Yangon City Urban Development

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Yangon Region Government (YRG)

Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC)
The Updated Strategic Urban Development Plan

of the Greater Yangon
The Project for Updating the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the
Greater Yangon
FINAL REPORT I
February 2018
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
EI
JR
18-144
Data Collection Survey for the Project for Updating
the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon
Final Report I
Data Collection Survey for the Project for

Updating the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon
Final Report I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Part I: Survey & Planning Work

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background ............................................................................................................ I 1-1
1.2 Objective ................................................................................................................ I 1-1
1.3 Target Area ............................................................................................................. I 1-2
1.4 Target Year.............................................................................................................. I 1-2
1.5 Planning Organizations .......................................................................................... I 1-2
1.6 Key Process of Planning and Study ....................................................................... I 1-3
Chapter 2: Fact Findings, Planning Process, and Updated Points
2.1 Development Visions ............................................................................................. I 2-1
2.2 Urban Framework and Structure .......................................................................... I 2-19
2.3 Urban Function Development .............................................................................. I 2-28
2.4 Infrastructure Development.................................................................................. I 2-42
2.5 CBD Renovation ................................................................................................ I 2-121
2.6 Financing Urban Development .......................................................................... I 2-163
2.7 Capacity Development ....................................................................................... I 2-185
2.8 Legal and Administrative Framework ................................................................ I 2-197
Chapter 3: Conducted Works
3.1 Pilot Project ............................................................................................................ I 3-1
3.2 Capacity Assessment .............................................................................................. I 3-2
3.3 Building Seismic Diagnosis ................................................................................. I 3-26
Part II: Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon

1.1 Background ........................................................................................................... II 1-1
1.2 Objectives .............................................................................................................. II 1-1
1.3 Target Area ............................................................................................................ II 1-2
1.4 Target Year............................................................................................................. II 1-2
1.5 Planning and Implementation Organizations ........................................................ II 1-2
1.6 Framework of the Plan .......................................................................................... II 1-3
1.7 Overview of Yangon .............................................................................................. II 1-4
Chapter 2: Yangon’s Future Vision
2.1 Schematic Structure............................................................................................... II 2-1
NIPPON KOEI CO., LTD., KISHO KUROKAWA ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF JAPAN and ALMEC CORPORATION
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Final Report I
2.2 Development Vision .............................................................................................. II 2-4

2.3 Development Strategies......................................................................................... II 2-6
Chapter 3: Urban Framework and Structure
3.1 Socioeconomic Framework ................................................................................... II 3-1
3.2 Urban Structure ..................................................................................................... II 3-4
Chapter 4: Development Policy and Action
4.1 Urban Function Development ............................................................................... II 4-1
4.2 Environmental and Social Function Development.............................................. II 4-15
4.3 Infrastructure Development................................................................................. II 4-21
4.4 CBD Renovation ................................................................................................. II 4-56
Chapter 5: Urban Development Management Programs
5.1 Priority Projects ..................................................................................................... II 5-1
5.2 Financing Urban Development ........................................................................... II 5-18
5.3 Capacity Development ........................................................................................ II 5-23
5.4 Legal and Administrative Framework ................................................................. II 5-27
Appendix 1: A Comparison Study for the Future Sea Port

Appendix 2: Presentation Summary of Final Report I
Appendix 3: Project Brochure

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Final Report I
LIST OF TABLES
Page
Part I: Survey & Planning Work (I x-xxx)

Table 1.6.1: Summary Result of Kick-off Meeting ......................................................... 1-3
Table 1.6.2: Summary Result of 1st Steering Committee ................................................ 1-3
Table 1.6.3: Summary Result of 1st MOTC Meeting ...................................................... 1-4
Table 1.6.4: Summary Result of 1st MOC Meeting......................................................... 1-4
Table 1.6.5: Summary Result of 1st Periodical Meeting of YRG .................................... 1-4
Table 1.6.6: Summary Result of 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG ................................... 1-5
Table 1.6.7: Summary Result of 3rd Periodical Meeting of YRG ................................... 1-5
Table 1.6.8: Summary Result of Interim Report Meeting of YRG ................................. 1-5
Table 1.6.9: Summary Result of 2nd MOC Meeting ........................................................ 1-6
Table 1.6.10: Summary Result of 2nd MOTC Meeting ................................................... 1-6
Table 1.6.11: Summary Result of 4th Periodical Meeting of YRG .................................. 1-6
Table 1.6.12: Summary Result of Stakeholder Meeting for a Trial Event ...................... 1-7
Table 1.6.13: Summary Result of 5th Periodical Meeting of YRG.................................. 1-7
Table 1.6.14: Summary Result of 3rd MOC Meeting in Yangon ..................................... 1-7
Table 1.6.15: Summary Result of 6th Periodical Meeting of YRG.................................. 1-8
Table 1.6.16: Summary Result of 4th MOC Meeting ...................................................... 1-8
Table 1.6.17: Summary Result of 3rd MOTC Meeting .................................................... 1-8
Table 1.6.18: Summary Result of Consultative Workshop ............................................. 1-9
Table 1.6.19: Summary Result of Handing Over of Summary Report ........................... 1-9
Table 1.6.20: Summary Result of JCCM Meeting .......................................................... 1-9
Table 1.6.21: Summary Result of 7th Periodical Meeting of YRG................................ 1-10
Table 1.6.22: Summary Result of Development Partners’ Meeting of YRG ................ 1-10
Table 2.1.1: Points to be considered for New Urban Development ................................ 2-9
Table 2.1.2: Definition of Vision ................................................................................... 2-10
Table 2.1.3: List of Universities .................................................................................... 2-14
Table 2.2.1: Total USD Investment of Permitted Enterprises by Sector, Under the Foreign
Investment Law ..................................................................................................... 2-20
Table 2.2.2: Income and Expenditure Account from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 ............ 2-21
Table 2.2.3: Record of Meetings ................................................................................... 2-24
Table 2.2.4: Category of Urbanized Area ...................................................................... 2-26
Table 2.3.1: List of Relevant Urban Development Projects .......................................... 2-29
Table 2.3.2: Record of Meetings ................................................................................... 2-39
Table 2.4.1: Current Status of Water Supply Projects after development of SUDP in 2013
............................................................................................................................... 2-42
Table 2.4.2: Current and Future Water Resources (MGD) ............................................ 2-45
Table 2.4.3: Water Supply System in Kyauktan and Thanlyin Townships ................... 2-46
Table 2.4.4: Water Tariff System ................................................................................... 2-46
Table 2.4.5: Revenue and Expenditure of Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation)
(Million MMK) ..................................................................................................... 2-47
Table 2.4.6: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Water Supply) ..................................... 2-47
Table 2.4.7: Applied Water Demand per Capita ............................................................ 2-49
Table 2.4.8: Applied NRW and Leakage Ratio ............................................................. 2-49
Table 2.4.9: Estimated Service Ratio ............................................................................ 2-50
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Final Report I
Table 2.4.10: Estimated Served Population................................................................... 2-50

