Daung Yi is a young mother living in Myanmar’s dry zone where clean water is scarce, vegetation is thin and the soil is dry and eroded. The communities here are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
“I don’t have time for dreams in my life. My family is usually struggling for our daily needs… Water is always a big concern. Without rain, I cannot do anything,” says Daung Yi, whose family survives on the equivalent of US$2-3 a day.
Their village of Sin Ka in Chauk Township, in the Magway Region, has only one well that serves 700 people. It is a 20 minute walk away and costs US$0.60 to fill a 200 litre barrel. This is a serious burden on Daung Yi and her husband, who look after a family of 12, including children and grandparents.
Many landless people in Myanmar’s dry zone work as seasonal farm labourers, migrating to urban areas during non-planting time to find temporary employment. Chronic poverty is directly correlated with the effects of drought and climate change.
UNDP is supporting efforts to secure water resources and reduce food insecurity in 42,000 households in five of the most vulnerable townships of Myanmar’s Dry Zone. With financial support from the Adaptation Fund (AF), UNDP and the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry are addressing environmental risks through community-based and community-driven adaptation.
By reducing the risks and effects from recurring droughts, floods and erosion, the Myanmar government has an ambitious target of supporting nearly 250,000 people in the area.
To reach the people of the Dry Zone, one of the key project initiatives is to enhance water capture and storage in 280 villages, providing continuous freshwater availability and making the difficulties in procuring sufficient water for livelihood and survival a thing of the past.
The increase in water availability will be further leveraged by promoting climate-resilient agricultural and livestock practices. These efficiency measures will allow the scarce water of the Dry Zone to go farther and reach a broader swathe of the most vulnerable.
Efforts are also underway to rehabilitate 4,200 hectares of micro-watersheds through farmer-managed natural regeneration strategies, and establishing community-based agro-forestry plots on 7,650 hectares of private and communal lands. These initiatives will ensure the conservation of the region’s soil and water.
This story was adapted and edited from an earlier version.