-year increase of 99 percent. This is driven by a big increase in our engagement with groups of farmers in thousands of village demonstrations across 21 rice growing townships. Across our target markets we’ve achieved an 18 percent market penetration already. Our digital channels – designed to lower the unit economics of providing agronomy advice to our customers – added 1,900 users to its fertilizer management SMS service. Proximity Finance – our business unit offering loan products specifically designed for small farmers - now serves 79,838 rural clients. New client acquisition has been slowed by funding constraints related to the Myanmar MFI industry’s ability to hedge dollar denominated debt over the past several quarters. In September, we were able to close a US$5.3 million debt instrument with a local bank. The loan portfolio continues to diversify with only 35 percent of loans dispersed to rice farmers. Repayment rates on loans are very strong (PAR30 is 0.32 percent). Market penetration includes 1,702 villages across 56 townships..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2017-09-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 766.57 KB
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Description: "We had one of our strongest quarters ever, adding 39,673 new customers. As of our mid-year mark, we have added 56,543 farm customers – on target to reaching 118,000 new customers by the end of the fiscal year in June 2018. Our Farm Tech business had a strong second quarter with 3,672 new farm customers purchasing one of our irrigation products - a striking 81.5 percent YoY increase. Earned revenues totaled US$303,000 representing a YoY increase of 66 percent. We launched a new mist micro-irrigation product designed to replace inefficient furrow irrigation on small horticulture plots of half an acre. We sold 138 “Lotus” solarpowered irrigation pumps compared to 28 unit sales during the same period last year. This quarter Ryan McCoy assumed leadership of this business unit. He joins with extensive business and finance experience and holds an MBA from Duke and a finance degree from MIT. Our Farm Advisory Services had another strong quarter with over 20,000 farmers attending a technique training, given average uptake rates of 40-50 percent, we anticipate at least 8,000 new farmers will adopt one or more of our techniques, hitting our target for the quarter (actual adopter numbers are finalized after the rice season). Our field agronomists engaged farmers through 1,283 in-village presentations, which remain our primary service delivery channel. These field agronomists are essential to our mission as they deliver technique advice, pest and disease solutions, and tailored responses to farming challenges throughout the farming cycle. Across our 21 different townships, we’ve reached an estimated 40 percent market penetration among farmers growing rice. Our year-end target is to reach 48,400 new farmers and a total of 96,000 active adopting farmers. Farm lending efforts added 14,709 new customers this quarter. Across our lending operations in 2,065 villages we now have 91,208 active customers. Our portfolio is now USD18.2 million with a PAR 30 delinquency rate of 0.36 percent. Savoeung Chann, our General Manager resigned this quarter after two years of service. A three-person leadership team is overseeing management during the transition period until a replacement is settled. The legal separation of Proximity Finance from Proximity Designs continues to face delays from the government but is expected to be completed by April 2018. Economic research efforts this quarter focused on deepening our analysis of the current situation in Rakhine State and researching options for addressing the crisis of 650,000 refugees who fled to Bangladesh. As conditions in the camps become more extreme with increased international pressure and ongoing instability, the threat of a long-running internal, regional and international conflict is growing. It is uncertain if either Bangladesh or Myanmar would agree to accept large numbers of refugees as citizens, even with resettlement aid. Reversing the damage will take a multipronged effort beyond the ability of any single country..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2017-12-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 723.76 KB
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Description: "Our platform offerings revolve around three core service areas: 1) the provision of improved agronomy practices/skills, 2) access to farm loans, and 3) affordable micro-irrigation systems. This quarter, 15,525 total new farm customers used one or more of these services. +Farm Advisory Services: This quarter, a total of 11,416 farmers used one of our agronomy services, of which 7,534 were new customers, meeting 99 percent of our total customer target for the quarter. We are currently targeting an ambitious goal of a total of 51,000 new adopters by the end of the year. We offer the following advisory services: 1) rice seed cleaning, 2) precision planting (for rice seed) 3) nutrient (e.g. fertilizer) management, 4) soil health management, and 5) crop protection services (to control pests & disease). We currently employ 106 field agronomists who drive outreach and growth. Our field agronomists are launching our new Soil Health Diagnostic Service, offered at a price of USD4 per acre. To date, we’ve sold 477 tests, 76% lower than our target. Our agronomy team has never launched this kind of fee-for-service before, and is learning it takes up more field staff time than originally estimated. +Micro-irrigation: This quarter is typically a slow time for irrigation product sales, as the period marks the end of the monsoon season in Myanmar. 1,655 new farmers purchased one of our micro-irrigation products, representing 16 percent growth year-on-year, and 91 percent of the quarter’s target. We are targeting 10 percent annual growth this year or 12,743 farm customers. This year, our irrigation product offerings include: micro-sprinkler systems, mister systems, drip systems, lay flat hose and a treadle pump. We sold a total of 3,062 units of irrigation products, representing an 8 percent y/y decrease, and earned sales revenue of USD 78,000 for the quarter. After 15 years of selling various models of our original foot-operated pump, we are now selling only one treadle pump model this season. In recent years, the market has shifted with the influx of affordable and portable motorized pumps from China replacing the more labor-intensive treadle pumps. Thus, our products today focus on advancing irrigation efficiency in water use. This quarter, we launched our newest product – a “Starter” Mister that customers can install for USD 10 for 1/10 acre . We are seeing strong demand largely due to the affordable price point. We have a very capable, new General Manager leading the irrigation business, Seng Nu Pan. We are reducing our in-house manufacturing work and shifting to sourcing components from new, higher quality, local suppliers as well as importing more parts from Thailand and China. Assembly is still done in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2018-09-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 536.19 KB
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Description: "Overall, we added 21,841 new farmers this quarter to our Yetagon farm services platform—slightly below our target of 22,954. Our farm credit services and irrigation products saw strong y/y growth, but our agronomy services missed our targets largely due to the slower than expected roll-out of our new revenue-generating soil testing service. Our growth target this year is 82,000 new customers. Year to date, we’ve added 37,097 new farmers to a growing active user base of 214,215 farm customers. Our operating model is shifting to us organizing more around our customer facing services and less on our separate business units. Current Farm Services Offered: + Quality Seeds and Precision Planting: Rice seed cleaning services have been our most popular agronomy service over the past several years. In many of the villages where we have introduced this technique, we’ve achieved over 50 percent adoption within several seasons—a very high rate for a new innovation. Farmers are typically able to achieve yield increases of 20-30 baskets per acre, which translates to yield improvement of 10 percent. Over the past three years we’ve been able to increase rice yields on over 430,000 acres. + Soil Health (testing) and Nutrient Management Services: During this quarter, we formally launched a new Soil Testing service that provides plot-specific and actionable fertilizer recommendations before the planting season to help rice farmers improve fertilizer efficiency and increase crop yields. We sold 1,516 tests to farmers in Myanmar’s lowland Delta region. This was well below our target of 2,530 tests. Demand appears to be strong, but internally the complexity of providing the new service slowed down the roll-out. We’re confident these problems can be solved quickly and will expand the testing service to the upland Dry Zone region in Q3. For our more general fertilizer application recommendations delivered through village meetings, we achieved 6,524 rice farmer adopters..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2018-12-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 769.7 KB
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Description: "Overall, we added 15,803 new farmers this quarter to our customer base. Our growth target for this year is 82,000 new customers, and to date we’ve added 53,487 new farmers. Our farm irrigation products saw strong year-on-year growth, while our farm finance and agronomy advice services’ results were lower than targeted. This quarter, our farm finance business was hampered by unexpected delays in receiving regulatory approvals for overseas capital. Thus, we did not have sufficient loan funds to meet demand. Our agronomy work had difficulty finding experienced and trained agronomy field staff, which has led to understaffing at a time of planned expansion in advisory services. Our rural recruitment efforts have ramped up and our People Operations team is improving onboarding processes to ensure new extension officers can be trained well and quickly deployed. Current Farm Services Offered: + Quality Seeds and Precision Planting: This quarter is typically not the rice planting season so we anticipated low adoption of our rice seed cleaning practices. Only 624 farmers adopted during the quarter. + Soil Health Testing and Nutrient Management Services: As farmers prepare for the upcoming monsoon rice growing season, they are investing in soil health testing. After a slower than expected start, sales have picked up this quarter, with 1,886 customers buying our newly launched soil testing service, and a YTD total of 4,059 sales—37 percent of our annual target. As expected, the sales closing rates for the soil tests were high among farmers who had already used one of our other services; with a 40 percent closing rate among our pest/disease on-call diagnostic service users and 34 percent among farmers who had adopted two of our agronomy practices. We continue to improve the service delivery and sales skills of field extension officers, but are one quarter behind on targets. We project soil test sales will reach 6,600 farmers by year end, which is 60 percent of our original first year target. This quarter, 4,486 farmers adopted our free recommended crop fertilizer practices. + Crop Protection Services: Our crop protection service offers an on-call field visit service to rice farmers year round. This quarter, we experienced a spike in requests, with our field agronomists responding to 3,194 farmers’ calls. Farmers request help to diagnose a pest or disease problem in their fields and receive a recommended treatment protocol. There was an outbreak of thrip insect in the Ayeyarwady Delta this quarter. Fortunately, the crop losses in such cases are preventable if caught early. We’ve found these on-call services generate strong trust among farmers and help lay the groundwork for introducing other agronomy practices..."