Table 2.4.11: Estimated Water Demand (MGD) ........................................................... 2-51
Table 2.4.12: Current Status of Water Supply Projects after Development of SUDP in
2013 ....................................................................................................................... 2-53
Table 2.4.13: Estimated Expenditure for Sewerage in 2016 ......................................... 2-54
Table 2.4.14: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Water Supply) ................................... 2-55
Table 2.4.15: Estimated Wastewater Generation and Target Townships in 2040.......... 2-56
Table 2.4.16: Necessary Area for WWTP ..................................................................... 2-57
Table 2.4.17: Recent Major Flood Damage in Yangon Region ..................................... 2-60
Table 2.4.18: Transition of Natural Disaster Response by Central Government .......... 2-66
Table 2.4.19: Responsibility on Management of Flood Protection Structures .............. 2-69
Table 2.4.20: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Water Supply) ................................... 2-71
Table 2.4.21: Health Effects of HIS Households by Experienced Floods .................... 2-75
Table 2.4.22: Area and Population in Township Groups ............................................... 2-76
Table 2.4.23: Development Goals and Target Effect Indicators for Flood Management
............................................................................................................................... 2-76
Table 2.4.24: Current Status of Solid Waste Management Projects after development of
SUDP in 2013 ........................................................................................................ 2-77
Table 2.4.25: Current Status of International Cooperation and Bilateral Assistance
Projects related to Solid Waste Management ..................................................... 2-78
Table 2.4.26: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Solid Waste Management) ................ 2-82
Table 2.4.27: Summary of IFC WtE Strategy ............................................................... 2-84
Table 2.4.28: Townships of YESC Service Area ........................................................... 2-86
Table 2.4.29: Existing Hydropower Stations as of 2016 ............................................... 2-86
Table 2.4.30: Existing Gas Turbine Power Stations as of 2016 .................................... 2-87
Table 2.4.31: Existing Combined Cycle and Thermal Power Stations as of 2016........ 2-87
Table 2.4.32: Existing Coal Fired Power Stations as of 2016 ....................................... 2-87
Table 2.4.33: Department for controlling Transmission/Distribution Line ................... 2-88
Table 2.4.34: Electricity Tariff in Myanmar .................................................................. 2-88
Table 2.4.35: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Electricity) ........................................ 2-89
Table 2.4.36: Current Status of Telecommunication Projects after development of SUDP
in 2013 ................................................................................................................... 2-90
Table 2.4.37: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Telecommunication Supply) ............. 2-92
Table 2.4.38: Major destructive earthquakes................................................................. 2-93
Table 2.4.39: Seismic Zone at MNBC .......................................................................... 2-94
Table 2.4.40: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Earthquake)..................................... 2-100
Table 2.4.41: The Amount of Loss by Fire Accidents ................................................. 2-102
Table 2.4.42: Huge Fire Accidents with Loss over Ten Billion MMK. ...................... 2-103
Table 2.4.43: The Number of Fire Engine................................................................... 2-105
Table 2.4.44: The Number of Outdoor Standpipe by Township ................................. 2-106
Table 2.4.45: Features of Yangon City from a View Point of Fire Prevention............ 2-108
Table 2.4.46: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Fire) ................................................ 2-109
Table 2.4.47: Urban Transport Demand and Modal Share in the Greater Yangon (2013)
............................................................................................................................. 2-111
Table 2.4.48: Profiles of Ferry Routes across Yangon River ...................................... 2-119
Table 2.4.49: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Urban Transport & Logistics) ......... 2-119
Table 2.5.1: Population and Density of CBD .............................................................. 2-121
Table 2.5.2: Conventional households and household size ......................................... 2-122
Table 2.5.3: Selected Age Groups Structure and Dependency Ratios......................... 2-122
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Final Report I
Table 2.5.4: Type of Ownership .................................................................................. 2-122

Table 2.5.5: Distribution of Listed Heritage Buildings, Yangon City (reproduced from
SUDP 2013, YCDC (JICA)) ............................................................................... 2-126
Table 2.5.6: Road Pricing Systems.............................................................................. 2-141
Table 2.5.7: List of Proposal Parking Buildings ......................................................... 2-141
Table 2.5.8: Future Projection of International Arrivals, Visitor Expenditure and Tourism
Employment ........................................................................................................ 2-159
Table 2.5.9: Record of Meetings and Surveys (CBD Renovation) ............................. 2-159
Table 2.6.1: Income and Expenditure Account from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 (Billion
MMK).................................................................................................................. 2-163
Table 2.6.2: YCDC Income Account in FY2015/16 (Billion MMK).......................... 2-164
Table 2.6.3: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Financing Urban Development) ....... 2-171
Table 2.6.4: Yangon Regional Government Revenue in FY2014/15 (in million MMK)
............................................................................................................................. 2-174
Table 2.6.5: Yangon Regional Government Expenditure in FY2014/15 (in million MMK)
............................................................................................................................. 2-175
Table 2.6.6: Level of and Trends in Property Tax Revenues as % of GDP................. 2-177
Table 2.6.7: Comparison of Property Tax in Myanmar and Thailand ......................... 2-177
Table 2.6.8: Actual Normal Income of Assessor Department (Million MMK) .......... 2-179
Table 2.7.1: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Capacity Development) .................... 2-194
Table 2.8.1: Bylaws of YCDC Related to Urban Planning ......................................... 2-198
Table 3.2.1: Comparison of Revised and Previous Official Number of Employees at UPD
................................................................................................................................. 3-8
Table 3.2.2: Organization Structure and Human Resources at Housing and Urban Bureau,
Kobe City Municipality ......................................................................................... 3-18
Table 3.2.3: Duty and Responsibility of Housing and Urban Bureau, Kobe City
Municipality .......................................................................................................... 3-19
Table 3.2.4: Duties and Responsibilities under Proposed UPD Reforms, YCDC ........ 3-23
Table 3.3.1: Building Overview Targeted for Seismic Diagnosis ................................. 3-27
Table 3.3.2: Material Test Result................................................................................... 3-32
Table 3.3.3: Assumed Seismic Force for Each Building (Target Value) ....................... 3-35
Table 3.3.4: Seismic Diagnosis Methods in Japan ........................................................ 3-36
Part II: Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon (II x-xx)
Table 3.1.1: Population Projection Based on Census 2014 ............................................. 3-1
Table 3.1.2: GRDP and GRDP/Capita ............................................................................ 3-2
Table 4.1.1: List of Sub-centers ...................................................................................... 4-2
Table 4.1.2: Development Vision for Each Sub-center ................................................... 4-3
Table 4.1.3: List of New Cities ....................................................................................... 4-4
Table 4.1.4: Points to be considered for New Urban Development ................................ 4-5
Table 4.1.5: List of New City Cores................................................................................ 4-5
Table 4.1.6: Development Vision for Each New City Core ............................................ 4-6
Table 4.1.7: List of Railway Station Area ....................................................................... 4-7
Table 4.1.8: Outline of Proposed Urban Redevelopment Projects .................................. 4-9
Table 4.1.9: List of Industrial Area ............................................................................... 4-11

