Vice President U Myint Swe delivered a speech at the 10th meeting of the National-Level Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Central Committee, which was held online from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
During the meeting, the Vice President said that the past nine sessions of the committee in the last four years could make a total of 121 decisions. Out of them, implementation of 72 decisions was already completed, and the remaining 49 are underway.
He said that it is crucial to complete the projects during the designated time as the earlier the projects finish, the more they benefit.
Extremely unsystematic expansion of towns and cities, industrial zones and farming around the world including Myanmar has been causing the increase of carbon dioxide emissions, ecological damage, forest degradation, habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade and rapid climate change.
As all people know, the effects and people’s actions are destructing the nature’s harmony and survival of living things and are treating sustainable development of the countries, he said.
He stressed the importance of taking major priority over effective environmental conservation, sustaining the ecological and environmental system, and avoiding ecological degradations caused by the implementation of development works in the country.
Environmental conservation is a long-term process, and the national-level committee is proudly carrying out the works in cooperation with Region/State committees.
For sustainable development of local and foreign investment businesses, it is imperative to effectively implement the works on environmental conservation and climate change in accordance with State policies, relevant strategic processes, environmental conservation laws, by-laws, rules and regulations and international norms, he added.
As a remarkable success, the committee could release Myanmar national environmental policy, “Strategy” and “Main Work Plan” on climate change, and national-level waste management strategy and main work programme.
He further said that improvement of investment projects and small and medium-sized businesses working with the framework set in line with environmental policy, strategy and main work plans.
Work on environmental conservation and reducing impacts from of climate change is a very wide process, he added calling for cooperation on drawing up and implementing of the plans on new sectors such as sustainability of natural resources, control of air pollution caused by factories, workplaces and urban development.
He added that a high wellbeing society would be made by conserving the environment, reducing climate change and maintaining the ecosystem.
It is essential to continuously and widely conduct awareness programmes about the policies and frameworks for private businesspersons and the public, and to check and take actions against permitted and licenced projects that failed to abide by issued directives, he said.
He urged the attendees to increase cooperation with international organizations in getting technical and financial assistance for implementation of international agreements signed by Myanmar.
Union Minister U Ohn Win said the matters relating to drawing up of long-term plans and strategic frameworks after finding out new environmental fields and effective implementation of environmental and ecosystem conservation, reduction of climate change and waste management.
Secretary of the National-Level Committee and Director-General of Environmental Conservation Department U Hla Maung Thein reported on the conditions of the resolutions made in the ninth meeting, working committees’ tasks, ongoing works and environmental conservation plans.
Members of the National-level Committee — Deputy Minister Dr Ye Myint Swe, Deputy Attorney-General U Win Myint and Nay Pyi Taw Council Member U Tin Tun — also discussed matters relating to the issuance of environmental assessment instructions on mining, hydroelectricity and petrol and gas sector and environmental conservation laws, by-laws and directives.
Chairpersons of the Region/State Supervision Committees detailed about the implementation of the decisions made in last meeting and ongoing works.
The attendees including Permanent Secretaries, directors-general and representatives of CSOs discussed the implementation of environmental conservation and reduction of climate change, ongoing plans, difficulties, cooperation with international organizations, awareness programmes, fundraising, chemical and waste management and sustainable development.
Secretary of the National-level Committee and Director-General of Environmental Conservation U Hla Maung Thein confirmed 16 decisions agreed and made by attendees during the 10th meeting.
The meeting was concluded after the Vice President, the Patron of the National-Level Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Central Committee, made remarks.
The following dignitaries and senior officials attended the virtual meeting: committee’s Chairman and the Union Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, U Ohn Win, Deputy Minister Dr Ye Myint Swe and Deputy Attorney-General U Win Myint and central committee members, the Chairperson of Nay Pyi Taw Council Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Supervising Committee, the permanent secretaries and the directors-general, the ministers of state/region governments who are the chairmen of Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Supervising Committees and secretaries, the members of six working committees, representatives of CSOs and NGOs, representatives of private businesses, departmental heads and officials. — MNA
(Translated by Kyaw Zin Tun)
