Hydropower Projects Illuminate Both Sides of the Irrawaddy River

By Guo Yu & Yang Qi

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Hydropower Projects Illuminate Both Sides of the Irrawaddy River

By Guo Yu & Yang Qi

In Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State - the northernmost part of Myanmar - V Singh is busy greeting his frst morning customers. Tey have come to buy juice-makers in his appliance store. The 62-year-old Indian merchant has been running the store, as well as a hotel in the city, for many years. His two-story shop is laden with various kinds of small home appliances. Since the Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station funded by China's State Power Investment Corporation （SPIC）started operation in September 2013, the local power supply has stabilized. After an increase in sales thanks to more reliable electricity, V Singh is a direct benefciary of this project.

“With stable power supply, my business is getting better,” Singh said. “The daily sales volume has grown from 500,000 Kyat（US$413） to 1-2 million Kyat, an increase of over 50 percent.”

The Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station sits on the Chipwi Hka, a tributary on the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River. It is a fine example of how water conservancy benefits local people. The Irrawaddy, the mother river of Myanmar, has been nurturing life for thousands of years. However, because of climate change and other factors, the river has also been a source of disasters. Without effective flood control measures, the rain-swollen river ofen foods in the wet season. Meanwhile, the dry season brings drought. Te ecological environment in the river valley has also worsened. Terefore, the hydropower station project ofers numerous benefts for Myanmar.

Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station

In the “Golden Rose” Spiced Salt Factory in Myitkyina, Zhang Yingsheng is directing his workers in their baking activities. His factory used to rely on a diesel generator for power supply, which cost about 4,000 Kyat（US$3.30） each day, or 120,000 Kyat （US$99）per month. However, things are different now. Tanks to the Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station, Zhang's electrical bill has fallen to just 30,000 Kyat （US$25） per month. Zhang said hydropower station has definitely helped his business pick up. The daily production has jumped from 600 to 3,000 sacks.

In the past, cafés in Myitkyina had to close around 6 p.m. because of power cuts, a real bottleneck to business expansion. As the Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station can ensure supply around the clock, they can now stay open until late, thus attracting more young customers. Business is picking up.

The number of direct job opportunities created by electric power construction projects like the Chibwe Nge Hydropower Station is estimated to be around 30,000-40,000, not including the numerous indirect opportunities the station is set to create. Electric power development not only helps reduce unemployment, but also facilitates rapid economic advancement of the surrounding areas. U Sai Maung Shwe, Minister of Electric Power and Industry in Kachin State, said the Chinese investment in developing hydropower in Kachin State had not only provided access to electricity, but also brought hydropower technology. Cooperation between China and Myanmar in hydropower are of huge beneft to each country.

New Life in an Immigrant Village

Construction of the hydropower station will inevitably lead to the relocation of local residents. How to properly resettle the afected population was an issue SPIC has been very concerned about from the beginning. In the earlier stage of the project, it built an immigrant village linked to a cement road running a length of 20 km. The village features all necessary living facilities including sufficient housing, a kindergarten, a school, a hospital, a post ofce, a church, and a market.

After attending the ceremony for the Irrawaddy River Scholarship and celebration activities for Children's Day held by SPIC for two primary schools in the relocated village, Daw Khaung Yaw, a primary school teacher there, told SPIC staff： “I didn't expect that your Chinese company would pay so much attention to education in the village, not only ofering scholarships and awards to children, but also organizing a rich variety of celebration activities. This is a new memorable experience for children. It will help broaden their horizons and stimulate their desire for knowledge.”

Nearly 100 pupils were given the“Irrawaddy River Scholarship”. Many of them were determined to work even harder.

Young students have enjoyed the benefts of newly built schools after relocation.

Chinese frms operating in Myanmar have made publicizing， preventing， screening and controlling malaria and dengue fever a priority.

Statistics show that there had been only three college students in the history of the village. As the school conditions in the relocated village have improved a lot, there are more students entering college each year. In 2015 alone, nine students became college students. Maung La Khun is a sixth grader this year. In 2014, he took part in a painting competition with the theme of “bright future for the Kachin State and me” and won a prize. Besides supporting the development of local healthcare and education, SPIC also works hard to diversify assistance.

For instance, with its help, the chopstick factory in U Aung Min Ta relocated village went into operation in 2015. Up to 20 job opportunities were created directly for the village, which is a boon for reducing unemployment rates among relocated people. Furthermore, thanks to the eforts in publicizing, preventing, screening and controlling malaria and dengue fever, the huge threat of these diseases has been massively reduced. In 2015, a historical breakthrough was made in the village - not a single villager got malaria.

Irrawaddy River Situation to Improve

The ecological environment in the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River has been seriously damaged. For environmental reasons, since 2012 SPIC has conducted communications and exchanges with Fauna and Flora International （FFI）, a well-known international environmental protection organization, to jointly explore and promote the establishment of a national park in this area.

Various experts have realized that to reverse the deteriorating ecological situation along the river, the fundamental solutions lie in bringing the river under control, developing the abundant water resources, and changing the traditional means of livelihood prevailing among local residents.

The lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River suffered heavy losses during the long rainy season in both 2012 and 2013. The absence of river management planning and engineering measures for flood control is a contributing reason for the frequent foods. In this way, whether taking full advantage of the hydropower resources in this river and expediting the social and economic growth of Myanmar, or to improve the food protection capacity of the river valley, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of water conservancy and hydropower facilities on the river.

Te installed capacity of the hydropower project on its upper reaches stays around 21,500 MW, with the annual average electricity production being 110 billion kWh and the total investment totaling about US$30 billion. Afer the completion of the project, the local government can gain more than US$1.5 billion direct profts from tax revenue, free electricity and resource stocks every year. The strong electricity power supply and considerable economic benefit will help to drive rapid social and economic development in Myanmar.

Te people in this country still feel the effects of the deadly floods that hit the region in the summer of 2015. Action must be taken to protect Myanmar's mother river. In order to effectively tame the Irrawaddy River, rational usage of its water resources is vital. Te government must also ensure the river really benefits the locals. To achieve these aims, all parties involved must act now. SPIC has been working hard to develop and harness the river so that the people living on its banks can live a better life. To this end, it plans to launch water-conservancy projects, strengthen flood control, and build more hydropower stations.