Myanmar Healthy Rivers Initiative (MHRI) Rivers for life and livelihoods: classification of river health in the Ayeyarwady and Thanlwin River Basin

Rivers are open ecosystems connecting the mountains to the sea WaterEnergySedimentsNutrients

Rivers are the life blood of Myanmar communities The Ayeyarwady and Thanlwin have supported a diverse array of communities in Myanmar for centuries. Myanmar people derive their livelihood from the natural resources and ecosystem services of the rivers The rivers are also central to cultural and spiritual traditions of many ethnicities

Myanmar’s rivers are also catalyzing economic growth Transport Mining Energy Agriculture & Irrigation Forestry Industry & manufact. Tourism

Rivers require careful management Without careful management and planning, development can disrupt the balance – Degrading the ecosystems and natural resource base – Widening the economic gap between rich and poor Murray-Darling River mouth

MHRI: Ecosystems are the foundation of all river use CultureLivelihoodsEconomy Project objective: to develop and test a River Health Framework for Myanmar which allows government and communities to monitor the status of the ecosystem services they value and provides evidence for informed, integrated water resource planning.

River health frameworks A River Health Framework is a resource kit. It includes : – Characterisation of the main users, uses and values of river systems – A set of simple environmental indicators specifically designed to monitor changes and trends in these uses. – Guidelines on how to implement and analyse river health monitoring and reporting, – A set of assessment tools and approaches. What ecosystem services are valued by communities and sectors? How is the health of these ecosystem services changing over time?

River Health Frameworks in Myanmar from Space to the riverbank Remote sensing Conventional monitoring Community monitoring From space:  Land use change  Flooding & drought  Sediment transport  Erosion  ++ From the riverbank:  Oral histories  Biodiversity  Fish catch  Habitat conditions  Pollution  ++

Main project outputs 1.Healthy River vision statement for different stakeholders in each basin 2.River Health Knowledge Base (data, maps & monitoring reports) 3.Healthy Rivers Report Card 4.River Health Framework (RHF) Resource Kit 5.Project proposal for upscaling

Building evidence for integrated, sustainable watershed management Myanmar Water Framework Directive Basin development planning Livelihood support programs RIVER HEALTH FRAMEWORK HR visions & values HR knowledge base HR report card

Project outcomes 1.The River Health Framework (RHF), its indicators and participatory monitoring is used to integrate ecosystem services into the Myanmar Water Framework Directive. 2.The National Water Resource Committee (NWRC) Water Expert Group and Myanmar research communities use the results of the RHF as evidence to inform river basin planning. 3.Civil society/communities (including women) better understand river health and can make use of this knowledge to better express their needs and concerns in the debate on river development and planning.

Thank you for attention

Project partners Robyn Johnston Team leader Salween Tarek Ketelsen Team leader Ayeyarwady