Myin Ywa-Kok ko Canal Field Survey: Tidal Effects on the Lower Eastern Side of Bago River Basin

23 February 2016

Participants:

UTokyo: Dr. Akiyuki Kawasaki, Dr. Shimozono, Dr. Acierto, Masahiro Kambara, Shin Yonehara

JICA: Hiroyuki Okazaki (SATREPS Project Coordinator at YTU)

YTU: Chit Bo Bo Win, Ye Thu Aung (Master’s Student)

Myanmar Irrigation Department: Mr. Ne Myo Htun (Staff Officer, Thannapin Township)

The field survey for Myin Ywa-Kok ko Drainage canal was done using four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles due to the rough terrain that are inaccessible or difficult navigation for non-4WD vehicles. There were no established road networks for this area. During dry season, the dry waterway bed served as the road access for these areas along the Myin Ywa Kok ko drainage canal. This dry waterway bed is filled with water during the rainy season that becomes waterway transport using boats.

Figure 12. Map of Flood Structures connecting Bago River to Sittang River and Martaban Gulf

Figure 13. Irrigation Department's Irrigation Technology Center (ITC) Office including images from Material and Hydraulic Testing Laboratories

Figure 14. Bridge crossing structures along the drainage canal. Top left image shows the upstream of bridge structure shown at the top right image. Bottom right and left images show wooden bridge structures at the downstream of the bridge structure shown at the top right image.

Figure 15. Showing the end of the drainage canal draining towards the mouth of Sittang River accessible by 4WD only. (Site 4 labeled in Figure 12)

Figure 16. Part of the drainage canal that was closed temporarily during dry season to store water

 After the field survey on the Myin Ywa-Kok ko Drainage canal area, a short visit to the Irrigation Technological Center (ITC) of Irrigation Department was done. A short tour of the facilities was done and short meeting with the Assistant Director of ITC for coordinating and some aid for Shin Yonehara’s research activities during his stay in Myanmar.

Figure 17. Dry river bed used for transportation during dry season in this area showing some pedestrian bamboo crossing structure used during the rainy season. (Site 2 labeled in Figure 12)