Youth’s role to govern water sufficiency in the future: Senior General

Youth plays an essential role in water governance in order to ensure water sufficiency in the future, said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
A ceremony to mark World Water Day 2024 took place at Myanmar International Convention Centre II in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning, with an address by Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General highlighted that the government is effectively managing water resources in order to supply agricultural water, generate hydropower, and provide household and industrial use water by adopting water policies and laws.
He noted that Myanmar has formed the national water resource committee to enact the national water law so as to manage water sectors systematically.
The Senior General disclosed that a total of 246 dams, 144 diversion weirs, 72 lakes, 199 sluice gates and 219 river water pumping stations are used to supply water for cultivation and consumption as well as to generate electricity. Irrigated water covers some 750,000 acres of farmlands, and underground tapping benefits some 930,000 acres of cultivable lands, he added.
He continued that Myanmar has formed the water resources survey team to emerge a data bank through the collection of water data.
As critical challenges for humans, the Senior General underscored that the United Nations stated that more than two billion people lack safe water, whereas more than four billion people face a shortage of water at least one month per year due to climate change and loss of water sources.
He explained that the earth’s planet is covered with 97.5 per cent of seawater and 2.5 per cent of freshwater. Of them, 68 per cent of freshwater cannot be used due to its existence as glaciers, poles, clouds and humidity in the atmosphere. So, humans can use 0.5 per cent of water aboveground and 30.1 per cent of underground water.
The Senior General retold that the WHO survey in 2022 mentioned that some 1.4 million people lose their lives due to unsafe water on a yearly basis, and 74 million people face a shortening of their lifespan. Experts predict the globe will require 55 per cent of water in 2050. Moreover, the surveys stated that 3,600 million people do not have a proper sewage system.
Next, the Senior General presented prizes to winners in the open article contest to mark World Water Day 2024.
Vice-Chairman of the National Water Resource Committee Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Transport and Communications General Mya Tun Oo also awarded winners in the amateur article contest.
The Senior General and attendees visited the World Water Day 2024 exhibition.
Also present at the ceremony were SAC Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, council members, Union ministers, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nay Pyi Taw Command commander, deputy ministers and officials. — MNA/TTA