Raising Awareness on Climate Change in Myanmar: Insights for Identifying Awareness Strategic Target Groups and Possible Channels to Increase

Transcription

1 Raising Awareness on Climate Change in Myanmar: Insights for Identifying Awareness Strategic Target Groups and Possible Channels to Increase Awareness

2 Contents The Myanmar Climate Change Programme 3 1. Introduction Climate Change Awareness in Myanmar Purpose and scope of this document 6 2. A Strategic Approach to Awareness Rationale Strategic Drivers and Guiding Principles Work streams 8 3. Targeting Audiences Stakeholder Groups Analysis The Media Policy Makers Youth & Children Private Sector Civil Society Gender Considerations Approach to Stakeholders Expected Outcomes Monitoring MCCA Work on Awareness 36 References 39 The Myanmar Climate Change Programme The Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) is the flagship programme of the Government of Myanmar under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) to mainstream climate change in the political, institutional and development agenda of the country. To this end it aims at increasing institutional, policy and technical capacities to address climate change, as well as to enable local adaptation capacities. MCCA aims at achieving three overall expected results (ER): ER1: Government, civil society and the private sector in Myanmar are more aware of the implications of climate change. ER2: Government has the capacity and support needed to integrate climate change considerations in policies, strategies, plans and operations. ER3: Communities and townships are enabled to adapt to climate change. Lessons drawn on climate change from State and local level activities influence policy making and are communicated to relevant decision-makers in the relevant sectors. MCCA is an initiative of the Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) of MoNREC funded by the European Union and is jointly implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment). It works with a Technical Working Group (TWG) including of all line ministries, the three major cities (Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw), the University, the Private Sector, the Civil Society Organizations and Development Partners. To know more: This publication was written by the Myanmar Climate Change United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), 2017 The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union or the Secretariat of the United Nations. Reponsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

3 1. Introduction 1.1 Background of Climate Change in Myanmar Evidence shows that Myanmar is one of the world s most vulnerable countries to the negative effects of natural hazards, also as a result of changes in climate observed in the last decades. These changes are due to continue, according to the latest scientific reports for Myanmar. Because of its geographic location in the centre of the southwest monsoon area of South East Asia, Myanmar is inherently exposed to severe natural weather events. Rain-induced floods occur in many parts of the country, which is traversed by large river systems ending in the vast Delta area. The nation s coastal area is prone to cyclones and associated strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges. In central Myanmar, by contrast, droughts are frequent and storm-surges in the Delta area have been also associated with tropical storms and cyclones. As 34 percent of the housing in the country is in non-durable materials, according to Census 2014, with peaks of 90 percent in coastal areas of the Delta and the Rakhine state, people are at risk of losing their homes, and potentially their lives. The largest part of the total population is concentrated in two main areas: the Delta area, which is most exposed to tropical storms, cyclones and floods and potential storm-surge effects, and the Dry Zone area, which is exposed to chronic droughts, among other risks. In addition, temperature rise, salinization of fresh-water in coastal areas, and erratic rainfall patterns have created uncertainty in key sectors such as agriculture. 34 percent of the GDP still depends on agriculture, which is largely rain-fed and employs most of the active population: observed and future climatic changes will have a large impact on this sector, as productivity is affected. New pests and diseases have been observed for livestock and crops alike. Most of Myanmar s population depends on rain-fed agriculture highly climate-sensitive, livestock and fishery, and is therefore they are at high risk of suffering in the next decades as productivity may be affected by increasing average temperatures and extremes. The majority of Myanmar people are thus highly vulnerable to climate change, climate variability and natural disasters. The capacity of Myanmar to achieve socio-economic development is also put at risk by the changes in climate already observed, and projected in the future. Over the last six decades changes in climate were observed that exacerbated this risk profile and increased the vulnerability of Myanmar vis-à-vis natural rapid and slow onset disasters, as well as negative effects on agriculture productivity, water availability, among others. There is now high confidence on further changes in the climatic conditions in Myanmar in the next decades, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology s (DMH) latest projections and international scientific research. Among them, the following is expected: A general increase in temperature will be felt through more extremely hot days and extreme rainfall in Myanmar which will result in more droughts and floods; An increase in the risk of flooding resulting from a late onset and early withdrawal of monsoon events; An increase in rainfall variability during the rainy season including an increase across the whole country from March November (particularly in Northern Myanmar), and decrease between December and February; An increase in the occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events, including cyclones/ strong winds, flood/storm surge, intense rains, extreme high temperatures, drought and sea level rise. The high vulnerability of Myanmar to natural hazards and the effects of climate change is the result of high exposure to climatic hazards and the sensitivities of people, settlements, infrastructure and key sectors such as water and agriculture. In simple terms, compared to other countries in the region, Myanmar is less able to cope with the consequences of climate change, and less equipped to mitigate climate change and adapt to the changes. Despite efforts by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) and partners, and several projects since 2014 including the Myanmar Climate Change Alliance awareness about the implications of climate change remains insufficient and often concentrated at the national level. There is therefore a need to reach out to the largest possible audience, and select major groups to this end. The Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (MCCSAP) clearly states that Myanmar s development goals will not be achieved unless the country mitigates and adapts to the effects of climate change. The Myanmar National Climate Change Policy mandates the strategy to work on education and awareness. Doing so will have a positive impact on all vital sectors of Myanmar s economy and society: agriculture, fisheries and livestock; environment and natural resources; energy, transport and industry; cities, towns and human settlements; health and climate hazards and education. Climate change is a societal issue that involves as many actors as the society is diverse. Driving up awareness requires a multifaceted approach that is based on clear strategies. Behavioral change cannot be expected to take place without awareness about climate change first being cultivated, and policy-making cannot be informed unless there is an evidence-based sense of urgency. 1.2 Climate Change Awareness in Myanmar Myanmar has tried in recent years to improve education and awareness about environmental issues, and on climate change through training and public discussions. The recurrent reminders of disasters among which the most terrible reminder is Cyclone Nargis, but also the recurrent floods in unusual locations and unprecedented extension have brought climate change to the institutional and political agenda, to the point at which now a National Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Committee (NECCCC) has been created. This is a sign of increased political awareness. Myanmar has also participated in the global debate about climate change and remained compliant to Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and since the National Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) was formed in 1990, attempts have been made to promote the education and public awareness on environmental conservation. The Ministry of Education has launched a process of mainstreaming climate change practices into the school curricula and developed learning materials. Universities and research institutions have also recognised that climate change is a key field of knowledge to offer to future graduates. Despite these efforts, awareness about climate change remains to be built on several accounts. According to a 2016 study by BBC Media Action titled Climate Asia, when respondents in Myanmar were asked if they were aware of the term climate change, 93% answered in the affirmative. This was much higher than other countries surveyed in 2012, which averaged 67%. However, awareness of the term did not reflect a better understanding of it. Only 35% of people felt confident that they knew what the term climate change means, compared with 51% across the other Climate Asia studies. Most people who took part in the study however, said that they had observed an increased incidence of extreme weather events, hotter summers and wetter monsoon periods. There is relatively low understanding about the various causes of climate change, with some far better known than others. When asked about the main causes of climate change, according to this study, people in Myanmar were most likely to point to the loss of trees (91%), which is likely due to the high levels of deforestation in the country. Loss of trees was also the most cited cause of climate change across many other Climate Asia (CA) countries, but this was highest in Myanmar compared to others the average across other Climate Asia countries was 68%. Myanmar respondents were also more likely to point to greenhouse gases, and a hole in the ozone layer. Compared to other countries in the region, Myanmar was less likely to cite population growth (28% in Myanmar, compared to 65% average in CA) or migration into cities (12% in Myanmar, compared to 28% 4 5

