Australia and Myanmar renew MoU for cooperation on Integrated Water Resources Management
21 Dec 18 - Source: Australian Water Partnership - Australia and Myanmar have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation on Integrated Water Resources Management.
The MoU was signed by Australia's Ambassador to Myanmar, Mr Jeremy Kruse, and Secretary for Myanmar's National Water Resources Committee, Director-General U Htun Lwin Oo. The signing occurred during the Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy in Yangon, Myanmar, on 4 December, formalising the collaboration between the two countries for another three years.
Australia and Myanmar share some of the same water challenges, including managing water extremes such as flood and drought and using water resources as the basis for sustainable national development.
An MoU was originally signed between the two countries in 2015, and since then, the Australian Water Partnership (AWP) has collaborated with Partners in Myanmar and Australia to reach many significant milestones.
"We are extremely proud of our ongoing collaborative efforts," said AWP CEO, Prof Nick Schofield.
"Together, among other achievements, we have completed the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken on Myanmar's Ayeyarwady River Basin, supported the professional development of some of Myanmar's brightest up-and-coming water professionals and shared many experiences from our processes of planning, utilising, conserving and managing our national rivers."
Australia and Myanmar will continue to co-operate on all aspects related to achieving safe and sustainable river basin management and integrated development of water resources in Myanmar until at least 2021.
In early 2019, AWP will release a Myanmar Investment Strategy and Work Plan. Top priorities include supporting the development of a National Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Long-Term Strategy for Myanmar and supporting a scoping exercise to determine the feasibility of a Myanmar Open DataCube (MODC). The MODC would provide access to 30 years of satellite data to assist with forecasting and offer river morphology products for the Ayeyarwady Basin.
