About GEGG (Green Economy Green Growth)

THE VISION: URGENT BOLD GREEN GROWTH TOWARDS TRANSFORMATIONAL GREEN PARADIGM.

The GEGG Sixth Forum continues to support the objective of the Green Economy Green Growth, GEGG Myanmar (not for profit) and non-political Association “To expeditiously promote green economy green growth in Myanmar and foster national and international cooperation” www.geggmyanmar.org

The Sixth Forum celebrated the Tenth Anniversary of the inception of GEGG and the Fifth Anniversary of the Endorsement of AIGE ASEAN Institute for Green Economy, by ASEAN Heads of State/ Governments at the 25th.ASEAN Summit in November 2014, Nay Pyi Taw. AIGE, an ASEAN Charter Entity is located at and supported by GEGG, as mandated in the ASEAN ToR.

The Sixth GEGG Form importantly celebrates the Centennial Year of the founding of UMFCCI, Union of Myanmar federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, it has become the apex private sector not for profit organization in the country. To underscore the close collaboration with GEGG, the Yangon Segment was organized at the UMFCCI HQ in Yangon and with the UMFCCI President, six senior Leadership spoke at the Sixth Forum.

During the past decade and accelerating recently, there is unprecedented convergence of major inter-connected global changes, many are increasingly known and are irreversible.

An increasing number of scientific reports and expanding global empirical evidence point to major systems and systemic changes, with dire consequences for the inextricably linked social, human health and wellbeing, economic, financial, and ecological sustainability, with overarching impacts on human, national and global security, in particular with food security and safety. The Reports include the October 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels; June 2019 U.S. Global Change Research Program Climate Science Special Report (CSSR); Jan 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment. US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. With improved knowledge and awareness, there is intensifying and growing global public actions, in particular by students, stressing the existential risks and threats and the urgent need for actions. There is growing international consensus on the imperative need now for expeditious actions and transitions toward a Green Paradigm. Business as usual, procrastinations and silo approaches are woefully inadequate to meet the scope, scale and speed of the mega transformations and threats. And importantly, do not adequately identify multiple benefits of expanding green opportunities, and opening of new windows and doors.

The Sixth GEGG Forum emphasize the imperative urgency and need for bold, visionary, holistic, policies, strategies and solutions that are integrated and aligned. The integration requires not only of disciplines, but also of sectors and stakeholders, with alignment of institutions. Furthermore, development needs to be considered in conjunction with investments.   The GEGG 6 theme is Green Investments and Development— Now. The two –day Nay Pyi Taw segment  address Policy and Strategy and is aligned with the one-day Yangon segment at UMFCCI, that will  focus on  moving forward Policy and Strategy from WHAT to HOW solutions and actions.

The Agenda consisted of elements clustered into transformative building blocks that are driving green transitions. These building blocks include Increasing Natural Resource Use Efficiency; Next Generation Energy leading towards “ Decarbonization”; Preparing and Unleashing 5G; Promoting Smart Materials; Innovative Financing and Economic Instruments; Transformation and translational Vocational Capacity Building. The Yangon segment discuss initiatives to implement the building blocks. Two mutually supportive mechanisms were proposed to accelerate and support transition to a transforming Green Paradigm: an Enabling Collaborative Platform to motivate, promote, support and fast-track innovation, inventions and competitiveness to provide Strategic Policies and Advice, and the Myanamr Green Resource Institute, with five aligned Centers of Excellence, to drive and revolutionize innovative use and stewardship of Resources. The concept of ‘agrohortiforestry” , integrating  agriculture, horticulture and forestry, and demonstrating the multiple benefits. The two mechanisms will support the implementation of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (2018-2030)

The Sixth GEGG Forum provided al Framework of Vision; Holistic and  Integrated Concept, Policy and Strategy Determinants; Building blocks for Actions; and two supporting Platforms to pilot test and demonstrate the efficacy of the holistic and Framework for fast transition towards a new Green Paradigm.

And provide the impetus for new and increased investment and development opportunities.