4 average in CA) when compared with other countries. Interestingly, rural respondents in Myanmar, who felt less knowledgeable overall about the causes of climate change, cited the same primary causes, but were also more likely to point to faith-related factors (34% in rural areas, compared with 27% in urban areas) as a potential cause rather than human-influenced factors. This was much higher than the Climate Asia regional average of 18%. Some respondents expressed a fatalistic belief that nothing can be done to mitigate the effects of climate change, which indicates that awareness raising activities will require a multi-layered and culturally appropriate approach. There is therefore a need to improve information and awareness on climate change and associated impacts to enable vulnerable communities and sectors to respond effectively to current and future climate change impacts. This should include improved access to knowledge and technology on disaster forecasting, surveillance and monitoring systems. Resources need to be mobilised to support communities and sectors to prepare and recover from climate-induced risks. This will allow Myanmar to meet its development goals and become a developed nation by the year It is imperative that specific climate change awareness is conducted. Vital work on disaster risk reduction and life-line public service announcements and preparedness work does not serve all purposes of long-term adaptation, although these programmes are ever more sophisticated and complete. There must be a dedicated program to build climate change awareness across society, from early stage education to the private sector, as layers of society, culture and economy involve more than preparedness to rapid on-set disasters. This ambitious objective requires influencing both policies and behaviors, areas in which much remains to be done. For this to be possible, two objectives must be met: 1) Identifying the strategic targets among major groups; 2) Identifying the most effective channels to reach them. One must be cautious, however, of overreaching. No single actor can realistically reach all major groups identified, nor is it meaningful to use all channels. This depends not only on capacities, human resources and finite finance, but also on the language and modalities that must be adopted for different audiences. An alliance of government entities, civil society, development partners and the private sector must take responsibility and reach as many major groups as possible. Awareness must be built overtime, by a diversity of actors, and become a whole-of-society matter. This document identifies five major groups that must be targeted for different reasons: firstly, they have responsibilities and roles in adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change. Secondly, they can be used as multipliers to influence public opinion. They must all be targeted, by a multitude of partners and stakeholders. 1.3 Purpose and scope of this document As outlined above, creating awareness about the drivers, features and consequences of climate change in a country is a challenging task which requires a strategic and sustained approach. This document identifies a number of principles, studies a number of groups to be targeted as audiences and as active multipliers of knowledge and awareness. It proposes a matrix of possible concrete outputs and actions that serve the strategic drivers. This document is not designed to serve MCCA s programmatic purposes only, although it will orient the MCCA in this area. It is designed primarily to inform actions by the Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) of MoNREC and others actors MoNREC deems appropriate. Importantly, to be implemented, the vast array of activities discussed in this document will require several actors over years. It is important that actors have initiatives of strategic importance, vibrant networks and the willingness to act to continue achieving results, as opposed to multiplying and overlapping actions with scarce results. Programmes such as the MCCA can act as an enabler to sustain and create interest. This report is therefore an analytic document that proposes angles for raising awareness to climate change. It does not explore the complexity and diversity of communication possibilities, but suggests a number of approaches and guiding principles, to be pursued by a variety of actors. 2. A Strategic Approach to Awareness 2.1 Rationale As stated by the MCCSAP, The adverse impacts of climate change cuts across sectors and societies. Therefore impacts in one sector are felt by other sectors and society as a whole. For example, adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture will reduce its contribution to GDP growth as well as livelihoods of small-firm households and the agricultural labour force. From both observed and projected climate change, it is clear that the main climate related drivers that will affect development of Myanmar include increasing trends of temperature, extreme temperature and precipitation events such as heatwaves, droughts and floods, damaging tropical cyclones, sea level rise, salinity intrusion, as well as ocean acidification. These drivers may hamper the capacity of Myanmar to reach its development objectives as defined in its plans, and defended in the constitution. Given that livelihoods and the economy rely on climate sensitive sectors and are located in climate sensitive areas climate change will pose a huge challenge to achieving inclusive economic and social development. - (MCCSAP ). For these reasons, awareness must be created across many sectors of society. These include agriculture, fisheries and livestock to influence food security; environment and natural resources, to promote sustainability; energy, transport and industry to mitigate emissions and to create resilience of these key sectors for Myanmar s development; cities, towns and human settlements, to protect people and assets, and mitigate emissions; health, considering the human dynamics produced by climate change and climate hazards and education, science and technology as they are the backbone of a learning society that can understand and adapt to climate change. Additionally, it is important to recognize that no matter the level of simplification good communicators can achieve, climate change remains a complex and often misunderstood phenomenon, the effects of which are stratified and difficult to grasp in their entirety. Therefore it is essential to target the right groups with the right language and share core actionable messages. Furthermore, creating awareness about the impacts of climate change is a continuous process: there is no set point in time when it can be said to have been achieved, as it must continue for future generations and those still out of reach. Nonetheless, certain milestones and priorities must be set in order to evaluate progress and levels of impact. Although major achievements may be beyond the lifespan of projects (in particular that of the MCCA), long-term solutions can be identified. 2.2 Strategic Drivers and Guiding Principles Building on the rationale highlighted above, two main strategic drivers can be identified, each encompassing a series of other more specific lines of action. On the one hand, there is the need to share evidence to inform policies, decision-making, town-planning, community activities, and large and small investments alike. Key messages for the audience must be elaborated and shared widely. One the other hand, there is an absolute need to inform the same actors on what can be done to adapt to climate change. Strategic drivers could be summarized as follows: 6 7