Source/publisher: Proximity Designs
2019-03-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "In Myanmar's central dry zone, many villages and their inhabitants are in danger. Due to climate change, which causes both excessive rainfall and prolonged droughts, the Irawaddy river is bursting its banks more often and more destructively. Hundreds of acres are now permanently underwater, farmers have lost their land and livelihood and many villagers have lost their homes. Those who have been able to reconstruct their houses away from the flood-prone areas are now in danger of losing their homes again. Moving away even further is not an option for most, since the river they now fear, is also the main source of livelihood of this community of farmers and fishermen. Cordaid helps the community by mapping the risks and creating contingency and mitigation plans following a proven disaster risk reduction method. The villagers themselves express and document their greatest worries and needs, after which Cordaid's local resilience partners help the community to find a solution to their problems. This could entail planting trees to prevent the soil from eroding or the construction of dikes to stop the floods, just to name a few examples..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Cordaid International, Cyril Myint Soe
2019-07-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "People living in Myanmar's Dry Zone are facing the impact of climate change on their lives. The project, Addressing Climate Change Risks on Water Resources and Food Security in the Dry Zone of Myanmar aims to reduce vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity of the dry zone communities through improved water management, crop and livestock adaptation programme in five of the most vulnerable townships of Myanmar’s Dry Zone. The Adaptation Fund project is being implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Government of the Union of Myanmar. Category..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UNDP Myanmar
2017-03-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "At the Thomson Reuters Foundation we act to promote socio-economic progress and the rule of law worldwide. We play a leading role in the fight against human trafficking. We use the skills, values, and expertise of Thomson Reuters to run programmes that trigger real change and empower people around the world. We tackle global issues. We achieve lasting impact..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Thomson Reuters Foundation via Proximity Designs
2017-03-09
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "People living in Myanmar's Dry Zone are facing the impact of climate change on their lives. The project, Addressing Climate Change Risks on Water Resources and Food Security in the Dry Zone of Myanmar aims to reduce vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity of the dry zone communities through improved water management, crop and livestock adaptation programme in five of the most vulnerable townships of Myanmar’s Dry Zone. The Adaptation Fund project is being implemented by UNDP in collaboration with the Government of the Union of Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: UNDP Myanmar
2017-03-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Australian Red Cross has been supporting the Myanmar Red Cross with integrated community-based programs. The work promotes disease prevention, clean water systems and training people in First Aid response..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Australian Red Cross
2016-06-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Between April 2012 and March 2014 ADRA implemented a project with UKaid funding to reduce the poverty of 12,600 people within 15 villages of Pakokku Township. This is the project video report..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: ADRA UK
2015-09-08
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Topic: capacity building, landscape restoration, natural resources management, stakeholder engagement, sustainable development
Topic: capacity building, landscape restoration, natural resources management, stakeholder engagement, sustainable development
Description: "The Conservation Landscape Manager plays the key leadership and management role in World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF’s) effort to conserve Myanmar’s Dawna Tenasserim Landscape (DTL) Key responsibilities will be, among others: Building and maintaining critical partnerships and relations with key stakeholders, especially with CSOs, NGOs, the Karen National Union’s (KNU) Forest Department and the Myanmar Union government Forest Department; Identify and establish strategic partnerships needed to facilitate delivery of shared conservation goals in DTL; Manage the team in WWF’s Dawei office to ensure alignment of activities with WWF’s strategic objectives; Work closely with the WWF-MM Conservation Director to provide leadership and overall direction and coordination..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) via World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Myanmar)
2018-10-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: capacity building, environment, forest conservation, forests, natural resources management, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable forestry
Topic: capacity building, environment, forest conservation, forests, natural resources management, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), sustainable forestry
Description: "With support from the Government of Norway, the UN-REDD Programme in partnership with the Regional Community Forestry Training Centre (RECOFTC), assisted the Government of Myanmar (GoM) and other stakeholders to develop a “REDD+ Readiness Roadmap” in the period July 2012-August 2013. The signature of the National Programme Document was completed on 15th November 2016, with a duration of 4 years. The first funds transfer from the MPTF-O occurred in November 2016. Thus the 4th quarter of 2018 will represent the half-way stage of implementation of the Programme. Experiences from other countries have indicated that a mid-term review (MTR) can significantly improve progress towards results in the second half of a programme, so a MTR for the Programme is proposed for Q4, 2018. The objective of the MTR is to secure agreement from both the implementing partner (Forest Department) and the three participating UN Agencies on measures to be implemented to improve performance of the Programme, and to ensure achievement of the anticipated results..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) via United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
2018-07-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Of the nine port terminals of the Yangon Water Bus service, the Myanma Port Authority is collecting rent from just two, said U Bo Soe, the Assistant General Manager of the port authority. "We are collecting rent of K700,000 per month from the No4 and Lanthit terminals. The Myanma Port Authority is not charging any rent from the remaining terminals to help develop the water bus service," said U Bo Soe, who is also a member of the Yangon Region Transport Authority. The nine port terminals of the water bus service are Botahtaung No4, Nanthida, Lanthit, Kyimyindine, Hline, Insein, Sarpachaung, Thamada, and the Antgyi shipyard in Dala Township, according to the Myanma Port Authority. "At present, the Yangon Water Bus is running 11 ferries for 100,000 passengers. The number of passengers has decreased in the monsoon season," said U Bo Win. Meanwhile, to extend the water bus route to the Pazuntaung creek, the Tint Tint Myanmar Company and the Department of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems have jointly conducted a feasibility study at a suitable location for establishing a jetty, and their report has been forwarded to the Yangon Region government, he said. "We have made plans to extend the water bus route to the South Okkalapa Pagoda. They have been submitted to the regional government," he added. The Yangon Water Bus was launched on 7 October, 2017, and it has been providing ferry services on internal routes in Yangon City as well as on Kyauktan and Twantay routes for the past one-and-a-half-years..."
