Project Description

Ayeyarwady Basin Exploratory Scoping Study

Donor/Partner: Australian Water Partnership (AWP) |    Duration: 2017-2018  |    Location: Myanmar

About: The Ayeyarwady River and its basin is home to some 70% of Myanmar’s population. Rapid economic development in recent years has led to increasing demand for water for irrigation, industrial purposes and household uses, as well as continued interest from the hydropower sector. The continued healthy functioning of the river is critical to the economic development and ecological health of the region, and sustainable solutions will require cross-sectoral strategic planning.

Under the wider Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management (AIRBM) Project the Ayeyarwady Basin Exploratory Scoping Study (BESS) was funded by AWP at the request of the Government of Myanmar, led by CSIRO and delivered by ICEM in partnership with eWater, Flow Matters, and Chiang Mai University. The BESS builds on the findings of the State of the Basin Assessment (SOBA), published in 2018, as well as scientific and grey literature, demonstrating techniques relevant to participatory strategic planning. A range of Myanmar technical and policy stakeholders participated in two sets of workshops which BESS organised in March and May 2018.

Objective: Contribute to integrated river basin management in Myanmar by generating new insights regarding opportunities and risks associated with alternative development pathways for the Ayeyarwady and improving capability of selected stakeholders and decision-makers to participate in basin management and planning.