Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing Attends Meeting (1/2023) of National Water Resource Committee

         The Chairman of National Water Resource Committee Chairman of the State Administration Council (SAC) Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended and delivered a speech at the meeting (1/2023) of the national committee which was held at the SAC Chairman Office in Nay Pyi Taw on 4 April.

           During the meeting, the SAC Chairman Prime Minister delivered an opening speech as follows:

• “Water and ground” are key role in modernizing a country. Effective utilizing of water and ground becomes the main sources for prosperity of the nation.
• Water is the most precious resources, and all living beings as well as 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.
• It is known to all that all parts of the world face natural disasters of flooding and shortages of water in summer.
• A survey of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022 stated that a total of 1.4 million of the global population die of diseases resulting from unclean water and sewage on a yearly basis and another 74 million people face shorter life span gradually.
• Myanmar is abundant in water sources such as natural rivers, creeks and lakes, standing second in the availability of clean water from water sources apart from Indonesia in the ASEAN region.
• According to statistics in 2011, in compasion with Asian countries, Myanmar ranks fifth in Asia after China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
• 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 is important to take effective measures for systematic management on 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 which are necessary for development of the water sector, sufficient supply of water to households in urban and rural areas and for agriculture sector, fresh water supply for industries, prevention of littering into rivers and creeks, and disposing of wastewater after systematic treatment into the rivers and creeks.
• The National Water Resource Committee  is urged to strive for improvement of the water sector benefiting the State and the people, systematic management of water sources and effective implementation on cooperation with the international community in the water sector.

         After hearing the reports on the matters related to the water sources presented by the Vice-Chairman of the national committee, Union Ministers and relevant officials, the SAC Chairman Prime Minister stressed the following points:

• In striving for having the sufficient water supply, as water can be stored 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.
• It is required to seek the best ways of availability of water for agricultural and consumption purposes from the Ayeyawady, Chindwin, Sittoung and Thanlwin rivers which are four main rivers in the country.
• As water resources have become less based on environmental issues and climate change, it is necessary to consider sustainable conservation of natural environment, forests and make them green.
• 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, river water in all seasons should be stored in a suitable damming system for agricultural purposes.
• Previously, rain water in the monsoon season was used for cultivation of water.
• If underground water can be supplied to crop plantations cultibated earlier then the schedule of cropping pattern and rain water can be applied for continuous improvement of crops, agriculture businesses will be more successful.
• When the government is providing supports for development of all sectors, the committee members are to join hands with ministries concerned in order that the committee will successfully keep carrying out its water-related tasks for water sector development.

        Also present at the meeting were Vice-Chairman of the National Water Resource Committee Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San, Committee members 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 videoconferencing.

     Source: MWD (5-4-2023)

• “Water and ground” are key role in modernizing a country. Effective utilizing of water and ground becomes the main sources for prosperity of the nation.
• Myanmar is abundant in water sources such as natural rivers, creeks and lakes, standing second in the availability of clean water from water sources apart from Indonesia in the ASEAN region.
• 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. 
• The National Water Resource Committee  is urged to strive for improvement of the water sector benefiting the State and the people, systematic management of water sources and effective implementation on cooperation with the international community in the water sector.
• It is necessary to cultivate the habit of saving water. Likewise, stored water should be used efficiently for irrigation and drinking water.
• 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, river water in all seasons should be stored in a suitable damming system for agricultural purposes.