GEGG Forums do not have any Entrance or Conference fees and are free by invitation. Please contact <info@GEGGmyanmar.org>

 

NAY PYI TAW SEGMENT AT MICC 2

Transformational Policies and Strategies

Accelerating Green Transition

4 FEBRUARY 2020 DAY 1

7 to 7.45 Registrations at MICC 2
 
SESSION 1
8.00 to 9.00 OPENING
  • Opening Address

H.E U Ohn Win, Union Minister for Natural Resources & Environmental Conservation

  • Welcome Remarks
  • E Dr. U Aung Thu, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation
  • U Thein Tun, Chairman, GEGG (not for profit) Association
  • Myo Thet, Vice- President, UMFCCI
  • Launch of National Waste Management Strategy and Master Plan

Brief Presentation

9.00 to 9.30 Photo Session
9.30 to 10.00 COFFEE BREAK

PRE SESSIONS BRIEF UPDATES BY GEGG (NOT FOR PROFIT) ASSOCIATION

SESSION 2
10.00 to 12.00 EMINENT PERSONS ROUNDTABLE DIALOGUE ACCELERATING TRANSFORMATIVE GREEN PARADIGM — Challenges and Opportunities
  • Chair & Keynote H.E Dr. Set Aung, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Planning and Finance
  • U Hla Maung Thein, DG Environmental Conservation Dept. MONREC(TBC)
  • Huub Buise, Deputy Ambassador the Netherlands Embassy in Myanmar
  • Gordon Johnson, UNDP Resident Representative .a.i
  • Daw Chaw Khin Khin, Group CEO MCC Myanmar Computer Co. Ltd. Group
  • U Ye Min Aung, Vice-President UMFCCI
  • Teri Allendorf, Assistant Scientist, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. & Research Associate, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

 

12.00 to 13.30 LUNCH Hosted by U Thein Tun, Chairman GEGG (not for profit) Association

Special Lunch Keynote H.E Prof. Dr. Myo Thein Gyi Union Minister for Education

 

SESSION 3
13.30 to 15.00 NEXT GENERATION NEW, CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION.
  • Chair & Speaker Natee Sithiprasasana , Vice Chairman, Renewable Energy Industry Club, Federation of Thai Industries, “Green Investments And Development – Now”
  • (By skype) Keynote Speaker Prof Dr. Devinder Mahajan, Professor and Graduate Program Director Chemical & Molecular Engineering , Stony Brook University, State University of New York; Director, Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology (I-GIT) Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC), “Low to Zero Carbon Projects for Countries Whose Economies are in Transition”
  • Dang Thi Thu Hoai, Director of Department on Sectoral Policy Studies, Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM)- Vietnam, “Promoting renewable energy for low carbon development in Vietnam: Issues and challenges”
  • Col (Retd) Thoung Win, ” Renewable Energy and EE and C opportunities in Myanmar”
  • U Tint Lwin, Director, Ministry of Energy and Electricity

 

SESSION 4
15.00 to 16.30 PROMOTING INTEGRATED NATURAL MATERIALS, RESOURCES, COMPOSITES
  • Chair & Speaker Dr.Peter King, Senior Policy Advisor, Institute for Global Environmental Studies, IGES, Hayama, Japan “What would nature do? Natural Resource Efficiency.
  • Flip van Koesveld, Wageningen University & Research Plant Sciences, Field Crops “System Thinking as the basis for successful soil-based horticultural sector innovation”
  • Laura Vickers,  Senior Lecturer in Plant Biology, Crops and Environmental Sciences  Harper Adams University,  Newport,  Shropshire, UK “Integrating processes and natural resources, case studies of exemplar circular economy approaches“
  • U Soe Win Zaw, Co-Founder& Operations Director Pounamu Bamboo Design & Construction Co. “The Bamboo Circular Economy”
  • Emeritus Professor George Rothschild, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich – Medway Campus, Chatham Maritime, Kent UK “Crop Production, Crop Protection and Human Health – Implications for a Green Economy and Green Growth in Myanmar”

 

 

