Myanmar Integrated Water Resources Management Strategic Study

218 Pages·2015·12.58 MB·English

Myanmar Integrated Water Resources Management
Strategic Study

Research and Analysis,
Strategies and Measures

Myanmar IWRM Strategic Study December 2014 page 1 of 218
Research and Analysis, Strategies and Measures
Myanmar Integrated Water Resources Management
Strategic Study

Research and Analysis,
Strategies and Measures

December 2014

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Research and Analysis, Strategies and Measures
Table of contents Myanmar IWRM Strategic Study

1.  Introduction to IWRM in Myanmar ........................................................................ 10 
2.  Water Policy Framework ........................................................................................ 12 
2.1  Water Policy Development ............................................................................ 12 
2.2  From National Water Policy to IWRM Strategic Study ........................................ 13 
2.3  From Vision to Implementation ...................................................................... 14 
3.  Approach to the study ........................................................................................... 15 
3.1  General overview and study framework .......................................................... 15 
3.2  Working approach ........................................................................................ 17 
3.3  Future scenario development methodology ..................................................... 18 
3.4  Development of strategies and measures ........................................................ 19 
4.  Current situation of water resources in Myanmar .................................................. 21 
4.1  Overview of water resources ......................................................................... 21 
4.1.1  Available information ....................................................................... 21 
4.1.2  Water in Myanmar ........................................................................... 22 
4.1.3  Water resources distinguished by region ............................................ 23 
4.2  Water resources issues ................................................................................. 28 
4.2.1  Public health and sanitation .............................................................. 28 
4.2.2  Agriculture and irrigation .................................................................. 28 
4.2.3  Hydropower .................................................................................... 31 
4.2.4  Deforestation and decline of mangroves ............................................. 32 
4.2.5  Flood hazards, cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis ............................ 36 
4.2.6  Water availability, droughts and water shortages ................................ 39 
4.2.7  Urban and industrial development ..................................................... 40 
4.2.8  Ports and navigation ........................................................................ 40 
4.2.9  Pollution ......................................................................................... 43 
4.3  Context socio economic status and development ............................................. 44 
4.4  Challenges and opportunities ......................................................................... 46 
4.5  Current financing mechanisms ....................................................................... 51 
4.5.1  Financing sources ............................................................................ 51 
4.5.2  PPP enabling environment ................................................................ 54 
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5.  Future development scenarios (long term till 2040) .............................................. 57 
5.1  Vision and possible scenarios ........................................................................ 57 
5.2  Progressive shift towards a balance between agriculture and small to medium
scale industry .............................................................................................. 58 
5.3  Rapid shift to industrial development .............................................................. 60 
5.4  Prolonged agriculture based development ....................................................... 61 
5.5  Impacts of climate change ............................................................................ 63 
5.6  Effect of scenarios on water use .................................................................... 66 
5.6.1  Water allocation countries worldwide ................................................. 66 
5.6.2  Water allocation shift differs per scenario and region ........................... 67 
6.  Water governance ................................................................................................. 70 
6.1  Analytical framework for water governance ..................................................... 70 
6.2  Current water governance ............................................................................. 72 
6.2.1  Operational layer ............................................................................. 73 
6.2.2  Institutional Layer ........................................................................... 73 
6.2.3  Stakeholder participation .................................................................. 76 
6.2.4  Rule of law ..................................................................................... 76 
6.2.5  Financial framework ......................................................................... 77 
6.3  Basic good water governance ........................................................................ 78 
6.3.1  Operational Strategy (Hydro Informatics Center) ................................. 79 
6.3.2  Institutional Strategy ....................................................................... 81 
6.3.3  Contextual Strategy ......................................................................... 82 
6.3.4  Policy Instrumental Strategy and rule of law ....................................... 83 
7.  Capacity Development ........................................................................................... 88 
7.1  Capacities needed for IWRM .......................................................................... 88 
7.2  Educational system Myanmar ........................................................................ 89 
7.3  Existing capacities and capacity gaps ............................................................. 90 
7.4  Building blocks IWRM capacity development .................................................... 92 
7.5  IWRM capacity development of key Ministerial departments .............................. 94 
8.  Strategy development for IWRM ............................................................................ 99 
8.1  Impacts on Myanmar's water resources versus development scenarios ............... 99 
8.2  Guiding principles for Myanmar IWRM strategy development ............................. 99 
8.3  Building blocks for Myanmar IWRM strategy ................................................... 102 
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8.3.1  Capacity building, sector specialists and integration experts ................ 103 
8.3.2  Data management and modelling ..................................................... 103 
8.3.3  Institution and legal, also international ............................................. 104 
8.3.4  Sector master planning & programmes ............................................. 104 
8.3.5  Measures ....................................................................................... 104 
8.4  Synthesis for strategies ............................................................................... 105 
9.  From vision to implementation Preliminary translation of strategies to measures108 
9.1  Measures ................................................................................................... 108 
9.2  Sustainable provision of safe drinking water ................................................... 109 
9.3  Measures in the mountain area ..................................................................... 112 
9.4  Measures in the Ayeyarwady Delta ................................................................ 114 
9.5  Measures in the rivers ................................................................................. 114 
9.6  Measures in the Central Dry Zone ................................................................. 115 
