A drive for the economic growth, the infrastructural development, a rapid urbanization and the gradual settlement into the urban is confronting Myanmar with the devastating environmental challenges, and climate change-induced disruptions including less reliable supplies to agriculture and household consumption.
Myanmar has lost 40 days from its annual monsoon in the past 35 years, from 145 rainy days to 105 days a year, leading to severe shortages of water both for consumption and agriculture. According to the Rural Water Supply Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, ten of 14 regions and states are undergoing a worsening shortages of drinking water due to rising summer temperatures. The primary culprits that lead to water scarcity are the temperature rise_ which has reached over 40-46 degrees on averages, and deforestation. The forest losses bring about both watershed degradation and temperature rise. This significant shift in climate has huge socio-economic repercussion on the agricultural sector which provides livelihoods for almost two-thirds of the population.
This blog will discuss the possible solutions and approaches Myanmar can apply to address its challenges in water scarcity.
Gray Water Practice: The term “Gray Water” doesn’t refer to the color of the water, but the level of purification that happens. The government must implement the project to encourage gray water system which reduces the amount of water pulled from the underground aquifers and the amount of water we use. Gray water obtained from rinsing fruits, washing hands and public bathing area in rural regions can be used in such various ways: drinking water for animal husbandry, watering for crops and pumping it back into the aquifer to let it filter naturally through layers of sank and rock.
Drip Irrigation: As an agricultural country_ Myanmar, the agricultural water consumption accounts for 90% while the industry and domestic consumptions accounts for 10%. With the increasing population growth, the agricultural water consumption is expected to increase in the future, so more efficient watering practices is required in Myanmar. Drip irrigation practice, for instance, can reduce water use by 30-70% and raise crop yields by 20-90%, according to a World Bank study. Drip irrigation maximizes crop productivity and minimize water use, and is best suited to Myanmar with the annual rainfall pattern changes.
Water Resources Conservation: Some of the river basins in Myanmar considerably relies its water source on glacial meltwater, snowmelt and rainfall. Moreover, the Ayeyarwady River, as the main water channel in Myanmar, is fed by monsoonal precipitation and, to a lower extent, by meltwater from glaciers in the Himalaya mountains. Glaciers, in general, are highly crucial to the hydrological system and are contributing to river flow. Due to the increasing global and local warming, the glaciers are experiencing unprecedented losses.
Solar-powered Desalination: Due to the abundant supply of brackish water and seawater, and the ability to dispose of brine in coastal waters, solar-powered desalination is best suited to Myanmar with poor electricity distribution and without policy-driven conservations towards natural environment. Besides wind, solar-powered desalination is a solution that does not produce carbon emissions and is becoming increasingly economically viable.
In conclusion, to solve the water scarcity issues in Myanmar, the policy makers must integrate those solutions into the society through the policy-driven implementation. Not just the solution, encouraging public education on the environmental challenges is imperative to make a stride towards a climate-resilient and sustainable country.
Bibliography
Secondary Sources
Linda & Laila. (2022). Glacier Changes between 1976 and 2015 in the Source Area of the Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar. ResearchGate.
Thompson, M. (2022). “Technical and economic evaluation of an off-grid solar desalination system in Myanmar.” California Public Utilities Commission. ResearchGate.
Internet Sources
Win, T. (2022). Water shortages growing in Myanmar. Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Lei, L. (2019). 630,000 Without Adequate Potable Water as Summer Temps Soar. The Ayeyarwady.
Global Forest Watch. (2022). Myanmar Deforestation Rates and Statistics.
Water Environment Partnership in Asia- WEPA. (n.d.). Myanmar: state of water environmental issues.
Oxford Business Group. (2022). Government across the globe are tackling water scarcity through policy reform”. Oxford Business Group.