15
2016
“Let’s work together for a Healthy River” is the slogan enthusiastically developed by villagers from Myit Poe Kyon Sein, Bogale township in the Ayeyarwaddy delta, when discussing monitoring of river health with MIID trainers. “
MIID just completed a series of three day-long trainings in six villages situated along the Ayeyarwaddy and Thanlwin rivers. These trainings are organized in the context of the Oxfam-funded project Participation in Water Resource Management. The team of trainers focused on four main topics: Agriculture and Chemicals Management, Forestry, Climate Change and Sustainable Energy; Monitoring river health, and Gender and Public participation.
The six villages are Myit Poe Kyun Sein village, Bogale Township, Pulin village, Nyaung U Township and Sein Pan Kone village, Madaya Township that are in the Ayeyarwaddy River basin and Ka Doe village, Mawlamyine Township, Htone Aing village, Hpa-An Township and Phayar Taung village, Nyaung Shwe Township in the Thanlwin River Basin. Trainings took place between November and December 2016. About 35 participants from each villages attended and discussed in the 3-days Training. Government officials from Forest Department, Department of Fisheries, Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems and Zoology Department from Yangon and Mandalay University also joined the training.
During the 3-days training, the participants were divided into groups and each group were asked to discuss and identify their ideas on each topics. The groups then presented the results of their discussions and other participants contributed their comments to find out what are the differences and similarities. The participants actively participated and were very interested in monitoring River changes. The villagers were concerned about the significant changes of the river that can impact their livelihood.
In partnership with OXFAM, ECCDI, IWMI, ICEM and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, MIID works with the local communities, including fishermen, farmers, casual workers and women who depend on the Ayeyarwaddy and Thanlwin Rivers. Our work aims to improve the ability of riparian communities, civil society, and government representatives to cooperate in river management and planning.