7 April

A coordination meeting to seek suggestions on handling natural disasters caused by climate change was held at the Yangon Region Disaster Management Department office on Friday.

At the meeting, National Natural Disaster Management Work Committee Chairman Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye said it was a known fact that climate change is occurring. One of the ministry’s policies in natural disaster management was to become a society that can resist and respond to natural disasters. The capacities to mitigate and have a high level of resistance towards natural disasters were raised at the Union and state/region levels. At the moment, the negative impacts of climate changes were beyond the efforts made to combat natural disasters. The Union Government has been conducting mitigation works against natural disasters together with climate change activities. This was being carried out in a practical way by putting in place policies, laws, rules and instructions. Experts from the natural disaster management advisory groups were requested to provide practical suggestions and assessments to ease the difficulties faced by the people, said the Union Minister.

Next, the Director-General of the Disaster Management Department discussed those natural disasters that could be caused by climate change.

Afterwards, natural disaster management advisory group chairman U Maung Maung Khin explained about work conducted by the advisory group, followed by advisory group secretary meteorologist U Chit Kyaw, who discussed the possible effects on monsoons caused by weather changes in Myanmar.

Next, meteorologist Dr. Tun Lwin discussed studying monsoons, requirement of farmers and people in Myanmar to know more about changes in monsoons, effect and suggestions on rice cultivation and other related matters.

The natural disaster management advisory group members consisting of water resources management experts, agriculture experts, public health experts, environmental experts and engineers, conducted sector wise suggestions and assessments. After this, Deputy Minister U Soe Aung spoke of his appreciation for the suggestions and discussions presented at the meeting and said that coordination with relevant ministries will be made for actual implementation of suggestions.

It was learnt that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement would carefully weigh suggestions and discussions made by the natural disaster management advisory group and submit the required practical work program to the National Natural Disaster Management Committee chairman for implementation. It would also provide information to the people about climate change. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)