Source/publisher: Myanmar Water Portal "Global New Light Of Myanmar"
2019-07-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Myanmar’s natural assets – including its forests, soils and coastal waters and the biodiversity they embody – makes up its natural capital, providing critical benefits to the Myanmar people, helping to protect them against natural hazards and ensuring reliable sources of clean water for drinking and irrigation as well as opportunities for ecotourism. Myanmar’s natural capital is also the source of other tangible and intangible benefits that support human well-being and underpin economic development. To secure those benefits, we need to understand which areas and ecosystems best serve the people and infrastructure dependent upon them, as well as how these benefits can be protected or enhanced in the face of climate change. The assessment presented in this report shows where and how Myanmar’s natural capital contributes to clean and reliable drinking water sources, reduced risks from floods inland and storms along the coasts, and to maintaining the functioning of reservoirs and dams by preventing erosion. The results highlight areas that provide high levels of ecosystem services, where natural capital provides the greatest benefits to people and infrastructure. This initial assessment has focused on identifying important ecosystem service provisioning areas that benefit the greatest number of people at a national scale, emphasizing benefits to cities and other large population centres. Benefits to rural populations and to vulnerable subgroups are critical as well, and they should be considered in greater detail as a next step. In addition, many of these areas important for ecosystem services provision coincide with areas important for biodiversity conservation. The effective management of these areas of synergy can help guarantee benefits to Myanmar’s people, infrastructure and wildlife not just now, but for decades to come. Securing natural capital is especially important in the face of climate change. As rainfall becomes increasingly variable and extreme events like heavy storms and droughts more frequent and intense, the role of forests in protecting rivers and streams from sediment will become more central in maintaining the quality of drinking water and improving the functioning of reservoirs and dams. The value of other ecosystem services will also become more apparent. Importantly, although climate change might make these services more valuable, the locations of hotspots areas important for ecosystem service provision are not expected to change over the next several decades for the services assessed here, so that protecting these areas would provide long-term benefits. While conservation of existing natural capital alone cannot eliminate the impacts of climate change, protecting and enhancing natural capital benefits is a critical component of climate change adaptation. Incorporating natural capital information into planning and development processes can ensure that its benefits are put to work in the service of the people and for the prosperity of the economy. Natural capital assessments can support planning and development across and within key sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, and health, while strengthening climate resilience and promoting adaptation planning. The natural capital assessment provided here can support development and management decisions that launch Myanmar on a more sustainable and inclusive path toward economic development..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
2016-06-03
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 3.56 MB
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Sub-title: Updating National Master Electrification Plan
Description: "Reliable and sustainable access to electricity in Myanmar is a challenge. Currently only 32% of Myanmar households have access to grid electricity. The rest of the population either has no access or must rely on unreliable or badly maintained diesel micro-grids and small solar systems. Most grid electricity is generated by hydropower and burning fossil fuels. Myanmar must meet its rapidly growing energy needs. The critical question is how. This comprehensive study proves that renewable energy for Myanmar is not only technically feasible but also economically feasible compared to the so-called “cheap” traditional technologies. The development of Myanmar’s power sector will require multi-billion dollar investment over the next three decades and our analysis shows that a diverse mix of renewable energy, in combination with energy efficiency measures, will be the best solution for the sustainable power development of Myanmar. Renewable energy goes far beyond the common perception of solar lanterns and solar home systems. Large scale progress can be very fast. Italy installed 9,000 MW of solar power in 2011, almost twice the installed capacity of Myanmar which is currently around 5,000 MW. In 2015, Japan also installed 9,000 MW of solar power within a year. The first step to renewable energy deployment is acceptance and it is usual for there to be concerns about new technologies. It has been recorded that grid operators are concerned about solar and wind power being fed into the grid, concerns also seen in Germany and Ireland but today both countries have a high share (31% and 25% respectively) of renewable energy in their generation mix. Recent practices of grid-interconnection in developing countries as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Indonesia are also strong, providing promising examples of technological, regulatory and financial management from which Myanmar can learn. Myanmar must shape its future sustainably. To do so the right decisions must be made now. The “traditional” approach will repeat the mistakes of its neighbors, while Myanmar has the opportunity to leapfrog to renewable energy technologies. Recent developments in the telecommunication sector have shown that both decision makers and the public are willing to make such a leap, why should this not also occur in the power sector? Developing a vision is not an end goal, but rather the first step of systematic solution planning. We are looking forward to supporting sustainable power sector development in Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
2017-03-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 6.63 MB
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Sub-title: WWF’s Green Economy Programme in Myanmar 2018-2021
Description: "The foundations for a green economy – that will support people, nature and economic development in Myanmar - have been laid. WWF has played an instrumental role in highlighting natural capital values through Myanmar’s first natural capital assessment, identifying green economy investments through the development of Myanmar’s Green Economy Policy Framework, and developing initial policies for sustainable economic development in Myanmar. WWF is now positioned to raise green economy to the next stage, at the policy level as well as in our priority landscapes. Our vision is to see the true values of Myanmar’s nature acknowledged and reflected in government policies, commercial investments, and smallholder development - resulting in sustainable development that ‘bends the curve’ for biodiversity, forests, rivers, and mangroves, and makes Myanmar a more climate resilient country. We want to see a future where Myanmar’s intact forests are conserved and degraded areas are restored, where wildlife increase in numbers, and where people’s livelihoods are better and their benefits from nature secured..."
Source/publisher: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
2017-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.91 MB
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Topic: Development project, Food Security/Right to livelihood, Indiscriminate firing of mortars / small arms, Injury, Internally Displaced Persons, Land Confiscation, Refugees, Right to education, Right to health
Topic: Development project, Food Security/Right to livelihood, Indiscriminate firing of mortars / small arms, Injury, Internally Displaced Persons, Land Confiscation, Refugees, Right to education, Right to health
Description: ""In the camp, food rations were reduced, and we no longer received bamboo or wood to fix our homes. We faced challenges for our family livelihoods and we had to sneak out of the camp to go collect wood and bamboo. This is why I decided to return to Myanmar.” Naw Y---, a recently repatriated refugee Between February 20th and 23rd 2019, more than 500 men, women and children from five refugee camps, including Karenni refugee camps, in Thailand, returned to Myanmar.[1] This third refugee repatriation process was facilitated by the Thai and Myanmar governments, the UNHCR, and other humanitarian aid organisations. To shed light on this process and understand how resettled refugees are adjusting to their new lives, KHRG conducted interviews with 13 repatriated refugees in Mae La Way Ler Moo (Mae La Hta)[2] and Lay Hpa Htaw[3] resettlement sites in March and April 2019. These refugees – six men and seven women – came from Nu Poe, Ban Don Yang (Thaw Pa) and Mae La (Beh Klaw) refugee camps. KHRG also interviewed three local leaders responsible for the resettlement sites from the Karen National Union (KNU) and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council (KNU/KNLA-PC). The testimonies of the recently repatriated refugees reveal a stark reality. The journey to their new homes was spent cramped in the back of dusty trucks, without enough food or water. A lack of basic social services, agricultural lands and income-generating opportunities awaited them on their arrival to resettlement sites. Resettled refugees are also concerned by the close proximity of Tatmadaw army camps to their new homes, and by the fact that the land surrounding resettlement sites is contaminated by unexploded ordnances (UXOs)..."
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
2019-06-20
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 715.01 KB
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Sub-title: UN-Habitat Myanmar: The Coastal Settlements Support Programme (CSSP)
Description: "In response to the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, UN-Habitat assisted affected communities in the Irrawaddy Delta with shelter recovery, water, sanitation and hygiene, and livelihoods. The Coastal Settlements Support Programme (CSSP) has helped 431 IDP families from Kungyangone Township (Delta) to secure land tenure and build disaster resilient shelters with access to safe water and sanitation. Importantly, local community carpenters were trained in disaster resilient construction techniques, increasing their earning potential. Finally, cash for work opportunities for casual laborers were provided in the course of improving access infrastructure..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UN-Habitat Myanmar
2014-01-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "A project funded by the American People (USAID) for rebuilding people’s lives helped rehabilitate houses for 1,000 families in Dedaye Township of Ayeyarwady Region..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UN-Habitat Myanmar
2018-07-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "A project funded by the LIFT for sustainable human development helped the people from 250 villages across five townships in the Delta (Pyapon, Kyaiklat, Bogale, Kungyangon and Dedaye)..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UN-Habitat Myanmar
2018-07-20
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Improving the shelter conditions of most vulnerable households through provision of shelter, a project funded by ECHO and Government of Norway for project implementation helps the reconstruction of homes for 2,250 families, in Cyclone Giri affected townships of Myebon & Minbya of Rakhine State in Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UN-Habitat Myanmar
2015-03-20
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The programme was funded by the people of Japan to support 612,709 people (305,814 male; 306,859 female) through community lead development in 509 villages in 10 townships of Kachin, Chin, Kayah and Shan States. More information can be found at: The Programme for Development and Rehabilitation of Community in Ethnic Minority Area, Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: UN-Habitat Myanmar
2015-06-02
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Yangon 28 April 2017 – UN-Habitat successfully held an international experience sharing workshop on slum upgrading, bringing together leading experts from the region and Myanmar to help identify possible solutions to Myanmar’s growing slum problem. More information can be found at: International Experience-Sharing Workshop on Slum Upgrading. Multimedia Source: Kamayut Media. မို့ကြီးတွေမှာရှိတဲ့ အဆင့်မမီတဲ့ရပ်ကွက် (ကျူးကျော်)တွေအတွက် နိုင်ငံတကာမှာ အဆင့်မြှင့်တင်ပေးတဲ့ အတွေ့အကြုံတွေကို မျှဝေပေးတဲ့ ဆွေးနွေးပွဲတစ်ခုကို ဧပြီ ၂၈ရက်မှာ ပြုလုပ်ခဲ့ပါတယ်။..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Kamayut Online TV via UN-Habitat Myanmar