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Final Report I
Table 4.1.10: Total Number of Housing Units of Provided by DUHD in Myanmar by

2016 ....................................................................................................................... 4-12
Table 4.1.11: Number of Housing Units to be Developed During each Five-Year Term in
Myanmar ............................................................................................................... 4-12
Table 4.2.1: Total Area of Parks and Open Spaces........................................................ 4-17
Table 4.2.2: Basic Measures for Implementation .......................................................... 4-19
Table 4.2.3: Basic Measures for Implementation .......................................................... 4-20
Table 4.3.1: Implementation Schedule (Water Supply) ................................................ 4-25
Table 4.3.2: Implementation Schedule (Sewerage) ....................................................... 4-28
Table 4.3.3: Implementation Schedule (Drainage and Flood)....................................... 4-32
Table 4.3.4: Implementation Schedule (Solid Waste) ................................................... 4-37
Table 4.3.5: Implementation Schedule (Electricity)...................................................... 4-41
Table 4.3.6: Implementation Schedule (Telecommunication)....................................... 4-43
Table 4.3.7: Implementation Schedule (Earthquake) .................................................... 4-47
Table 4.3.8: Action Schedule (Disaster Risk Management (Fire)) ............................... 4-51
Table 4.3.9: Implementation Schedule (Urban Transport & Logistics) ........................ 4-55
Table 5.1.1: Priority Projects of Urban Development Management Sector .................... 5-1
Table 5.1.2: Priority Projects for Infrastructure Development Sector ........................... 5-10
Table 5.1.3: Estimated Cost for Priority Projects .......................................................... 5-15
Table 5.1.4: Scenario of Investment for Infrastructure in the Greater Yangon ............. 5-17
Table 5.2.1: YCDC Income and Expenditure Account from FY2011/2012 to 2015/2016
(Billion MMK) ...................................................................................................... 5-18
Table 5.2.2: YCDC Income Account from in FY2015/16 (Billion MMK) ................... 5-19

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Final Report I
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Part I: Survey & Planning Work (I x-xxx)

Figure 1.4.1: Study Schedule .......................................................................................... 1-2
Figure 1.5.1: Study Implementation Organizations ........................................................ 1-3
Figure 2.1.1: Target Year of the Plan ............................................................................... 2-1
Figure 2.1.2: Formulating Process of the Development Visions ..................................... 2-2
Figure 2.1.3: New City Development Concept ............................................................... 2-3
Figure 2.1.4: Proposed Urban Growth Axis .................................................................... 2-4
Figure 2.1.5: New City Development Plan ..................................................................... 2-4
Figure 2.1.6: Spatial Structure of New cities .................................................................. 2-5
Figure 2.1.7: Draft of Schematic Structure ..................................................................... 2-6
Figure 2.1.8: Images of Necessary Logistics Functions.................................................. 2-7
Figure 2.1.9: Images of Necessary Urban Functions ...................................................... 2-8
Figure 2.1.10: Development Visions of Yangon ........................................................... 2-10
Figure 2.1.11: Proposed Key Actions for International Logistics HUB City................ 2-13
Figure 2.1.12: Location of Universities ........................................................................ 2-15
Figure 2.1.13: Proposed Key Actions for Knowledge and Comfortable City............... 2-16
Figure 2.1.14: Proposed Key Actions for Well-Managed Infrastructure City ............... 2-17
Figure 2.1.15: Proposed Key Actions for Good Governance City ................................ 2-18
Figure 2.2.1: Previous Urban Structure Plan of Greater Yangon planned in 2013 ....... 2-23
Figure 2.2.2: Removed Proposed Railway Line after previous SUDP ......................... 2-25
Figure 2.2.3: Alignment of Revised Outer Ring Road .................................................. 2-25
Figure 2.2.4: Seven New cities planned by YCDC ....................................................... 2-26
Figure 2.3.1: Location of Relevant Urban Development Projects ................................ 2-28
Figure 2.3.2: Completion Image (LEFT), Typical Residential Floor Plan(RIGHT) ..... 2-29
Figure 2.3.3: Completion Image ................................................................................... 2-30
Figure 2.3.10: Completion Image (LEFT), Typical Residential Floor Plan(RIGHT) ... 2-35
Figure 2.3.11: Completion Image.................................................................................. 2-35
Figure 2.3.15: Completion Image ................................................................................. 2-39
Figure 2.4.1: Organization Chart of YCDC .................................................................. 2-43
Figure 2.4.2: Organization Chart of Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation) . 2-43
Figure 2.4.3: Location and Capacity of Each Water Resource...................................... 2-45
Figure 2.4.4: Development Plan of Water Resources.................................................... 2-48
Figure 2.4.5: Flow of Water Demand Forecast ............................................................. 2-49
Figure 2.4.6: Water Allocation Plan in 2025 ................................................................. 2-52
Figure 2.4.7: Water Allocation Plan in 2040 ................................................................. 2-52
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Final Report I
Figure 2.4.8: Sewerage Planning Area .......................................................................... 2-54

