GREEN LOTUS NGO MET THE NEW POLITICAL LEADERS OF MYANMAR
13/06/2016 | Posted in English blog, Myanmar News | By GL Team
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Last November 8th was an historical landmark for Myanmar with the first real free election since 1991. It was an unprecedented victory for NLD (Aung San Su Kiy’s party). The new government took charge on April 1st 2016 and already a lot of changes are carried out.
As a major promoter of green economy and green policies, Green Lotus Foundation has met some of the new political representatives of the country in NaypPyiTaw (the capital city) and in some regions in order to talk about a sustainable development for Myanmar and how to foster economical growth with environmentally and socially adapted solutions.
- Meeting with Union Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MALI) : U Aung Thu
H.E UM U Aung Thu welcomed Green Lotus team and expresses his satisfaction about our work for Myanmar. Many representatives of his office attended the meeting, including the Permanent Secretary, U Tin Htut.
Green Lotus chairman, Mr Jean-Marc Brûlé gave a presentation about environmental stakes in Myanmar and the potential of sustainable and organic agriculture, and renewable energies in rural areas. This presentation came along with an introduction on Green Lotus activities and achievements over its last 4 years of work in Myanmar.
The second part of the meeting dealt with the many environmental issues in Myanmar, particularly as regards the development of agriculture with potentialities of agro-ecology and organic production.
U Aung Thu favours agriculture capable of feeding Myanmar people on the one hand, and taking care of the environment and of the farmers on the other hand. He wished to avoid the pitfalls of intensive agriculture. The minister was also very interested in the presentation of solutions adapted to the Myanmar background in the field of renewable energies.
- Meeting with the Union Minister of Ministry of Natural resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) H.E U Ohn Winn
His Excellency U Ohn Winn was accompanied by U Nyi Nyi Kyaw, U Hla Maung Thein and U Than Hlaing, DGs & DGAs in charge of the different departments of the Ministry.
After presenting the activities of Green Lotus in Myanmar, Mr Brûlé put the emphasis on climate change, a major threat for the country, and on the outputs of the Myanmar delegation who went to Paris last December to attend COP 21. With the help of Green Lotus, civil society representatives have been enabled to take a wider part in the talks about climate change.
The Minister has welcomed warmly the activities and the work of Green Lotus whose expertise is recognized in the Ministry, particularly in the Department of the conservation of the environment (ECD). The Environment has become one of the priorities for the new government, thus strengthening the part played by MONREC. He has invited Green Lotus to take part in the activities of the Ministry and also to deliver lectures in the agricultural university (Yezin University), which is launching a training course in environmental sciences.
- Meeting with the Minister of Construction: U Win Khaing
Green Lotus said how it viewed the potentialities of eco-building in Myanmar and how town and country planning was an important tool for development.
The Minister presented the new objectives and missions of the Ministry of Construction as well as the directives given by the government. Priority is given to public housing for the poorest. He pointed out that some projects of the past in this field failed. The Ministry wishes to appeal to Green Lotus’s expertise in low cost public housing but whose conception, building and use would meet the international social and environmental standards.
Green Lotus presented the innovative pilot project that be financed mostly by the French Agency for Development (AFD) in a shanty district of Yangon (Dagon Seikkan). The team in charge of public housing and poor districts is very interested by this project of urban renovation and participative innovation, which is part of it, as a new method for a new democracy.
Green Lotus wishes to develop a partnership with MOC and set up a study trip to a famous eco-district in Europe to develop an innovative and good quality urban model for sustainable Myanmar towns.
- Meeting with the Parliamentary Committee in charge of International Relations.
The Chairman and several members of the Parliamentary Committee of International Relations have met the Green Lotus team to talk about the work done by the organization on environmental issues but also to expound views on the future of Myanmar and the best solutions the country could choose to develop. The number of international partnerships has increased during the last five years but Myanmar intends to protect its resources and heritage.
- Meeting with the Parliamentary Committee in charge of Natural Resources and of Environment.
The Head and many members of the Parliamentary Committee in charge of Natural Resources and the Environment have met Green Lotus inside the Parliament compound. It has been an opportunity to meet Green Lotus’s long time friends who have recently been elected Members of Parliament.
The Committee wishes that Green Lotus organized regularly training workshops about the stakes of climate change, environmental policies, the green economy and other themes for the Members of Parliament from the higher and lower assemblies.