2017-04-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "This report is the Geomorphic and Sediment Transport Baseline Assessment Report (Chapter 3) for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar. Subsequent reports will provide an environmental vulnerability and hydropower sustainability assessment of the Business as Usual (BAU) hydropower development scenario, and recommendations and mitigation options related to sustainable hydropower development in Myanmar. This Baseline report defines the extent of the study, provides an overview of the geology and geomorphic characteristics of rivers in Myanmar, discusses how geomorphic processes can be altered by hydropower development, provides an overview of the status of fluvial (river related) geomorphic processes and a trend analysis identifying potential future changes in the absence of hydropower development. The review draws on the available literature and includes an analysis of limited flow and sediment transport data. Major findings of the review include: • Myanmar has a highly complex geologic and tectonic setting that combined with the hydrology of the region controls the ‘natural’ geomorphic processes. The distribution of older ‘hard’ mountain ranges in the north and east of the country, and younger ‘softer’ active mountain belts in the west result in sediment loads with differing characteristics being derived from the different areas of the country. Hard, resistant sands are derived from the weathering of the ‘harder’ strata, while fine-grained silts and clays are predominantly derived from the ‘soft’ strata; • Large alluvial basins are located between the mountain ranges that temporarily store sediment. These areas can provide large ‘pulses’ of sediment in response to short-duration high intensity rainfall events; • Sediment storage also occurs within the Ayeyarwady - Sittaung delta complex and along the western and eastern coastal areas where the rivers of the Rakhine and Tanintharyi, respectively, deliver sediment from the mountainous coastal areas. The stability of these areas is dependent on the continued supply of sediment from the mountains to the coastline; • The flood pulse hydrology of the rivers in Myanmar governs the movement of water and sediment through the river systems. The hydrology of some sub-basins has been altered through the development of hydropower and irrigation, and seasonal water and sediment flows at the sub-basin level have likely occurred associated with these developments and other land use changes. More detailed monitoring and analysis is required to identify potential impacts at the basin scale; The key themes related to hydropower development are the alteration of water and sediment flows associated with river regulation. The potential interaction between these changes and land use changes (mining), other water uses (irrigation), floodplain developments and aggregate extraction from rivers also need to be considered and understood for the implementation of ‘sustainable’ hydropower. Substantial data gaps have been identified during this review. These include: • A need for systematic geomorphic descriptions of the rivers at a scale that can be used to assess potential changes to rivers in response to hydropower or other water resource developments; • More detailed suspended and bedload sediment transport information is needed from subbasins and mainstem rivers to provide the required information to underpin sustainable hydropower development. This information is also required for effective management of sand and gravel mining, as well as understanding the dynamics of the river; • Detailed flow information from sub-catchments and mainstream rivers is required at a higher resolution than provided by the present network of flow gauges. This information may be able to be provided through the development of catchment hydrologic models; • Information about the characteristics of sediment moving through the system, including grainsize and mineralogy. Grain-size will allow a better understanding of what flows are required to transport sediment and mineralogy will provide information about the source of the material; vi • More information is required about how individual hydropower projects will alter flow regimes at the sub-basin level, how sediments will be managed and what mitigation strategies are to be included in the project design. A sound understanding of the project is required to understand how it will affect the upstream and downstream environments; • More information is required about other planned water resource developments that have the potential to alter flow and sediment regimes. A sub-basin and basin management approach to water resource development is required to minimize impacts and maximize outcomes; • An increased understanding of how climate change may affect the river systems is needed for long-term sustainable planning of hydropower and other water resource developments. The review has found that even in the absence of additional hydropower development there are substantial pressures on the river systems of Myanmar, related to existing hydropower projects (both in Myanmar and upstream of the border), land use changes such as mining, deforestation, sand and gravel mining, irrigation extractions, and floodplain and river modifications. Catchment management at the sub-basin scale is required to control and manage these activities, and the implementation of stringent Government policies to minimize impacts from these activities is warranted. Sustainable hydropower can only be developed within a catchment that is being sustainable managed with respect to other land use and water resource activities..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-01-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.29 MB
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Description: "Fisheries and aquaculture make a significant contribution to Myanmar’s economy. The fisheries sector contributes roughly 2 percent of Myanmar’s gross domestic product (GDP), 50 percent of animal protein consumption, 6 percent of employment—rising to as high as 34 percent in some coastal areas—and up to 56 percent of state/regional government revenue. Marine fisheries, freshwater fisheries, and aquaculture contribute to production in roughly equal proportions, for a total annual production of 3 million tons. Fisheries’ contributions to economic output and employment in Myanmar still lag behind other countries in the region. For instance, the aquaculture sector alone contributes more to the GDP of Bangladesh and Vietnam (at more than 3 percent and more than 5 percent, respectively) than the entire fisheries sector’s contribution to GDP in Myanmar. There is a scarcity of scientific data on which to base the management of Myanmar’s fisheries. Official catch estimates show an inexorable rise in marine fisheries’ production, but these are contradicted by stock assessment data suggesting that between 1979 and 2013 pelagic stocks fell by as much as 90 percent and demersal stocks by around 50 percent..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.04 MB
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Description: "Myanmar’s forest and timber sector has been central to the country’s economy and society, particularly over the last century. Myanmar’s forests contain some of the most valued species in the world—particularly rosewood, ironwood, and teak. Myanmar also has one of the most longstanding forest management systems in the tropics. Today, despite reduced timber extraction revenues, wood industry still generates over 8 percent of formal government revenues. Beyond timber, rural society largely depends on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and agroforestry for food, medicine, and wood fuel, which is by far the most important energy source in rural Myanmar, with between 60 percent and 80 percent of communities relying on this source. Some of Myanmar’s forests also form some of the world’s most critically important biodiversity ‘hotspots’. The importance of Myanmar’s forests is not limited to their wood products alone: • Forest governance and the peace process are directly intertwined: Two-thirds of Myanmar’s remaining forested areas are managed by ethnic groups, in many cases through customary tenure systems, with much of this forest located in conflict areas. It is evident that inclusive forest governance and natural resource management and empowering local agents will contribute to the national peace-building process and reduce conflict. • Community forestry (CF) and smallholder plantations are financially and socially viable and can meaningfully contribute to rural income generation, provided the appropriate institutions, rights, incentives, and technical support are in place. Community-based forestry programs represent international best practice, providing tenure to communities to stimulate investments and creating trust, income, and business opportunities. • Wood processing can enhance exports and rural jobs creation. Myanmar currently loses economic value from limited or wasteful low-quality timber processing of some of the world’s most valuable timber. Looking to other countries in the region, Vietnam invested heavily in high value-added processing and forest small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over the last 10 years, and today is the fifth largest exporter of wood products with revenue exceeding that of Myanmar more than twentyfold in value. The looming global supply gap for wood products will most likely boost this sector even more in the future. • At the same time, forests and mangroves provide significant ecosystem services for water catchment, habitat for flora and fauna, carbon storage, soil nutrient recovery, and increasingly important disaster risk protection. With accelerating climate change, forests’ role in both mitigation and, more crucially, adaptation will be increasingly essential (improving basin-level hydrological functions, especially maintaining moisture recycling and rainfall and reducing droughts and floods), especially for downstream/lowland populations. In the years before the democratic transition, forest areas were largely over-logged to maximize timber revenues with little consideration for sustainability, which resulted in widespread degradation of the Permanent Forest Estate (PFE). Illegal logging and corrupt practices are still ongoing, but in 2014, a log export ban (alongside other policy measures) was imposed to stop the plundering of production forests. Since then, the forest and timber sector is undergoing a series of reforms to better control and manage the resources in a more socially inclusive and transparent way. Although the current direction is positive, and there is high political ownership by the government and society, progress is still slow..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 3.02 MB
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Description: "Myanmar is rich in natural resources and is a global biodiversity hotspot. It is also a country in the midst of a huge political and social change. For three decades, Myanmar was ruled by a military junta. In 2015, free elections were held, and since then the government has been grappling with the challenge of tackling poverty and developing the country. However, the government is aware of the importance of managing its natural wealth in a sustainable way as expressed in the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP). This vision is supported by a recent World Bank The Changing Wealth of Nations report that argues that the management of natural resources is critical to long-term sustainable development (Lange, Wodon, and Carey 2018). Myanmar’s forests and fishing industry are two significant contributors to the economy, and yet these sectors are also potentially under threat from overexploitation and mismanagement. The management of solid waste, air pollution, and the use of plastics provides another growing challenge. In addition, the role of government and other stakeholders in the management of these sectors and issues is central to whether the government will succeed in reversing the current trends and be able to find a longterm sustainable solution to the problem. This report explores the issues and challenges faced and the legal and institutional context. Through a lens of poverty reduction, social inclusion and participation, and economic growth, the report tells a story of an urgent need for institutional support and reform, improvements in the enforcement against illegal extraction of resources, behavior change in all relevant stakeholders, institutional capacity building, increased funding, and improvements in data collection and analysis. If these recommendations are acted on, then Myanmar can reverse the negative trends and lead its environment on a path toward a more sustainable future..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf pdf
Size: 6.77 MB 5.7 MB 2.38 MB
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Description: ''Rural communities in Myanmar have numerous economic, environmental, and social opportunities but also face challenges as they seek a clear and solid pathway to development. The Government of Myanmar (GoM), as well as several development and donor organizations, have recognized the potential of community forestry (CF) to address many of these challenges. This recognition has taken the form of targets for CF development (for example, 2.27 million acres [919,000 hectares (ha)] of community forests by fiscal year 2030/31), legal frameworks (for example, Community Forestry Instructions [CFIs], 1995 and 2016), and programs by state and non-state actors (NSAs). The first steps in the development of a CF program in the country started in December 1995 with the issuance of the CFI. The early years of CF, which can be defined as an emergent phase, were limited by legislative and institutional challenges. However, recent years have seen the program develop with focus moving from protection, with limited livelihood opportunities for communities with tenure to their forests, to livelihood and enterprise development, recognizing that forests will only be protected if local communities are allowed and able to tangibly benefit from their forests (for example, revised CFI, 2016 and CF Strategy Action Plan, 2018–2020). This work examines the state of CF and community forest enterprises (CFE) in Myanmar, assessing their impacts, exploring the challenges to and opportunities for their upscaling, and from these putting forward a series of recommendations to ensure that the program sustainably delivers for forest communities as well as Myanmar as a whole...''
