The Orange Knowledge Programme contributes to a society’s sustainable and inclusive development by providing access to education and training for professionals and organisations in technical vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education. It is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its development cooperation policy.
The subsidy programme is managed by Nuffic, a Dutch non-profit organisation for internationalisation in education. It offers funding for long-term, demand-driven partnerships between Dutch knowledge institutions and organisations in 21 participating countries, as well as individual scholarships and Tailor-Made Training courses in all 54 selected countries.
The € 220 m, 5-year programme ends mid-2022, enabling tens of thousands to change their future. From the Dutch development cooperation policy, 4 priority themes have been selected on which to focus in the programme: Food and Nutrition Security; Water, Energy and Climate; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; and Security and Rule of Law. Cross-cutting themes in this programme are inclusion, employability and environmental sustainability.
The Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge is an exciting program in which university students and young professionals are invited to investigate key water problems in their own country and cooperate with professionals experts to develop their own ideas and solutions. The program specifically appeals to the interests, skills and capabilities of young people and challenges them to apply their own original and independent thinking.
The Thaketa Climate Adaptation for Water Security Project is a 2-year pilot project aiming to design, implement and evaluate a variety of climate adaptation interventions in the Thaketa township in Yangon, Myanmar.
In the pilot project, the partners will establish an innovative network-driven stakeholder participation process for designing and implementing different types of climate adaptation interventions, based on the social innovation approach from one of the most successful, innovative climate adaptation programs in the Netherlands: Amsterdam Rainproof. The project will be supported by community awareness and education campaigns and capacity building for YCDC staff.
The pilot project is undertaken at the request of the Yangon Region Government and Yangon City Development Committee and funded together by the consortium partners (below), the Yangon Region Government and the Dutch Government (Partners poor Water program).
The companies working together in the Thaketa project consortium are: The Water Agency (lead), Doh Eain, Infram, Witteveen+Bos, Resilience, World Waternet, U.Minds and Water Bridge Myanmar.
For more information about the project, please contact Gregor van Essen, Project Director, at [email protected].
A strong coalition of Dutch companies and organisations has signed an agreement to jointly invest and collaborate in a comprehensive 3-year program to support the Yangon Regional Government in addressing critical challenges related to Urban Water and Water Logistics. The agreement is signed under the Dutch government Partners for International Business (PIB) program.
The agreement delivers on a promise by the coalition to H.E. Phyo Min Thein, the Regional Chief Minister of Yangon, in June this year, when he visited the Netherlands (LINK). During this visit, he requested Dutch expertise and advise on key topics related to Urban Water: water supply, water resources, water governance and water innovation; and Water Logistics: Yangon sea port, river transport, river dredging and river tunneling.
SIWI's vision is a water wise world, where we recognize the value of water, and ensure that it is shared and allocated sustainably, equitably and efficiently, to meet everyone’s basic needs.
Through applied research, policy consultation, capacity-building, and connecting key actors across sectors, SIWI stimulates the development of innovative policies and scientifically-based solutions to water-related challenges.
The Project:
In February 2016 the Myanmar’s cabinet approved a plan for a suspended bridge which will link Yangon, the country’s main economic center, with the underdeveloped Dala Township. Due to the increasing housing demand combined with the growing land price in Yangon, a rapid urbanization is expected to take place in Dala after the construction of the bridge.
Our mission is to lay the foundation for an innovative approach for a sustainable urban development of Dala which can be set as an example for other analogous cases around the world. In September and October we will be working on this project on site in Yangon.
In collaboration with the local university and professionals, we will explore a series of designs and institutional solutions for a sustainable integration of the following aspects:
- Water urban infrastructures
- Transport system
- Institutional measures
The Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET) is an initiative for research and policy engagement bringing together research partners working on sustainable development in the countries of the Mekong Region: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Sweco plans and designs the communities and cities of the future. We do this by offering qualified services in the fields of consulting engineering, environmental technology and architecture. Sweco is established in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Poland and Turkey. Sweco carries out tens of thousands of projects in some 70 countries worldwide to ensure clean water, efficient infrastructure and sustainable energy solutions.
In Myanmar, Sweco is involved in carrying out a joint preliminary Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) together with Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) for Bagan River Beautification project.
TAHAL uniquely delivers integrated development projects in the water, wastewater, agriculture, solid waste and natural gas segments.
Since its establishment in 1952, TAHAL has successfully implemented hundreds of sustainable projects worldwide.
