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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