WB Group, IHA to jointly develop Myanmar hydropower

YANGON, Jan 19 (Xinhua): The World Bank Group and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) are helping Myanmar develop a more sustainable hydropower sector by promoting best practices in technical, environmental and social standards, according to a press release issued by the World Bank Monday.
A two-day hydropower workshop starting Monday was hosted by the World Bank Group and the International Hydropower Association, a non-profit organisation, in Nay Pyi Taw to foster knowledge and encourage exchange between about 100 representatives from the government, private sector and civil society, the release said.
Participants from Myanmar and neighboring countries will discuss hydropower planning, taking regional examples and lessons learned into account on managing river basins with cascades of hydropower, sustainable financing mechanisms, and sustainability approaches, it added.
Workshop discussions will focus on the opportunities and challenges of Myanmar's hydropower development.
Participants will talk about the urgent need for a policy framework that encourages sustainable hydropower development and the adoption of good international environmental and social practices in the industry.
The release stated that Myanmar has enormous hydropower potential of up to 100,000 megawatt which would be almost 30 times the currently installed capacity of 3,500 megawatt if realised.
Currently less than 30 per cent of households in Myanmar have access to electricity, and electricity consumption per capita is among the lowest in the world, it said.