5 Strategic Driver 1: Disseminate knowledge and evidence as widely as possible and to the largest possible audience, creating enhanced awareness, understanding and consequently behavioral change at the institutional, community and individual level. Strategic Driver 2: Increase awareness and understanding about what can be done to mitigate the short and long-term impacts of climate change in Myanmar. Both strategic drivers imply a diversified set of tools adapted to the audiences. In addition, turning an entire country into a climate smart society requires sustained longterm work. The Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan contain an awareness pillar, to be implemented over fifteen years. This should be the most important vehicle for advancing and monitoring awareness by policy-makers, such as the education sector, civil society and private sector. 2.3 Work streams There are many channels and tools to further these strategic drivers. This diversity may represent an obstacle and give practitioners the sense that all activities are drops in the ocean. A practical starting point is to divide the task into three main streams, as follows: i. Influencing policy by influencing strategies, sectoral policies, working modalities and capacities of the policy-makers at all levels from national to township level. Clearly, sub-groups within each major group exist, which require further segmentation and tailoring. For instance, ethnic groups and minority language speakers require a specific approach that can be pursued within the civil society target group. However, the diversity of audiences and possible segmentation may make communication efforts daunting. It is perhaps more manageable to identify those actors that have constituencies and to work with them to create their own materials. For instance, it is perhaps more efficient to target civil society organizations for awareness and capacity-building in communication that, in turn, will be best placed to reach their chosen constituencies and groups. It is worth noting that there is sometimes overlap and commonalities between the different stakeholders, as they occupy different cross-sections of society. This should be regarded as a positive: by reaching out to one major group, others are automatically targeted. The general makeup and characteristics of each stakeholder is described in the following pages, along with strategies for reaching out to them, their likely understanding of climate change and what can be achieved by connecting with them. They are analyzed through the following lenses: Who are they? What is their situation? What do they know about climate change? Why should they be reached and what can we achieve if we do? What are the specific channels for reaching them? ii. Influencing public opinion through the media, social networks, public forums and debates. iii. Influencing production by engaging in business models that are climate resilient and low-carbon. Given that resources are limited and the scope of the work so vast and diversified, it is crucial to target groups that can act as multipliers so that with a tailored targeted input, a greater outcome can be achieved. The following section proposes a rapid reading of key actors, the way they can be best approached and why. 3. Targeting Audiences 3.1 Stakeholder Groups Analysis Through a process of consultations and comparison with other countries, five main stakeholder groups have been identified, to be targeted for awareness work and potential proactive multipliers and disseminators. They should be regarded at the same time as recipients and as partners. They should be reached through a variety of channels and supported in producing their own messages and materials to disseminate key messages about climate change, its impacts, and related issues in Myanmar. These include the following: 1. the media, including press, radio and television; 2. the policymakers, both at the national and local level; 3. the private sector, and in particular private sector associations; 4. the youth and children, and in particular through networks and schools; 5. civil society, in particular through organizations and NGOs. 8 9

6 3.2 The Media MEDIA Who are they? The media landscape in Myanmar is evolving rapidly, mirroring the great changes in the country. There are various types of media, including daily, weekly and monthly newspapers and magazines, state-run television and state-run newspapers, private television stations, online publications and radio. These channels may be either public or private, national or local. Naturally, Myanmar language predominates but there are an increasing number of English language publications, particularly those which are business-focused, and local language publications. The Global New Light of Myanmar has the largest newspaper circulation of around 15,000 and its closest rival, The Myanmar Times has between 1,500 and 3,000. Since pre-publication censorship was abolished in August 2012 and licensing rules for private newspapers were relaxed that same year, there was a blossoming of the number of private newspapers. Media houses such as Mizzima and The Irrawaddy returned to Myanmar in recent years. However, while more than 20 newspapers still exist, over a dozen closed within 18 months of their launch. State-run media has greater circulation and attracts more advertising, while also receiving state support. There are also ethnic minority language newspapers, but these have much smaller circulations. Some publications are bilingual, while others run separate editions in Myanmar and English. State-run MRTV4 is among the top of the 10 channels that exist, and there are also broadcasters such as the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) which have a robust audience. There are also a large number of radio stations, both state-run and privately owned. According to the 2014 census, radio devices are widespread in remote locations, and therefore remain a very important channel to disseminate messages. Importantly, all major media outlets also have an internet based edition and use Twitter, Facebook and dedicated websites to reach their audiences. The census found that 35.5 percent of the population owns a radio and 49.5 percent has a television. Mobile phones (of which smartphones are on top-selling lists in 2015) are also used to receive and share news, through Facebook, online papers and other means and that 32.9% of the population possess one. Although these figures are still comparatively low, it s worth considering that most of these devices are shared and reach much more people in communities than the numbers of households that possess them. What do they know about climate change? Consultations and activities undertaken by several actors, including MCCA, show that there is interest in climate change, while there is also room for improvement in the coverage of this topic in Myanmar s media. This concerns both the quality of reporting and insights. In effect, reporting about climate change is sometimes factual, in the sense of informing readers of on-going processes and workshops. Although this serves obvious useful purposes, reporting is often not substantive and therefore, does not raise awareness on the drivers of climate change, its impacts and possible adaptive and mitigation action. More in-depth coverage of the issues surrounding climate change and the links with topics such as food shortages is necessary. More often than not, these links are not made perhaps due to the need to improve journalists own awareness of the topic. Therefore, there is an urgent need to train and educate national and local media groups and journalists about the threats posed by climate change, as well as possible solutions. While workshops for members of the media are almost always given coverage, reporting should become more issues-focused, with topics surrounding climate change no exception. Why should they be reached and what can we achieve if we do? MEDIA What is their situation? Media professionals in Myanmar are a varied group of diverse ages and genders and work with a variety of mediums, alongside a growing number of expatriate journalists and editors. The media is progressively expanding its capacities and reach. It is worth noting that the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders moved Myanmar up to 143th place in 2016 since 2002 (which was the date of initiation of its reports), as a result of political developments in the country. In March 2015, a Public Service Media Bill was submitted to the lower house of parliament, a promising process that increases the relevance of this major group in communicating climate change. A variety of public and private media are emerging and the offer has increased, diversifying the opportunities to widely share key climate change messages. Consultations to prepare this document highlighted that climate change is not a polarizing topic per se, and is likely to receive ample attention from national and local media. There is widespread consensus that the media has the potential to shape views and engage various groups that are otherwise difficult to reach, and hence it is identified as a very important target audience. Media coverage serves multiple purposes, from information to advocacy and overall contributes to make Myanmar a climate smart society over time. The media can provoke debate as well as to inform its audience in the new democratic era there is arguably no better means for boosting awareness about climate change. All forms of media are widely consumed in Myanmar, and while social networks such as Facebook may be more ubiquitous, traditional media and online media will continue to be regarded as the best source of information and analysis. A potentially effective narrative for the media concerning climate change is that Myanmar is one of the world s most vulnerable countries to climatic changes and that it can and must adapt to this new reality. By adopting a series of measures aimed at mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts, Myanmar will become capable of addressing the long-term impacts of climate change as it relates to agriculture, food security and poverty alleviation. Effective adaptation measures will also help Myanmar to improve its agricultural techniques, better protect its biodiversity and engage with the international community. It is also important to convey the message that it is time for the people of Myanmar to take action to tackle climate change, and adapt rapidly while also advocating for low-carbon development. According to expert journalists for the production of this document, conveying a message of doom and gloom to journalists is unlikely to result in stories being produced. More importantly, however, the people of Myanmar should feel empowered to take individual steps to address climate change. Additionally, the media have shown continued interest in reporting on global climate change action on the wake of the Paris Agreement, and about Myanmar s participation in COP21 in Reaching out to the media, creating networks of expert journalists passionate about climate change and 10 11