SESSION 5
16.30 to 18.00 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE & RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT
  • Chair & Keynote H.E Dr. U Kyaw Linn, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Construction
  • U Shwe Thein, Executive Director, Land Core Group, Myanmar, “Holistic, Integrated Sustainable, Resilient, Inclusive, Equitable, Smart Growth”
  • Terilyn D. Allendorf, Assistant Scientist, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. & Research Associate, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, “Communities, conservation, and a green economy”
  • Nicholas Cox, Country Director, WWF-Myanmar, “Improving infrastructure and protecting nature in Myanmar”
  • Larry. C Wong, Co-Founder Myanmar Praxis Pte. Ltd, “Green Infrastructures Towards Sustainable Food System”

 

5 FEBRUARY, DAY 2

SESSION 6
8.30 to 10.00.INNOVATIVE FINANCING AND ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS FOR ACCELERATING POLICIES AND ACTIONS AND ESTABLISHING A RESOURCE FACILITY TO SUPPORT FAST TRANSITIONS TO TRANSFORMATIVE GREEN PARADIGM 
  • Chair & Keynote Dr. Tin Htut, Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation
  • Peter Brimble, Senior Technical Advisor, DaNa Facility; Former Principal Country Specialist, ADB Myanmar
  • Singay Dorji, Chief Technical Specialist Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Unit UNDP, Myanmar, “Bioprospecting –  an Innovative Financing Opportunity for Conservation and Sustainable Development”
  • Tun Thura Thet, Central Executive Member UMFCCI & CEO Myanmar Information Technology
  • U Aung Nanda, Chairman, Myanmar Environmental Assessment Association, “Strengthening Environmental Governance to support to Transformative Green Paradigm; Gap Analysis from EMS ISO 14001: 2015 Perspective”

 

SESSION 7
10.00 to 11.30 HUMAN RESOURCE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL GREEN PARADIGM
  • Chair & keynote U Win Khaing Moe, DG, Dept. of Research & innovation, Ministry of Education, “Human Resource for Transformational Green Paradigm”
  • Dr, Han Pyo Aung, Executive Director, Myanmar Farmers Academy, “Horticultural Farming in Myanmar: Opportunities and Challenges with an Emphasis on Farm Workforce”
  • Bach Tan Sinh Director, Division of Journal and Publication, Department of Science Administration and Education. Vietnam Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Hanoi, Transformational Policies and Strategies Provisional Framework Accelerating Green Transition
  • Thumrongrut Mungcharoen Sustainable Development Advisor, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand, 2 Secretary General, Thai Sustainable Consumption and Production Network, 3 Associate Professor, Kasetsart University, Thailand, “Circular Economy Course for Higher Education in Thailand”
  • Zaw Naing , Managing Director, Mandalay Technology & Development, General Secretary, Zanaka Education Foundation, “Human Resource for Transformational Green Paradigm”

 

SESSION 8
11.30 to12.00 BRIEF SUMMARY HIGHLIGHS
  • Nay Htun GEGG Founder & Hon Patron, Former UN Assistant Secretary General UNDP, UNEP

 

SESSION 9
12.00 CLOSING
 
12.30 LUNCH Hosted by U Thein Tun, Chairman GEGG (not for profit) Association
14.00 LEAVE MICC 2 BY COACH FOR YANGON

 

YANGON SEGMENT AT UMFCCI

Accelerating WHAT to HOW SOLUTIONS & PRACTICES.

For Green Implementation

State of the Art Technologies and Management, Traditional & indigenous Knowledge

6 FEBRUARY DAY 3
SESSION 10
9.00 to 09.45 OPENING
  • Opening Address

 H.E U. Bharat Singh, Deputy Union Minister, Ministry for Investments and Foreign Economic Relations 

  • Welcome Remarks
  • E U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister, Yangon Regional Government
  • U Thein Tun, Chairman, GEGG (not for profit) Association
  • U Zaw Min Win, President, UMFCCI

 

