Article and photos by Dr Thein Min Htike, the 2018/19 ASEAN Science and Technology Fellow placed at the Department of Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Myanmar.
As a researcher working on Renewable Energy (RE), I have a passion to contribute to the fast deployment of RE in Myanmar. Despite the presence of a second draft on RE policy, I saw the need to collect stakeholders’ inputs and comprehensive RE database for informed and inclusive policymaking.
I strongly believe that an evidence-based RE policy will help my country meet national and regional aspirations for RE. This will contribute to speeding up energy security and hence strengthen an already increasing economic growth rate (6.2%) and Manufacturing PMI (53.7%).
To this purpose, I aim to build a RE database on potentials and installed capacity through data surveys. I gathered stakeholders’ views on issues and challenges in RE implementation through questionnaire surveys and interviewed key personnel and experts in RE from public and private sectors as well as NGOs. Based on the analysis and evaluation of results, I will then build an online RE database and prepare a policy brief recommending key strategies and programs to be considered for faster deployment of RE.
Since my recommendations are based on comprehensive data and stakeholder’s voices, it will contribute to informing the policy-making for national RE policy and laws that are realistic and relevant to actual issues and challenges. I believe that my policy recommendations would help draft a more assertive RE policy to accelerate the faster deployment of RE in Myanmar. This will help enhance the socio-economic development of Myanmar and fulfill national and regional aspirations on RE.
