Download Nomination

2016 WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards
Nomination Form
From:
MYANMAR COMPUTER FEDERATION (MCF)
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AWARD
Individuals, academic institutions, corporations, NGOs or government authorities that have
made a remarkable and successful effort at using ICTs as a tool to promote sustainable
economic growth. Sustainable economic growth shall be defined as the ability to improve our
financial and social wellbeing without compromising the prosperity or wellbeing of future
generations; a sustainable economy is therefore one in which economic growth is decoupled
from environmental impacts. The three key challenges are climate change, resource degradation
and pollution. At the heart of all three is energy efficiency and the role that ICTs may have.
OUR NOMINEE(S):
Mandalay Technology Company Limited (Myanmar) (and its partners _ Agricultural
and Rural Development Consultants (Myanmar), Settlement and Land Records
Department (SLRD) of Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI) and
ForestInform (Australia))
Contact:
Mr. Zaw Naing
Managing Director
Mandalay Technology
Unit 504, Building 11, MICT Park
Hlaing Township, Yangon, MYANMAR 11051
Tel/ Fax: +95-1-652285 ~ 86
www.mandalay-technology.com
[email protected]
REASONS FOR NOMINATION:
Background
In transition from the past with military government to the newly elected democratic
government, the country of Myanmar has many issues to solve. Among them, the long
standing land management issues are huge, and need to be solved and restore transparency
to land administration. Only then, we may prepare for the resettlement and sustainable
development.
Land Issues
Together with the economic liberalization, land issues have emerged at the center of the
Myanmar's reform and development agenda. The widespread land disputes, land
grabbing, mis-management issues of land use led to the negative social impacts (including
but not limited to social disputes among the farmers, private companies, and governments,
etc.,), environmental impacts (including deforestation, water pollution, land degradation,
etc.,). It also made the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) slow and also the local and regional
governments stagnant in proper planning for the sustainable development of the regions
and the country.
Mandalay Technology
Mandalay Technology, a leading Myanmar technology company, has been advocating the
government, public and stakeholders for utilization of IT, specifically geographic
information systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing satellite data, with a mission to support
and contribute to the sustainable development of the country. One area of Mandalay
Technology’s activities has been contributing in monitoring the land use/ land cover
changes, and transparent land management practices.
Study on Land Use Land Cover Changes of Taninthari Region
In 2012, Mandalay Technology was requested by the regional government of Taninthari
region (the most Southern region of Myanmar) to assist them in mapping the current land
cover of Taninthari region, to help them for a proper planning of economic activities. Then,
the Chief Minister of Taninthari added an additional request to make a study of land use/
land cover change in the past, together with the current land cover mapping. Mandalay
Technology used geographic information systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing satellite data
to produce the maps of the land use ad land cover changes of the Taninthari region, which
is the home to Asia’s largest remaining sub-tropical forest area, with a study of changes
over a time series, with the coordination with the Taninthari regional government and the
multi-stakeholders, including the private companies and also the local villagers.
Taninthari’s large areas are physically inaccessible, insecure or both. In addition, the
physical, social, and economic geography vary substantially over short distances. Dramatic
changes in land uses are taking place over short period of time, as of mining activities,
rubber plantations and palm-oil plantations in the disputed forest land areas, and
industrial development activities. Moreover, critical agro-ecological systems are vulnerable
to climate change.
Mandalay Technology did multi-stakeholder meetings, including the government officials,
opposition parties, local communities, farmers, and media. Then, combine the satellite
image data, GIS maps, and local consultation comments and prepare maps of changes,
maps of current situation of the forests, deforestation and water pollution caused by the
mining, logging, new plantations and industrial development activities, the deviation of
businesses activities by the companies from the permitted business activities. Mandalay
Technology also produced the regional planning advocacy map, with all the related
information, disputed areas, overlapping areas of different land categories _ forest land,
agriculture land, industrial land, virgin land, etc., and the proposed areas for protection
and reservation.
Actions and Measures taken by the local and union government
The regional planning advocacy map well demonstrated the deforestation, the coastal area
changes, the river system degradation, land dispute issues, etc., to the regional government.
Both the regional and union governments have taken measures and actions, inspecting the
mining, logging and other industrial activities in the area, and suspended some licenses of
those businesses which were doing violation of environmental regulations or beyond the
scopes mentioned in the licenses.
Successful demonstration of utilization of technologies for the sustainable development
practices
Mandalay Technology demonstrated the power of geographic information systems (GIS)
and remote sensing data together with the multi-stakeholder participation to enhance the
environmental sustainability, transparent land management practices, and promote the
sustainable development practices.
Request from NESAC, the Presidential Advisory Council
Following the success of the demonstration in the Taninthari division, in 2013, Mandalay
Technology was requested by the National Economic and Social Advisory Council
(NESAC), the Presidential Advisory Council, to produce an updated Agri-ecological Atlas
of Myanmar, as being required by the country for the proper land management for the
agricultural planning and management purposes, sustainable forest management, and
sustainable development of the country.