Green Lotus has been warmly invited to visit the constituencies of Members of Parliament from the committee and organize trainings and awareness workshops about green issues and sustainable development.
- Meeting with the Governor of the Yangon Region: U Pyo Min Thein
The area of Yangon has the largest urban population of Myanmar; and environmental, social and economic stakes are very dramatic. The local authorities have to manage a large influx of migrants that increases the population of the poor districts. And at the same time the industrial growth of outward areas runs errantly without long-term planning.
Green Lotus presented its awareness and training activities on urban issues such as public transport, housing, energy efficiency, renewable energies, as well as its expertise in the fields of urban planning.
U Pyo Min Thein underlined the importance of common work, and of participation of citizens and of the youth.
Green Lotus has been invited to take part in the study about precarious districts, which has been launched this month by the regional government. Finding sustainable solutions for the inhabitants of those districts is one of the priorities of the new local government in line with the Green Lotus project financed by AFD.
- Meeting with the Governor of the Magwe Region: U Aung Moe Nyo
The Chief Minister of the Magwe Region is a long-standing friend of Green Lotus since he took part in training sessions for representatives organized by Green Lotus since February 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw.U Aung Moe Nyo has been interested in and aware of environmental issues in his country for a long time.
U Aung Moe Nyo has met the Green Lotus team with his nearest advisers and cabinet colleagues to talk about the issues the Magwe region will have to face in the years to come and now as regards climate change. Indeed, the Magwe area has been severely hit by the 2015 flooding and underwent draught during the dry season. In this agricultural region it is important to prepare the population for the natural risks they incur and to provide farmers with regular and sufficient income.
COP 21 : report of the visit of Myanmar Civil Society
12/04/2016 | Posted in EVENTS, Myanmar News | By Jean-Marc Brûlé
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Some news after COP 21 in Paris and Myanmar action
The Civil society in action
UNO has organized the Conference on Climate Change named 21st COP (Conference on Parties) in Paris from 30th November to 12nd December.
It is first time in history that Myanmar is REALLY actively taking part in a climate change Conference.
This year 2015, 14 people from different ministries (MOECAF, MOT, MOFA…) conveyed in an official delegation led by Union Minister of MOECAF, U Win Tun,
and then, numerous civil society delegates gathered as well, representing many fields: renewable energy, green policies, youth movement, indigenous people, biodiversity, organic farming, media, and so on.
Thanks to UNEP, French Embassy, and diverse few donors, Green Lotus NGO helps the presence of this delegation through invitations, through building useful appointments with institutions, politicians, NGO, medias, donors…, through discovering actions, ideas, solutions, through helping the gathering of all Myanmar nationals present in Paris as a collective Movement.
And, actually, our biggest challenge is for Myanmar to be seen as one force, to speak a collective voice. Precisely, during their stay in Paris, delegates found some time to talk to each other for the future cooperation and action for Myanmar. CSO delegates also had informal discussion with official delegate, mostly high officers of MOECAF.
But that was not enough, and there is still much to do to work as ONE.
After all these discussions, it appears that there is a strong will to built common tools of dialogue and action, to help Myanmar society debate on climate change, and to help develop new green policies, and implement green projects, especially economical ones.
Green Lotus would especially like to thank UNEP (throuh MCCA) and French Embassy through the cooperation service (SCAC) and IFB.
Green Lotus also would like to congratulate “Deutsche Welle” to have made possible the presence of four media representatives, and IPP to invite very dedicated representatives of indigenous people of Myanmar at Paris COP 21.
Here follows a list of different relevant meetings to have been organised by Green Lotus for Myanmar delegates :
Meetings organized by Green Lotus for Myanmar CSO delegates
1)Paris Regional Parliament, politicians and high-rank officers :
An occasion to talk about the evolution of cities like Yangon and Mandalay, to hear some lessons of the experience of Paris Region on how to become a green urban area, with efficient masterplanning. Also to promote possible “decentralized cooperation” partnerships between Myanmar cities and french regions in the future.
2) PLAN NGO (United State)
This is a big US NGO, actually settling down right in Myanmar, and who want to focus and social improvement, empowerment of children, combined with Climate Change adaptation policies. We should meet next time in Myanmar.
3) Info-Birmanie
The french association that has work longtime to promote Human Rights & Democracy in Myanmar, is happy to meet the first time civil society delegation of the country to come to France. They intend in the future to focus on the links between green issues and social justice, and then human rights to be protected, considering the future dramas to be caused by Climate Change.