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 5.86 MB
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Description: "Myanmar's gross domestic product (GDP) was US$67 billion in 20171 and has been growing at a high rate of 7.2 percent in 2013-2018. The GDP growth rate is expected to be 6.2 percent in the 2018/19 fiscal year (World Bank Group 2018). Most of the contribution to GDP growth in the past five years has stemmed from industry (1.9 percentage points from manufacturing and 0.7 percentage points from other industries) and services (3.9 percentage points). Myanmar has relied heavily on natural resource exploitation to sustain economic growth, and serious environmental issues are emerging, underlining the importance of transparent and robust Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system. There are growing concerns around the impacts of the large-scale development, including deforestation, depletion of inland and coastal fisheries, land degradation, flooding and landslides, biodiversity loss, and the deterioration of water and air quality (IFC 2017; Rai6er, Samson, and Nam 2015). A functioning EIA system is critical in identifying and managing the potential impacts of large-scale development and striking the balance between economic development, environmental conservation, and social inclusion. Balancing economic growth and environmental protection remains a critical policy challenge. Myanmar was ranked 171st in the World Bank Group Doing Business 2019 report; in terms of environmental governance, Myanmar scored 138th out of 180 countries on the Yale Environmental Performance Index in 2018. There is a need to improve business regulations while increasing efficiency and effectiveness of EIA, monitoring, and compliance systems that support environmental and social (E&S) sustainability. This also underlines the need for effective public participation in environment and natural resources (ENR) management, which an effective EIA process can facilitate. At the policy level, the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP) (2018-2030) and National Environment Policy (2019) provide the foundation for mainstreaming ENR into development planning. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) and its Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) have also set ambitious targets to recruit more than 19,000 staff by 2025 and establish 73 offices at the district level and 365 offices at the township level. Internally, they have also recogni6ed the urgent need to strengthen EIA systems. Significant progress has been achieved in recent years by the Government of Myanmar (GoM) in establishing the legal and regulatory framework for environmental management. The GoM has introduced the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) (2012), supported by the Environment Conservation Rules (ECR) (2014) and EIA Procedure (2015). The government has also set up an EIA Division to oversee the review and approval of EIAs, Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs), and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs). Over the last three years, the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB) and other development partners have invested in building the capacity of ECD through support to training and development of sector-specific guidelines..."
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.45 MB
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Description: "The 2017 Myanmar Living Conditions Survey (MLCS) was implemented by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in the Ministry of Planning and Finance (MOPF), with financial and technical support from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The MLCS was conducted over a 12-month period from December 2016 to December 2017. It covered 13,730 households sampled countrywide. The MLCS had the following objectives: (i) provide updated estimates of poverty and living conditions at the national, urban/rural and state and region levels; (ii) inform national data needs and selected Sustainable Development Goal targets; (iii) construct consumption weights for the national and regional CPI baskets; and (iv) estimate private consumption expenditure for the System of National Accounts. This Poverty Report is the second in a series of three analytical reports: (i) Key Indicators Report; (ii) Poverty Report; and (iii) Socio-economic Report. It provides a basic diagnostic of poverty. The forthcoming and more detailed Socio-economic Report will feature an in-depth analysis of living conditions in Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: World Bank
2019-06-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 6.77 MB 1.1 MB
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Description: "Representatives from across Myanmar's security sector and relevant ministries have convened in Nay Pyi Taw to develop the first National Crime Prevention Strategy to combat crime in Myanmar. The workshop follows commitment by the Government of Myanmar and Myanmar Police Force to develop and implement a crime prevention strategy that will reduce crime and violence across the country while also contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. UNODC is providing technical support to the Myanmar Police Force throughout this process. A core focus of the First National Crime Prevention Strategy Consultation Workshop was to formulate crime prevention tactics that would be effective in, and consider, the current situation of political transition and accelerated development in the country. Accordingly, the draft National Crime Prevention Strategy was analysed and potential changes discussed. The strategy will undergo additional revisions before finalisation. In his opening remarks Major General Zaw Win, Chief of the Myanmar Police Force, highlighted that due to Myanmar's political history, crime prevention efforts had fallen behind. "What we have been doing so far is not enough," stated Police Chief Win. He went on to remark that "drafting a national crime prevention policy is what we have been dreaming about for a long time," and thanked UNODC for their support in the process. This understanding was met with recognition from Mr. Troels Vester, Country Manager of UNODC Myanmar Country Office. "We congratulate the Government of Myanmar for very fast action," he stated, highlighting that the government had already established a national commission on crime prevention in December, following the first workshop on the draft crime prevention strategy that was held in October 2016. Mr. Stephen Otter, ex-Chief of the Devon and Cornwall Police and an expert in effective crime prevention strategies, explained to the workshop the importance of coordinated and evidence-based approaches and policy responses to crime. Mr. Otter presented his experience on employing effective methodologies to target crime on every level, but highlighted the importance of nurturing an image of approachability, and compliance with and protection of human rights in the police force..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2017-03-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The Government of Myanmar lauded the continuing success of its partnership with UNODC, and urged expansion of the cooperation, at a meeting held to mark two years UNODC's Country Programme implementation in Myanmar. The third meeting of the Programme Governance Committee was jointly chaired by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Major General Aung Soe, and UNODC's Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas, with presentations by UNODC's Country Manager Mr. Troels Vester. 2016 was a landmark year in the UNODC's Myanmar Country Programme - among notable achievements was the first harvest of high quality coffee cultivated by beneficiary opium farmers as part of sustainable livelihood and development initiatives. It also began considerable expansion in the partnership between Myanmar and UNODC, including ongoing development of a new and more balanced drug policy; and strengthening technical assistance on anti-corruption, counter-terrorism, crime prevention, and sustainable alternative development programmes. "There is no doubt that the partnership between the Government of Myanmar and UNODC continues to go from strength to strength," said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Major General Aung Soe. "We know that major challenges that lie ahead that will require our continued commitment." Senior government counterparts expressed appreciation for the achievements made in 2016 and confirmed that the challenges addressed by UNODC's Country Programme continue to be priority areas for the Government. The Country Programme is tailored to assist the government to meet and secure national development, regional development and political commitments in line with the frameworks of ASEAN, the Bali Process, and the Mekong MOU, and global political commitments in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2017-02-09
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Former opium farmers from Shan State in Myanmar have begun the process to commercialise coffee, a licit cash crop introduced by UNODC's alternative development project to break dependence on opium. In 2014, UNODC worked with over 1,000 small scale farmers to begin producing high quality coffee in place of the illicit opium poppy. These coffee farmers are now expecting their first harvest in November 2017. In preparation, producers have created the Green Gold Cooperative to manage product commercialisation on a communal level. As a part of a strategy to place its coffee on international markets and with the support of UNODC, Green Gold contacted various stakeholders to raise awareness of the important changes that are ongoing in Shan State in relation to towards the alternative development programmes being implemented there. One of the interested stakeholders was MALONGO, a French roaster company that negotiates with farmers in different countries under fair trade guidelines. UNODC efforts helped conduct the first joint field visit to Shan State between 9 and 11 July, where MALONGO confirmed the social and technical conditions of these coffee producing communities, and explored the possibility of establishing a long-term agreement to contribute to the communities' development. In addition to the field visit, three administrative members of Green Gold experienced first hand the plantations, postharvest infrastructure and headquarters of Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative C.P.C in Pakse, Lao PDR. After a 10-year process to successfully reach international markets with their high quality coffee, C.P.C. held expertise as a similar specialised business and had invited Green Gold to share in the knowledge. The visit was supported by UNODC and MALONGO, and took place between 13 and 15 of July. While the C.P.C. experience was not the first to be developed by the alternative development programme of UNODC under the framework of South - South Cooperation, it was the first time Myanmar farmers traveled overseas to learn from similar organizations. Given their common interests and the importance of shared knowledge, C.P.C. and Green Gold are designing a system to facili-tate farmer-to-farmer training activities. This programme will begin in October and November, after the harvest season in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2017-07-21
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
more
Description: "Today, the Green Gold cooperative celebrated a milestone when it exported its first container of select coffee to the European market. Its 2018 harvest came from 60 villages across Loilem, Hopong and Ywangan townships. In one community, Pan Lim, the coffee was of such a high quality, that Malongo agreed to pay a price of $8.00 USD per kilogram of green coffee beans - double the market average in Myanmar. The achievement, while serving as a testament to the promises of sustainable alternative development, is also a remarkable steppingstone for the community of farmers in South Shan State that has made great strides in breaking its dependency on opium poppy cultivation. "This is the day we've all dreamed of the last 3 years. We are sure European consumers will be delighted with this new aroma", said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar. Since its creation in 2015, Green Gold, which now comprises 968 farmers, has worked together with UNODC to acquire knowledge and expertise about the coffee business, create coffee nurseries, establish sustainable plantations and identify markets and buyers. Its success represents the culmination of 4 years of work with donors (Governments of Finland, Germany and Switzerland), partners and UNODC. As a result, by the end of 2017, the cooperative signed a 5-year partnership agreement with the French company Malongo for the commercialisation of its harvests under fair-trade conditions. It is currently taking steps to have its own processing infrastructure for its next harvest, which will allow it to control additional steps in the value chain of coffee production..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2018-10-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
more