Photo Session 
09.45 to 10.00 COFFEE BREAK
 
SESSION 11
10.00 TO 11.15 DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING 5G, GREEN BUILDINGS & INFRASTRUCTURES.
  • Chair U Sun Oo, President Myanamr Architects Council.
  • U Soe Win Zaw, Co-Founder& Operations Director Pounamu Bamboo Design & Construction Co. “Hybrid Natural Construction”
  • U Kyaw Moe Naing, MD. Myanmar EaseNet & Kristlite Lighting Specialist Co, “Design and Constructing 5G, Green Buildings and Infrastructures”
  • U Aung Khaing Nyi Division Head E&S Div. Shwe Taung Building Materials, “How Green Buildings can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: Junction City”
  • Dr Thumrongrut Mungcharoen Sustainable Development Advisor, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand, 2 Secretary General, Thai Sustainable Consumption and Production Network, 3 Associate Professor, Kasetsart University, Thailand, “Pilot Study on Certification of Green Homes Drawing Plans in Thailand”

 

 

SESSION 12
 11.15 TO 12.30 BEYOND ORGANIC HORTICULTURE, AND TOWARDS “AGROHORTIFORESTRY”
  • Chair & Keynote Laura Vickers, Senior Lecturer in Plant Biology, Crops and Environmental Sciences  Harper Adams University,  Newport,  Shropshire, UK
  • (By Skype) Tomek de Ponti, Business Innovator – Food Security & Sustainable Productivity, Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra) – Wageningen UR, The Netherlands, “System Thinking as the basis for successful soil-based horticultural sector innovation”
  • Hla Aung  Vice Chairman Organic Affair Committee) Myanmar Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Producer and Exporter Association (MFVP) , Chairman Association of Myanmar Organic Farm Movement (AMMOFM) “The Green World Project”
  • Emeritus Professor George Rothschild, Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich – Medway Campus, Chatham Maritime, Kent UK, “Transforming Crop Protection in Myanmar to meet the Challenges of increasing Pesticide Misuse”
  • Dr.Khin Thida Myint, Head Department of Horticulture , Yezin Agricultural University, “Sustainable Horticultural Crop Production for Green Growth”
  • Larry . C Wong, Co-Founder Myanmar Praxis Pte. Ltd, “Transforming Towards a Sustainable Food System to Feed the Future: Some Reflections”

 

 

12.30 to 13.30 LUNCH
  • Lunch Hosted by U Zaw Min Win, President, UMFCCI

“Roundtable discussion on private sector role and commitment towards a Transformative New Green Paradigm”

 

SESSION 13
13.30 to 14.45 ROUND TABLE PANEL  NEW AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREEN, SAFE, HEALTHY LIVING & WELLBEING.
  • Chair & Speaker Dr.Dang Thi Thu Hoai, Director of Department on Sectoral Policy Studies, Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM)- Vietnam, “The role of Energy Efficiency in green growth of Vietnam”
  • Peter King, Senior Policy Advisor, Institute for Global Environmental Studies, IGES, Hayama, Japan, “Reward Trail Blazers Stop Blaming Victims”
  • Elisa Facchini, Project Manager, Istituto Oikos Myanmar, Yangon, “Sustainable Communities: Improving Livelihoods while preserving Nature”
  • Nicholas Taylor, Green Cities Project Lead, GGGI, “New and Expanding Opportunities for Green, Safe and Healthy Living and Wellbeing”
  • Prof Win Win Kyi, Vice President, Myanmar Consumer Union

 

SESSION 14
14.45 TO 15.45 ACTIONS SUPPORTING IMPLEMENTATION.
  • Collaborative Platform
  • MGHI Myanmar Green Horticulture Institute

Demonstrating and Supporting HOW. Two mutually supporting initiatives.

(Brief Introduction by GEGG)

 

SESSION 15
15.45 TO 17.00 PANEL DISCUSSION: IMPLEMENTING NEXT STEPS
  • Chair Dr. Bach Tan Sinh Director, Division of Journal and Publication, Department of Science Administration and Education. Vietnam Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation
  • Singay Dorji, Chief Technical Specialist Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Unit UNDP, Myanmar
  • Laura Vickers, Senior Lecturer in Plant Biology, Crops and Environmental Sciences Harper Adams University,  Newport,  Shropshire, UK
  • Thumrongrut Mungcharoen, Sustainable Development Advisor, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand, 2 Secretary General, Thai Sustainable Consumption and Production Network, 3 Associate Professor, Kasetsart University, Thailand
  • U Tin Aung Moe, Managing Director, United Forestry Services, Director e Guard Environmental Services Myanmar, “Let’s Green”
  • U Tin Myint, Director Suntac Technologies, and Advisor to GIZ Rural Electrification Projects

