Buddhist monks and residents demonstrated in 15 of 17 townships in Rakhine State on Sunday to demand a resolution to the security issues in the area and to keep out foreign aid agencies
Tag: Myanmar
Hydropower production possible in Rakhine say Myanmar officials
A team of officials has studied several rivers in Rakhine State and concluded that some are suitable for hydropower production, sources say.
Sharing of resources is ‘key to long-lasting peace’ in Myanmar
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government asked to prioritize resource sharing as Myanmar’s second session of peace talks got underway this week. Civil society and politicians in Kachin State have called on the Myanmar government to prioritize regulation of the mining sector in their efforts to end the associated human rights abuses and deadly armed conflict.
Myanmar MP demands environmental protection
Myanmar MP, Dr Aung Khin, representing Pyin Oo Lwin, said, due to rapid deforestation, the country faced its severest weather conditions in 2015 and 2016. The country’s efforts to conserve the natural environment was at the lowest stage. The country ranked 164th out of 178 countries in the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, which suggested that more needed to be done for the conservation of natural resources, the MP said.
Minister discusses dams and hydropower with Chinese firm
Top officials from Myanmar have discussed dams and hydropower projects with one of China’s biggest hydropower companies.
National environmental policy gets an update
Myanmar will get a new national environmental policy in early 2017, say officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. The retooled version will update the 22-year-old policy currently in place.
Off-grid solar to help Myanmar bring electricity to all by 2030
Four feet in length, of aggressive disposition, and deadly poisonous: you don’t want to stand on a Russell’s viper in the dark. Especially if there’s no antivenom for miles around. Yet that’s the daily predicament facing millions of villagers in Myanmar, where snakebites cause about 500 deaths every year.
In Yin Ma Chaung, a rural settlement about nine hours by car from Yangon, villagers can rest easier knowing there are doses of antivenom chilling securely in a new refrigerator in the village’s community centre, powered by solar.
Myanmar to consider becoming full member of Mekong River Commission: president
Visiting Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw said Wednesday that his country agreed to consider becoming full member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).
U Htin Kyaw made the remark while holding talks with Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi during his state visit to Vietnam, reported the state-run news agency VNA.
IFC and Private Sector Launch Working Group to Drive Change in Myanmar Hydropower Sector
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the private sector launched the first working group for Myanmar’s hydropower sector. The Hydropower Developers’ Working Group (HDWG), first established in Lao PDR in late-2013, is the only platform exclusively for hydropower companies and industry-related professionals to influence policy and identify solutions to improve upon sustainability and business operations in Myanmar.
Over 100 stakeholders from Myanmar’s hydropower sector including companies, civil society organizations, financial institutions and government officials attended the working group’s first General Forum today in Yangon. The interim executive committee presented the working group’s agenda focusing on strengthening private sector relations with the government and highlighting the best practices and policies needed to develop projects sustainably. The committee comprises local and international hydropower companies and consultants operating in Myanmar.
Myanmar green energy sector faces hurdles
Myanmar’s goal of achieving a 100 per cent electrification rate by 2030, with 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources, is achievable but several hurdles need to be tackled first, energy experts have said.
At the Myanmar Green Energy Summit 2016 last week, panellists agreed that hydroelectricity, plus wind and solar energy, were good choices given available resources.