TAHAL is a one-stop provider of comprehensive end-to-end services covering project initiation, financing management, implementation, and operations of turn-key projects. Leveraging its international track record, expert know-how, and extensive industry partnerships, TAHAL implements cost-effective solutions to help clients optimize their strategic infrastructure development projects.
TAHAL uniquely delivers integrated solutions across the fields of:
- Water Resources: take into account all regional water resources to optimize utilization for current and evolving agricultural, industrial and residential usage.
- Wastewater: maintain proven expertise in the implementation of state-of-the-art wastewater projects – including those based on membrane bioreactor (MBR).
- Agriculture: deliver integrated agriculture development projects that provide long-term value.
- Solid waste: deliver comprehensive yet eco-friendly solid waste projects.
- Natural gas: implemented tens of projects involving natural gas storage and conveyance.
Technological University (Hmawbi) is located on the east of the Yangon- Pyay Highways Road, near in Hmawbi Township, Yangon Region. On 20 January 2007, it was successfully upgraded as a Technological University (Hmawbi) also called TU (Hmawbi).
Technological University (Pathein) is situated at the Apin-ne-se village which is in Pathein District, the Ayeyawady Division, Myanmar. It was opened on 27 December 1999. The university is run by Ministry of Education (Myanmar). Vision: To become internationally recognized, high-ranking University that educates highly qualified Engineers and Architects in building the nation towards the developed Myanmar.
Technological University, Thanlyin is a technological university, located in Thanlyin, Yangon Division, Myanmar. It is part of a number of formerly two-year schools that have been promoted to university level in recent years. The military government, which repeatedly closed down schools and universities in the 1990s, has pursued a policy of dispersing students away from major city centers. In addition, it has the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system and wants to adopt the AUN-QA guidelines and criteria as part of its quality framework.
The Water Agency is a network orchestrator for the international water sector. We build and develop networks of water professionals around the world. Activating these networks, we create unique value by connecting people and organisations, facilitating knowledge exchange and driving co-creation and innovation among the members.
Our clients are private companies, government agencies and knowledge institutions. Building on our networks, we work with them to create tailored roadmaps that are designed to maximize the impact of their investment: Impact by Design.
Thirst-Aid has developed one of the most comprehensive and holistic approaches to point of use water treatment in the industry.
Thirst-Aid views the need to purify water in developing countries as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Thirst-Aid employs the need for water improvement as an entry point by which to introduce new skills, develop small businesses and stimulate local economies whiles simultaneously introducing appropriate safe-water technologies and public health education to the population as a whole.
While many organizations focus on one technology or another to purify water, Thirst-Aid advocates for the bundling of technologies and realizes that education, training, and social marketing to promote behavior change comprise 90% of the issue in the adoption of safe-water practices.
To address this concern, Thirst-Aid precedes the introduction of all safe water technologies with the Thirst-Ed program. Developed in cooperation with UNICEF, Thirst-Ed integrates the need to educate and inspire the drive for improved water with the beneficiaries desire to be a stakeholder. By offering an education and social marketing program that not only raises awareness of waterborne illnesses and improved hygiene but also provides participants with the means to purchase their ceramic water filters, the Thirst-Ed program guarantees an increase in behavior change and sustained product use.
Thirst-Ed allows participants to apply the time they spend attending safe water classes to-wards the purchase price of a ceramic water filter unit, thus turning education into currency and helping to make filters affordable to the poor.
Trash Hero Myanmar creates sustainable, community-based projects that remove existing waste, and reduce future waste by inspiring long-term behavior change. We create long-term projects that bring communities together to remove and better manage their waste, and strategies that reduce the amount of waste being produced in the future. We back up hands-on experience with educational information about the impact that trash has on the global environment.
The GFC—under the Prosperity Fund—aims to address transport, urban planning and resilience in 19 cities around the world. In Myanmar, Yangon is the targeted city with focus on heritage in urban development and flood resilience.
In particular, the programme aims to assist city planning by developing integrated interventions on heritage in urban development and flood resilience.
The primary objectives of the Programme include helping cities grow in a sustainable manner, improving residents' quality of life, addressing poverty and improving gender equality. Additionally, the Programme aims to create two-way investment and trade opportunities with international businesses.
The programme is currently in its Strategic Development Phase implemented by a global team with UN-Habitat as strategic partner. Partners include the UK Built Environment Advisory Group (UKBEAG) as the professional partner and the International Growth Centre IGC) as the academic partner. During this phase, the final interventions under the two thematic areas will be clearly defined and the Statement of Requirements will be developed. From November the programme will enter the Implementation Phase which will include a procurement process towards the end of 2018 and beginning of the on the ground work by mid-2019.
