Chairman of National Water Resource Committee State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers speech at national committee meeting 1/2023
NAY PYI TAW April 4
Chairman of the National Water Resource Committee Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered an address at the meeting 1/2023 of the national committee at the meeting hall of the Office of SAC Chairman in Nay Pyi Taw this afternoon.
Also present at the meeting were Vice Chairman of the national committee Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San, Union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, the secretary of the committee and officials together with chief ministers of regions and states and mayors through video conferencing.
First, the Senior General delivered an opening address, saying that the meeting aimed to give necessary instructions to all for holding coordination meetings between ministries and organizations, implementing the work plans of the national committee and effectively undertaking matters related to the future plans for sustainable development of water sources across the nation on a yearly basis, improvement of all sectors related to the water, strengthening the water source comprehensive management and efficient utilization of water sources.
Water is the best gift of nature for living world and environment.
Everybody uses water from the morning. Water is essential for production of all agricultural produce including paddy and rice the primary staple food of the people. Moreover, as water is a renewable energy at cheap prices in generating hydropower which is crucial in the current society, the global countries are using water on a wider scale.
The transport sector showed the important role of water in transport and trade through water of rivers and creeks as well as seas and oceans by boat from the early civilization period to date.
Water and ground are key role in modernizing a country.
Effective utilizing water and ground becomes the primary capital for prosperity of the nation. All gloabal countries are striving for fulfilling the wate requirements so as to ensure prosperity of the nation.
Water is a very valuable source, and all living beings including all human beings in new generations have to use water. So, it is necessary to efficiently use water sources and everybody needs to participate in the measures for seeking water sources.
Currently, climate change causes torrential rains across the world, high temperature in summer, destruction of terrible cyclones. Hence, people may face strong natural disasters and impacts. It is known to all that all parts of the world face natural disasters of flooding and shortages of water in summer.
According to studies conducted in 2022 by the WHO, 1.4 million people die of diseases caused by unclean water and sewage every year and the lives of 74 million people are shortened by such issues. About two billion people across the world do not have access to safe and clean drinking water, according to the statistics released in 2011 by the WHO and UNICEF.
Moreover, 3.6 billion people or about half of the population of the world do not have access to proper sewage systems, according to surveys.
There are many natural rivers, creeks and lakes in Myanmar, which boasts the second largest amount of fresh water among ASEAN countries after Indonesia, according to statistics in 2011. Compared with Asian countries, Myanmar ranks fifth after China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The fact points out that Myanmar is abundant in water resources.
Although more than 800 million cubic feet of fresh water is flowing through networks of rivers and creeks including four major rivers annually in Myanmar,
only about five percent of the fresh water can be utilized for agriculture, households and industries. Therefore, it can be seen that the country has enormous potential for business investment based on water resources.
Therefore, it is important to take effective measures for systematic management of fresh water resources, sustainable development, conservation of forests in watershed areas and prevention of water pollution.
The national level committee is required to regulate the adoption of policies necessary for development of the water sector, sufficient supply of water to households in urban and rural areas and for agriculture, fresh water supply for industries, prevention littering into rivers and creeks and dislodging waste water into rivers and creeks only after it has been properly treated.
As all countries in the world exert efforts constantly for their national development, Myanmar must follow suit for development of all sectors including the water sector.
Therefore, members of the committee are urged to make concerted efforts to implement the tasks of the committee for development of the water sector and carry out tasks that will be more beneficial to the people of all national races.
The national level committee organized the ceremony commemorating World Water Day 2023 and talks on academic subjects comprehensively and meaningfully as a campaign of the committee on 22 March at the MICC-2 in Nay Pyi Taw.
According to the key message of the academic talks, it is learnt that it is necessary to explore more fresh water resources as the country needs them due to climate change and increasing population.
At today’s meeting, committee members are urged to continue to exert concerted efforts to discuss possibilities to help solve water shortages in states and regions, to take measures for socioeconomic development of the people for the prosperity of the country and security of food, water and basic needs, to carry out tasks systematically for development of the water sector and allround management of water resources that will be beneficial to the people and to effectively and successfully cooperate with the international community in water related issues.
Next, the vice chairman and secretary of the committee explained the formation of the national level committee, adoption and implementation of its objectives, water management, seeking of water resources and future plans.
Then, the Union ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman, officials, region and state chief ministers and mayors reported on water related activities, measures for water resource development, international cooperation in water resource development, water quality tests, river water pumping tasks, distribution of drinking and irrigation water, continued measures for water resource development and requirements.
In response to the reports, the Senior General said using water needs ways to seek water.
As such, water can come from storage of rainwater and riverwater pumping. It is necessary to cultivate the habit of saving water. Likewise, stored water should be used efficiently for irrigation and drinking water.
The country has four major rivers namely the Ayeyawady, Chindwin, Sittaung and Thanlwin.
And they need to be efficiently used. Ways must be sought to get irrigation and drinking water from those rivers. Responsible departments need to seek such ways, the Senior General stressed.
In his concluding remark, the Senior General said at today’s meeting, all had discussed water related measures by the ministries and organizations, cooperation with international organizations, and future plans of the committee.
Discussions and suggestions will be of much help to water resources management and international cooperation of our nation and implementation of water related projects.
Decrease in water resources affects life and health of human beings and any other living creatures as well as socioeconomic life including livelihoods, agriculture and livestock. As water resources have become less based on environmental issues and climate change, it is necessary to consider sustainable conservation of forests and make them green.
It is seen that short and longterm plans are being implemented in some regions and states to ensure water availability in the period of low water. It is necessary to boost intercropping production through giving priority to river water pumping projects powered by solar on both sides of the four main rivers, Ayeyawady, Chindiwn, Sittaung and Thanlwin, and plans should be made to utilize river water in summer, rainy and cold seasons with suitable systems. Doing so will help get more water for intercropping. As in the low water period this year, measures to get water have been taken as possible as we can, preparation is to be made now for the low water period next year. Water availability measures are to be prepared in order to ensure an increase in production through intercropping without expandng cultivated areas.
Previously, rain water in the monsoon was used for cultivation water. If the cropping pattern is applied earlier than before without anticipating rain water but with the use of underground water, agriculture businesses will be more successful.
Therefore, it is necessary to make plans for that. As our nation is a country with a commodity production industry mainly based on agriculture, I have to make such a suggestion.
When the State is providing support for development of all sectors, our committee members are to work together with ministries concerned in order that the committee will successfully keep carrying out its water-related tasks for water sector development.