National workshop on ICM: Conservation of natural resources in coastal areas

A national workshop on Finalization of National Integrated Coastal Management Programme-ICM was held at the KMA Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday.

Deputy Minister U Tun Ohn said that the natural resource conservation tasks are being undertaken as a national duty and the National Level Committee on Management of Natural Resources in Coastal Areas was formed in 2016 to support boosting coastal area products and environmental services, promote the natural disaster prevention in the coastal areas and management tasks.

The management tasks are being undertaken effectively by forming the National Level Coastal Management Working Committee, the Coastal Region/State Level Committees and the District Level Committees.

Among the 10 responsibilities of the central committee, the Forestry Department have carried out ICM launchings, ICM trainings, ICM study tours in cooperation with the Danish Embassy to develop and establish a comprehensive management plan (ICM) for the coastal region at the national level.

The ICM (draft) plan was submitted to members of the National Level Coastal Resource Management Central Committee and Working Committee, the secretaries of regional/state level committees and it took suggestions, and 33 recommendation letters were received.

In accord with recommendations sent by members of IUCN, the draft has been amended and could be submitted but it is necessary to amend with recommendations of some related departments. The 4 ways to approve the ICM programme have been identified and the ways to be suitable with Myanmar will be chosen.

The Deputy Minister invited the participants to suggest the ways to approve the ICM plan. Later, In-charge of the Mekong region countries of IUCN gave a speech online and representatives from the National Level Coastal Resource Management Working Committee, members of Management Committee in Bago, Yangon and Ayeyawady regions and Mon State and experts from the Forestry Department attended the workshop and members of Taninthayi/Rakhine State Management Committees attended the workshop through virtual and online.