More information on the Prosperity Fund:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cross-government-prosperity-fundprogramme
In Myanmar, UN-Habitat is supporting technical assistance to several line ministries and stakeholders in policy and strategy development and training in the areas of Urban Planning & Management, National Building Codes Development, Urban Planning Guidelines, City Development Strategy, Training & Capacity Building, National Housing Policy formulation, Land Administration and Management, Urban Research and Poverty Reduction, State of the Environment Report, Long Term Restoration and Conservation Plan of Inlay Lake and Myanmar Climate Change Alliance Project.
Being implemented by the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft along with key partners , the Ayeyarwady Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) Fellowship Programme aims at capacity building and professional development on inclusive governance and management of water and ecosystem services in the Ayeyarwady basin. The project is targeting mid-level professionals of relevant water and water-related organizations including national and state government, academia and training centres and civil society. The project aims to provide a focused and sustainable contribution to strengthening capacities of key Myanmar water related organisations, water professionals and individuals to contribute to inclusive water and ecosystem services governance and management of the Ayeyarwady River Basin.
UNICEF has been working in Myanmar continuously since April 1950. Despite difficult political and economic circumstances, UNICEF helped to successfully initiate programmes to protect children against small pox, leprosy and yaws. Over time, UNICEF expanded its programs to support the development of rural health services, basic education for children, and community water supply and sanitation systems. UNICEF also advocated for Myanmar's accession to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which the government ratified in the 1990s.
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been working to positively change the lives of Myanmar’s children. Through its strong working relationship with the Government of Myanmar over the decades and significant engagement with other stakeholders, UNICEF is positioning itself to continue and strengthen its efforts to improve children’s lives.
The ongoing political and economic reform process including decentralization provides a good opportunity for UNICEF to continue working with Government and other partners and achieve major gains for all children. The current country programme (2011-2017) was extended in 2015 along with that of other UN agencies in agreement with the Government of Myanmar. It aims at delivering key results at various - policy, systems, and community - levels, tapping into the new opportunities provided by various reforms to accelerate results for children, especially the most marginalized.
In this context, UNICEF support focuses on strengthening systems in education, health and nutrition, WASH and child protection and making them accessible to the most disadvantaged, including through opportunities generated by decentralization and the need to promote social cohesion. It supports capacity building at Union, State and Townships levels to develop and implement plans and budgets for children. UNICEF also supports the Government of Myanmar’s response to the needs of children affected by conflict and natural hazards, and invest in preparedness, disaster risk reduction and resilience building strategies with focus on children in needs. The current momentum of engagement in various sector reforms will continue, and support continues to be provided towards the development of policies and legislation that will enable wider and accelerated realisation of children’s rights.
UNICEF systematically implements a comprehensive advocacy strategy to influence a range of decision makers and other relevant audiences. UNICEF has identified 5 office-wide advocacy priorities for the period 2014-2017: increasing public finance for children; protecting and promoting the rights of all children in Rakhine State; children affected by armed conflict; the first 1000 days of a child’s life; and children with disabilities.
UNICEF works on the ground for programme implementation directly through the government departments and through a number of international and local non-governmental organizations and faith based organizations, and from its 10 field offices and outposts positioned throughout the country.
UNICEF’s mandate is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its work is concerned with the fulfilment of the rights of every child, everywhere, and at all times- regardless of ethnicity, race, citizenship status of their parents, socio-economic status or ability.
In Myanmar, UNDP provides support to the national political and socio-economic reforms that underpin the country’s transition. UNDP’s support is channeled through a program that seeks to strengthen institutions of democratic and local governance, support the environment and disaster risk management, and support government efforts for poverty reduction over a five-year period (2013-2015, extended to 2017).
The new country program includes a major focus on responsive, transparent, democratic governance in three priority areas. The first supports institutional strengthening of local governments and civil society, while providing livelihood support and poverty reduction in border and ceasefire areas. The second comprises assistance through policy advice on climate change, disaster risk reduction, energy access, and environment. The third aim is to contribute to reform strategies and help scale up capacity in the national parliament, justice sector, and civil administration.
The University of Forestry is in Yezin near near Nay Pyi Taw, the only university specialized in forestry in Myanmar. It is administered by the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and is united with the Forest Research Institute (FRI), a government R&D agency.