Description: "Over 1000 farmers in South Shan Myanmar have made the switch from opium to coffee, and in an important step for sustainable alternative development have today announced a contract with a major buyer from Europe. Research by UNODC has found a strong correlation between insecurity and opium cultivation; but it also shows that given a choice, communities currently producing opium would want a different source of income and a future away from the cycle of instability that it brings. In 2014, UNODC began working with farmers in Taunggyi, South Shan to make the transition from opium to sustainable, high value coffee, and three years later the project has seen their communities transformed in remarkable fashion. Today is a milestone as the local farming collective signed a distribution agreement with French coffee company MALONGO for the entire crop. It has been a challenge to change to coffee farming, to learn fairtrade practices with other farmers in the region through knowledge exchanges facilitated by UNODC and MALONGO, and to form a collective to bring their product to market, but the farmers are unanimous that it is the best path to take. UNODC is pleased to recognise the important support and partnership of MALONGO. The Malongo Foundation helps growers across the Southern Hemisphere bring fairtrade coffee to market, and is instrumental in the sustainable development of communities from Haiti to New Caledonia to the Congo, and now Myanmar. UNODC facilitated visits of MALONGO to South Shan throughout the year, and facilitated meetings with Green Gold..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2017-12-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "In a pivotal moment for Myanmar's burgeoning specialty coffee industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and French coffee company Malongo today launched a new line of high‐quality coffee, Shan Mountain Coffee, in the French Parliament. The first tasting and presentation of Shan Mountain Coffee took place at the Presidential Hall of the Parliament in presence of the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand and dozens of other prominent guests. At the same time, the sales of Shan Mountain Coffee opened in Malongo stores in Paris and Nice. The Shan Mountain Coffee is ethically sourced in conflict‐ridden Shan State in eastern Myanmar. Shan State produces nearly 90 per cent of opium cultivated in Myanmar, the second largest opium exporter in the world (after Afghanistan). The Shan Mountain Coffee is grown by a UNODC‐supported Green Gold Cooperative formed by almost 1,000 farmers in Shan State who used to cultivate opium poppy. The strategic partnership between Malongo, the Green Gold Cooperative and UNODC is a key to bringing peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability to Shan State which is one of the top opium poppy cultivation areas in the world. "UNODC is proud to have been part of this exciting initiative that developed a brand new premium coffee product as a means for reducing opium production in Myanmar," said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar. "Judging by its success here in French Parliament, the Shan Mountain Coffee is now set to make it in France and encourage others in Myanmar to switch from opium to growing alternatives crops." The emergence of Myanmar as a coffee producer is supported by UNODC's Alternative Development Programme, co‐financed by two main donors, Finland and Germany, and with the additional support of Switzerland, that is giving resources directly to the Cooperative. The programme's objective to develop sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities has enabled participating farmers to independently cultivate, refine and commercialize high quality coffee that can be exported to one of the most competitive international markets. The establishment of the farmer‐run Green Gold Cooperative ensures that these farmers will indeed see the fruits of their labour for many years to come..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2019-03-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "ES1 The Rakhine case study contributes to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Myanmar Country Programme Evaluation (CPE) from 2011 to 2016. This case study seeks to provide a collective picture of FAO emergency response interventions in Rakhine State over the course of the programme period under review and inform future emergency and recovery programming in the region...ES2 Central and northern Rakhine State (NRS) experienced recurrent natural disasters and several intercommunity conflicts. The region’s population is generally divided into two major religious groups further characterized by their ethnic origins. These differences, in addition to other factors, have resulted in violent confrontations beginning in 2012, causing loss of life and destruction of farms and infrastructure. Floods, mudslides and cyclones along with the sporadic violence have displaced many households over the years. Those who remain in their villages face similar risks, with limited attention and support services...ES3 The study covered six emergency and recovery/rehabilitation projects where FAO responded to humanitarian emergencies brought about by disasters or conflict from 2011 to 2015 in six townships in central and northern Rakhine State. This includes: Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Minbya, Mrauk U, and Sittwe. The study involved review of project documents and consultations with various stakeholders in Rakhine, and interviews with beneficiary households and communities...ES4 FAO’s response provided seeds for rice, pulses, ground nut, and vegetable, fertilizers, bio-pesticides and agricultural inputs, livestock (cattle, goats, poultry), fishing gears and equipment, rehabilitation of infrastructure, training in improved agro-technological and livestock production...ES5 There is general positive feedback on the inputs provided by FAO in various projects gathered from post-distribution surveys and group discussions. Among the positive characteristics are the good quality in the rice, legume and vegetable seeds, fertilizers and livestock (cattle and buffalo are more preferred for farming)...ES6 FAO’s strong partnership with the government provided needed support for its activities. However, there is general weakness in FAO’s partnership with other development agencies and civil society organization in Rakhine...ES7 The impact of FAO’s intervention has been in preventing farmers from spiralling into further debt; however, the positive impact of FAO’s support remains short-term due to the recurring shocks faced by communities over the course of a year. A number of the project areas were beset with landslides, floods and saltwater intrusion due to strong wind and rains during or immediately after project implementation...ES8 There is conscious effort in FAO implementation to target women, female headed households and vulnerable groups with limited economic opportunities, especially in the distribution of poultry and small ruminants. Communities appreciate the specific targeting of landless, women and elderly...ES9 The impact of FAO’s intervention has been in preventing farmers from spiralling into further debt. FAO-assisted communities have been more stable and are more able to re-engage in their farming activities following shocks...ES10 FAO should explore developing a Rakhine programme focusing on building resilience of Rakhine and Muslim agriculture communities. Through a programmatic approach, FAO could address immediate and medium-term needs around emergencies and shocks while addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability and contributing to social cohesion and peacebuilding over the long-term..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2017-07-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.47 MB
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Description: "The FAO Office of Evaluation (OED) has been conducting country programme evaluations since 2005 to provide accountability to member countries, national governments and development partners, and draw lessons and suggestions for programme improvement. Myanmar was selected as one of the countries in which to carry out a Country Programme Evaluation (CPE) in 2016. The main factors that led the FAO Office of Evaluation (OED) and Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) to select Myanmar are: i) the imminent end of Myanmar’s Country Programming Framework (CPF) in 2016, and ii) the coincident termination of the assignment of the FAO Country Representative. Since February 2016 Myanmar has a new democratic Government, with a non-military president. In this changing environment the CPE should contribute to support the new FAO Country Representative and the Government in identifying the future strategic direction of FAO programme in the country. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the evaluation are the result of a preparatory phase, consisting of: a desk review of existing documentation, a preliminary analysis of FAO’s portfolio of work in Myanmar, a contextual analysis and scoping interviews with FAO staff at the country, regional levels and in headquarters. The ToR also benefited from discussions held during the inception mission carried out in December 2015. The evaluation team consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, donors, United Nations agencies, and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The emphasis of the CPE will be on evaluating themes and issues important to the FAO Programme in Myanmar. Individual projects will mostly not be evaluated in detail. This ToR will be the guiding document for the Evaluation Team and will be shared with counterparts in Myanmar, FAO staff in FAO Myanmar Country Office, FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and FAO headquarters. Their purpose is to provide a description of the FAO Programme in Myanmar, identify key areas of work undertaken over the past five years, define the scope of the evaluation and outline the evaluation work plan. A set of overarching evaluation questions has been developed to further sharpen the objective and inform the methodology to be employed at different stages of this evaluation. The methodology and the evaluation tools will be further developed by the team over the course of the evaluation..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2017-11-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 679.89 KB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience (adaptation), reduce/remove GHGs (mitigation) and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. The project intends to establish a national CSA/SLM training program mainstreaming CSA/SLM in the agriculture related training conducted by Department of Agriculture (DoA), State Agricultural Institutes (SAI), Department of Agriculture Research (DAR) and Yezin Agricultural University (YAU). The project will work with DoA, SAIs, DAR and YAU to integrate CSA within their research, training and development programs. The training program will vary with the need and nature of the institutions, for example;(1) one month training together with other subjects for the in-service or refresher course at Central Agriculture Research and Training Centre (CARTC), (2) one week intensive training of trainers (ToT) aiming for the senior extension agents of DoA, DAR and YAU, (3) CSA component integrated into the course for diploma students at SAIs, and (4) CSA component integrated into the course for bachelor and master's level at YAU. AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the Climate Smart Agriculture Curriculum and Handbook to be introduced and incorporated as a course (subject) into the existing education systems at different levels as mentioned above. This document will serve as the main resource/reference book for professors/lecturers/teachers from the different Departments at YAU to include the related topics on CSA into their courses for teaching the students..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 517.13 KB
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Description: "Welcome to the second issue of the FAO Myanmar Newsletter in 2018 featuring highlights of FAO’s recent achievements towards national priorities and global commitment to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in our life time. This edition is now the sixth issue of our quarterly newsletter since it started in March 2017! Having in mind that Myanmar is subject to various challenges that can stress agricultural livelihoods and undermine national food and nutrition security, much of our recent work has focused on identifying the nexus between climate change, natural disasters and poverty and how this nexus can be best addressed for the benefit of the poorest communities. FAO Myanmar remains committed to enhance resilience of vulnerable communities through restoring, protecting and improving livelihood opportunities. In May 2018, a team of experts from FAO HQ, regional and country office, in collaboration with WFP and with the support of the Government of Myanmar, successfully conducted a mission to assess the food security situation in Rakhine State. As forests constitute the dominant ecosystem in Myanmar, with 44.2% of the country’s land area, we have also continued actions to mitigate the impact of climate change through the establishment of the National Forest Inventory System under the umbrella of the UN -REDD Programme. With the aim of addressing the underlying causes of malnutrition, we have been also supporting the development of the Multi Sector National Plan of Action for Nutrition (MS-NPAN) through “Food and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation” (FIRST) Programme, funded by FAO and the European Union. Finally, recognizing the huge contribution of the livestock sector to food security and the overall wellbeing of smallholders, we have been supporting the development of policies and guidelines to implement a national programme recognizing the role of the Community Animal Health Workers (CHAW). While, in the poultry sector we have also advanced in improving farm biosecurity in Yangon Poultry Production Zone (PPZ) through the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD)..."
