A Visit to Myanmar (February 5th – March 5th, 2020)

Name – Nyi Linn Maung

Grade – M1 student  in Kawasaki Research Group, The University of Tokyo

During my stay in Myanmar for both of my research and meetings with different departments of Myanmar government, it was a great time for me as of having a chance to meet with my family and get to know current relationships and future collaborations between the two nations. As I am originally from Myanmar, I wanted to go back to my family during holidays of my coursework for master’s degree. Fortunately, Kawasaki Sensei told me that it would be great if you also conducted preliminary survey for your research during your stay in Myanmar and join them for meetings. For the first of two weeks of my stay in Myanmar, I had a great time with my family and I went to libraries and departments to collect data which will be necessary for my research. After being apart with my family for five months after I had left them for Tokyo, I spent a great time with them: going shopping, short trips, having meals together. Also, I conducted preliminary survey to collect data such as censuses, maps, reports and articles from libraries and departments. According to our schedule, I had two weeks before Kawasaki Sensei came to Myanmar; this opportunity had been a great chance for me and valuable for me. Moreover, I also had to know researchers and teachers from geography, and history departments of Yangon University for further collaborations and help. In this sense, my trip to Myanmar has been in a great help for me and for my research.

Meetings and Workshop

After Kawasaki and his group joined me, our group first had dinner together to discuss the travelling schedule to Nay Pyi Taw, Bago the following days. On 26^th February, we left for Nay Pyi Taw in the early morning by flight to meet DG and DDG from IWUMD of Myanmar to show appreciation and gave presentation of the results of the SATREPS project. In this sense, Kawasaki sensei presented the results and benefits for utilizing the system for Bago River Flood Reduction Plan and gave speech to appreciate the strong relationship between the concerned organizations over five years-project. At this time, the results were shown in modernized manner for which it has been upgraded from the comments received from previous meeting in 2019. Three presentations were made in total. The first one is to show the results from the project between SATREPS, JICA, UTOKYO and YTU collaboration about the analysis of Near Real Time Inundation system in Bago River Basin. The main reason for our trip to departments is to show appreciation for the continuous support and collaboration of Myanmar governments. In addition to this, Kawasaki sensei and counterparts of Myanmar government discussed for further collaboration between Japan and Myanmar. All things went very well, and I had a great time to have met officials and seen great relationships between Japan and Myanmar. For having great relationships with such a developed country, Japan, it would be much benefitting for my country, Myanmar, which is only in a transition state for building the country. Also, to my knowledge, Myanmar is one of the countries on the top list of which will be severely affected from climate change in the near future, and we still lack sufficient countermeasures to tackle the coming monstrous disasters, which is why I thought it is requisite to attain assistance from every angle we can get. In this sense, I would like to thank Japan and Kawasaki sensei for having interest to implement disaster risk reduction projects in Myanmar.

Now, I would like to say a brief explanation for our presentations which had been recently undertaken under the supervision of Kawasaki sensei in Bago region of Myanmar. Kawasaki sensei and Dr. Badri from our River and Environmental Laboratory presented three presentations. The first presentation is the Near Real Time Inundation analysis system in Bago River system. In this presentation the main points that I would like to extract are how was Near Real Time System in Bago River developed – integrating satellite data, in-situ rainfall data, the system is mainly constructed using DIAS, near real time inundation system can be utilized to monitor the flooding conditions along the Bago River Basin from telemetry observations and flood inundation simulation, and we can improve the disaster mitigation plan from this system as a useful tool for implementing effective decisions on recovery plans. The second presentation is mainly about the features of Zaung Tu Dam to bring about the comprehensive disaster resilient system and the climate data and different instruments were installed for monitoring the dam conditions, and to evaluate the effectiveness of Zaung Tu Dam Operation for Flood Control from the two variables such as household and assets damage and agricultural damage. The Third Presentation is mainly for Modeling Livelihood Transition induced by Flood Risk Reduction by mentioning to promote the livelihood conditions in Myanmar by using improved safety and reduced risk perception and how the results were modeled from the inputs such as scenario, FRM and responsiveness and the model for hazard and impact was established and benefits from such approach analysis were depicted.

On the next day, we went to Bago for Workshop: Flood Risk Reduction Plan for Socioeconomic Development at Bago and we met the representatives from different departments for discussing the current problems and insights for reducing the flood risks in Bago and future collaboration between JICA, SATREPS, UTOKYO and YTU. In this sense, the representatives from both parties presented their current problems and how they can overcome these mentioned troubles with the help from academic field. For the UTOKYO Part, the same presentations were presented while Myanmar Government counterparts presented about the Zaung Tu project. In the afternoon, our group went for a courtesy call to Bago Regional Government for future collaboration between the organizations and presented the results.