 

*************************************************

SESSION 16     

17.00 CLOSING SPEAKER Dr. Myo Thet, Vice President, UMFCCI

 

6th.GEGG FORUM SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS  25 FEB 2020  

Organizational Highlights

The Sixth GEGG Forum, celebrating the UMFCCI Centennial Year, Tenth Anniversary of GEGG Inception and Fifth Anniversary of the Endorsement of AIGE ASEAN Institute for Green Economy by ASEAN Heads of States and Governments at the 25th ASEAN Summit in November 2015.

The AIGE, the first ASEAN Charter Entity established in Myanmar, is hosted by GEGG (not for profit) Association.

In the Nay Pyi Taw Segment at MICC 2, over 400 national and international delegates registered and in the Yangon Segment at UMFCCI, 155 delegates registered.

The Opening Address in Nay Pyi Taw was delivered by H.E U Ohn Win, Union Minister,

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, with a Welcome Addresses by

H.E Dr U Aung Thu, Union Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, U Thein Tun,  Chairman, GEGG (not for profit) Association, represented by U Tin Win Aung, and by Dr. Myo Thet, Vice- President, UMFCCI

The Yangon Opening Address was given by H.E U. Bharat Singh, Deputy Union Minister, Ministry for Investments and Foreign Economic Relations , with Welcome Addresses by  H.E U Phyo Min Thein, Chief Minister, Yangon Regional Government, U Thein Tun,  Chairman, GEGG (not for profit) Association  represented by U Tin Win Aung, and U Zaw Min Win, President, UMFCCI

The Nay Pyi Taw Special Lunch Keynote was given by Prof. Dr Myo Thein Gyi Union Minister for Education

The close cooperation between the GEGG and UMFCCI in planning and organizing the Sixth GEGG Forum was warmly commended by the Union Minsters and Chief Minister. They mentioned this augers well for fast transition toward new innovative and transformative green investments and development in Myanmar, as the private sector plays a key role.

A Union Minister pointedly remarked that Green Investments and Development provide new expanding opportunities for growth and can “unshackle” the country from past patterns of investments and usher in new, safer, environmentally responsible  social, economic, jobs, employment and livelihoods, resource use, innovations and inventions.

 

The Sixth GEGG Forum included Keynotes and or Chaired by three Union Ministers. Chief Minister of Yangon Region, three Deputy Ministers, one former Permanent Secretary and one Director General. Their high level roles are described in the Agenda.

In addition, six Regional Ministers , four Regional Representatives and over 55 Regional Fellows , supported by UNDP, from over ten Regions of Myanmar participated and with supplementary support by the Netherlands and WWF for Fellowships  and regional speakers.

MONREC ECD Launched the National Waste Management Strategy and Master Plan at the Nay Pyi Taw Opening Session.

 

All the Sessions Keynotes, presentations, and interventions by the delegates emphasized the major global threats of the overarching climate change; environmental quality degradation, air pollution, in particular PM2.5; loss in biodiversity, seal level rise; ocean acidification; drought; floods; forest fires; hazardous wastes pollution and in particular plastics  and their breakdown in oceans into micro-beads; all converging into mega changes with major, and increasingly irreversible transformations of economic, social, cultural, ecological , human health and wellbeing, governance , institutional systems, with dire implications for human and global security. The outbreak of the coronavirus, COVID 17, yet another example of zoonosis, is a case in point and important lesson to be learned and transcends just public health

Besides the massive economic losses, unfolding and expanding disruption in the global supply change and trade, quarantine and containment measures curtailing personal movements in many countries around the world, the fundamental root causes  of the transmission of viruses from the close proximity  of wild animals to human  beings have yet to be better understood,  to determine transmission pathways and effective response measures.

Public Heath must encompass a holistic approach, integrating ecological, social, economic, development and ethical determinants.

 

This underscores the compelling need for a transformational, holistic, integrated trans-discipline paradigm change.

