Australian Water Partnership announces funding for project on ‘Gender, water, and food synergies in support of the Sustainable Development Goals in Myanmar’
22 March 19 - Source: Australian Water Partnership (AWP) - The Australian Water Partnership (AWP) is supporting a new United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) initiative under the umbrella of 'Next Generation Irrigation and Agricultural Water Management for Asia Pacific'. The first project within this program was launched in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, during their World Water Day celebrations (5-6 March 2019), and is focussed on gender, water, and food synergies in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Myanmar.
The project will develop knowledge, capacity development and guidance on ways in which water management can be gender transformative, and positively influence food and nutrition security in Myanmar. It will directly support action towards SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 6 (water management) and SDG 5 (gender equality and empowerment of women and girls) in Myanmar. Led by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney (ISF-UTS), the project will draw together an influential group of expert partners and advisors including (but not limited to) the Myanmar Water Research and Training Centre (WRTC), Water Mothers Myanmar, and FAO Myanmar.
Barriers, opportunities and strategies for embedding gender equality approaches into current water and food security activities will be identified through the project. The focus of the project activities will be on using systems thinking and participatory approaches with local partners. Over the three-year period, the project will deliver a series of technical outputs, knowledge sharing processes, and capacity development activities (including training programs). These activities will advance knowledge of the use of systems thinking tools and approaches to achieve interrelated and mutually dependent sustainable development goals.
Project partners have complementary experience and networks in the food security, water, and gender equality arenas in Myanmar. The ultimate impact of the project is expected to be the development of integrative and systems thinking principles and approaches in water and agriculture-related projects in Myanmar, to advance gender outcomes in food and water management.
Photo: Project partners and advisors for the 'Gender, water, and food synergies in support of the Sustainable Development Goals in Myanmar' project launched during World Water Week, Myanmar (5-6 March 2019),
L-R:
1. Dr Chaw Yin Mint, Director Health and Nutrition, WRTC-Myanmar
2. Daw Yin Min Thann, Director Environment and Safeguard, WRTC-Myanmar
3. Dr Swe Swe Aye, Chairperson, Ayeyarwady River Basin Research Organisation (ARBRO) and Advisor to WRTC-Myanmar
4. Prof Dr Khin NiNi Thein, Founding Chair, Water Mothers Organization
5. Mr Rory Hunter, Myanmar Coordinator Australian Water Partnership
6. Drs Alice Bouman-Dentener, Vice-President WRTC International Foundation; Honorary Founding President, Women for Water Partnership (WfWP)
7. Daw Nwe Nwe Yi, Secretary and Treasurer, Water Mothers Organization
8. U Aung Kyi Maung, Director, Rainwater Harvesting Campaign for Thingungyun T/S, WRTC-Myanmar
