Green Economy and Green Growth

By U Ohn, Vice-Chairman, FREDA, June 2012, Yangon

The official discussions at RIO +20 will focus on TWO MAIN THEMES :

(1) How to build a green economy to achieve Sustainable development and lift people out of poverty including support for developing countries that will allow them to find a green path for development; and

(2) How to improve international coordination for sustainable development.

Here, to-day, we will focus on the first theme and leave the second theme for RIO + 20.

UN Secretary General said “The Sustainable development agenda is the growth agenda for 21st century”. I agree on this statement, as better managing forests to provide a broad range of benefits – reducing deforestation by half through 2030 could avoid an estimated US $ 3.7 trillion in climate change damages from green house gas – and that’s not counting the value of jobs and income, biodiversity, clean water and medicines provided by forests.

That’s O.K, so far, for the Global perspective. How about Myanmar? Myanmar, to-day, has to rely almost entirely on her natural forests for the daily requirement of energy for cooking, drying and processing. Supply of gas is generally not available to the rural as well as urban population. The legal as well as illegal exploitation of woods for local requirement and export, forest fire, deforestation have been going on since the last 40-50 years.

Community participation for mangrove reforestation in Ayeyarwady , Delta

These areas should be established with fast growing fuel wood species such as Acacia crazycarpa, A. mangium, A-auriculoformes etc. to meet the immediate requirement of fuel wood and charcoal for the people, to make a quick coverage of land with vegetation and to get a quick income for the investments.

A. mangium, A-auriculoformes

A. mangium, A-auriculoformes

The other sector is the Community Forest establishment. According to the 30 years master plan, by the end of 2030, the C.F area should be 25% of the country’s basic needs or to fulfill the country’s fuelwood, charcoal and perhaps post and poles requirements.

Or 2.27 million acres to be handed cover by 2030-31. That means we need to hand over 50,000 acres (20,000ha) annually to the User Groups. It has so far fulfilled only a small areas.

Mangroves Trees in Ayeyearwady Delta

The main reason is, less interest by the F.D itself and less initiatives given to the community and thus less participate and less involvement.

FREDA has tried Aqua-forestry in the mangrove areas and found to be successful since the livelihood for the community is involved by introducing crab, fish culture along with the tree planting.

We are now supplementing with the bio-fertilizer from micro-algae for boosting the growth (green growth) for trees as well as for the fish and crab as well.

Possible solution by a small scale crab-farming

(Eco-friendly aquaculture)

Apart from the establishment of fuelwood, species for green growth and bio-fertilizer application to the community forests, we are now trying to reduce the fuel wood and charcoal consumption by applying fuelwood and charcoal saving cook stoves. We called it “Save 60-FREDA cooker”.

The stove will save 60% of fuelwood or charcoal (see the figure 1and 2) and even rice-husk can be used in place of wood and charcoal. We will try and distributes free to the communities and meditation centers etc. as much as we can afford.

Save 60-FREDA cooker

Save 60-FREDA cooker

By introducing this kind of cook-stoves, around 60% of the fuelwood, charcoal or Biomass will be reduced and help to reduce deforestation /forest degradation to some extent.

I would also like to express 15 Principles for a Green Economy as follows :-

• Equitable distribution of wealth.• Economic equity and fairness. • Intergenerational equity.• Precautionary Approach.• The Right to Development.• Internalization of Externalities. • International Cooperation.• International Liability.• Information, participation and accountability.• Sustainable Consumption and Production. • Strategic, co-ordinated and integrated planning to deliver sustainable development.• Just Transition.• Redefine Well-being.• Gender Equality.• Safeguard biodiversity and prevent pollution of any part of the environment.