7 MEDIA specialized in reporting will produce an impact that, though difficult to monitor and measure, has the potential to reach large audiences that are unreachable by simple awareness brochures, programmes and activities. What are the specific channels for reaching them? Journalists in Myanmar frequently use social media as a tool for finding stories. If an individual raises an issue or a new study is published on Facebook, journalists will follow up with their own inquiries and research. A large proportion of stories are first published in state media, as the government communicates its news through these channels. Independent media houses will then do follow-up stories, which is why coverage of climate change related events and workshops in state-run media is a worthwhile channel for developing awareness and spurring more in-depth coverage. largely being an English language medium. It remains a worthwhile channel nonetheless, particularly as it is used by journalists in the wider region. The emergence of the Myanmar Journalism Institute (MJI) is a very positive development, as this may serve to reinforce the practice in covering climate change. Importantly, several projects from development partners have delivered a number of trainings (normally 2 to 4 days) for journalists, trying to improve their awareness and capacity to treat the subject. However, one-off trainings are not very effective as journalists are not motivated to follow up on the topic and specialize. It would be much more effective to support them while on the job through mentoring as they produce actual pieces of work as part of the training. This can take the form of reportage, a series of articles, documentaries or columns. It is also worth involving editors and owners, as they ultimately make room for the news, and give issues varying degrees of importance. Summary The media is perhaps the most relevant of all the major groups when it comes to reaching large numbers of people and influencing public opinion. Work must be undertaken to improve the media s capacity to understand the basics of climate change and be able to convey the complexity of climate change to a diverse audience. This will require work to stimulate networks of professional journalists who are proficient on climate change issues also through journalistic mentoring. This approach, given the resources available, should be favored instead of one-off trainings or expensive public-service announcements. MEDIA A multi-pronged approach should be adopted to cover each media format, as different populations rely on different channels. For example, DVB satellite television powered by solar panels is extremely popular in rural areas of Myanmar and in Thailand, but less so in urban areas of Myanmar. In urban areas, people tend to access the media via smartphone and to a lesser extent, via newspapers, as neither require reliable electricity supplies. It is particularly important to garner coverage of climate change adaption activities and core messages in Myanmar language and ethnic minority language content providers because English is not widely spoken. Cultivating individual relationships with journalists is also useful, as the employment market is very fluid and journalists frequently switch from one employer to another. Relationships can be established through training programs, as well as during press conferences and other events. Press releases are an effective way of reaching out to journalists and developing a network of contacts, vital to ensure maximum coverage. Preparing press releases in English and Myanmar is vital as there are a growing number of expatriate journalists working in Myanmar. Websites are another useful tool, particularly if updates from a website are cross-published on a social media network such as Facebook. Twitter is less commonly used by journalists in Myanmar, which may in part be due to Twitter 12 13