Figure 2.4.9: Theory of Disaster Risk ........................................................................... 2-58
Figure 2.4.10: Present Flooding Conditions in Greater Yangon ................................... 2-59
Figure 2.4.11: Master Plan of Rainwater Drainage Improvement ................................ 2-60
Figure 2.4.12: Present Flooding Conditions in Greater Yangon ................................... 2-62
Figure 2.4.13: Drainage Basin of CBD ......................................................................... 2-63
Figure 2.4.14: Conceivable Flood Inundation Locations in CBD................................. 2-63
Figure 2.4.15: Operation and Maintenance of Drainage Facilities by DRB, YCDC .... 2-64
Figure 2.4.16: Several Information of Flood Inundation in Study Area ....................... 2-65
Figure 2.4.17: Flood Forecast and Warning Network from DMH Branch ................... 2-67
Figure 2.4.18: Disaster Education Activities and Evacuation Facility Introduced by RRD
............................................................................................................................... 2-69
Figure 2.4.19: On-going Rehabilitation of Existing Drainage Network by DRB, YCDC
............................................................................................................................... 2-70
Figure 2.4.20: Example of Flood Hazard Map Produced by ADB TA Project ............. 2-70
Figure 2.4.21: Flood Situations in Greater Yangon ....................................................... 2-74
Figure 2.4.22: Frequency of Flood Inundation in House .............................................. 2-75
Figure 2.4.23: Flood Inundation Depth in House during Maximum Flood .................. 2-75
Figure 2.4.24: Conceptual Drawing of Waste to Energy Project (Pilot Scale) in Shwe
Pyi Thar Township ................................................................................................ 2-79
Figure 2.4.25: Birds-eye Picture of Comprehensive Waste Management Facility in
Thilawa Special Economic Zone........................................................................... 2-80
Figure 2.4.26: Capacity Demand of Final Disposal Site by Year 2040 with Waste
Reduction (Municipal Waste) ............................................................................. 2-81
Figure 2.4.27: Organization Chart of YESC ................................................................. 2-85
Figure 2.4.28: Actual Power Generation at 25th August 2016...................................... 2-88
Figure 2.4.29: Broadband Users and Service Ratio (2011 to 2016).............................. 2-90
Figure 2.4.30: Mobile Phones Users and Service Ratio (20110 to 20154) ................... 2-91
Figure 2.4.31: Fixed Phones Users and Service Ratio (2011 to 2015) ......................... 2-92
Figure 2.4.32: Sagaing Fault and Distribution of Epicenter of Major Destructive
Earthquakes ........................................................................................................... 2-93
Figure 2.4.33: Design for shear coefficient distribution map (excerpt from MNBC-2016)
............................................................................................................................... 2-95
Figure 2.4.34: Soil Map of Yangon Division ................................................................ 2-96
Figure 2.4.35: Photos from Construction Site ............................................................... 2-97
Figure 2.4.36: Concrete Mixing Status ......................................................................... 2-98
Figure 2.4.37: Material storage status ........................................................................... 2-98
Figure 2.4.38: Example of specific emergency transportation routes ........................... 2-99
Figure 2.4.39: The number of fire accidents ............................................................... 2-101
Figure 2.4.40: The Dead and Injured People by Fire Accidents ................................. 2-104
Figure 2.4.41: Kyauktada Fire Station (Township Fire Station) ................................. 2-105
Figure 2.4.42: Fire Engines ......................................................................................... 2-106
Figure 2.4.43: Photo of Outdoor Standpipe ................................................................ 2-106
Figure 2.4.44: The Number of Road Lanes ................................................................. 2-107
Figure 2.4.45: Number of Registered Vehicle in Yangon Region ............................... 2-110
Figure 2.4.46: Traffic Accidents by Causes in Yangon Region................................... 2-111
Figure 2.4.47: Flyovers in Yangon City ...................................................................... 2-112
Figure 2.4.48: Locations of Flyovers, Level Crossings and Underpass for Circular
Railway................................................................................................................ 2-113
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Final Report I
Figure 2.4.49: Number of Passengers by Train Service .............................................. 2-114

Figure 2.4.50: Completed and On-going Railway Projects in the Greater Yangon .... 2-115
Figure 2.4.51: Potential Sites for Integrated Development with Railway Projects..... 2-116
Figure 2.4.52: Container Handling Throughput in Yangon Inner Harbor and Thilawa
Area ..................................................................................................................... 2-117
Figure 2.4.53: Improvements on Freight Truck Routes .............................................. 2-118
Figure 2.4.54: Ferry Route across Yangon River ........................................................ 2-119
Figure 2.5.1: Boundary of Six Townships in CBD ..................................................... 2-121
Figure 2.5.2: Current Condition of Building Use........................................................ 2-123
Figure 2.5.3: Current Condition of Building Height ................................................... 2-123
Figure 2.5.4: Road Network of CBD .......................................................................... 2-124
Figure 2.5.5: Introduction from ‘Heritage-led Urban Regeneration in Yangon .......... 2-125
Figure 2.5.6: Protected Heritage buildings - Sule Pagoda and Ministers’ Building
(Secretariat) ......................................................................................................... 2-127
Figure 2.5.7: Residential buildings such as these are an important part of the character of
the city but are not currently protected by listing................................................ 2-127
Figure 2.5.8: Location of proposed Downtown Conservation Area (in red)............... 2-130
Figure 2.5.9: Boundary of Proposed Downtown Conservation Area .......................... 2-130
Figure 2.5.10: Area of proposed Downtown Conservation Area and Height Controls
............................................................................................................................. 2-131
Figure 2.5.11: Appropriate Intervention Approaches and Tools for different building
types .................................................................................................................... 2-132
Figure 2.5.12: 491-501 Merchant Road ...................................................................... 2-133
Figure 2.5.13: Traffic Congestion of Main Road in CBD ........................................... 2-136
Figure 2.5.14: Current Living Problems in CBD ........................................................ 2-137
Figure 2.5.15: A Historical Building in CBD .............................................................. 2-137
Figure 2.5.16: Cityscape with Big Billboards in CBD ................................................ 2-137
Figure 2.5.17: Existing Entrance Roads of CBD ........................................................ 2-139
Figure 2.5.18: Location and Current Situation of Proposed Sites for Parking............ 2-140
Figure 2.5.19: The Location of Proposal Car Park...................................................... 2-142
Figure 2.5.20: Image of Restraining of Private Car Traffic ........................................ 2-142
Figure 2.5.21: New Bus Route Map ............................................................................ 2-143
Figure 2.5.22: Photos of Bus Lane (existing road (CBD), Nagoya City and Jakarta City)
............................................................................................................................. 2-143
Figure 2.5.23: A Vision for Yangon ............................................................................. 2-144
Figure 2.5.24: The Concept of Sky Deck .................................................................... 2-144
Figure 2.5.25: Image of New transportation system from Shwedagon Pagoda to
Shwedagon Landing Park.................................................................................... 2-144
Figure 2.5.26: Image of New Tram from Shwedagon Pagoda to Shwedagon Landing
Park...................................................................................................................... 2-145
Figure 2.5.27: Image of Maha Bandoola Road Elevation ........................................... 2-145
Figure 2.5.28: Zoning Code of CBD (Draft) ............................................................... 2-146
Figure 2.5.29: Zoning Code Book and Explanation Board of URA in Singapore ...... 2-146
Figure 2.5.30: Existing AYA Bank (until 2005 Department of Immigration and
Manpower) .......................................................................................................... 2-147
Figure 2.5.31: 491-501 Merchant Street indoor before and after restoration ............. 2-147
Figure 2.5.32: Yangon Division Court and Burma Oil Company Headquarter .......... 2-147
Figure 2.5.33: Elevation of 51st Street Housing Reconstruction Project .................... 2-148