Working with local and international partners
Mandalay Technology worked together with local and international partners, viz.,
Agriculture and Rural Development Consultants (ADRC) from Myanmar and
ForestInform from Australia, and the Myanmar government departments including
Settlement and Land Records Department (SLRD) of Ministry of Agriculture and
Irrigation.
Agro-ecological atlas of Myanmar
Using the satellite data, GIS technology, and other data such as historical agricultural
outputs, population, climate data, etc., from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU), Settlements and Land Records
Department (SLRD), Forest Department (FD) of Ministry of Environmental Conservation
and Forestry (MoECAF) and WorldClim, Mandalay Technology and ForestInform
produced an Agro-ecological atlas of Myanmar. That Myanmar agro-ecological atlas
together with the rice yield prediction model have been handed over to the Myanmar
government, and also provided to the stakeholders, in 2015.
Dr. Tin Htut, Director General of Department of Agricultural Planning (DAP) of Ministry
of Agriculture and Irrigation congratulates that it is a tremendous contribution to the
country’s development as of its contribution to the agricultural land management, and
proper planning of agricultural zoning for the right crops in the right agri-ecological zones.
The rice yield prediction model also contributes to the better planning of rice agriculture
and economy, he added.
Myanmar Computer Federation’s nomination
We, Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF), believe that the demonstration, by the
Mandalay Technology and its partners, the utilization of information technology tools such
as GIS and remote sensing together with the multi-stakeholder engagement to solve the
land management issues and disputes and to enhance the sustainable forest management,
transparent land management, and contribution to the proper planning, policy making for
agricultural development and forestry management, and in result, contributing to the
sustainable development of the country of Myanmar worth the nomination of Mandalay
Technology and its partners for the SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AWARD of
WITSA.
Our judgement with the judging criteria
(1) Global Impact/Potential
Mandalay Technology and its partners have demonstrated the utilization of the
information technologies (here especially GIS and Remote Sensing technologies) for the
sustainable development practices with the Taninthari region in Myanmar. Their activities
demonstrated well and helped the Taninthari regional government for the proper planning
and management of the land related issues.
Being the presidential advisory council (NESAC) recognized their activities and success;
Mandalay Technology was requested to extend their study to the whole country of
Myanmar and to produce the agro-ecological atlas of Myanmar. They did it successfully.
They contributed to the sustainable development process of the country. Mandalay
Technology successfully demonstrated the ability of their capacities and success story to
replicate and expand from the regional level to the national/ country level.
Land management issues are not bound only to Myanmar but also occurred in many Asian
regional countries and also in many other countries in the world. The man-made problems
and climate change impacts are coupled together making the social and environment
impacts. Mandalay Technology and its partners have demonstrated the utilization of GIS
and remote sensing technologies together with the multi-stakeholders engagement can help
the sustainable development practices for the governments and also the societies. This can
be applied to all the regions, and countries around the world.
(2) Market Potential
The market for such land-cover land use studies, regional planning mapping with
evidenced-based data, and agro-ecological mapping are huge. The governments around the
world, and civil societies, international advocacy organizations, businesses need such
studies, such evidence-based information and such maps for proper land management and
governance, transparency in the land management practices, disaster preparedness
planning, responsible investment planning and monitoring processes. Market potential is
huge.
(3) Innovative Features and Functionalities
Mandalay Technology and its partners demonstrated that the success of their attempts
does not solely depend upon the technologies, but much more with the coordination and
cooperation with the multi-stakeholders, including governments, civil societies, technology
partners, international organizations like UNDP, FAO, MIMU, etc.
The functionalities of the Taninthari Regional Planning Map include;
 Demarcation of different types of land _ forest land, agriculture land, urban and
town land, other lands, and water bodies, and demonstration of overlapping of those
land-types as of existing land management practices
 Infrastructure Development and Business activities (Hydro-power dams, special
economic zones development, mining, rubber and palm oil plantation)
 Proposed area for protection and biosphere reserve
The functionalities of the Agro-ecological Atlas of Myanmar include;
 Existing agricultural industry structure in Myanmar
 Existing forest cover and protected areas
 Three components for agri-ecological zoning: Slope, Moisture Stress (aridity), and
Geology with Nutrient Availability
 Agri-ecological zoning (AEZ) with integration of three components
 Rice yield prediction based on the past trends and AEZ
 Recommendations for enhancement of AEZ for other crops
(4) Feasibility of Implementation
Mandalay Technology and its partners demonstrated the utilization of the GIS technology
with the integration of various types of data and information _ agriculture, climate, soil,
geology, and produced intangible and tangible products. The process has been proven, and
can be implemented somewhere else with less time.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION:
Attachments:
(1) Myanmar Agro-ecological Atlas
(2) Taninthari Regional Map
(3) Mandalay Technology _ Geospatial Technology Division Profile