Taninthayi and Ayeyarwady provinces in Myanmar have been chosen as pilot regions in integrating disaster and climate risk management as part of the regional development plans for 2014 –2015. The development plans are currently being finalized by the regional governments.
In mid-December, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center together with the Planning Department and Relief and Resettlement Department of Myanmar organized two workshops in Dawei and Pathein to discuss the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into the projects of the annual development plans and to define the specific actions.
Ayeyarwady province is prone to multiple hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and cyclones and it is important to include risk reduction considerations into the development plan, stated Ms. Daw Khin Aye Mu, Honorable Minister of Social Welfare from the Ayeyarwady region in her opening remarks. She further emphasized that the timing of workshop is opportune as the development plans are currently under preparation and the learnings from workshop can be integrated into the development plans.