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Final Report I
Figure 2.5.34: Cases of market redevelopment, Junction Mawtin and Yay Kyaw Market
............................................................................................................................. 2-149
Figure 2.5.35: Location Map of YCDC Markets ........................................................ 2-149
Figure 2.5.36: Left is Pazundaung Market, Middle is Bokalay Market and right is Chan
Myae Market ....................................................................................................... 2-149
Figure 2.5.37: Image of Elevation of Market Redevelopment Plan............................ 2-150
Figure 2.5.38: Proposed Multimodal Node Location .................................................. 2-150
Figure 2.5.39: Proposed Plan of Thakin Mya Park Underground Car Parking........... 2-151
Figure 2.5.40: Proposed Plan of Pansodan Bridge Car Parking.................................. 2-151
Figure 2.5.41: Proposed Plan of Space above Circular Railway ................................ 2-152
Figure 2.5.42: Proposed Plan of Road side of Thein Phyu Road ................................ 2-153
Figure 2.5.43: Proposed Plan of Eastern Part of CBD ................................................ 2-153
Figure 2.5.44: Proposed Plan of Puzundaung Market ................................................. 2-154
Figure 2.5.45: Image of Park of Protection against Disasters and Maha Bandola park
Reservoir ............................................................................................................. 2-155
Figure 2.5.46: Heritage Buildings in CBD .................................................................. 2-155
Figure 2.5.47: Image and photo of pedestrian Road Maha Bandoola Park Street ...... 2-156
Figure 2.5.48: Existing Road Plan of Maha Bandoola Road ...................................... 2-157
Figure 2.5.49: Stretches for Venders Relocation from Inside CBD ............................ 2-157
Figure 2.5.50: Location of Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street ................... 2-158
Figure 2.5.51: Plan of Event (Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street) ............. 2-158
Figure 2.5.52: Image of Tourist Center and candidate of Tourist Center (Heritage
Building of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism) ...................................................... 2-159
Figure 2.5.53: YCDC Markets Location Map (Class-A, B) ....................................... 2-160
Figure 2.5.54: Numbers of Street Vender .................................................................... 2-161
Figure 2.5.55: Density of Street Vender ...................................................................... 2-161
Figure 2.5.56: Numbers of Lot of Parking cars on the Road ...................................... 2-162
Figure 2.5.57: Ratio of parking capacity on the Road ................................................ 2-162
Figure 2.6.1: Rental Cost Heat Map in Boston 2013 .................................................. 2-170
Figure 2.6.2: Tax Revenues of Mid-income Countries as % of GDP in 2015 ............ 2-172
Figure 2.7.1: Organization Structure of YCDC........................................................... 2-186
Figure 2.7.2: Organization Structure of Urban Planning Division under City Planning &
Land Administration Department, YCDC ........................................................... 2-186
Figure 2.7.3: Governance Structure of YRG ............................................................... 2-187
Figure 2.7.4: Governance Structure of Yangon Region .............................................. 2-188
Figure 2.7.5: Major Stakeholders/Actors in Urban Planning in Yangon..................... 2-189
Figure 2.8.1: Set-back to Main Road .......................................................................... 2-199
Figure 2.8.2: Height of Building ................................................................................. 2-199
Figure 2.8.3: Draft of Zoning Regulation of Yangon .................................................. 2-201
Figure 2.8.4: Hierarchy of Plans defined in Draft of Urban and Regional Development
Planning Law....................................................................................................... 2-202
Figure 3.1.1: A Scene of Yangon Living Street Experience ............................................ 3-1
Figure 3.2.1: Concept of Capacity Development ............................................................ 3-3
Figure 3.2.2: Organization as Open Space ...................................................................... 3-4
Figure 3.2.3: Organization Structure of Urban Planning Division under City Planning &
Land Administration Department, YCDC ............................................................... 3-6
Figure 3.2.4: Organization Structure of YCDC............................................................... 3-6
Figure 3.2.5: Organization Structure of YCDC............................................................... 3-7
Figure 3.2.6: Revised Organization Structure 2016 of UPD ........................................... 3-9
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Final Report I
Figure 3.2.7: Revised Organization Structure 2016 of UPD ......................................... 3-10

