H.E U Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar visiting FAO booth

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations marks the observance the World Environment Day (WED) at the event organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MoNREC) in Nay Pyi Taw. The World Environment Day is the United Nations’ flagship day to enhance worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Celebrated in Myanmar since 1994, this year’s WED was convened under the theme Connecting People to Nature, and the slogan “I’m With Nature.”

The event was opened by H.E U Htin Kyaw, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar who in his speech addressed the need to protect Myanmar’s natural heritage that is threatened by degradation, overexploitation, pollution, and negatively affected by climate change. “In Myanmar a lot of people rely on agriculture for living and that is why we have to make sure we will use our resources in a sustainable way. Sustainable use of resources is also important to address the challenge of changing climate,” said the President. “We must strengthen our resilience and reduce vulnerabilities to climate change. To do that, we need to mobilize resources, build capacities and start using new technologies. We should work together to protect Myanmar’s nature for benefit of the current and future generations.”

This was followed by a video message of the UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres.  “Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. We all have a role to play in protecting our only home. We can use less plastics. Drive less. Waste less food. And teach each other to care. On World Environment Day – and every day – let us reconnect with nature. Let us cherish the planet that protects us,” said UN Secretary General.

Corresponding to message of the President, FAO in Myanmar is working towards sustainable use of natural resources such as water, land, and forests while addressing threats of climate change, through climate-smart agriculture and climate change mitigation. At present, a wide variety of projects that aim to build resilient environment and support increase in ecological integrity while enhancing the quality of life for rural communities is implemented in the country. FAO also focuses on addressing climate-related disasters through application of innovative approaches such as Drones for DRR in the agriculture sector.

The event was attended by over 400 participants from the Government, media, UN partners, and academia.