The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations announced that today the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) have officially launched the MoALI Disaster Risk Reduction Task Force and Drone Mapping Team. The launching ceremony, held at the Department of Agricultural Research, was opened by H.E. Dr. Aung Thu, Union Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) and H.E. U Ohn Win, Union Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation(MoNREC).
The establishment of the DRR Task Force and Drone Mapping Team is a result of collaboration among MoALI, MoE and FAO, through the Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University (MAEU), and a significant step towards the implementation of the Myanmar Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR). The Task Force will lead with the technical assistance of FAO the preparation of an Agriculture Sector Action Plan for DRR (ASAPDRR). It will not only strengthen national efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and foster more resilient livelihoods, farming systems and ecosystems particularly in rural areas; but also enhance application of modern geospatial technology (drones) for DRR in the agriculture sector.
H. E. Dr. Aung Thu, Union Minister, MoALI highlighted that with the concerned efforts of concerned ministries, the DRR Task Force in MoALI will coordinate Disaster Risk Reduction planning for the agriculture sector including crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries.
H.E. U Ohn Win, Union Minister, MoNREC emphasized that the MoALI DRR Task Force and Drone Mapping Team will contribute to formulating Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and building resilient livelihoods in Myanmar. He also stressed the importance of drone mapping in forestry sector in provision of real time information for decision-making. The Drone Mapping Team operates as a unit of the DRR Task Force in MoALI, and is in charge of utilizing drones to enhance Disaster Preparedness and Response activities, and solidifies the country’s commitment to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which recognizes the importance of modern geospatial technologies in strengthening DRR work across sectors. During the event a Drone fleet, constructed by MAEU and whose designed was based on pilot-mapping experiences with FAO, was handed over by Director General from the Department of Higher Education, MoE and Ms Xiaojie Fan, FAO Representative in Myanmar to H.E. Dr. Aung Thu, Union Minister, MoALI. Ms Xiaojie Fan, FAO Representative in Myanmar underlined that “Today’s event confirms another advancement of Myanmar towards the achievement the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, in particular regarding disaster risk reduction and prevention of negative impacts of climate extreme events”.
The establishment of the DRR Task Force and Drone Mapping Team was supported by FAO through joint efforts of country, regional and headquarters offices, and financed by the generous contribution of the Government of Japan.