Green Development Initiative in

Myanmar

Myanmar Delegates

Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF)

ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Forum 2011 Innovation for Green Development, Nanning, China

22nd October, 2011

Presentation Outlines

• Country profile

• Environmental status

• Institutional arrangement

• Green Development Policy and law

• Green Development Initiative

• Issues and the way forward for Green development

Land Use Status of Myanmar

Land Category Area ( ,000 ha) % of Land Area

Forests 31,773 46.96%

Other Wooded land 20,113 29.73%

Other land 13,869 20.50%

Inland water bodies 1,903 2.81%

Total 67,658 100.00%

Institutional Arrangement• The Government pays great attention to conserving the

environment and preventing its degradation, loss of biodiversity, etc.,

• Environmental management is increasingly being accorded as priority on the national agenda.

•NECC has been reformed as a focal point for national environmental conservation and international cooperation in place of NCEA. •National Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) was

organized in 1990 for the overall environmental management in the country.

- To act as the focal point and coordinating agency for environmental matters and promoting environmentally sound and sustainable development.

National Environmental Conservation Committee (NECC)

Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF)

• Ministry of Forestry has been changed to Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry in 2011

• Under MOCAF, - Planning and Statistic Department, - Forest Department, - Dry Greening Department and - Myanmar Timber Enterprise.

• Department of Environmental Conservation is now approved by President to set under the Ministry for the effective implementation of environmental conservation and management in Myanmar

National Environmental Policy• Aim to establish sound environmental policies in the

utilization of natural resources to conserve environment and prevent its degradation

• To achieve harmony and balance between socio-economic, natural resources and environment through the integration of environmental considerations into the development process enhancing the quality of the life of all its citizens.

Green Development Policy and Laws

Myanmar Agenda 21• The purpose is to mobilize and focus national efforts to

achieve sustainable development.• The policy strategies and actions on social, economic and

environmental dimensions are clearly depicted in the agenda.

National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSDS)

• Myanmar's NSDS vision is "Wellbeing and Happiness for Myanmar People". Three goals identified are:

- Sustainable management of natural resources;

- Integrated economic development; and- Sustainable social development.

Policy and Laws related Green Development cont:

• Apart from the National Environmental Policy, 60 legal instruments existing sectoral policies, law and regulations relating to the management and conservation of the environment .

• National environmental law approved by President is being submitted to be finally adopted at Parliament.

• The highlights in terms of green development in the law are: - To encourage green economy and to adopt its strategies and

action plan in order to mainstream into the development sectors. - To conduct the developing projects in cooperated with

environmental management plan to mitigate environmental impacts and monitoring system on implementation.

Policy and Laws related Green Development cont:

• Focusing on biodiversity conservation and environmental stability while the sustainable development of forest resources in enhancing socio-economic development. (Forest Policy-1994)

• It also encourages to motivation and share of management responsibilities with people in terms of private and community forest investments both fulfillment of the basic needs of people and environmental conservation. (Forest Law-1992)

Policy and Laws related Green Development cont:

• The Law highlights habitat maintenance and restoration, protection of endangered species of both fauna and flora, establishment of national heritage parks and naturally protected areas for nature conservation. ( Wildlife, wild plant and Natural areas law 1994)

• Supporting the economic development and basic needs of local community while conserving the environmental stability (CF Instruction- 1995)

Policy and Laws related Green Development cont:

National Environmental Performance Assessment (EPA) • The national EPA report was prepared under the

guidance of a national coordination committee (NCC) with participation of 21 agencies and departments.

• Seven key priority areas of environmental concerns are identified:

• Forest Resources• Threats to Biodiversity• Land degradation• Water resources management• Solid waste management• Air pollution• Climate change

• Green development seeks to remove the trade-off between environmental sustainability and economic growth.

• Myanmar assumes low carbon green development as a new developmental policy which ensures ecologically sustainable economic development.

• Myanmar therefore supports the shift towards the low carbon green development by East Asia Countries.

Myanmar’s stand to Green Development

• Permanent Forest Estate cover about 24% and PAS is about 3.93% of the country area

• So far, 32 wildlife sanctuaries, 1 nature reserve and 3 national parks, have been formed and managed.

• PFE and PAS will be increased up to 30% and 10% respectively.

Green Development Initiative:Nature and Biodiversity Conservation

Green Development Initiative: Forestry Sector

• Forest Plantations

• Nation-wide tree planting program

• Forest development in border areas

• Private plantations and community forests

• Stabilizing the shifting cultivation

• Watershed Plantations

• Mangrove conservation

• Dry zone greening programs

Targets to create a Low Carbon Society To encourage people (end user) to reuse, reduce and recycle

waste and use energy efficiently To improve appropriate technologies for recycling processes. To change the raw material for energy friendly product To make process design for less waste and energy efficiency To encourage clean energy generation

Green Development Initiative:Industrial and Energy Sectors

Clean Fuel

• Switching fuel from diesel and gasoline to compress natural gas in the place of petrol and diesel

• More than 25000 numbers of Diesel gasoline powered vehicles are modified into CNG vehicles

Gel-Type Battery

Clean Energy

Efficient LED with Solar Power

CNG Filling

Solar energy

Creation of Green Development

Issues for Green Development initiative in Myanmar• Limited knowledge, research and resources to

support investment in green development• Lack of understanding about green strategy,

practices and operations in development sectors• Limited capacity and institutional structure• Lack of environmental sound technology• Financial insufficiency

The way forward for Green Development initiative• To formulate green development strategy and mainstreaming

into national development plan• To strengthen institutional arrangement and the capacity

building, and also the coordination mechanism for integrting among different sectors and NGOs, privates and local communities

• To raise people awareness and participation for environmental conservation in terms of green development, green growth and green economy

• To encourage research for clean and low carbon technology to be more efficient use of resource and energy.

• To initiate and create opportunity for green business in key sectors

• To develop green financial mechanism and also seeking to find financial assistance

• To promote regional and international cooperation

Thank you