9.7  Measures in Coastal Zone and port areas ....................................................... 116 
9.8  Measures for lakes and reservoirs ................................................................. 117 
10. Selected quick-wins projects Myanmar–Netherlands ........................................... 119 
10.1  Selecting early measures and quick wins ....................................................... 119 
10.2  Integrated approach in predominantly technical projects ................................. 120 
10.2.1  Pan Hlaing project and review of paddy land development ................... 120 
10.2.2  Feasibility Study Mandalay – Bagan navigability improvement. ............. 124 
10.2.3  Bagan multi-purpose river beautification project................................. 125 
10.3  Governance and capacity building projects with IWRM focus ............................ 127 
10.3.1  Capacity development for water resources management ..................... 127 
10.3.2  Meiktila – A Royal Lake Revived ....................................................... 128 
10.3.3  Sittaung-Bago Canal Integrated Water System Analysis ...................... 130 
10.3.4  Yangon River Front Development ..................................................... 133 
11. Myanmar and its International Water Partners .................................................... 134 
References  . ........................................................................................................... 137 
Appendix 1  Actions in NWP versus issues and planning periods ............................. 138 
Appendix 2  Long List of measures ........................................................................... 140 
Appendix 3  Understanding the Nexus ..................................................................... 142 
A3.1  The water – energy – food security – nexus ................................................... 142 
A3.2  Opportunities to improve water, energy and food security ................................ 143 
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Appendix 4  The physical situation of Myanmar's water resources ........................... 145 
A4.1  Current status of water resources ................................................................. 145 
A4.1.1  Mountainous area ........................................................................... 145 
A4.1.2  Central Dry Zone ............................................................................ 148 
A4.1.3  Ayeyarwady Delta .......................................................................... 151 
A4.1.4  Main rivers of Myanmar ................................................................... 153 
Appendix 5  Complementary materials capacity development .................................. 162 
A5.1  Existing capacities and capacity gaps ............................................................ 162 
A5.1.1  Expert group .................................................................................. 162 
A5.1.2  Key Ministerial departments ............................................................. 163 
A5.2  Examples of competency profiles of key departments ...................................... 168 
A5.2.1  Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation ................................................. 168 
A5.2.2  Ministry of Electric Power................................................................. 168 
A5.2.3  Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry .......................... 169 
A5.2.4  Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development ....................... 170 
A5.2.5  Ministry of Transport ....................................................................... 171 
A5.3  Learning modalities ..................................................................................... 172 
Appendix 6  Bagan River Training ............................................................................ 174 
A6.1  River evolution in project area ...................................................................... 174 
A6.2  River beautification measures ....................................................................... 175 
A6.3  Conceptual designs ..................................................................................... 175 
A6.4  Revenue generating mechanisms and stakeholders ......................................... 177 
A6.5  Financials................................................................................................... 178 
Appendix 7  Meiktila Lake ........................................................................................ 179 
A7.1  Introduction to a royal lake .......................................................................... 179 
A7.2  Siltation of the lake ..................................................................................... 179 
A7.3  Current Situation ........................................................................................ 180 
A7.4  Proposed Strategy ...................................................................................... 182 
A7.5  Financing ................................................................................................... 184 
Appendix 8  Paddy Land Development in the Ayeyarwady Delta .............................. 186 
A8.1  Agriculture ................................................................................................. 186 
A8.1.1  Importance of the agricultural sector ................................................ 186 
A8.1.2  Agricultural practices ...................................................................... 187 
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A8.1.3  Crop Yields and Prices ..................................................................... 188 
A8.1.4  Agricultural Damage by Cyclone Nargis ............................................. 188 
A8.1.5  Polders: Embankments, Sluices and Drainage System ......................... 189 
A8.1.6  Irrigation ....................................................................................... 190 
A8.1.7  Problems with Agricultural and Rural Infrastructure ............................ 191 
A8.1.8  Problems on Farming ...................................................................... 191 
A8.2  Fisheries .................................................................................................... 192 
A8.2.1  Fisheries in the Ayeyarwady Delta .................................................... 192 
A8.2.2  Problems on fisheries ...................................................................... 196 
Appendix 9  Yangon River Front Development ......................................................... 197 
A9.1  Vision 2040 ................................................................................................ 197 
A9.2  Description actual developments in CBD ........................................................ 198 
A9.3  Stakeholders .............................................................................................. 199 
A9.4  Opportunities ............................................................................................. 199 
A9.5  Financial opportunities ................................................................................. 199 
A9.6  A first step towards a resilient water river front .............................................. 201 
Appendix 10 Dawei Integrated Coastal Spatial Plan .................................................. 202 
A10.1  Introduction to integrated coastal spatial planning .......................................... 202 
A10.2  Pilot Integrated Coastal Spatial Plan for Dawei................................................ 202 
A10.3  Approach and Feasibility .............................................................................. 204 
A10.4  Phase 2 – Research and spatial planning process ............................................ 205 
A10.5  Tripple Bottom Lines and People, Planet, Profit ............................................... 205 
Appendix 11 Capacity building on water governance ................................................ 207 
A11.1  Specific training on water governance ........................................................... 207 
A11.2  Policy and legal support Water Framework Directive and Water Law(s) .............. 210 
Appendix 12 IWRM data collection and model development ..................................... 211 
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 215 
Colophon  . ........................................................................................................... 217 

