Myanmar still uses five per cent of freshwater although four main arteries flow along the country with more than 800 million acre-feet of freshwater yearly, said Chairman of National Water Resource Committee Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the meeting 1/2023 of the national committee at SAC Chairman Office in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
On the occasion, the Senior General delivered a speech, saying that a survey of the World Health Organization in 2022 stated that a total of 1.4 million of the global population die of diseases resulting from unclean water and toilets on a yearly basis and another 74 million people face shorter life span gradually. Some 2,000 million global people do not have access to safe water yet and some 3,600 million global people do not have clean septic systems, according to the statistics of the WHO and UNICEF in 2011.
Myanmar is abundant in water sources, standing second in the availability of clean water from water sources apart from Indonesia in the ASEAN region and the fifth position in Asia after China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Myanmar still uses five per cent of freshwater although four main arteries flow along the country with more than 800 million acre-feet of freshwater yearly.
The National Water Resource Committee has to supervise disposing of wastewater after systematic treatment into the rivers and creeks, sufficient supply of drinking water and agricultural water in urban and rural areas and distribution of freshwater to industries by adopting necessary policies.
The national committee marked World Water Day 2023 in Nay Pyi Taw on 22 March in conjunction with the subject-wise discussions at which key messages indicated requirements for searching more freshwater sources for climate change and the growing population in Myanmar.
The Senior General urged the national committee to strive for improvement of the water sector benefiting the State and the people, systematic management of water sources and cooperation with the international community in the water sector.
Vice-Chairman of the national committee Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San and the secretary reported on the implementation of duties and functions of the national committee, activities on water sources, supply of water and future plans.
Myanmar is abundant in water sources, standing second in the availability of clean water from water sources apart from Indonesia in the ASEAN region and the fifth position in Asia after China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council and officials reported on undertakings related to the water, cooperation with the international community in water sources development, water quality control, water pumping process, supply of water for consumption and agricultural purposes, and future plans.
In his additional guidance, the Senior General stressed the need to seek the best ways of availability of water for agricultural and consumption purposes from the Ayeyawady, Chindwin, Sittoung and Thanlwin rivers.
In conclusion, the Senior General said that some regions and states are implementing short- and long-term water supply projects during water shortage periods. The Senior General highlighted it is necessary to achieve success in boosting the production of the double cropping process with the use of solar-powered river water station projects from four major rivers. Moreover, he added that river water in all seasons should be stored in a suitable damming system for agricultural purposes. Hence, it is necessary to make preparations for water storage works for the coming water shortage period, the Senior General noted.
…it is necessary to achieve success in boosting the production of the double cropping process with the use of solar-powered river water station projects from four major rivers. Moreover, he added that river water in all seasons should be stored in a suitable damming system for agricultural purposes.
The Senior General pointed out that if underground water can be supplied to crop plantations cultivated earlier than the schedule of cropping pattern, agricultural tasks will have greater success. The Senior General urged the national committee to cooperate with relevant committees and ministries in successfully implementing the water sector for the comprehensive development of the State. — MNA/TTA