8 POLICY MAKERS 3.3 Policy Makers Who are they? The impacts of climate change cut across various sectors of society, and they therefore must be addressed through multiple ministries and departments on the national, regional/state and district level as well as city and township administrations, who are responsible for policy-making and institutional action. The Myanmar Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (MCCSAP) categorises six pillars that are useful to identify key policy-makers. These include ministries and departments concerned with 1) agriculture, fisheries and livestock, with the concern of maintaining food security and livelihood in the context of a changing climate; 2) environmental and natural resources, engaged in ensuring that development remains sustainable both for emission control and the resilience of communities depending on eco-system services; 3) energy, transport and industry, which are essential sectors supporting the growth of Myanmar but are also potentially responsible for most of the emissions, and potentially vulnerable to negative effects of climate change; 4) cities, towns and human settlements and the urbanization process, as concentrating people and assets increases the vulnerability to disasters while also increasing emissions resulting from transport, construction and land-use change; 5) health and climate hazards data, early warning systems and disaster risk reduction; 6) education, science and technology, which is possibly the closest immediate pillar in this awareness document. This clarity is the result of the work initiated in 2015 by the Technical Working Group (TWG) of MCCA. The TWG played a role in bringing together different actors to draft the MCCSAP and included national institutional stakeholders from all line ministries, three major development committees in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, a university, the private sector association Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), civil society organizations, NGOs and development partners. In June 2016, a National Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Committee, chaired by the Vice- President was created. It represents the highest group of policy and decision-making to be targeted. This committee was also established at the State/Region and Township levels. All policy-makers are relevant for addressing climate change and therefore there is no hierarchy of awareness and advocacy. If a few essential ones must be identified, then one can mention the Environmental Conservation Department (ECD) of MoNREC as it is the focal point at both the national and global level for Myanmar on climate change and it requires tools to multiply knowledge and awareness. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) of Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) is in charge of collecting data on observed impacts and to project future changes, and it is therefore a key ally in producing and sharing evidence to share information about climate risks. The Relief and Resettlement Departments (RRD) of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Resettlement is in charge of disaster response and prevention and therefore linkages must be established between the disaster preparedness messaging and awareness and the long-term climate change consequences. The Ministry of Education is also a key actor, concerned with the creation of curricula that may include climate change. All other ministries have crucial roles to play as they deal with different aspects of the effects of climate change. Climate Change should be streamlined in their activities for both mitigation and adaptation. POLICY MAKERS Decentralization and dissemination of knowledge for policy-making is also relevant, as the actual effects of climate change are experienced by both rural and urban populations. It is therefore key that urban administrators and the townships administrators are targeted. What is their situation? Consultations for the MCCSAP, the Intended National Determined Contribution and other policy processes at national and township levels highlight a certain interest for climate change, which is epitomized by the creation of the National Environmental Conservation and Climate Change Committee. It is also reflected consistently in the political agenda. However, many would agree that although climate change is a topic of concern for policy-makers, several of these departments lack technical and human resources to focus on the integration of climate change in their respective fields of work. Any action on awareness and advocacy that targets policy-makers should be aimed at increasing their capacities to understand and disseminate climate change messages through their respective programmes, institutions and chains of command. However, there is a certain fatigue of consultations and meetings, and effective ways to raise awareness which is respectful of time limitations and availability must be explored. Additionally, awareness work should target policy-making and implementation at the national, state/ regional and township levels. In turn, the national level policy-makers update and improve policies through learning from local experiences. This is crucial, as most of the current activities are targeting staff located at the national level, leaving institutions at the local level without adequate materials and information for awareness. What do they know about climate change? Climate change remains a fairly new concept to most policymakers, with the exception of those engaged in considering climate change policies since 2012 with the publication of the National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) and the Initial National Communication (INC). The level of awareness about climate change, 14 15

9 POLICY MAKERS its impacts and related issues is likely to vary according to the ministry. Policy-makers in MoNREC possess knowledge and have a higher level of awareness but their capacities to convey complex messages and convince others deserve to be reinforced. Obviously, DMH has technical knowledge of the drivers, observed impacts and future projections, but because of time and human resources limitations is unable to dedicate itself to raising awareness and share evidence with other departments. Several other sectors have initiated thematic strategies and action plans, as is the case of Smart Agriculture plans in the Ministry of Agriculture, and the upcoming project for Building Resilience to Climate Change for Health in the Ministry of Health and Sports. However, it is safe to say that although a general consensus exists as to the main features of climate change, and the perceived or proven impacts on people, assets and economic sectors, knowledge and technical preparation is still lacking. Why should they be reached what can we achieve if we do? Policymakers have responsibility for drafting the policies that will set the future tone and for climate change adaptation and mitigation specifically. It is for this reason that they are arguably the most important stakeholder. Gaps that exist should be identified and remedied this could include a lack of clear communication channels. Making the time for meetings in the capital of Nay Pyi Taw is vital, as this is the focal point of politics in Myanmar. Interactions with the government will be done largely through the media and through face-to-face meetings. The latter includes conferences, seminars and training. Knowledge of climate change, its impacts and related issues should be disseminated so that Myanmar will be increasingly empowered to act on the global stage, advocating for more climate sensitive policies and more financial and technical support from its development partners. By communicating effectively with policymakers and raising existing levels of awareness about climate change, climate-friendly policies in Myanmar are more likely to come to fruition. definitely interested in accessing both evidence of changes and projections for the immediate and mid-term period. This set of messages and evidence can constitute a single ground of shared evidence. Concerning the effects and impacts of climate change, it is important that a more specific and sector-related approach is adopted. The objective of mainstreaming policy will be best achieved if input is provided by a wide spectrum of policymakers, as well as serving to spread awareness among those less familiar with it. Summary As policymakers are responsible for the drafting of policies pertaining to climate change adaptation and mitigation, they are arguably the most important stakeholder group. And because the impacts of climate change cut across various sectors of society, they must be addressed by all ministries in Myanmar, as well as by all tiers of government - from the national to local levels. Meanwhile, climate change remains a relatively new concept to most policymakers in Myanmar, with exception of those already considering climate change policies. Even where climate change is an agreed area of concern, some administrations lack the technical capacities necessary to integrate climate change into their respective fields of work. Therefore, awareness and advocacy efforts need to focus on developing the capacity of policymakers to understand and disseminate the climate change messages. While the media is an important channel for reaching policymakers, face-to-face interactions through conferences, workshops and training are crucial in Myanmar society as relationships remain a key driver. For this diverse stakeholder group, a common ground of recognized climate change evidence, articulated in simple language, should be constructed to sustain awareness and decision-making. However in conveying the effects and impacts of climate change, a more specific and sector-related approach should be adopted. POLICY MAKERS What are the specific channels for reaching them? The media is a significant channel for reaching policymakers and this should be done in English and Myanmar language publications. This will raise awareness about specific issues and place them in context. However the importance of face-to-face contact cannot be underestimated as relationships are a key driver in Myanmar society. It is particularly important to do so in ministries that have a key role in shaping climate change-related policies. Workshops should be held regularly enough for the issues to remain at the forefront of all policy goals. Training should involve theoretical and practical aspects and policymakers should be encouraged to mix as much as possible with others, as this could lead to a spill-on discussion of issues and awareness. This diverse group of policy-makers, with different backgrounds and mandates, makes for a challenging target group. Reaching a consensus on a broad range of topics may be difficult, as different mandates sometimes also imply agendas that may be mutually contradictory. Strategically, therefore, a common ground should be constructed to sustain awareness and decision-making. This can be done by widely sharing climate change evidence, both as concerns, observed impacts and projections with the help of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. A connection must be brokered between research and policy-making to this end, with two caveats. Firstly, it is important that the language of science is made accessible for the non-technical personnel in different departments. Secondly, that the diversified applications and potential for use of climate research and data in different sectoral programmes is explicated and disseminated. For instance, City Development Committees may be interested in downscaled projections to inform town planning and infrastructure. Agriculture will be 16 17

