Industrial Wastewater Management inMyanmar
Mya Thandar Khin
Assistant Director
Environmental Conservation Department
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation

1

18th WEPA Annual Meeting
8 February 2023

Contents
 Background Regulatory framework for industrial wastewater

management
 Institutional Involvement in Water Quality
 Monitoring and Inspection Activities
 Overview of industrial wastewater as pollution
sources Issues and challenges
 Ways Forward2

Background Myanmar has faced significant issues in water contamination asa result of urbanization, population expansion, the creation ofspecial economic zones, and increased domestic andinternational investment in the industrial and development
sectors.
 Besides, water contamination caused by increased untreatedwastewater discharge, economic development, agriculturalintensification, and mismatch of wastewater treatment levelwith wastewater output must all be addressed.
 For long-term development, the advancement and growth ofwastewater treatment and reuse are critical.
3Background (Cont.) There are hundreds of industrial zones in Myanmar andmost of them are composed of small-scale industries.
 Those small industries do not have enough capital to invest

in pollution control equipment.
 The industrial sector is growing rapidly, but government

planning is struggling to keep up with this industrialgrowth.

4

Environmental Law & Regulations• Environmental Conservation Law (2012)• Environmental Conservation Rules (2014)• Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (2015)• National Environmental Quality (Emission) Guidelines (2015)• National Environmental Policy of Myanmar (2019)• Myanmar Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Master Plan (2019)• Myanmar National Waste Management Strategy and Master Plan (2018-2030) – (2020)

Regulatory framework for industrial
wastewater management
 The Industrial Waste and Waste Water discharged fromregistered private factories are regularly inspected inaccordance with the enacted;
1)

Water and Air Pollution Control Plan ( Standing Order No. 3 )of the Ministry of Industry in 21st August 1995

2)

Myanmar National Water Policy and National Environmental
Quality (Emission) Guidelines of Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environmental Conservation in 29th December 2015

6

Water and Air Pollution Control Plan( Standing Order No. 3 )Chapter 3, Water Pollution Control
 Paragraph 7: Waste water from the factories shall not be dischargeddirectly into the river, creek, lake and pond when they
are in the following conditions: - (a) High acidity; (b)High alkalinity; (c) High temperature; (d) Presence oftoxic chemicals (e.g Cyanide, Arsenic, Mercury,Cadmium, Lead, Chromium, PCBs.)7

Myanmar National Water Policy and National
Environmental Quality (Emission) Guidelines
 ObjectiveNo.

 To provide the basis for regulation and1.

Chapter
IGeneral Provisions

2.

ChapterII

Implementation Procedures

3.

AnnexA

Emission Guidelines

control of noise and vibration, airemissions and liquid discharges fromvarious sources in order to prevent
pollution for purposes of protection ofhuman and ecosystem health
Notification No.615/2015
29th December 2015

Chapter/Annex(1) --Air Emission
Wastewater
Noise Levels
Odor(2) Industry Specific Guidelines-8-

Energy Sector Development
Agriculture, Livestock andForestry Development
Manufacturing
Waster Management
Water Supply
Infrastructure and Services
Development
Mining

Notification for (9) Priority Sectors among Existing Industries
to conduct Environmental Management Plan (EMP)

Notification No. 03 / 2018

No.

10th January 2018

1.

Alcohol, Wine and Beer Production Factories

12 Months

2.

Food and Beverage Processing Facilities

9 Months

3.

Pesticide Manufacturing, Formulation and Packaging
Plants9 Months

4.

Cement and Lime Manufacturing

9 Months

5.

Textile and Dying Facilities

12 Months

6.

Foundry Industry

9 Months

7.

Tanning and Leather Finishing

12 Months

8.

Pulp and Paper Mill

12 Months

9.

Sugar Manufacturing Plant

12 Months

Amended in 2019

Type of Industry

Timeframe for EMPEnvironmental Quality Standards
Article 10. of Environmental Conservation Law (2012)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation may, with the approval of the Union
Government

and the Environmental Conservation Committee, stipulate the following

environmental quality standards:(a)suitable surface water quality standards for the usage in rivers, streams, canals, springs,
marshes, swamps, lakes, reservoirs and other inland water sources of the public;(b)

water quality standards for coastal and estuarine areas;(c)underground water quality standards;(d)atmospheric quality standards;(e)noise and vibration standards;(f)emission standards;(g)effluent standards;(h)solid waste standards;(i)other environmental quality standards stipulated by the Union GovernmentNational Surface Water Quality Standards in Myanmar (Draft)

Technical Cooperation with Water Environmental Partnership Asia (WEPA)

Institutional Involvement in Water Quality
InstitutionMain Role in Water Quality

ECD – Environmental Conservation Department

Monitoring and Inspection of Industrial effluent anddomestic sewage contamination, Water quality
Monitoring

DISI – Directorate of Industrial Supervision andInspection

Inspection of Industrial effluent

DWIR – Directorate of Water Resources in
Improvement of River Systems

Monitoring of water quality for Ayeyarwaddy andChindwin

ID – Irrigation Department

Monitoring of water quality of major rivers anddams

WRUD – Water Resources Utilization Department

Water quality (river or well) monitoring for ruralvillages

MOH – Ministry of Health

Drinking water quality monitoring and inspection

City Development Committees

Monitoring of water supply

DMH – Department of Meteorology and Hydrology

Water quality of rainfall (acidity)

12

Monitoring and Inspection Activities
 Recycling and reusing of water, after treatment to specified standards.
 Discharging the waste water systematically after recycling.
 Testing the waste water by using testing instruments in accordance with theNational Environmental Quality (Emission) Guidelines.
 Inspection and surveying on requirements of establishment of waste water

treatment plant in the factories in accordance with the Environmental
Conservation Rule 41.
 Instruction and guidance on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as of

the Environmental Conservation Rule 52.
 Instruction and guidance to the industries those were established before theprovision of the regulation of Environmental Conservation Law to be inline
with such specified rules.
 Coordinating with relevant departments to discuss and share on knowledgeof waste water.
13

Overview of industrial wastewater as pollution sources
IndustrySignificance as pollution sources
Very highFood, beverages, tobacco
Textile, apparels, leatherHigh√√

Wood, wood products√

Paper, paper products, printing√

Chemicals, chemical products√

Pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical products√

Rubber and plastics products√

Metal manufacturing

Moderate√

Electrical equipment√

Machinery and equipment√

Motor vehicles, other transport equipment√

Livestock industries√

Mining and quarrying√

14Petroleum
refining√

Low

Very lowUnion territory, State and Regional ECD’s monitoring activities
 Industrial Effluents from industries & water quality monitoring have been

conducted monthly
 Submit the results to ECD headquarter

ECD Headquarter monitoring activities

No.

State & Regions (2022)

No. of Monitoring for
WWT Industry

 Data base system

1Nay Pyi Taw

90

Fiscal Year

2Kachin State

34

3

Kayah State

16

4

Kayin State72

5Chin State-

6

Sagaing Region

61

7

Tanitharyi Region

23

8

Bago Region

139

9

Magway Region

41

10

Mandalay Region

169

11

Mon State133

12Rakhine State

163

13

Yangon Region

129

14

Shan State

152

15

Ayayawaddy Region

112

No.

No. of Monitoringfor Surface waterQuality

1.

2017- 2018462.

2018- 2019101

3.

2019- 2020

51

4.

2020- 2021

113

5.

2021- 2022

161

6.

2022- 2023

1250

15

Water Quality Monitoring
Water Quality Monitoring Surface Water Quality Ground Water Quality
 Waste Water Quality
Key Parameters for Air Quality Monitoring pH Temperature Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) Turbidity
 Salinity
 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Electrical Conductivity (EC) Heavy Metals

Equipment for Water Quality Monitoring Multi-Parameter Water Quality Meter (U-54G)
 Photometer Spectro Direct
 Heavy Metal Digital Test Kit (Lamotte Smart-3 Colorimeter)
 Arsenic Test Kit (Lovibond) Trace2O Metalyser/ Metalometer Oil Content Analyzer
 COD Thermo reactor
 DR-1900 Spectrophotometer Atomic Absorption Specterometer (AAS)Project for Capacity Development in Basic Water Environment
Management and EIA System in Myanmar
 Project Duration – 3 years (2015 – 2018)
 Technical Cooperation
 Project Areas Hlaing River Basin, Yangon
 Doke Hta Waddy River Basin, Mandalay

Hlaing River Basin (Yangon)

 Cooperation with JICA

Doke Hta Waddy River Basin (Mandalay)Issues and challenges
 Financial Constraints
 Increasing Prices of Water and Energy
 Awareness in Technology
 Law Enforcement
 Trainings and Capacity Building Experts and Auditors Trainings
 Increasing Prices of Raw Materials
 Increasing Cost of Pollution Control19

Way Forward for Water Environment Management

National Environmental
Quality Standards
Effective Enforcement
Database System, Laboratory and Research Development
Technical Guidelines for Monitoring
Comprehensive Monitoring System

Assessment and Revise on Environmental Quality Standards, Enforcement
Mechanism based on Experiences & Practices by Implementation, Enforcement,
Compliance and Technology AdvanceReference https://www.ecd.gov.mm/ https://industry.gov.mm/
 https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/pluginfile.php/437976/mod_oucontent/oucontent/56774/8b0c93e6/a6f1d698/wrm_2_4_myanma
rs_water_uses.png
 https://meral.edu.mm/records/3222#.X4lure0VTIU
 https://www.myanmarwaterportal.com/pages/16-dwir.html
 https://www.motc.gov.mm/
 https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=SOBA+1.3
 https://www.medbox.org/document/myanmar-national-water-policyburmese-version#GO
 https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/pluginfile.php/437976/mod_oucontent/oucontent/56774/8b0c93e6/a6f1d698/wrm_2_4_myan
mars_water_uses.png

21

Thank you for your time and kind attention !
22