Environmental Topics in Myanmar

Concerning with the Environmental Protection and Awareness, I did realize how the current authority of Myanmar tackle to showcase their roles on the issues.

Looking back into the past, the earliest authorized environmental organization called NCEA(National Commission for Environmental Affairs) was formed in the early 1990's under the MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. It had no staffs employed nor departments established for Environmental Regulatory Practice in Myanmar. Major roles of the staffs/officials of NCEA are to collect data (just statistical data, but not measured or Systematically Collected Environmental Data) from other public departments (mostly from forestry department, under the ministry of Forestry) to represent the conferences and affairs related to environment held abroad by international organizations such as UNEP, MRC etc.,

Then the NCEA was shifted under the commands of MINISTRY OF FOREST around the year 2006. Thus, current environmental policies and activities (or showcases) of the Myanmar Environment is weighted more on biodiversities, forestries and mangroves. The imagination and impressions (or the knowledges) of the country's policy makers (authorities) on environment are still only on the Green Forest.

Other important topics of environment such as air, water (surface, ground, waste), solid waste, land use, noise, toxic (waste, fertilizer), radiation, facilities are still being neglected and not well versed to monitor or protect the existing environment of Myanmar.

Environmental Data

As mentioned in my very first blog, three parties should be interacting. Interacting, in other words is talking or communicating each other regarding environmental problems or issues. When they do communication, they have to tell the conditions of the present status of the environment and how it should be kept at a certain quality with minimum impacts.

Thus, all the parties must know the status of the quality of the environment at present. The quality of the environment is usually described in the form of numbers (data), or descriptions by field survey (site visits and interviews). And they discussed about the future scenario of impacts by the polluter based on the data and descriptions collected systematically.

Measurements of physical, chemical, and biological values of the environment are to be collected carefully. At present there are automatic data recording systems or data acquisition systems (DAQ) with sophisticated sensors to records environmental quality. The DAQ systems are available in the market at reasonable cost. It is essential that what environmental data should be monitored and how to apply these data to reveal the status of the environment.

Public Participation - a typical example in Myanmar

Argneda 21 by NCEA - a report in the show case ?

Institutional Aspects: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/myanmar/inst.htm

Natural Resources Aspects: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/myanmar/natur.htm

Eco Aspects: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/myanmar/eco.htm

Social Aspects:http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/myanmar/social.htm

The Role of Environmental Professionals

The environmental professionals, in the various designations such as environemntal scientists, environment engineers, environmental consultants, environmental activists, etc, plays important roles in the organisations of all three parties, THE POLLUTER, THE REGULATOR, and THE PUBLIC. All three parties should be consulted or well informed by the ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS who may be employed permanently or hired for a particular project.

The Public - who suffer the impact

The public includes all the people residing in the effected environment. They are usually the victims suffering the outcome of the environmental impacts done by the polluters. The public should be well informed by the regulators what actions or activities (eg. a development project, and industry, a restaurant, a workshop) they are suppose to give permit to the business entity (the polluter).

The Regulator - the authorities

The regulator is ususally the government body or the authority or the policy maker. It can be a ministry, a public service department, a city council or municipality, a town council, a district council or a villiage head etc. The regulators mandate the rules and regulations to control the business entities in terms of monitoring programs, reports, fines and punishment to keep the environment safe for the GENERAL PUBLIC.