Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge

Myanmar Fisherman

Myanmar and the Netherlands Cooperating on Water

Myanmar and the Netherlands have established a strong water partnership. Every day, organisations and professionals from both countries work together to strengthen Myanmar’s water capacities. In 2013, the governments of both countries signed an agreement on closer cooperation in the field of integrated water management. The Netherlands will make knowledge and know-how available to support the Myanmar with challenges such as flood protection, agricultural water management, fresh-water supply and water transport.

Inspiring the Next Generation Water Leaders

An important element of the joint agreement between Myanmar and the Netherlands is capacity building, which aims to strengthen the knowledge and skills of water professionals in Myanmar as well as those of the next generation water professionals, such as university students. In this context, a group of organisations from industry, government and academia from both Myanmar and the Netherlands are joining forces to engage and inspire younger generations to become actively involved in the cooperation through the Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge.

Delta Academy 004

Smart Delta

Running theme of the Myanmar-Netherlands Water Challenge is SMART DELTA. The Ayeyarwady Delta is one of the world's major deltas, running 300 km from east to west and 200 km from north to south. It is the main artery on which Myanmar's livelihood depends, providing food, water and a place to live and work for millions of people. The Ayeyarwady Delta also plays an increasingly important role in Myanmar's economic development as a regional trading route. At present the delta is still largely undeveloped but the exploitation of its resources in some areas may pose serious threats to the future health of the delta. We can already see the first signs of changes such as the exploitation of the mangroves, overfishing, river bank erosion and deterioration of water quality. Adding to this, we need to recognise the vulnerability of the Delta when it comes to the extreme climate – with both floods and severe drought – as well as the very poor and remote communities living throughout the delta. Clearly, sustainable development of the Ayeyarwady Delta needs smart solutions!

 

 

“When asked if I’d like to develop my idea - of course I said “YES!”. I’d never been to Europe, or worked with smartphone applications, or worked with a Dutch company – I was terrified! Fortunately, everyone was very welcoming. I was amazed at the effort they put into making me feel welcome”
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
“It was a great experience for us, as Indonesia's young generation, to contribute our ideas for the development of Jakarta Bay. We learn a lot from the Dutch companies and how they think about solutions, which is much more than only engineering. It brought us to a better understanding about Indonesia, our beloved country.”
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
“The Holland Water Challenge brought me confidence and belief that an innovative idea is more important than gold. When preparing for the final, I spent days and nights to scheme a novel living-style with less carbon and safe water. So Many Thanks to my Dutch Friends, and Wish Our Friendship Forever!”
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
“An idea is like a projectile. Without a suitable catapult, it is just any ordinary stone incapable of making serious impact. In my case, the Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge was the perfect platform to launch my idea.”
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
"We're looking forward to making the most of the opportunity to take our idea to the next level and implement what we believe will be a valuable tool for the water industry and emergency services, both in Australia and internationally. Thanks to Holland Water Challenge for organising and supporting the program!"
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
"The Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge really helped us use our knowledge to make a little difference on the issues of water reclamation. The award ceremony was great. The trip to Singapore was also very vauable. We would like to let other students know such a good competition!"
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
"The Australia-Netherlands Water Challenge offers a great opportunity for young people to make an impact in the area of climate change and disaster resilience. We are thankful to have had this wonderful experience."
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
"We love every second of the program and always remember the time being with the program as one of the greatest memories through student life. I hope to see you again with another challenges and programs. We have the youth and capabilities and what we need is a chance to prove it."
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016