Creator/author: Xiaojie Fan
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2018-07-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.82 MB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the National Farmer Field School (FFS) curriculum and FFS Handbook. AVSI Foundation has developed a FFS curriculum/module on climate smart agriculture (CSA) techniques/practices for each selected agricultural crop and for each of the three agro-ecological zones incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the need assessments and also considering the findings of value chain analysis. The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a learning process whereby a group of farmers come together and engage in a process of hands-on field-based learning process over a season/ production cycle. FFS is a time-bound learning by doing activity with a beginning and an end and aims to solve the problems related to cultivating crops. FFS is a platform for holistic learning, and should address issues and aspects that directly or indirectly contribute to the performance of the local farming system, even if these issues are not agriculture-based as such. All FFS programmes need to integrate programming on gender equality and nutrition concerns in FFS development. Gender norms, roles and customs are very relevant for FFS implementation such as assessment and targeting of the specific needs of male and female farmers, selection and gender awareness of facilitators, and composition of an FFS group (with adequate representation of women and girls) and targeting the specific needs and priorities of men and women. This module of FFS has been designed to increase agricultural productivity of the priority crops in Chin State (Mindat and Kanpetlet Townships) by addressing the challenges identified during the needs assessments based on knowledge systems and practices by FAO with support of AVSI as a Service Provider. During the need assessment cultural barriers for FFS implementation, gender norms, traditions, etc. were considered. Generally, it’s been observed that farmers, both men and women, have low knowledge of climate smart agriculture (CSA). The learning objectives of the proposed FFS modules are to: Empower farmers (both men and women) with knowledge and skills to improve the productivity of their main crops. • Sharpen the farmers’ ability to make critical and informed decisions that render their farming profitable and climate-smart for both male and female farmers. • To sensitize farmers in new ways of thinking and solve problems linked to climate changes. • Help farmers learn how to organize themselves and their communities, with a focus on women and girls..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 319.43 KB
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Description: "Myanmar’s economy relies on agriculture, including fisheries and forestry, and the sector accounts for nearly half of the total economic output of the country and employs more than 60 percent of the total labor force. There are enormous resources for the expansion and growth of aquaculture and culture based fisheries, nevertheless, the full potential for further development of its contribution to food security, employment and rural and national economy has not yet been fully realized and documented in Myanmar. In the past, tilapia species were cultured in shallow, narrow and temporary water bodies and were targeted only for rural populations. Nowadays the tilapia, particularly hybrid and mono sex species, are widely cultured in intensive farms as a result of the high demand from local consumers and an increasing demand from restaurants and barbecue shops. Tilapia culture in Myanmar is constrained by seed production and seed quality as well as other management problems. Government hatcheries in 2012–2013 produced freshwater fingerlings and the main species were rohu (549.20 million), tarpian (127.86 million) and common carp (45.58 million), whereas the tilapia seed production was 13.06 million, only 1.65% of total seed production of different kinds of freshwater fish species. FAO has been involving in earlier normative field work of tilapia farming, in addition, recently implemented a number of country field projects to improve seed production and farming practices of tilapia and other inland fish species in the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Nepal. The implementation of the project will greatly benefit from the experiences, knowledge and lessons gained from the implementation of the past relevant country projects..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-07-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 352.41 KB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the National Farmer Field School (FFS) curriculum and FFS Handbook. AVSI Foundation has developed a FFS curriculum/module on climate smart agriculture (CSA) techniques/practices for each selected agricultural crop and for three agro-ecological zones incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the needs assessments, also considering the findings of the value chain analysis. The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a learning process whereby a group of farmers come together and engage in a process of hands-on field-based learning process over a season/ production cycle. FFS is a time-bound learning by doing activity with a beginning and an end and aims to solve the problems related to cultivating crops. FFS is a platform for holistic learning and should address issues and aspects that directly or indirectly contribute to the performance of the local farming system, even if these issues are not agriculture-based as such. All FFS programmes need to integrate programming on gender equality and nutrition concerns in FFS development. Gender norms, roles and customs are very relevant for FFS implementation such as assessment and targeting of the specific needs of male and female farmers, selection and gender awareness of facilitators, and composition of an FFS group (with adequate representation of women and girls) and targeting the specific needs and priorities of men and women. This module of FFS has been designed to increase agricultural productivity of the priority crops in Central Dry Zone (Nyaung-U and Kyaukpadaung), by addressing the challenges identified during the needs assessment conducted based on knowledge systems and practices by FAO with support of AVSI as a Service Provider. During the need assessment cultural barriers for FFS implementation, gender norms, traditions, etc. were considered. Generally, it’s been observed that farmers, both men and women, have low knowledge of climate smart agriculture (CSA). The learning objectives of this module are to:  Empower farmers (both men and women) with knowledge and skills to improve the productivity of their main crops.  Sharpen the farmers’ ability to make critical and informed decisions that render their farming profitable and climate-smart for both male and female farmers.  To sensitize farmers in new ways of thinking and solve problems linked to climate changes. Help farmers learn how to organize themselves and their communities, with a focus on women and girls..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.27 MB
more
Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience (adaptation), reduce/remove GHGs (mitigation) and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. The project intends to establish a national CSA/SLM training program mainstreaming CSA/SLM in the agriculture related training conducted by Department of Agriculture (DOA), State Agricultural Institutes (SAI), Department of Agriculture Research (DAR) and Yezin Agricultural University (YAU). The project will work with DoA, SAIs, DAR and YAU to integrate CSA within their research, training and development programs. The training program will vary with the need and nature of the institutions, for example;(1) one month training together with other subjects for the in-service or refresher course at Central Agriculture Research and Training Centre (CARTC), (2) one week intensive training of trainers (ToT) aiming for the senior extension agents of DoA, DAR and YAU, (3) CSA component integrated into the course for diploma students at SAIs, and (4) CSA component integrated into the course for bachelor and master's level at YAU. AVSI Foundation was contracted to develop the Climate Smart Agriculture Curriculum and Handbook to be introduced and incorporated as a course (subject) into the existing education systems at different levels as mentioned above. This document will serve as the main resource/reference book for professors/lecturers/teachers from the different State Agricultural Institutes to include the related topics on CSA into their courses for teaching the students..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 341.06 KB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience (adaptation), reduce/remove GHGs (mitigation) and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. The project intends to establish a national CSA/SLM training program mainstreaming CSA/SLM in the agriculture related training conducted by Department of Agriculture (DoA), State Agricultural Institutes (SAI), Department of Agriculture Research (DAR) and Yezin Agricultural University (YAU). The project will work with DoA, SAIs, DAR and YAU to integrate CSA within their research, training and development programs. The training program will vary with the need and nature of the institutions, for example;(1) one month training together with other subjects for the in-service or refresher course at Central Agriculture Research and Training Centre (CARTC), (2) one week intensive training of trainers (ToT) aiming for the senior extension agents of DoA, DAR and YAU, (3) CSA component integrated into the course for diploma students at SAIs, and (4) CSA component integrated into the course for bachelor and master's level at YAU. AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the Climate Smart Agriculture Curriculum and Handbook to be introduced and incorporated as a course (subject) into the existing education systems at different levels as mentioned above. This document will serve as the main resource/reference book for the trainers to include the related topics on CSA into their courses for teaching..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 377.97 KB
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Description: "Dear Readers, Welcome to the first FAO Myanmar newsletter of 2019! In 2019, FAO will continue its strong support to the Government of Myanmar and its people. At the start of the year, the new Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Myanmar outlining the priority areas of FAO support to and partnership with the Government for a six-year period was signed. FAO Assistant DirectorGeneral and Regional Representative for Asia and Pacific joined the CPF signing ceremony as well as observed the on-ground situation of FAO projects in the country. With the new framework of partnership, FAO will extend its assistance to the Government to achieve three main goals. The first is enhanced food security, nutrition and food safety. The second is strengthened governance and sustainable management of land, forests, water resources and ecosystems. The third relates to enhanced resilience of local communities and farming households to natural and humanitarian disasters, climate change and transboundary and emerging infectious disease risks. The achievement of these three goals will be closely linked to our support in the accomplishment of the Government’s strategies such as: the Multisectoral National Plan of Action for Nutrition (MSNPAN), the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) and the Myanmar Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR). Through all the efforts that are being put in place, FAO aspires to see economic growth and political stability in Myanmar. FAO Myanmar remains committed to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the country more specifically, the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan through a strong collaboration with the Government counterparts, donors, and development and humanitarian partners. I wish you all a happy Myanmar New Year! Enjoy reading our Newsletter!..."