Figure 3.2.8: Structure of Urban Planning System ....................................................... 3-16
Figure 3.2.9: Concept of Land Use Planning System ................................................... 3-16
Figure 3.2.10: Work Flow Image of Zoning Regulation ............................................... 3-17
Figure 3.3.1: Location map of surveyed site ................................................................. 3-28
Figure 3.3.2: Building's exterior appearance ................................................................. 3-28
Figure 3.3.3: Photo from construction site .................................................................... 3-29
Figure 3.3.4: Side-mixed concrete ................................................................................ 3-30
Figure 3.3.5: Material storing situation ......................................................................... 3-30
Figure 3.3.6: Material Test Performed .......................................................................... 3-31
Figure 3.3.7: Factory appearance .................................................................................. 3-33
Figure 3.3.8: Cement storage situation.......................................................................... 3-33
Figure 3.3.9: (Left) Aggregate storage situation, (Right) Crushed Stone ..................... 3-34
Figure 3.3.10: (Left) Blending table sample, (Left) Fine-grade testing for crushed sand
............................................................................................................................... 3-34
Figure 3.3.11: (Left) Concrete Compression Test, (Right) Consistency Test ............... 3-35
Figure 3.3.12: Design Response Spectrum and Natural Period of Eight Stories Building
............................................................................................................................... 3-36
Figure 3.3.13: Seismic Diagnosis for Yangon ............................................................... 3-38
Figure 3.3.14: Seismic Diagnosis Result ...................................................................... 3-39
Part II: Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon (II x-xx)
Figure 1.2.1: Main Items and Flow of the Urban Development Plan (SUDP) ............... 1-1
Figure 1.4.1: Target Year of the Urban Development Plan (SUDP) ............................... 1-2
Figure 1.5.1: Main Planning Organizations .................................................................... 1-2
Figure 1.6.1: Framework of the Plan............................................................................... 1-3
Figure 1.7.1: River System in and around the Greater Yangon ....................................... 1-4
Figure 2.1.1: Schematic Structure of Yangon Region ..................................................... 2-1
Figure2.1.2: Images of Necessary Logistics Functions................................................... 2-2
Figure2.1.3: Images of Necessary Urban Functions ....................................................... 2-3
Figure 2.2.1: Development Visions of Yangon ............................................................... 2-4
Figure 2.3.1: Economic Corridor (AH1) ......................................................................... 2-6
Figure 2.3.2: Proposed Key Actions for International Logistics HUB City ................... 2-7
Figure 2.3.3: Sub-center Development (Yankin) ............................................................ 2-8
Figure 2.3.4: Proposed Key Actions for Knowledge and Comfortable City................... 2-8
Figure 2.3.5: Water Reservoir ......................................................................................... 2-9
Figure 2.3.6: Proposed Key Actions for Well-Managed Infrastructure City................... 2-9
Figure 2.3.7: Planning and Implementation Body (YCDC).......................................... 2-10
Figure 2.3.8: Proposed Key Actions for Good Governance City .................................. 2-10
Figure 3.1.1: Population Projection Based on Census 2014 ........................................... 3-1
Figure 3.2.1: Land Use Map of 2012 .............................................................................. 3-4
Figure 3.2.2: Development Directions ............................................................................ 3-5
Figure 3.2.3: Urban Structure Plan of the Greater Yangon in 2040 ................................ 3-6
Figure 3.2.4: Population Distribution in 2040 (Left: Population, Right: Population
Density) ................................................................................................................... 3-7
Figure 4.1.1: Image of the Subcenter .............................................................................. 4-1
Figure 4.1.2: Sub-center Development (Left: Location Map, Right: 3D Image)............ 4-2
Figure 4.1.3: Image of New Town Core .......................................................................... 4-3

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Final Report I
Figure 4.1.4: New City Development (Left: Location Map, Right: 3D Image) ............. 4-4
Figure 4.1.5: Flood Risk Map ......................................................................................... 4-5
Figure 4.1.6: TOD Image of Station Area Development ................................................ 4-6
Figure 4.1.7: Image of Railway Station Area Development ........................................... 4-6
Figure 4.1.8: Railway Station Front Development ......................................................... 4-7
Figure 4.1.9: An Example of Urban Redevelopment Project Image of Pyitawthit
Redevelopment ........................................................................................................ 4-9
Figure 4.1.10: Location of Industrial Development ...................................................... 4-11
Figure 4.2.1: Service Distance for Use of District Park and Pocket Park ..................... 4-17
Figure 4.3.1:Lagunbyin WTP as of 2015 ...................................................................... 4-21
Figure 4.3.2: Development Plan of Water Resources.................................................... 4-23
Figure 4.3.3: Location of Each Water Resource............................................................ 4-23
Figure 4.3.4: Existing WWTP ....................................................................................... 4-26
Figure 4.3.5: Sewerage System Planning Area ............................................................. 4-27
Figure 4.3.6: Fault Tree of Current Conditions of Flood Inundation in the Greater Yangon
............................................................................................................................... 4-29
Figure 4.3.7: Theory of Disaster Risk and Its Countermeasures................................... 4-30
Figure 4.3.8: Components of Preliminary Development Plan of Flood Management .. 4-30
Figure 4.3.9: Tentative Step-wise Plan of Rainwater Drainage Improvement in CBD 4-31
Figure 4.3.10: Current FDS ........................................................................................... 4-33
Figure 4.3.11: Preliminary SWM Development Plan ................................................... 4-35
Figure 4.3.12: Location of Power Stations as of August 2015 ...................................... 4-39
Figure 4.3.13: Power Stations Balance to be Developed (2014, 2020, and 2030) ........ 4-40
Figure 4.3.14: Soil Map of Yangon Division ................................................................ 4-44
Figure 4.3.15: Example of Specific Emergency Transportation Routes ....................... 4-47
Figure 4.3.16: Fire Station and Outdoor Standpipe ...................................................... 4-48
ｄFigure 4.3.17: Location of Existing Fire Stations and those Circles of Radius 2km 4-50
Figure 4.3.18 Overall Transport Network in the Greater Yangon, 2016 ....................... 4-53
Figure 4.3.19 Future Road/Expressway Network (left) and Railway Network (right) . 4-55
Figure 4.4.1: Proposed CBD Conservation Area Boundary by Yangon Heritage Trust 4-57
Figure 4.4.2: Current Capacity Volume of On-road Car Parking .................................. 4-60
Figure 4.4.3: An Integrated Image for Transportation and Road Policies..................... 4-61
Figure 4.4.4: Current Volume of Street Venders ........................................................... 4-65
Figure 4.4.5: An Integrated Image for Urban Amenity and Tourism Policies .............. 4-67
Figure 4.4.6: Photos of Yangon Living Street Experience ............................................ 4-68
Figure 4.4.7: Example Projects ..................................................................................... 4-69
Figure 4.4.8: Sule Pagoda and Environs and Sule Pagoda Road Visualization ............ 4-70
Figure 4.4.9: Bank Street and Waterfront Visualization................................................ 4-71
Figure 4.4.10: Bank Street and Kanner Road Master Plan ........................................... 4-72
Figure 4.4.11: Finished Section from Kanner Street to the Waterfront Warehouses..... 4-73
Figure 4.4.12: The Waterfront and Kanner Road – Long-Term Vision......................... 4-74
Figure 4.4.13: Exploded View of Waterfront Warehouse Indicating Adaptations to Enable
New Uses............................................................................................................... 4-75
Figure 4.4.14: Waterfront Warehouse – Indicative Uses ............................................... 4-75
Figure 5.1.1: Image of Planning Cycle for Priority Projects ........................................... 5-1
Figure 5.1.2: Percentage of GDP, Investment Rate by Growth..................................... 5-16
Figure 5.1.3: Infrastructure Investment in Vietnam ...................................................... 5-16
Figure 5.4.1: Draft of Zoning Regulation ..................................................................... 5-27
Figure 5.4.2: An Image of Risk Monitoring System ..................................................... 5-28
xii
Final Report I
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation Words
ADB Asia Development Bank
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BLT Build-Lease-Transfer
BOOT Build-Own-Operate-Transfer
BOT Build-Operate-Transfer
CBD Central Business District
CP Counter Part
DBFO Design -Build- Finance-Operate
DCMF Design-Construct-Manage-Finance
DDA Department of Development Affairs
DHSHD Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development
DMH Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
DPMC Disaster Preparedness Management Committee
DRB Department of Roads and Bridges
FY Fiscal Year
GAD General Administration Department
GMS Greater Mekong Sub-region
HIS Household Interview Survey
HHWL Highest High Water Level
ICHARM International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management
ID Irrigation Department
IWT Inland Water Transport
JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency
KOICA Korea International Cooperation Agency
MES Myanmar Engineering Society
MMK Myanmar Kyat
MOAI Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation
MOC Ministry of Construction
MODA Ministry of Development Affair
MOPF Ministry of Planning and Finance
MOSWRR Ministry of Social, Welfare, Relief and Resettlement
MOT Ministry of Transport
MOTC Ministry of Transport and Communications
MPA Myanmar Port Authority
MR Myanmar Railways
MRV Monitoring, Reporting and Verification
NNDMC National Natural Disaster Management Committee
NNDML National Natural Disaster Management Law
NNDPCC National Natural Disaster Preparedness Central Committee
O&M Operation and Maintenance
ODA Official Development Assistance
PCCD Pollution Control and Cleaning Department
PPP Public Private Partnership
PWRI Public Works Research Institute
RRD Relief and Resettlement Department
RRI Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation
SDZ Special Disaster Zone
SEZ Special Economic Zone
SUDP Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon
TA Technical Assistance
TOD Transit Oriented Development
TS Township
TSG Township Group
UPD Urban Planning Department
USD US Dollar
WtE Waste to Energy
xiii
Final Report I
WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant

