Environmental and Sustainability Center (ESC)
Amidst the ongoing political instability in Myanmar, the Environmental and Sustainability Center is committed to providing education to the youth of Myanmar in the field of environmental science. The center aims to raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues and to provide non-formal education through collaboration with professionals, experts, and practitioners that fosters informed decision-making and innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Developing the Capacity of Student Scientists for
Supporting Disadvantaged Communities to Cope with Flooding (DECAF)
The DECAF (Developing the Capacity of Student Scientists for Supporting Disadvantaged Communities to Cope with Flooding) project aims to support undergraduate and graduate-level student scientists in Myanmar to develop knowledge and skills in flood-related natural disasters, vulnerability assessment, and management strategies. As the majority of senior tertiary students in Myanmar have been experiencing education interruptions due to pandemics and major social events, this project's learning goals are to build the research students’ capacity in flood risk management and, at the same time, aspire to pursue an applied science and research career in this climate change, water, and flood-related environmental field. The DECAF project consists of two major learning components: Part 1: Online Learning Lecture Series from Expert Educators from New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington), the U.S., Indonesia, and China, and guided field-learning activities as part of Part 2: Collaborative Experiential Learning .
Throughout the Flood Risk Management Course, students have learned 6 online learning lectures about Climate Change and Flood Risk issues globally, including Indonesia and Myanmar South-East Asia Regional Context. Furthermore, students have gained opportunity to build their capacity in flood risk management while simultaneously designing and organizing a variety of field activities to conduct flood risk survey and measurement at the disadvantaged, flood vulnerable community. In addition, participants have gained in-depth knowledge about climate change related flood risk management, collaborative experiential learning. Then after, draw a logical conclusion and recommendation for the case study community for actionable a community-based risk reduction plan. After successfully accomplished online lectures and in-person site training, and shared their findings and results through an international virtual learning conference, students are now more than delighted to share detailed Modules and lectures they have learned and field experience they have gained throughout this learning journey.