10 YOUTH AND CHILDREN 3.4 Youth & Children Who are they? Myanmar has a population of approximately million people and a median age of below the average for the Asia Pacific Region. Although demographic trends in Myanmar do not indicate a high growth rate and in fact the population has aged considerably since 1973 the population under 15 years (child population) is still 14.4 million or 28.6 percent of the total population. Meanwhile the age groups already in the productive age between 15 and 24 amount to approximately 8.5 million. What is their situation? Urban migration is a phenomenon that is particularly impacting the nation s youth. Many young people are moving away from the family home in rural areas to urban centres such as Yangon, Taungyi and Mandalay to study, pursue better economic opportunities and provide extra incomes or sole incomes for their families. The result is a changing notion of the characteristics of the Myanmar youth a dynamic that is also influenced by the first generation of smart-phone and internet users. Traditional ways of life may be supplanted to some extent by economic necessity and aspirational lifestyles. However, culture and religion is still likely to play a strong role in the foreseeable future, as Myanmar remains strongly attached to traditional values, and this may have an impact on the youth s behavior in addressing climate change and related issues. networks, take up the issue. The role of climate change practitioners, therefore, is to feed this stream with interesting messages, relevant to young people. Why should they be reached and what can we achieve if we do? Climate change will significantly affect the ability of youth and children in Myanmar to benefit from opportunities and dividends generated by the current development process. Already, in townships such as Pakokku in the central Dry Zone area, and Labutta in the Delta Region for instance, the 2014 Census confirmed migration trends in the age group within the country or abroad to seek employment. This is because of the interplay between changing climatic features that affect the productivity of the land and already scarce employment and socioeconomic opportunities. They have a strong interest in adaption measures, as it will impact their own lives as well as their children s. Myanmar s youth will also have an increasingly important role to play in setting policy priorities. It is essential that the youth find ways to participate in addressing climate change in Myanmar, for the obvious reason that they are, or will, deal with the effects of changes in the coming decades, but also because of their capacity to provoke change. It is also crucial that children in primary schools get an early understanding of climate change, as they will be called upon to enact behavioral change in future years. YOUTH AND CHILDREN Furthermore, the socio-economic changes taking place in Myanmar, coupled with political democratization and progressive development, have generated vibrant youth movements in both rural and urban areas of the country. This has been facilitated to some extent by the means of electronic communication and social media, in particular Facebook. In the largest city, Yangon, online communication has become a prominent method of mobilization. This has implications on the use of social media and other forms of online communication as a channel for communicating with the youth. It is noteworthy that the government s education sector policies and plans are directed towards strengthening education systems and improving literacy rates. Policy direction focuses on strengthening primary, secondary and higher education, vocational training and on improving scientific research to support development. The government is carrying out a Comprehensive Education Sector Review and developing new legislation, policies and a National Education Sector plan to improve education for children throughout the country. The Myanmar National Education Law was enacted on 30 September 2014 and is designed to reform the country s education system. All these appear to be strategic opportunities to ensure that climate change issues are included in the curricula or as a type of extra-curricular education for children and the youth. What do they know about climate change? Climate change is a comparatively new concept in Myanmar: nonetheless, the youth are likely to have had exposure to the topic due to higher rates of internet use. And in fact, although no comprehensive study has been conducted on this subject for writing the present document, consultations, discussions and activities have shown a fairly good awareness of climate change among the young generation. However, it is also true that the consequences and future impact of climate change are unclear to many. It could even be described as superficial knowledge among the youth. According to a BRACED study in 2016, while a large number of youth respondents were familiar with the term climate change, there was lower awareness of its causes. Young people therefore require an introduction to the causes of climate change as much as the steps that can be taken to mitigate and adapt to its impacts. It is imperative that messages are conveyed in an accessible and direct manner to maximize their impact with this age section and that any moralistic approach is abandoned. It is important that youth networks and associations, or simply friends and online 18 19

11 YOUTH AND CHILDREN Inclusiveness will be key to increasing awareness about climate change. It is essential because the effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change is seen as a contribution to alleviate suffering caused by climate change and enable sustainable and durable development of the poor, both in rural and urban areas. Among other channels to enable this, education will need to be a primary one. The country is currently revising its primary and secondary curricula and it is of the essence that climate change is captured as an important topic in these curricula. There are also several projects and programs that target youth as it relates to disaster risk reduction and climate change. These will require enhancement in the coming months and years. What are the specific channels for reaching them? Social media is the natural go-to channel, as it is time and cost-effective in communicating messages about climate change that lead to increased awareness. It is also a useful tool for tapping into existing sentiments and any possible misunderstandings about climate change, its impacts and related issues. The most effective communication channel is Facebook as it is the number one vehicle for communication in Myanmar. According to local research company MMRDS, more than 90 percent of internet users have a social media account with Facebook, but only around 50 percent use an account. Mobile penetration has soared to over 50 percent in the space of five years, according to 2015 data from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Messages should be communicated visually and verbally, as well as being bilingual and considering ethnic minority languages. YouTube use is fairly high and videos can be shared on the overwhelmingly popular Facebook. Public events also bode well with the youth. In general, Myanmar s youth are optimistic about their country s future. Climate friendly practices are therefore likely to be strongly embraced by this demographic. Summary Youth and children are a major group as they represent both an important recipient and a channel for disseminating messages and influencing behaviors. It is tempting to say that they are important in consideration of future changes, when in fact they represent an actual actor to be mobilized now and involved as much as for their role in future years. Youth groups must be partnered with, influenced, and at the same time supported in their spontaneous interest in climate change and the environment. Children are an extremely important target group concerning basic awareness, but they also play a role in capturing the attention of older family members about climate change. Adequate materials must be disseminated, while avoiding moralistic campaigns and overly simplistic representation of the issue. Channels such as the internet, television, radio and concerts are ideal, but good brochures, stickers, books and cartoons are also very important. YOUTH AND CHILDREN The Youth Forum in Myanmar seems to be a fairly effective channel to reach out to organized youth and it overlaps the civil society group. An interesting initiative is UNICEF s U-Report in Facebook, which is worth strengthening and disseminating. Concerning children, sets of informative and intelligent materials should be produced. Working alongside the Ministry of Education and its consultants will help to ensure that climate change appears prominently in the curricula. UNESCO, amongst other development partners, could be contacted to work on this issue. There are of course as many channels and materials as this age-group is, almost by definition, receptive, creative and diversified