YCDC Yangon City Development Committee
YRG Yangon Region Government
YRTA Yangon Region Transport Authority
YTU Yangon Technological University
YUTRA Project for Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan of the Greater Yangon
CONVERSION RATE (AT FEBRUARY 2017)
1 MMK = 0.08576 JPY, 1 JPY = 11.66 MMK
1 USD = 115.1 JPY, 1 JPY = 0.008685 USD
1 USD = 1342 MMK, 1 MMK = 0.0007451
Source: JICA HP

xiv
Final Report I
DIFINITION OF THE STUDY AREA AND YANGON REGION
Administrative Boundary Township Group Township Name Definition

Latha
Lanmadaw
Pabedan
CBD
Kyauktada
Botahtaung
Pazundaung
Ahlone
Kyee Myin Daing
Sanchaung
Dagon
Inner Urban Ring Bahan
Tarmwe
Mingalar Taung Nyunt
Seikkan
Dawbon
Kamaryut Whole area of
those townships
Yangon City Hlaing
Outer Ring belongs to the
Yankin target area The Greater
Thingangyun Yangon
Mayangone (Target Area)
Northern Suburbs Insein Total
1,535 km2
Yangon Mingalardon
Region North Okkalapa
Older Suburbs South Okkalapa
Thaketa
Dala
South of CBD
Seikgyikhanaungto
Shwe Pyi Thar
Hlaing Tharyar
Dagon Myothit (North)
New Suburbs
Dagon Myothit (South)
Dagon Myothit (East)
Dagon Myothit (Seikkan)
Kyauktan
Thanlyin
Partial areas of
Hlegu each township
Hmawbi belong to the target
Htantabin area
Periphery Area Twantay
(Outside of Yangon City)
Taikkyi
Kawhmu
Kungyangon (Outside of the Target Area)
Kayan
Thongwa
Source: JICA Study Team

xv
Final Report I
DIFINITION OF THE STUDY AREA AND YANGON REGION

xvi
Part I
Survey & Planning Work
Final Report I: Part I Survey & Planning Work
1.1 Background
Yangon Region, the largest economic center of Myanmar, has a population of approximately 7.36
million in 2014 (National Census). However, infrastructure has become decrepit due to limited
investment and technical support caused by long economic sanction, and it becomes a bottleneck for
sound urbanization while the current rapid urbanization and increasing population are putting more
pressure on the existing old infrastructure.
Under such circumstances, The Project for the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater
Yangon (hereinafter referred to as “SUDP”) was carried out with Yangon City Development
Committee (hereinafter referred to as “YCDC”) as its counterpart in order to proceed with efficient
urban development for the Greater Yangon. Yangon Region Government (hereinafter referred to as
“YRG”) adopted proceeding with urban development in Yangon under the direction of SUDP at a
Cabinet meeting. Later, however, economic growth and rapid and massive changes in urban
development happened in Yangon, and large-scale development like at Dala and Kyee Myin Daing
was proposed. Simultaneously, private companies have been planning high-rise or large-scale urban
and building development.
The new administration of Myanmar, established in April 2016, strongly recognize that revised urban
structure planning and enforced urban development management are necessary. Accordingly, it is
required to collect data, find issues and then update SUDP to consider future action plans with the
consideration of these situations including the changes in Yangon and the new administration’s policy.
1.2 Objective
The objective of this study (hereinafter referred to as “the Study”) is to revise SUDP and to support its
implementation capacity under the new administration through conducting the following works:
a) Review of current conditions and issues, especially after the SUDP 2013,
b) Proposal of updated SUDP,
- To present a comprehensive development vision in long term, targeting the year 2040,
- To present an urban structure for the realization of the development vision,
- To present development policies of urban function and infrastructure development,
- To identify necessary priority projects in short-term, targeting the year 2020, and
- To present strategies of urban development management for promoting implementation.
c) Proposal of urban development management, and

d) Support of implementation capacity improvement thorough conducting a pilot project.