4) SENATE (french high chamber of Parliament) :
The different topics of discussion were : green policies, green economy, possible “decentralized cooperation” partnerships between regions of France and Myanmar.
The delegates were received by several senators, including members of the France-South East Asia friendship Group.
5) “Solutions Gallery” FAIR
diverse companies and technologies
6) AFD (Pierre Arnaud Barthel)
French Aid Institution,
working on sustainable urban development
7) ASEAN
8) Action Aid
9) GRET
10) Michele Bonneton, President of French Myanmar Friendship Group at National Assembly
11) Visiting AlternatiBa
delegate of Myanmar CSO visited to AlternatiBa Movement,
https://alternatiba.eu/en/
12) Foundation Nicolas Hulot (Marion Cohen)
13) HBS (Henirich Boll Foundation)
15) French Foreign Affairs Ministry
Meeting with French Foreign Ministry representatives. Discussion about future potential green projects and challenges of Myanmar.
+ Conferences organized by Green Lotus
Green Lotus organized two conferences about Challenges and Potential of Myanmyar on green issues and green economy.
1) at the conference hall of SNCF (French Railways) on 4th of December, 2015.
2) inside COP 21, at the “Generation Climate” Area, on 10th of December, 2015.
3) + projection of the documentary about Myanmar by Jane Schinasi : “The Hope Bearers”, with the participation of : organic leader Ei Khin Khin, Win Thura, Khaing Du Wan of Need, Yin Myo Su of Inle Princess Hotel,
+ Jean-Marc Brulé & the team of Green Lotus
First eco-construction conference in Myanmar last November
08/04/2016 | Posted in EVENTS, Myanmar News | By GL Team
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On the 19th of November 2015, more than 300 participants attended the conference held at Yangon City Hall. They were mainly YCDC Committee members and civil servants, business sector representatives, CSOs representatives, professors, students and citizen from Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw. TV and journalists came in order to interview the speakers. The Irrawaddy magazine gave its support as media partner for the event.
here are all the presentations of the day :
1. Cities and the Challenge of Climate Change- Urban Adaptation and Mitigation by Linda J. Yarr, of PISA, George Washington University
2 GL Green construction by Jean-Marc Brûlé, Green Lotus
3. YCDC Sustainable Housing – Copy by U Toe Aung, deputy Director of Urban Planning, YCDC (Yangon City)
4 MAx Myanmar Green by U Tay Zar Aung Lwin, Director General, Max Myanmar Construction Co., Ltd.
5 AREP Présentation_GreenLotus by Antoine Mougenot, Director General of AREP (french urban agency) for South-East-Asia
6 Presentation Chaw Kalyar 19112015 by Chaw Kalyar, of Green Building Committee, Building Engineering Institute
7 Terao Myanmar – Green Building presentation by Valentin Grimaud, TERAO China (french green construction company)
8 John jic_yangon – Copy by John I. Carruthers, George Washington University, Planning for Quality of Life
9 Jack Green Lotus Finegan UNH revised, « Policies, rules and regulations », by Jack Finegan, UN HABITAT
10 Archetype_Michel Cassagnes_TGC Presentation, by m Cassagnes, Archetype architect company
Squatters and informal settlements in Yangon: a reality that YCDC and the government cannot elude any longer
08/04/2016 | Posted in Myanmar News | By GL Team
Commentaires fermés sur Squatters and informal settlements in Yangon: a reality that YCDC and the government cannot elude any longer
CONTEXT
With economic growth and rapid urbanization in the Greater Yangon – former political capital and largest city in the country – the attractiveness of the city is stronger and even more for rural populations, which are facing natural disasters and climate change recurrently.
With more than 300,000 people moving to Yangon from the countryside every year, the need for accommodation is surging, while the government’s attempts to provide affordable apartments are failing because they are not affordable enough, according to a report released by Myanmar Real Estate Services Association.
Urban planning lacks a global and encompassing vision and cannot solve a problem already well established. Indeed, facing a severe lack of infrastructure, housing, basic services (water, electricity), the growing number of migrants seeking for a better future swell in the marginal fringes of Yangon.
The Urban and Housing Development Department has built some apartments, still not fast enough to assimilate the growth of the population and migrations. The problem is the land plots are expensive and there is at the moment no pre-emptive right so the UHDD can build only on public lands, and therefore, the options are limited.
