Myanmar
Last Updated : 22 April 2025.
Myanmar has an abundance of water resources, which are distributed unevenly spatially and temporally. It has eight river basins: Ayeyarwady, Thanlwin, Mekong, Bago, Sittaung, Bilin, Tanintharyi, and Rakhine.
State of water environment
Myanmar has an abundance of water resources, which are distributed unevenly spatially and temporally. The annual precipitation in the southeastern area (i.e., Kayin, Mon, and Taninthayi Regions) and western area (i.e. Rakhine Region) is over 4,000 mm, while that in inland areas (Sagaing, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw Regions) is around 1,000 mm (CSO 2022). Around 78% of rainfall falls between June and September (CSO 2022). Myanmar has eight river basins: Ayeyarwady, Thanlwin, Mekong, Bago, Sittaung, Bilin, Tanintharyi, and Rakhine. The Ayeywarwady basin accounts for 55% of Myanmar’s land area and Thanlwin for 19% (IFC 2020). Lakes and reservoirs are also important freshwater resources as approximately 91% of the total water withdrawal is from surface water (ADB 2017), while populations in the dry zone depend on groundwater (Dury and Aqua Rock Konsultants 2017). Inle Lake and Indawgyi Lake are the two largest natural lakes, with respective areas of 116 km2 and 123 km2 (Mjelde et al. 2023).
Please read: Outlook 2024 Myanmar
Institutional Arrangement
Institutional arrangement for water environment management in Myanmar
| Department | Ministry/organization | Responsibilities |
| Environmental Conservation Department | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation | Formulating national environmental quality standards including water quality standards, water quality monitoring, enforcement |
| Forest Department | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation | Reforestation and conservation of forests including watershed areas |
| Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department | Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation | Supplying irrigation water and controlling floods |
| Water Resources Utilization Department | Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation | Irrigation and rural water supply |
| Department of Meteorology and Hydrology | Ministry of Transport and Communication | Flood early warning for major rivers |
| Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection | Ministry of Industry | Regulating industrial water use and wastewater discharge |
| Department of Public Health | Ministry of Health | Drinking water quality assessments |
| Department of Rural Development | Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development | Rural water supply and sanitation |
| Department of Research and Innovation | Ministry of Science and Technology | Formulating national standards |
| Engineering Department (Water Supply and Sanitation) | City Development Committees (Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw) | Water supply and sanitation in city areas |