Myanmar: Resolving Water Insecurity and Poverty

Abstract

Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. It is an emerging democracy that is confronted with major development and human rights challenges after decades of oppressive military rule. Waterborne and food-borne diseases are common. The infectious disease ratio in the country is high including malaria and typhoid fever. The large ratio of rural inhabitants, 70 percent, combined with a high poverty index pose significant challenges that threaten water, sanitation quality, and access. The marginalization of indigenous groups, such as the Karen population, has been an ongoing human rights issue for decades. Moreover, there are significant health, economic, and development gaps between the rural and the urban areas of the country. Southeast Asia accounts for 60 percent of global population yet has only 36 percent of global water resources. Myanmar has abundant water sources and has the second highest per capita rate of renewable water resources in Southeast Asia. The problem rests with water access, infrastructure, and quality control. About 29 percent of the population from 2010 estimates are children of 0–14 years, declining from 39 percent in 1980.¹ The estimated population of children under the age of 5 years was 6.6 million, approximately 11.7 percent of the total population.²