Another issue is the price of the land, that makes housing expensive and even “affordable housing” is pricey. For instance, the newly built Ayeyawun-Yadanar affordable apartments are priced between Ks 60 million and Ks 120 million per unit.
LIVING UNDER THE THREAT OF EVICTION
According to a UNICEF report (2013) in the “typical” poor household the husband works on a daily basis, in construction across the whole Yangon Greater City. Women are more likely to work in factories or sell food items as mobile sellers in the streets of their ward and sometimes closer to downtown. The poorest households in peri-urban areas earn generally under 5000MMK/day. Besides, their income is highly seasonal and irregular.
Squatters are living in exposed places of residence that are frequently flooded and where there is insecurity of tenure. Houses that are made of temporary materials (bamboo, sheet metal, plastic) and often have to be fixed.
In urban areas people have expenses for housing, water, electricity, transport to school and work and the cost of food and clothing is higher than in rural areas. Besides food, housing, and education, health cost can pull families in the debt circle and moneylenders charge them 20% per month interest.
Yangon authorities are accused of regularly cracking down on what are considered illegal squatter areas. Often, security forces are ordered to forcibly evict slums, an approach that activists say violates the poor’s land and tenure rights.
Last January authorities twice sent police and bulldozers to clear squatters communities on the outskirts of Yangon, destroying hundreds of homes and condemning families to the streets.
So far not so many organisations are working on these areas and with squatters. Women for the World and Thone Pan Hla are two not-for-profit organisations that have been working on housing solutions and improving living conditions for slums dwellers and garment workers. UN-Habitat and some INGO have been included urban poverty reduction in their agendas.
There is hope that the incoming NLD government will end the forced eviction of squatters and controversial land grabs. Actually NLD official Parliament speaker has said affordable housing and squatters will be one of the top priority on NLD agenda.
U Aung Myint (REAM) interview for 7 Day Daily
14/12/2015 | Posted in Myanmar News | By admin
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*Caption: U Aung Myint in a Workshop scene*
U Aung Myint is a National Energy Management Committee (NEMC) member in present who has already participated in making Energy Policy Draft making in President U Thein Sein Period. He also participated in the Environmental Conservation Law drawing. He encourages generating Green Energy. He objects to Climate Change causing Non-clean Energy Electricity Power Generating Functions. For Energy Requirement in Myanmar, National Level Energy Policy, and Government’s Functions on Coal Plant Electricity Power Works driving to Natural Environment Pollution that was aimed in order to extend than before was interviewed by the 7 Day news journal to U Aung Myint as follows:
As you also involved in Myanmar Energy Policy Draft drawing, how is your view on Annual Estimation of Energy Requirement by the Government?
If you are really going to estimate something, you need on ground data of REAL LIFE in time. The estimation they made was only calculated on 30% EP delivery done in Myanmar lack of what People Grassroots really survive by self-hood, i.e., self-reliance, its current situation, and capability status People work nowadays were omitted, so that is the point, the big weakness.
Then how impact could be tailed to such big weakness?
Potential Impacts to be tailed may be events that happen today in Thailand Mekong Region due to its non-cohesion with practical true life with the aimed Energy Requirement. Over-estimation rather than in need of Energy Requirement were made, much money use-easy that drives to Loan-taking but real in need is not as its estimation; this gap would lead to have Loss that People are going to suffer from Debt Crisis. Therefore observation detail is essential. We could better watch in practice than words play. There also Government said what happening in Thailand; if Energy Requirement estimations and decisions were not in accord with Live practice, implementation would delay; and debt possible. Who will pay for the debt? People. That may become a little worry full condition.
Besides Money Loss what else may result from EP Over-estimation. Any other Backlash?
Generating EP and Power Supply, every function we do, has direct relationship with natural environment because the main culprit of today Hot Issue Global Warming is ENERGY. To get Energy, Coal Power Plant EP Supply gives environment extreme impacts and Big Hydro Power too. Over-exploitation damaged nature dreadfully in terrible Backlash that make Globe warm driving Climate Changes. So each and every Strategic Function needs to be well-cared with wise consideration. Environment would be affected horribly in practice, so that every energy-related Development Works should be estimated situations well in advance by thoughtful considerations to be efficient and to be effective in detail observations.
Is there any International Loan Government taken for EP Generating and Delivery?