Creator/author: Xiaojie Fan
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-03-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.23 MB
more
Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the National Farmer Field School (FFS) curriculum and FFS Handbook. AVSI Foundation has developed a FFS curriculum/module on climate smart agriculture (CSA) techniques/practices for each selected agricultural crop and for each of the three agro-ecological zones incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the need assessments and also considering the findings of value chain analysis..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 319.01 KB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of CSA policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience, reduce/remove GHGs and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. At field level, the project is active in five pilot Townships from three different agro-ecological zones implementing various relevant CSA initiatives mainly using Farmer Field Schools (FFS) models.  Upland/hill Pilot Site: Mindat and Kanpetlet Townships, Chin State  Coastal/Delta Zone Pilot Site: Laputta Township, Ayeyarwady Region  Central Dry Zone Pilot Site: Kyaukpadaung and Nyaung U Townships, Mandalay Region AVSI Foundation was contracted as a Service Provider to develop the FFS curriculum and FFS Handbook for each of the above mentioned three agro-ecological zones. Accordingly, the FFS curriculum/module on CSA techniques/practices for the prioritized agricultural crops and cropping systems under each of the three agro-ecological zones have been developed incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the need assessments and also considering the findings of value chain analysis. After finalizing the FFS curriculum, a FFS handbook has been developed for each agro-ecological zone both in Myanmar and English version. This handbook is intended to help the Extension Workers, FFS Facilitators and FFS Committee/farmers to implement FFS on CSA techniques and practices in costal/delta Region and scaling up the learnings in similar areas of Myanmar..."
Creator/author: Ms. Xiaojie Fan
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 6.02 MB
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Description: "Humanitarian needs in Myanmar are characterized by a complex combination of vulnerability to natural disasters, food insecurity, armed conflict, inter-communal tensions, statelessness, institutionalized discrimination, protracted displacement, human trafficking and risky migration. In Rakhine, the situation remains tense following the armed attacks and the military operations and violence in 2017 that led to the exodus of over 700 000 people to Bangladesh. In Kachin and Shan states, the escalation of armed conflict caused new and secondary displacements..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.64 MB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLMGEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience (adaptation), reduce/remove GHGs (mitigation) and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. The project intends to establish a national CSA/SLM training program mainstreaming CSA/SLM in the agriculture related academic courses and training conducted by Department of Agriculture (DoA), State Agricultural Institutes (SAIs), Department of Agriculture Research (DAR) and Yezin Agricultural University (YAU). The project will work with DoA, SAIs, DAR and YAU to integrate CSA within their research, training and development programs. The training program will vary with the need and nature of the institutions, for example;(1) one month training together with other subjects for the in-service or refresher course at Central Agriculture Research and Training Centre (CARTC), (2) one week intensive training of trainers (ToT) aiming for the senior extension agents of DoA, DAR and YAU, (3) CSA component integrated into the course for diploma students at SAIs, and (4) CSA component integrated into the course for bachelor and master's level at YAU. AVSI Foundation has been contracted to develop the Climate Smart Agriculture Curriculum and Handbook to be introduced and incorporated as a course (subject) into the existing education systems at different levels as mentioned above. This document will serve as the main resource/reference book for the trainers of one week ToT programme to include the related topics on CSA into their courses for teaching..."
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 643.91 KB 475.67 KB
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Description: "Welcome to the last FAO Myanmar newsletter of 2018! During the year 2018, FAO Myanmar achieved significant milestones in the sectors in which it has been working. In addition, the new Country Programming Framework (CPF 2017- 2022) representing FAO’s strategy of intervention in Myanmar for the coming years, was officially endorsed by the Cabinet on behalf of the Government of Myanmar in October. In 2018, FAO continued to provide support to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) through specialized technical assistance to the development and establishment of the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS). This was an important achievement for the agriculture sector. Moreover, with FAO’s technical and financial support, MoALI accomplished the development of the Agriculture Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (AAPDRR). It is also worthwhile mentioning that FAO collaborated with MoALI and MoNREC in establishing the first Climate Smart Agriculture Centre (CSAC) as the national CSA knowledge repository and catalyst. The latter should help farming and forestry stakeholders in building capacity to mitigate climate change and improve land condition. FAO Myanmar Newsletter Xiaojie Fan FAO Representative in Myanmar In addition, FAO played a critical role in the development of Multi-Sectoral National Plan of Action on Nutrition (MS-NPAN). This vital multistakeholder collaboration will promote healthier and more productive lives that contribute to the overall economic and social aspirations of the country. Following MoALI’s request, FAO and World Food Programme undertook a Food Security Field Assessment Mission in Rakhine State in May this year with constructive recommendations for future agriculture and livelihood development in Rakhine. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our Government counterparts, donors, development and humanitarian partners, for joining hands and allowing accomplishing important steps towards progressing in FAO’s objectives of reducing rural poverty, helping eliminating hunger and making agriculture more productive and sustainable in Myanmar. I wish you all a happy holiday season and peaceful and prosperous 2019. Enjoy reading our Newsletter!..."
Creator/author: Xiaojie Fan
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2018-12-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 999.26 KB
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Description: "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project entitled “Sustainable Cropland and forest management in priority agro-ecosystems of Myanmar (SLM-GEF)” in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to facilitate and strengthen sustainable land management (SLM), sustainable forest management (SFM), and climate-smart agriculture (CSA). The project facilitates the adoption of CSA policies and practices that will help to sustainably increase productivity, enhance resilience, reduce/remove GHGs and enhance achievement of national food security and development goals. At field level, the project is active in five pilot Townships from three different agro-ecological zones implementing various relevant CSA initiatives mainly using Farmer Field Schools (FFS) models.  Upland/hill Pilot Site: Mindat and Kanpetlet Townships, Chin State  Coastal/Delta Zone Pilot Site: Laputta Township, Ayeyarwady Region  Central Dry Zone Pilot Site: Kyaukpadaung and Nyaung U Townships, Mandalay Region AVSI Foundation was contracted as a Service Provider to develop the FFS curriculum and FFS Handbook for each of the above mentioned three agro-ecological zones. Accordingly, FFS curricula/modules on CSA techniques/practices for the prioritized agricultural crops and cropping systems under each of the three agro-ecological zones have been developed incorporating solutions to the major problems identified during the need assessments and also considering the findings of value chain analysis. After finalizing the FFS curricula, a FFS Handbook has been developed for each agro-ecological zone both in Myanmar and English version. This handbook is intended to help the Extension Workers, FFS Facilitators and FFS Committee/farmers to implement FFS on CSA techniques and practices in upland/hill zone of Chin State and scaling up the learnings in similar areas of Myanmar..."
Creator/author: Ms. Xiaojie Fan
Source/publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
2019-01-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 4.68 MB
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