The National Sustainable Development Strategy for Myanmar was prepared in 2009 to provide a nation-wide strategic long-term framework for sustainable development. The overarching three goals of the Strategy are: sustainable management of natural resources, integrated economic development, and sustainable social development. The Strategy identifies a total of 26 areas of work to achieve the goals. The Strategy will seek to fulfil the basic needs of the people for fuel, shelter and food. It will particularly promote ecologically sustainable developments such as, eco-development, buffer zone management, or formation of forest gardens (trees, cash crops, medicinal plants and any income generating plant grown together) created and owned by individuals, for the benefit of local people. The Strategy will make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable by promoting the implementation of interventions in the following areas: sustainable forest resources management; biodiversity conservation; sustainable freshwater resources management; environmental quality management and enhancement; sustainable management of land resources; sustainable management of coastal, marine and island ecosystems; sustainable management of eco-tourism; sustainable management for mineral resources utilization; sustainable management of agriculture, livestock, forests and fisheries; sustainable energy production and consumption; and sustainable industrial, transport and communication development. The Strategy seeks the promotion of the agricultural sector to raise the overall standard of people living in the rural area, and to contribute to poverty reduction. Particularly, the Strategy promotes tourism as a tool to address rural poverty. Tourism will be fomented in an effort to increase job opportunities by promoting border tourism along border areas; improving tourism related infrastructure in rural areas; promoting community based ecotourism; promote religious, cultural and traditional festivals; promote handicraft shows, amateur painting competitions; and developing schemes for the rental of traditional non-motorized vehicles. The Strategy will seek to provide business services and training to promote access to markets, information and technology particularly for low-income women including women in the rural areas; and promote women's access to saving and credit mechanisms. The Strategy will seek to promote proper water quality, air quality, solid waste management and environmentally sound management of toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes; improve the government’s participation in the global efforts to combat climate change; and facilitate increased research and studies on climate change qualitatively and quantitatively, and develop an information system. A National Council for Sustainable Development will be established to administer the implementation of the Strategy, which will consist of representatives from various ministries. In addition, the following will be provided to support implementation: policy framework; advocacy, awareness raising and education; capacity-building; adequate financing and technology; and monitoring and evaluation.
National Sustainable Development Strategy.