 

This imperative need motivates the vision and thrust of the Sixth GEGG Forum, to catalyze and expeditiously begin the transformation towards a new Green Paradigm.

 

The GEGG Sixth Forum was significantly supported by the Netherlands, UNDP Myanmar, WWF, Tun Commercial Bank, Mandalay Technology, Ease Net, and in-kind by UMFCCI, MONREC, MOALI, MIFER, MoFP, MOE, MOC, MoEE. A number of the national and international speakers participated at their own costs.

 

Programme Highlights

There were ten sessions with 57 Speakers of which 29 were international speakers.

These are described in the Final Agenda. The Nay Pyi Taw Segment addressed Policies and Strategies and was aligned with the Yangon Segment that focused on Implementation.

The Sixth GEGG Forum is structured with five building blocks:

  • New and Renewable Energy towards “decarbonisation”
  • Natural Materials, hybrid, composite, incorporating mud bio and eco mimetics materials with highlights on bamboo
  • Innovative Financing.
  • Green Structures, building, roads bridges, ports, energy and water supply Systems, waste disposal
  • Transformative quality education, training, skills development, awareness, encompassing translational, and transdisciplinary education, training, and skills development, meeting international norms, is urgently needed in an increasingly inter-connected and competitive world.

The Sixth Forum emphasized the imperative need for:

  • Holistic, integrated (by disciplines, sectors, institutions) sustainable, resilient, smart, inclusive and equitable policies, strategies, and implementation to effectively address the existential threats of converging unprecedented transformations.
  • The confluence of these systems and systemic threats are impacting upon human, national and global securities as well as food security and safety.
  • Silo and business as usual approaches do not respond effectively and adequately to these major changes. There must be an expeditious transition from current practices of end of pipe pollution control, mitigation, adaptation. There is the imperative need to include resiliency and ethics. There is a need to move above and beyond the current 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,) to incorporate a fourth R Rethink.
  • Current policies, strategies and practices for Mitigation, Adaptation, Sequestration, need to closely aligned and integrated and cannot be considered as stand-alone approaches.
  • Delaying and procrastinating actions will be more costly, and narrow the range of response options.
  • A new Transformative Green Paradigm is imperative now.
  • The imperative need for implementation and enforcement of normative measures in tandem with financial and economic incentives was stressed.
  • There is a continuing need to “Talk” for informing and sharing new policies strategies and technological trends, there is also an important need to “Walk” the Talk and implement.
  • The Greening Paradigm process provides a very good opportunity to expand and strengthen cooperation, with and amongst international, national, public, private, academia, and pertinent and relevant CSOs.

 

Talking and Walking from What to How and Now

In this context two Collaborative Platforms will be established for

  • Advice on Holistic and Integrated Policies and Strategies for Fast transition Towards a New Transformative Green Paradigm, and the
  • Myanmar Green Resource Institute, MGRI, to catalyze and support fast transitions towards green stewardship of resources. The MGRI would include: Centers of Excellence  for R&D; Experimental center for “agrohortiforestry” integrating agriculture, horticulture, forest for maximizing and demonstrating multi benefits; Data Bank for quality data dissemination; In situ new and renewable energy, including energy from wastes, mini and micro grids; Transformational education, training, awareness, skills development to meet fast emerging challenges and opportunities. 5 G applications will be used at the MGRI

The MGRI is envisaged to be established in 200 + acres of land in the Bago Region.

A Facility will be established to mobilize funds, and in kind resources from diverse international, national, public and private sources to support the work of the MGRI and the six aligned Centers.

The highlights of the five building Blocks of the Sixth GEGG Forum are:

 

New and Renewable Energy towards “decarbonisation”

  • New and renewable energy, storing and converting the renewable energy to electricity when needed,  mini, micro distributive  grids need to be introduced , thereby accelerating the greater use of renewable energy, and reducing transmission loss.
  • Energy and electricity will be key determinant on the growth of urban areas and cities .Within a generation the demographic landscape of Myanmar will invert dramatically, with the current two thirds of the population migrating to urban areas and a third remaining in rural areas, a situation in most of the world. Lighting, energy savings, increasing efficiencies and conservation, coupled with “waste heat” capture need to be implanted.