12 3.5 Private Sector Who are they? What is their situation? PRIVATE SECTOR The private sector in Myanmar is comprised of local and international companies, with the vast majority of players being local and long established. This is in part due to the requirement that most projects be undertaken as a joint venture with a local company, and the fact that Myanmar s economy was nationalized in the 1960s. Among the local private sector, there are an increasing number of returnees, who bring with them international business knowledge and cognizance of ethics and corporate social responsibility. However, there is room for improvement in building knowledge about climate change and the interplay with business in Myanmar. While there may be a willingness to learn, the opportunity to do so remains a new development. International players are slowly starting to arrive in Myanmar, including major global fast food franchises and consumer goods companies. This is a welcome development to most, as it is likely that more responsible modes of doing business will be communicated by them to the existing business community. Watchdogs such as the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business will be key in monitoring the performance of local companies vis-à-vis their international counterparts. Furthermore, local companies are motivated to improve transparency and business practices in order to become a partner of choice for international firms. These multinationals should be informed of the climatic threats to Myanmar (e.g. the implications of climate change for agricultural products) in order that they are also incentivized to help Myanmar adapt. The opening up of Myanmar to the outside world and the easing of most sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union has provided great opportunities for businesses to prosper. In 2018, Myanmar will become part of the ASEAN Economic Community, which will vastly increase competition through the establishment of a free trade zone. The sharing of best practices across ASEAN will undoubtedly aid efforts to raise awareness about climate change, as countries such as Singapore are leaps and bounds ahead in environmental and public health policies. Furthermore, significant legislative change is expected to be on the horizon particularly that which pertains to corporate regulation. This increased transparency and regulation will have indirect benefits for awareness raising. Change is likely to be slower in a broad sense, albeit much faster on a companyto-company basis. That said, the makeup of Myanmar companies are diverse, with some eager to adopt corporate social responsibility programs. Through awareness building, positive changes can be brought about in relation to promoting greener practices. What do they know about climate change? While some businesses are fluent in climate change terminology, others have never have heard of it. These latter businesses are likely to be those that had less exposure to the international business community. Large international firms are highly likely to already have their own policies and procedures in place, however as Myanmar starts to develop a manufacturing sector it will be critical that a certain amount of guidance is provided in raising awareness on climate change. Making resources available online will be key for building awareness and familiarity with terminology and concepts. PRIVATE SECTOR What are the specific channels for reaching them? The business community are big consumers of media, but targeting specialist business media will pay dividends as readership levels are naturally higher. This audience is perhaps the most complex of all the stakeholders, as knowledge about climate change varies across the spectrum. It is important to create messages on the appropriate channels and that do not presume any prior knowledge, whilst at the same time taking a collaborative approach to engagement with the private sector. The inevitability of requiring separate messages is clear as it will sometimes be impossible to pitch messages that are both general and complex at the same time. Why should they be reached, and what are the gaps that need to be addressed? A significant portion of the private sector is unaware or partly unaware about the fundamentals of climate change. More still may not be aware of the positive relationship between adopting eco-friendly practices and the bottom line. Promoting this latter message across a variety of channels will be key in bringing about greater awareness. The messaging should be direct and wherever possible, practical in nature. However businesspeople will likely welcome the notion that preserving the environment in the short and long term can also be good for business explaining precisely how this is so will be crucial in getting the private sector onboard. It is also important that messages convey optimism rather than doom and gloom. Encouragement and messages of congratulations should be given to companies, especially local ones, who are leading the way in climate friendly policies and practices. This could include anything from substituting traditional energy forms for sustainable energy to launching recycling initiatives. Furthermore, rather than encouraging individual businesses to work in isolation on aspects of their business that relate to climate change, the formation of groups and committees should be encouraged wherever 22 23

13 possible. This will help create a feeling of solidarity and have practical advantages as well. It will also encourage a greater number of companies to consider climate change, its impacts and related issues and to integrate new policies because of the positive influence of other groups already doing so as a bloc of sorts. PRIVATE SECTOR What can we achieve if we reach them and how will approaching these stakeholders help to achieve the intended outcomes? Myanmar s private sector is an important target group for awareness, in part because their environmental footprint is one of the largest of all the stakeholders in Myanmar. Helping businesses to understand that the bottom line is not compromised by environmentally sustainable practices will be one of the most important messages to convey in the effort towards raising awareness in the private sector. Interactions should be regular and include both face-to-face and electronic exchanges. All information must be succinct and to the point or disengagement becomes a likelihood. Networking and personal relationships will play an important role, as they do in all facets of business in Myanmar. The challenge of reaching all relevant business sectors is vast, and it may be more effective to focus on a few select sectors rather than attempting a broad-brush approach. There are also some key sub-sectors that should be focused on. For example, the Myanmar National Building Code has been updated but isto be enacted still. The code, in addition to measures of safety and disaster-sensible use of materials; construction techniques and technologies, also includes specific provisions for energy and water supply efficiency. There are measures for green buildings which are more livable and adaptive, reducing the need for energy through cooling and lighting. The enforcement of the Building Code will be essential, but will also require self-adherence from the public and private sector. If resource-efficient design and materials; disaster resistant and climate change adaptive design are not mainstreamed consistently at an early stage in private construction and through developers, a huge opportunity is lost to create towns and cities that are carbon neutral and can withstand the increased frequency and intensity of hazards. PRIVATE SECTOR Summary The private sector is an extremely important target group for awareness-raising, especially as their carbon footprint is among the largest of all stakeholders in Myanmar. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the private sector, namely local firms, still have limited knowledge about the fundamentals of climate change, and how businesses can contribute to mitigation efforts. The opening up of Myanmar s economy is accompanied by an increasing number of international players, who bring with them an example of transparent business practices and corporate social responsibility programs. This, coupled with expected legislative change pertaining to corporate regulation, will give rise to opportunities for awareness-raising and the adoption of environmentally friendly business practices. Through various channels, there is the need to convey the message that preserving the environment can also be good for businesses in both the short and long term, and that businesses become aware of the positive relationship between adopting eco-friendly practices and the bottom line. With varying degrees of knowledge and the challenge of reaching all business sectors, priority can be given to a few select sectors. This would include the emerging manufacturing sector and construction, both of which are major greenhouse gas emitters and the latter of which has strong inter-linkages with climate change adaptation and disaster mitigation