Loans a lot; there was US$ 60 million Loan for Gridlines and System Repair last year and Parliament approved; US$ 400 million for EP Development from World Bank and approved too; US$ 310 million for Generating EP and 90 million for Gridline Repair Application said the news. What I am afraid is though Loans were with no interest rate but there are inflation. It is important to implement Projects for borrow-effective otherwise People would become Loan Loaded Public-in –Burden.
UNFCC worked their countries’ Carbon Reduction Report this year. We Myanmar Department of Environmental Conservation already sent the Report too that Carbon Emission Reduction to do in Energy Sector was mentioned. If so Coal Power Plant, the Pollutant to Environment to extend more mentioned in Government Policy, both statements do not cohesive, so what, your opinion?
The Department of Environmental Conservation has drawn Projects to mitigate Climate Change and they are very good. But one thing; not adequate enough to implement the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry solo. All Ministries to involve, the co-work is needy. How it could be done in practice is missing. Every Government Departments need to work together united.
As Parliament confirmed to generate EP more from Coal, so what would you like to send a message to current nationwide won NLD-led Government?
That is, *Government Whosoever May Be, To COMPREHEND the « Scientific Real Life » Situation Is NEEDY. There are today Renewable Energy Domestic Users self-applied. How would they be encouraged? Which one to substitute instead of Coal Exploitation? It is really so fearful. As Energy is in need, real Strategic Plan Projects to draw is required but in proper comprehension needy. What other nation happening to watch and observe carefully is needed. *
NLD Election Declaration was mentioned Economic Development. For this purpose, Energy is needed. What will we do to be the least of Environmental Impact when Energy is generated?
For Economic Development, it is certain Energy needy but Myanmar needs Energy to People’s demand. It is neither possible to give it very much EP size in advance nor the lessened to do. There is Centralized Control System in present, so that Public involved, i.e., the Decentralized to reform is needed. Energy kinds such as Wind, Solar, Hydro, etc. to categorize are needed. Moreover Energy Loss, Energy Efficiency should be more carefully conducted rather than Energy Estimation made more amount than it what really in need. Both technically and strategically we have to do seriously.
Is there any false Energy Policy defined in current President’s Period? If so, which ones pls.
Look at the outcomes and you can see rather than saying true or false mainly. Myanmar is the Lowest Electricity Power Application Country and the Least EP Supply nation in Southeast Asia. This fact was pretty stuck for so many years long. Though time was taken already, not change able yet was responsibility taken was in control. Not available to provide Technology, Capital Fund for investment for People need. Procedure, Laws, Rules and Regulations implementation were weak. Rural Lighting Law, Small Power Producer Law, etc. are still weakened and not well-clarified that result step forward-hard.
7 Day Daily
Article in Burmese here
8 novembre 2015 : Grand jour pour le Myanmar !
08/11/2015 | Posted in Myanmar News | By Jean-Marc Brûlé
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Qu’on le veuille ou non, la Birmanie vit aujourd’hui un aboutissement à la fois logique et inattendu d’une révolution tranquille. Un jour d’élections générales qui vont permettre à ce grand pays de devenir officiellement dès demain lundi une « démocratie ». Non pas un petit paradis où coule le lait et le miel, simplement une nation où l’on est (en gros) libre de ses opinions, (en gros) libre de les exprimer, et où existe (en gros) un débat politique permanent sur tous les sujets. Et où, dès aujourd’hui, se déroulent régulièrement des élections à peu près libres et équitables.
Ni plus ni moins que la France, l’Inde ou les Etats-Unis.
Dans ces 3 derniers pays, à diverses récentes élections, il y eut un peu de fraude, il y eut un peu de truquerie, il y eut des minorités empêchées de voter. Et il y a, encore et toujours, du clientélisme et de la corruption…
C’est ce que nous disons toujours à nos amis birmans dès qu’ils se plaignent (et ils ont raison !) : « Et bien oui, vous êtes une démocratie, maintenant… ».
Dans une démocratie, quand on veut nuire à quelqu’un (un rival politique), on essaie de tricher. Dans une dictature, on essaie de le tuer.
