Chinese NGO Strengthens EIA for Myanmar’s Environment Ministry

NAY PYI TAW (Feb. 21, 2014) – During the week of February 17-21, 2014, the Global Environmental Institute (GEI), a China-based NGO, facilitated a training workshop on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital city of Myanmar.

GEI’s Ren Peng (center) with members of the training – GEI 2014

The workshop aims to help improve the capacity of Myanmar’s Environment Ministry in environmental assessment. 

The Director General of the Environmental Conservation Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forest (MOECAF), Dr. Nay Aye, gave his praise at the opening ceremony on 17 February:

“This type of EIA training is timely in the needs of Myanmar, as we are about to revise the EIA act and procedure… we are so eager to learn experiences and lessons that other countries have in EIA enforcement.”

EIA is a main environmental tool many governments use to balance development and the environment at stake in infrastructure and extractive industries. The assessment system provides a technical framework to protect the environment through means of avoiding, mitigating and rectifying potential impacts of development projects.

Myanmar has been in a rapid transition of social and environmental changes since 2010. Environmental concerns are emerging as the country expects considerable foreign investment.

The training was a great opportunity for knowledge sharing – GEI 2014

GEI has over the past years worked to promote environmental governance in host countries where China’s companies invest, such as Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

This EIA training workshop was co-organized by MOECAF, in partnership with the Appraisal Center for Engineering and Environment of the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Vermont Law School and the American Friends Service Committee. Around 60 participants took part in the training.