14 3.6 Civil Society CIVIL SOCIETY Who are they? Myanmar has a vocal and vibrant civil society which wields considerable influence over policymakers and even the media. It is comprised of people of all ages and genders, as Myanmar has a long history of pro-democracy movements and a politically-minded youth, as well as those in older age groups. There are few barriers to women participating in civil society activities and many women occupy senior roles in prominent groups. It is thus a heterogeneous group that can be broadly split into the following groups: politically and socially progressive, religiously conservative and those who seek to address land rights issues and protect both the environment and territory of Myanmar. Myanmar is undergoing a period of change, and civil society will continue to be a key driver of that change. What is their situation? Civil society groups tend to mobilise on social media networks such as Facebook. In the past, civil society groups had less of a public role, which is in part why a blossoming of groups have emerged in the past five years. Civil society groups are skilled at mobilizing large parts of the population; sometimes independently of the press through social media, or by meeting at traditional venues such as monasteries. What do they know about climate change? Although land rights has long been an issue of great importance in Myanmar, awareness of climate change among interested groups is generally low. Myanmar is predominantly an agricultural society, so issues affecting farmers are of high priority in terms of media coverage; however the link to climate change is often not made. This is arguably the biggest gap that exists at present. Myanmar is prone to natural disasters, with flooding and landslides in 2015 causing hundreds of deaths and destroying millions of acres of farmland. If civil society were more aware of the link between natural disasters and climate change, the response by policymakers may become more robust and forward-looking. Until that occurs, there is a risk that each disaster will be treated in isolation. What can we achieve if we reach them and how will approaching these stakeholders help to achieve the intended outcomes? It is critical to keep a close eye on the issues being raised by civil society groups and to maintain regular communication and positive relationships with various groups. Adopting a neutral approach to all groups will promote inclusivity and will likely generate the greatest gains. Opposition to climate change, its impacts and related issues may be the result of misunderstanding rather than genuine reluctance therefore conveying messages bilingually and clearly, in plain English, is very important. Summary Civil society groups are a key driver of ongoing political and social change in Myanmar, wielding considerable influence over policy-making and the media. While their interests range over a variety of political and social issues, religion and land rights, the awareness of climate change among civil society groups in general is low. As a predominantly agricultural society, land rights in particular have been an issue of great importance in Myanmar. As Myanmar is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, resulting in a large number of fatalities and mass destruction to farmland each year, a greater awareness of the linkage between natural disasters and climate change among interested groups will potentially have important implications for policymaking - particularly in responding to natural disasters. Civil society groups in Myanmar often mobilise on social media such as Facebook, and therefore online communications will be an important channel for reaching this stakeholder group. However, as consultation and engagement are key to inclusiveness of the civil society in decision-making and negotiation processes, establishing relationships through face-to-face communications such as public events and workshops will also play an important role in raising awareness among this stakeholder group. CIVIL SOCIETY What are the specific channels for reaching them? Civil society groups can be reached through online communications, as smart-phone use has soared in Myanmar to 50 percent of the population, according to 2015 ministry data. While this is convenient in terms of the return on effort required, meeting face-to-face and establishing real time relationships through public talks and workshops is vital. Building good faith will vastly increase the likelihood of messages on climate change and its impacts being heard and supported. Why should they be reached, and what are the gaps that need to be addressed? Civil society groups are extremely important in raising awareness about climate change. Communication is key to avoiding a situation where civil society feels left out of negotiations with policymakers and the decision-making process in general. Snap announcements should be avoided - consultation and engagement will be key to success in awareness raising efforts. As Myanmar society has a large number of civil society groups, including some with similar names and objectives, it is important to be familiar with the civil society landscape. Ignoring one group due to the perception that a similar group has been reached (or one in a similar geographic area) could lead to failing to reach influential individuals and sub-groups

15 3.7 Gender Considerations GENDER Climate change impacts the lives of women and men in different ways as a result of existing inequalities, responsibilities and roles. In Myanmar, the differences between women and men are demonstrated through unequal access to natural resources and land ownership, women s limited opportunities to participate in decision-making and access to markets, capital, training, and technologies; as well as through women s common double burden of responsibilities both inside and outside the household. For example, with regards to agriculture, women are mostly not viewed as farmers, despite undertaking agricultural operations such as sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting and processing work for their family as subsistence farmers. Where women are employed as agricultural labourers, they are usually paid less than men for the same work. Of the national total of 5.4 million households with agricultural holdings in Myanmar, 15.1 percent are female-headed households. Additionally, open-ocean and river fishing is almost exclusively a male domain. Women s roles in the fisheries sector of Myanmar often involves post-harvest processing, net-building, as well as selling fish and seafood products in local markets. Most official data on employment in the fishing industry focus on open-ocean and river fishing, rather than the entire fishing cycle. Despite women s important roles and contributions, they face hardship securing land rights and access to fishery resources, as the men are viewed as the formal fishermen. Taking into consideration that many of these activities are not defined as economically active employment, women also are excluded from training and information relating to climate change. n addition, in the context of cyclones, floods, and other disasters that require mobility, responsibility for children and elderly people may hinder their timely escape, access to shelter and health care. These are some of the factors that make women more vulnerable to climate change and hazards in Myanmar, which in turn influence the whole communities level of resilience to climate change and natural disasters. On the other hand, women can often lead the way in adapting to climate change impacts, such as through small-scale entrepreneurship and business. They can also play a key role in mitigating climate change by optimising energy efficiency, using low-carbon footprint energy sources and techniques, and influencing a household s use of ecosystem services. Recognizing these different vulnerabilities, needs and capacities is central to effective environmental protection and management in the face of climate change. Great strides have been made in promoting gender equality in Myanmar. However progress remains incomplete and this needs to be considered in the context of climate change. Myanmar signed the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1997, formed the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, and assigned the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement responsible for implementing and monitoring the country s Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (NSPAW), a 10-year plan aiming at advancing women s status in 12 areas and reaching substantive gender equality in Myanmar by Ensuring the full and effective participation of women in decision-making processes enables women to act as agents of change GENDER 28 29