Moreover, I had a valuable opportunity to go a site visit to informal settlements in Yangon on the following day. On this day, Kawasaki sensei unfortunately cannot join me as he had to attend the meeting at YTU. Nonetheless, this field trip had provided me with valuable hints on my research for the development of City which would have some effects on the poor people in Yangon. I went to three informal wards in Hlaing Thar Yar Township for investigating their current conditions and their current status on living in such informal areas. In this sense, as I do not have any approval documents for interviewing, I have only conducted only preliminary survey as when did they move to and why did they move as main concerns. On the next day, I conducted preliminary survey in the morning and we went to DWRR and Kawasaki sensei presented the same presentations as in the earlier days and discussed about the future collaboration between the parties. In the morning, after our professor has returned to Japan, we still have time so that we can go around Yangon in order to show some tourist visit site to my friend, Bhanu Prasad and Dr. Badri. For Bhanu, this is the first time visit to Myanmar, so I took him to tourist visit sites in Myanmar.

Visit to Yangon, Naypyidaw and Bago [during February 24th – 29th]

Konnichiwa, I am Bhanu Prasad, M1 student in Kawasaki Research Group. In this blog I would like to share my experiences about my first international study trip to Myanmar and how I utilized this opportunity to learn as many new things as possible. My primary interest for travelling to Myanmar was to attend the workshop on Flood Risk Reduction Plan for Socioeconomic Development which was organized by the JICA SATREPS project team.

@ Yangon Technological University

On February 25^th –

We took a flight to Naypyidaw to meet the officials of Myanmar Government who oversee IWUMD, DMH and DHP and met them personally and showed the results of the SATREPS project and thanked them for their continuous help during the project period. The main motive is to discuss about the improvements which could be done to the SATREPS project and also about future collaborations between Myanmar Government, Yangon technological University, University of Tokyo and JICA. During the discussions the officials of the Myanmar government also requested the JICA team for some technical data help like the Japanese design codes etc. Some of the other things I noticed in Naypyidaw was that even though it’s the new capital of Myanmar there were very few people inside and around the airport. The number is so low that we can count on our hands. There were a lot of hotels constructed but there were no people to use them neither there are any tourist places so that they might be functional. Most of the hotels have finally started renting for Government offices. Since most of the government offices are shifted to Naypyidaw we could only find the government employees outside that too only during the rush hours. I feel that the Myanmar government should take some measures to make people come and settle at Naypyidaw. 

Kawasaki sensei discussing with the IWUMD officials 

On February 26^th –

We attended a workshop on Flood Risk Reduction Plan for Socioeconomic Development which was organized by the JICA SATREPS project team at Bago. The workshop was conducted to discuss about the achievements of the SATREPS project and the possible future collaborations with the officials of Myanmar Government and the Yangon Technological University (YTU)’s faculty under the guidance of Prof. Akiyuki Kawasaki.

Kawasaki sensei presenting at the workshop 

In the afternoon we met the chief minister of the Bago region and discussed the SATREPS project with him along with his cabinet members. We showed him the benefits of disaster risk assessment and management and advised him to consider them in the coming projects. During on our way back to hotel I have been carrying a lot of questions from the workshop and was able to discuss them with Kawasaki sensei throughout the journey. 

Discussion with the Chief Minister of Bago region 

 On February 27^th & 28^th –

Nyi san, Bo Bo san and I went for a field visit to different poor villages of Yangon who were residing along the river Bago and collected field data by developing a questionnaire form which had questions like from how long they have been staying at that place, reason for migrating to that place, their family members names and other kinds of data along with their respective houses GPS location. After visiting those places I felt really bad for them and thought that our research should be helpful for people like them so that they could have a better and safe life. Even though their houses are small their hearts were big enough to be happy and kind to one another. On February 28^th afternoon we met the officials of DWIR and presented the results of SATREPS project.

Kawasaki sensei discussing with the DWIR officials 

On February 29^th –

We have completed all the work to be done by 28^th itself and since it was my first visit to Myanmar, Kawasaki sensei asked Nyi san to show me some good places at Yangon. So Nyi san, Badri san and I went to visit the iconic Shwedagon pagoda which was incredible and holy and later visited some malls and came back. In the evening we started back to Narita thinking about how great the Myanmar trip was.

@ Shwedagon Pagoda

@ Myanmar Plaza

One of the main things I enjoyed every day was the Myanmar food. It was very spicy and delicious. I have been missing that in Japan from a couple of months. Every day we used to have dinner together and Kawasaki sensei knew some very good restaurants and he would take us there and would order delicious food.  

One thing I will always remember from the Myanmar trip was that I came to know the number of projects Kawasaki sensei has been dealing with and was shocked to see his dedication and love towards his work. He has been giving presentations the whole day and still he never felt tired or relaxed and was constantly working on his projects and with lot of patience answered all my questions and also guided me on my master’s project during his free time. He’s schedule was so perfect and looking at him working every day, I derived a lot of motivation.

I would like to thank Kawasaki sensei and his team for making me feel safe, comfortable and giving some beautiful memories in Myanmar.