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Myanmar Country map

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1. Introduction to IWRM in Myanmar
Setting the right strategy before master planning
The Myanmar IWRM Strategic Study aims to contribute in a participative manner to the
development of a national strategy for integrated water resources management (IWRM) in
Myanmar1. The fullest possible use has been made of insights into delta management, IWRM
and adaptive water management as developed in the Dutch delta programme and elsewhere
in the world. The strategic study assists in responding to the national IWRM challenges and
opportunities in Myanmar. It provides options and recommendations as building blocks for a
Myanmar National Water Master Plan. It does not go into detail as may be expected from a
comprehensive master plan. This study is at a strategic level; it presents an overview of the
most important challenges and anticipated changes in water resources management, what
measures could be taken and the expected impact of these measures as well as their
economic and financial aspects. The building blocks, recommendations, proposed strategies
and measures may be used by the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar for
initial decision making, taking into consideration their priorities. Eventually, the preferred
strategy can then be further detailed in a future IWRM Master plan.
Opportunity to coordinate towards sustainable development
When looking at present day Myanmar, it can be observed that the country is to a large
extent still unspoiled. With its abundance in natural resources, including water, the country
has great opportunities to achieve a balanced and sustainable development. However, it is
crucial to do this wisely. Mistakes visible in neighbouring countries with respect to depleting
natural resources and degradation of the environment can well be avoided. Similarly, the
international community has another chance to support and assist a developing country
without falling into old patterns of uncoordinated actions.
The Netherlands and Myanmar collaborate in water resources management
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment has offered to support the Government
of Myanmar in the development of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Strategy for Myanmar, and in May 2013 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Myanmar Ministry of Transport, in name of the Myanmar National Water Resources
Committee (NWRC).
The Expert Group of the NWRC, as senior advising group to the NWRC, has been the
immediate counterpart for a Dutch High Level Expert Group, headed by former Minister of
Agriculture, Mr. Cees Veerman. The secretariats of both the NWRC and its Expert Group have
been the liaison between expert groups, the relevant Ministries and Departments of Myanmar
and the Dutch Study Team who all gave guidance in the preparation of the Myanmar
Integrated Water Resources Strategic Study.

1 As used in this document, the terms integral water management and Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM) are synonymous with each other.

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