Pourquoi rappeler cela ? Parce que, quand on tente une analyse politique, il est toujours bon de comparer, à l’aune de l’Histoire. Et, à l’aune de l’Histoire de l’Humanité et de ses systèmes politiques, la révolution démocratique birmane bat des records de vitesse et de tranquillité. Et le citoyen birman de base, a, pour aller toujours plus loin, besoin qu’on lui témoigne estime et admiration pour la victoire dont il hérite aujourd’hui, après des décennies de patience et de résistance non-violente. Et non pas qu’on décrète que – juché sur notre pupitre post-colonialiste occidental – la Birmanie n’est toujours pas une démocratie parce qu’elle n’a pas encore atteint les sommets de suavité et de transparence du Danemark de la série « Borgen »…
Oui, de 2011 à aujourd’hui, la Birmanie est devenue une démocratie, sans violences excessives, et surtout en ayant passé le point de non-retour, malgré tout ce qu’on peut dire sur Tatmadaw (l’armée), dont le sort devrait logiquement suivre le destin de l’armée indonésienne. Et avoir moins de pouvoir arbitraire que – par exemple – l’armée thailandaise, ou encore l’armée américaine (qui a tout de même lancé deux guerres d’Irak pour « rendre service » aux lobbies militaro-industriel et pétrolier).
Pourquoi préciser tout cela ?
Parce que le débat politique birman porte déjà sur d’autres thématiques. Si les hauts-gradés de Tatmadaw ont si facilement laissé tomber la dictature, c’est bien qu’ils se sont massivement convertis en hommes d’affaires, investisseurs, propriétaires terriens et immobiliers. Et que leur enrichissement futur est la source des futures injustices sociales, des futurs drames écologiques que pourraient connaître ce pays.
Oui, il faut dire que les prochains enjeux de droits de l’Homme dans ce pays sont maintenant liés au modèle de développement, à la lutte contre la corruption, aux choix économiques qui seront faits. Heureusement, sur toutes ces questions, la bouillonnante société civile veille. La même qui a permis, après des décennies de lutte, la victoire des droits de l’Homme et de la démocratie.
Et qui passe aujourd’hui à une autre étape.
Quant aux résultats du jour, là aussi, ne boudons pas notre plaisir : la NLD va remporter un raz-de-marée et être en position de force pour construire la « réconciliation nationale » que tout le monde attend. Ca va prendre quelques mois, avec les cris et les coups de théâtre que toute démocratie connaît bien, mais cela va aboutir, car aucune force politique birmane n’a d’autre choix que de participer.
Alors, oui, aujourd’hui, savourons dans les rues de Yangon et d’ailleurs, cette belle victoire qu’on a tant attendu, que l’on soit citoyen birman ou militant démocrate occidental.
Et demain, portons d’autres combats, dans les domaines sociaux et écologiques, ou celui du dialogue inter-religieux et inter-ethnique.
Et surtout face au changement climatique, qui est sûrement le plus grand défi de l’Histoire qui attend ce pays, comme pour le reste de la planète.
Le premier des droits de l’Homme, ce serait peut-être maintenant de ne pas mourir du fait des choix productifs et consuméristes, portés d’abord jusque-là par… les démocraties occidentales !!
Participatory conference on Yangon’s future: « Let’s draft a green Yangon! »
18/02/2015 | Posted in Myanmar News | By admin
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« Let’s draft a green Yangon ! », first participatory conference to be held in Yangon City Hall since decades, was organised by Green Lotus, Gaihahita and YCDC on Friday 30 January 2015.
More than 150 people attended speeches about several topics, among which Yangon’s mayor His Excellency U Hla Myint, and Yangon Heritage Trust chairman, Thant Myint U, followed by two panel discussions around city resilience to climate change and Yangon’s masterplanning.
The afternoon gathered the participants from ministries, civil society and foreign companies around maps of the Kyauktada township, where they launched discussions on waste management, energy, building and heritage, gender, transport … to spot issues and discuss solutions. Cartoonists divided on each workshop illustrated the debates and made the restitutions clear and enjoyable for the entire audience.
Click here to download the full report of the day
Access the pictures of the day by clicking here
Download the speakers’s presentation below:
Urban Resilience in Myanmar – Dr. Kyaw Thu, United Nations Human Settlement Programme
Citizens in changing cities – Bruno Rebelle, Transitions
Watch a reportage from MITV below:
Green Lotus talks about world organic market at MOAG Ceremony
08/12/2014 | Posted in Myanmar News | By admin
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The Myanmar Organic Agriculture Group (MOAG) organized, on December 6th, a ceremony at Tan Win Garden Hotel where attended around 200 people. Several Myanmar’s farmers have been rewarded with Organic Agriculture’s Certification in front of medias, specialists, government officials and other key-actors.
