Abstract
Abstract Besides providing reliable water resources for agricultural production, rural development efforts in Myanmar should target rural water security in terms of safe water supply and sanitation, and by mitigating water-related hazards. However, very few studies are available over the status of water-related development in rural areas of the country, and consequently on suitable practical solutions. The present paper describes a participatory workshop undertaken involving 45 rural development officers of the Department of Rural Development (DRD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI), aimed at identifying suitable sustainable land and water management (SLWM) practices to be developed in rural areas of the country. Adoption of water safety plans (WSP), water harvesting, and soil and water bioengineering were strongly supported, while the need for improving water sanitation, especially in the poorest areas, was made evident. Insights of the participatory process confirmed that the poorest regions of Myanmar have also the worst water management structures. The results of the present work can represent baseline information and a needs assessment for future development projects in the country. However, there is a strong need for more studies and reports targeting marginalized rural contexts of Myanmar, to support equitable development.
Highlights
Myanmar is rich in natural resources that can support human development and environmental health (World Bank a)
In this framework, according to the ‘National Strategy for Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (UNICEF ), some unsolved key issues in rural areas include the need for increasing water sanitation technologies for poorer households and in remote areas; management issues related to environmental impacts of water uses; and the structural weakness of monitoring and management information systems related to the water sector
This paper presents the results of a participatory process aiming at selecting sustainable land and water management (SLWM) practices for integrated rural development in Myanmar
Summary
Myanmar is rich in natural resources that can support human development and environmental health (World Bank a). According to the Myanmar Living Conditions Survey 2017 (Central Statistical Organization of the Ministry of Planning & Finance ), water access in rural areas has improved since 2015, first thanks to the private sector investment, and with an increasing effort of DRD and its partner which have implemented around 5,000 water supply facilities per year around Myanmar In these areas, many households must transport water from the source to the consumption point, increasing the risk of contamination by the use of dirty containers and storage systems. The landslide- and erosionrural livelihood nexus was made evident by the personal communications given by the DRD officers involved in the participatory process
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