"Myanmar road corridors threaten land and livelihoods", 12 Feb 2018

Up to half of Myanmar’s population live in areas that could suffer environmental damage from two giant highways unless the ecological risks are considered, according to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund. The planned roads will form part of China’s continent-crossing network of overseas infrastructure known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “…[A]bout 24 million people could be affected by this infrastructure project –  and negatively…if it is not carried out in a way…taking into account the potential impacts on areas that help provide clean water, protection against floods, landslides, and so on[.]”

Environmentalists and lawyers have voiced fears that Myanmar’s fledgling environmental protection laws, which date from 2015, are insufficiently robust, transparent or enforced to prevent adverse impacts on forest cover, water management and people’s livelihoods. … Vicky Bowman of the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business said Myanmar lacks a regulatory framework and clear-cut guidelines for environmental assessments… “EIAs conducted to date in Myanmar have lacked transparency. Assessments have rarely been published, and the Myanmar government has not run the disclosure and consultation processes required by law...” Nor do Myanmar’s laws meet the standards devised by international agencies for countries to follow. Any mega projects that go ahead are likely to be implemented unlawfully, causing “irreparable damage to Myanmar's environment, its people and also to the reputation of Chinese investors in future[.]” …“All those involved in these projects should be proactive in applying international standards, and being transparent, rather than waiting to be regulated,” said Bowman...