 

Natural Materials, hybrid, composite, incorporating mud bio and eco mimetics materials with highlights on bamboo

  • The Green Paradigm transition will need innovative materials with increased functionality to improve energy and resource productivity and savings in processes and applications. Advanced composites, hybrid materials using natural materials need to be promoted.
  • Traditional and indigenous knowledge need to be revived to improve and expand the use and application of natural materials. They are renewable, sustainable, much less impacts on the environment, readily recycled and reused, locally available and can increase employment opportunities.
  • Bamboos descried as “vegetable steel” in a presentation, are of notable economic and cultural significance in large parts of Asia and Myanamr. The plant is used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product. Bamboo has a higher specific compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete, and a specific tensile strength that rivals steel
    • Bamboo is often described as the perfect natural building material. It is abundant in Myanmar and the plant can grow more than a meter per day. It is renewable, when harvested, it regrows without having to be replanted. The building industry and architects need to harness the plant’s significant properties and potentials.
    • With its inherent sustainability and ecological benefits, bamboo needs to be supported with R &D and promoted in many applications such as paper, furniture, utensils, ornamental pieces, and to augment and supplement nonrenewable synthetic materials
    • Significant potentials for Bamboo. When properly treated it can last 200 years +
  • Mud, combination of different kinds of soil and clay, historically a mixture of subsoil and water possibly with the addition of stones, gravel, straw, lime, and/or bitumen for construction. These are low-cost materials, is labor intensive and provides local employment opportunities

 

Innovative Financing.

  • Financing is a key determinant. Currently very few sources offer financing for green initiatives in particular to farmers and SME entrepreneurs.
  • The quality of a proposed project requires significant improvements and need to be strengthened with quality and quantifiable data and a robust implementation plan.
  • Innovative mechanisms need to be established to secure private partnerships

 

Green Structures, building, roads bridges, ports, energy and water supply Systems, waste  disposal

  • Designs play a key role in the transition to a new Green Paradigm with the potentials for net zero carbon buildings; minimizing resource use and waste generation; socially, culturally, ecologically sensitive infrastructures; enhancing aesthetics and wellbeing.
  • Fast transition towards Green infrastructures with multiple benefits was stressed Imperative need to take into account stranded assets, in particular for large projects.
  • Cities are particularly vulnerable to rapid transmits of infectious diseases and close people to people contacts. This is exacerbated when there is close proximity of human beings and vertebrate animals. MERS, SARS and the current COVID -19 are examples.
  • Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:
    • Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
    • Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
    • Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation
  • Conversion to energy lighting systems, such as LED lighting , smart glass windows that lets in light but filters out infra-red heat rays are increasingly used in green buildings.
  • Maximizing use of new and renewable energy, harvesting rain water, reusing gray water; utilizing smart and natural materials, and designing Net-zero structures are some of the ways towards green structures.

 

 Transformative education, training, skills development, awareness

  • The urgent need for quality and reliable DATA was emphasized in many of the Sessions, particularly Session 2 Round Table Eminent Persons Dialogue on Accelerating towards a Transformative Green Paradigm. The truism “What can be Measured can be Managed better” was repeated in most of the Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon Sessions
  • Quality data improves trust and is vital to Increasing public awareness, education, training and involving the community. This was emphasized at the Sixth GEGG Forum. Curricula needs to be oriented towards the fast emerging opportunities and challenges. Critically needed and important is to have qualified “teachers” and increasing “training the trainers” schemes.
  • E-Learning needs to be supported and expanded. , harnessing the fast emerging 5 G application.
  • Transformative education, training, skills development, awareness, responding to existential threats, challenges and opportunities are urgently required.
  • Quality transforming, translational, and transdisciplinary education, training, and skills development, meeting international norms, is urgently needed in an increasingly inter-connected and competitive world.
  • The shortage of young farmers will increase, many migrating to urban areas and other countries for employment. Innovative ways and incentives need to be introduced to encourage then not to migrate and remain in farming, mitigating the “push – pull” effect.

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