As a specialist of Organic Agriculture, Green Lotus has been invited to make a speech on the description as well as the developing conditions of the world organic market. It was the occasion for Mr Yves Marry, Green Lotus’ Head of Mission, to insist on the future development of this market and its substantial potential for Myanmar. The world organic market has known, for the past 30 years, an incredible growth. And the future seems to be as good as the past with a potential growth worldwide expected at 20% for the year 2014.
Not only the Organic Agriculture is good for local farmers. It is also a good opportunity for the populations to have safe food and traceability, for the economy to develop in a sustainable way and for the country to preserve its unique and un-valuable environment. Myanmar Organic Agricultural actors have already developed a high sense of consciousness as well as a strong expertise on these issues but the lack of support from public institutions as well as international organisations limit them in their actions.
However, while the production of organic goods is approximately shared among all countries, Europe and Northern America concentrate almost all the consumption (95%). Developing countries producing organic goods export most of it. Thus, at this stage, the World Organic Market is failing to answer an international Division of Labour unfavourable to the developing countries. Export has consequences in terms of climate change (pollution from transport) and the organic production is above all some quality in the plate, which should not be available only for rich countries – in fact healthy population in rich countries.
Green Lotus advocates for a local market of Organic goods, as organic is already here but simply need certification, and because awareness is high enough to ensure a good level of internal demand.
At the end of his presentation, Yves Marry has been honoured to receive a prize from MOAG for Green Lotus’ actions in favour of Organic Agriculture and Green Growth in Myanmar.
Presentation on world organic market and conclusions for Myanmar
Statement from GGPs 2nd Committee: Priority should be given to Smale and Medium scale hydropower
14/11/2014 | Posted in Myanmar News | By admin
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Declaration from 2nd Session of Green Growth Platform on « Investing in Climate change adaptation & Climate change », on Saturday 18th of October 2014, chaired by U Tun Lwin, Climate Change Watch’s Chairman
Energy is a prerequisite to sustainable socio-economic development. A lack of access to, and insufficient supplies of, electricity are currently hindering Myanmar’s economic growth and social development.
There is a growing consensus that Myanmar should adopt an approach that employs both centralized and decentralized generating solutions in order to address chronic electricity shortages and achieve the stated goal of universal electrification by 2030 in a manner that is rapid, sustainable and cost-efficient. Emerging government electrification policies, however, appear to favor a centralized approach that may not ultimately be in the best economic, political, social and environmental interests of the country.
Hydropower will play a critical role in helping Myanmar address and overcome now chronic energy shortages to sustain economic growth and social development for decades to come. The majority of the hydropower projects currently being planned are large in scale (>100MW). The construction and operation of large-scale hydropower projects will likely be accompanied by irreversible and significant negative impacts, economically, politically, socially, environmentally. A growing body of evidence from the United Nations and numerous reputable scientific and academic journals draws into serious question the economic and environmental sustainability of large-scale hydropower projects.
Small and medium-scale hydropower projects represent a more sustainable, economically viable and socially acceptable alternative to large-scale hydropower projects. This is particularly true for Myanmar given the country’s substantial renewable freshwater resources, only 5% of which have been exploited, and the population’s high-level of dependence of wild-capture fisheries for national food security.
In order for Myanmar to accelerate and sustain economic growth and social development, public, private and non-profit stakeholders must cooperate to:
1) Develop and employ objective and holistic evaluation methods that will help ensure the immediate benefits of hydropower development are not exceeded by future costs, economically, environmentally or politically; and
2) Develop legal frameworks and investment mechanisms to attract investment from both domestic and foreign investors into small and medium-scale hydropower projects.
Conference on « Myanmar’s awakening » in French national Parliament
14/11/2014 | Posted in Myanmar News | By admin
Commentaires fermés sur Conference on « Myanmar’s awakening » in French national Parliament
On 13 October 2014, Mr Jean-Marc Brûlé, Green Lotus chairman, participated to a strategic conference on Myanmar’s economic future, organized by Abitio.
Many French decision makers, such as Secretary of State in charge of International trade and Members of the Parliament attended this important event for Myanmar and French relation.
Mr Brûlé starts his intervention on environmental stakes in Myanmar’s economic potential at 54′.
Green Lotus thanks Abitio for their interesting and successful initiative!