Gov’t takes steps to protect people from ravages of climate change

May 2, 2017

The Union Ministries have teamed up to manage all the water resources of Myanmar to fight flood and drought induced by climate change.

At the coordination meeting of the National Water Resources Committee on future work plans yesterday in Nay Pyi Taw, Vice President U Henry Van Thio, in his capacity as the Chairman has urged ministries concerned to coordinate with each other and to assess the strength and weaknesses in the cooperation works which would benefit the country and the people.

He also advised to discuss and suggest on effective work processes in managing national water resources by the committee and for ministerial departments to mutually support each other.

Present at the meeting were Vice Chairman of the National Water Resources Committee the Union Minister U Thant Sin Maung, committee members Union Ministers Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Dr. Aung Thu, U Pe Zin Tun, National Water Resources Committee advisory members and officials.

U Henry Van Thio also stressed the importance of effective management of the country’s water resources, which is the aim of the National Water Resources Committee, and to discuss together on future work processes of the committee.

The Ceremony for International Water Day 2017 that fell on 22 March 2017 was held in March by the National Water Resources Committee together with water related ministries, departments, international organizations, local and foreign non-government organizations and private businesses. At the ceremony a program to start the “National rainwater harvesting movement” was included.

On the matter of National Water Policy book, he said arrangements were under way to edit the content of the book in stages based on the views and recommendations of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Legal and Special Matters Commission and the ministerial departments.

The Vice President then invited discussions and suggestions on duties and responsibilities of the National Water Resources Committee, alleviating water scarcity, future work process in water sector development, coordination among ministries on related works, rainwater harvesting movement and future work of the National Water Resources Committee.

Next, the Union Minister for Transport and Communications U Thant Sin Maung, the Vice-Chairman of the committee explained about the future work processes of the National Water Resources Committee.

Afterwards, the Committee Secretary, U Tun Lwin Oo, the Director-General of the Water Resources Utilization Department, explained about the Committee’s works.

Committee member Lt-Gen Ye Aung and National Water Resources advisory members then discussed about the rainwater harvesting movement, processes in alleviating the flooding and inundation and processes in alleviating and relief of water scarcity to which the Vice President provided additional explanations.

The Vice President said the explanation of work done by each ministry and suggestions on future work of the Committee would help decide the Committee’s future work and responsible ministries and related ministerial departments were asked to cooperate and coordinate their works.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar