OREANDA-NEWS. On December 10 (Thu) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (MHIEC), a Group company, co-hosted a forum in Yangon, Myanmar, in which they conveyed Tokyo's expertise in municipal solid waste management. The forum, a follow-up to one held last September 10, was organized to address this issue of impending social concern in Myanmar as the country continues to register robust economic development.

The forum focused on three main themes: winning residents' understanding of waste management, achieving residents' consensus on construction and operation of waste incineration plants, and environmental regulation and pollution prevention. The venue was the Seminar Room of the Myanmar Engineering Society. As at the first forum, the speakers were representatives of the Clean Authority of TOKYO (CAT23), with support provided by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE).

The forum was attended by more than 150 participants. They included workers affiliated with the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), employees in Yangon's Pollution Control and Cleansing Department, members of the Myanmar Engineering Society, and representatives of local universities and business corporations. Also present were representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Myanmar.

From responses to a questionnaire conducted after the forum, it was clear that many people in Myanmar have great interest and concern in the issue of municipal waste incineration facilities. An extremely large number of respondents also demonstrated strong awareness of the need to educate residents about waste treatment, a clear indication of a widespread desire to make Myanmar a cleaner country with a favorable environment.

A third forum is now scheduled to take place in Yangon on March 10 (Thu). On that occasion the main topics will be planning and implementing solid waste management, and cleaning operations from the financial aspect.

Going forward, the MHI Group will continue, through its business activities, to address a variety of social issues, aiming to share future value with a wide spectrum of stakeholders.

The December forum was attended by more than 150 participants
The December forum was attended by more than 150 participants

Participants included members of the Yangon City Development Committee.