I 1-1
1.3 Target Area

The main target area of the plan consists of Yangon City (829 km2) and parts of the six neighboring
townships of Kyauktan, Thanlyin, Hlegu, Hmawbi, Htantabin, and Twantay (hereinafter referred to as
“the Greater Yangon”), which has a total area of approximately 1,500 km2 as shown in the location
map (see beginning page). But, the entire Yangon Region is basically considered in the planning
work.
1.4 Target Year

The Study takes eight months started from August 2016 and was completed by April 2017 with
submission of the Final Report
Year 2016 2017
Month 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4
Home
Work Process Field Work
work
【1】 Preparation Woks and Discussion of Inception Report
【2】 Review of Legal Framework, Relevant Plans and Projects
【3】 Discussion of Progress Report
【4】 Review of Urban Development Framework
【5】 Review of Urban Development Plan (SUDP2013)
【6】 Review of Social Infrastructure Development
【7】 Formulation of CBD District Plan
【8】 Proposal of Waterfront Development
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Pilot
【9】
Project
【10】 Proposal of Urban Development Management
【11】 Discussion of Final Report
【12】 Seminar and Public Relations
▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
Report submission Inception Progress Summary Draft Final Final
Report Report Report Report Report

Figure 1.4.1: Study Schedule
1.5 Planning Organizations

The plan was made under the direction of YRG in close works with YCDC as a counterpart.
Consultation with other relevant organizations, such as union ministries, Yangon Heritage Trust
(hereinafter referred to as “YHT”), and donors was considerably conducted.

I 1-2

Figure 1.5.1: Study Implementation Organizations
1.6 Key Process of Planning and Study
1.6.1 Kick-off Meeting of YRG

Kick-off Meeting was held on 2nd August 2016 (Tue) in YRG, chaired by Chief Minister of YRG. The
summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.1: Summary Result of Kick-off Meeting
Title of the Meeting Kick-off Meeting
Date and Time 2nd August 2016 (Tue) 13:00-14:15
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Chairperson Chief Minister of YRG
Total Number of Participants 39 participants
Agenda 1. Opening Remarks (Chairperson)
2. Explanation of the Study Outline (JICA Study Team)
3. Discussion
Minutes and Participants (See attached file)
1.6.2 1st Steering Committee

1st Steering Committee was held on 2nd August 2016 (Tue) as same day of the Kick-off meeting above
in YCDC, chaired by Mayor of YCDC. The summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.2: Summary Result of 1st Steering Committee
Title of the Meeting 1st Steering Committee
Date and Time 2nd August 2016 (Tue) 16:15-18:30
Venue YCDC (Yangon)
Chairperson Mayor of YCDC
3. Discussion

I 1-3
1.6.3 1st MOTC Meeting (4th Aug)

1st Ministry of Transport and Communication (hereinafter referred to as “MOTC”) Meeting was held
on 4th August 2016 (Thu), chaired by Union Minister of MOTC. The summarized result is shown in
the following table.
Table 1.6.3: Summary Result of 1st MOTC Meeting
Title of the Meeting 1st MOTC Meeting
Date and Time 4th August 2016 (Thu) 9:00-11:00
Venue MOTC (NPT)
Chairperson Union Minister of MOTC
Total Number of Participants (no data)
3. Discussion
1.6.4 1st MOC Meeting (4th Aug)

1st Ministry of Construction (hereinafter referred to as “MOC”) Meeting was held on 4th August 2016
(Thu), chaired by Permanent Secretary of MOC. The summarized result is shown in the following
table.
Table 1.6.4: Summary Result of 1st MOC Meeting
Title of the Meeting 1st MOC Meeting
Date and Time 4th August 2016 (Thu) 11:50-13:15
Venue MOC (NPT)
Chairperson Permanent Secretary of MOC
3. Discussion
1.6.5 1st Periodical Meeting of YRG (16th Aug)

1st periodical meeting of YRG was held on 16th August 2016 (Tue), chaired by Chief Minister of YRG.
The summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.5: Summary Result of 1st Periodical Meeting of YRG
Title of the Meeting 1st Periodical Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 16th August 2016 (Tue) 10:00-11:00
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Agenda 1. Explanation of the Study Progress (SUDP)
2. Explanation of the Study Progress (YUTRA)
3. Discussion
1.6.6 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG (7th Sep)

2nd periodical meeting of YRG was held on 7th September 2016 (Wed), chaired by Chief Minister of
YRG. The summarized result is shown in the following table.

I 1-4
Table 1.6.6: Summary Result of 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG

Title of the Meeting 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 7th September 2016 (Wed) 9:00-11:00
Venue JICA (Tokyo)
Agenda 1. Explanation of the Study Progress (SUDP)
2. Explanation of the Study Progress (YUTRA)
3. Discussion
1.6.7 3rd Periodical Meeting of YRG (30th Sep)

3rd periodical meeting of YRG was held on 30th September 2016 (Fri), chaired by Chief Minister of
Table 1.6.7: Summary Result of 3rd Periodical Meeting of YRG
Title of the Meeting 3rd Periodical Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 30th September 2016 (Wed) 14:30-17:00
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Participated Organizations MOC, MOTC, Department of Urban Housing Development, General Administration
Department, YCDC, JICA
2. Presentation of the progress of the study (JICA Study Team)
3. Discussion and comments from the Chief Minister
1.6.8 Interim Report Meeting of YRG (10th Oct)

Interim report meeting of YRG was held on 10th October 2016 (Mon), chaired by Chief Minister of
Table 1.6.8: Summary Result of Interim Report Meeting of YRG
Title of the Meeting Interim Report Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 10th October 2016 (Mon) 11:00-16:00
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Participated Organizations Yangon Regional Government, Ministry of Rail Transportation, MOC, YCDC, Yangon
Police, Yangon Region Transport Authority, MLIT, NPA, Embassy of Japan, JICA
2. Presentation of the progress of the study (JICA Study Team) & MLIT
3. Discussion and comments from the Chief Minister and from other Government
Departments
1.6.9 2nd MOC Meeting (11th Oct)

2nd MOC meeting was held on 11th October 2016 (Tue), chaired by Minister of MOC. The summarized
result is shown in the following table.

I 1-5
Table 1.6.9: Summary Result of 2nd MOC Meeting

Title of the Meeting 2nd MOC Meeting
Date and Time 11th October 2016 (Tue) 9:15-11:15
Venue MOC (Nay Pyi Taw)
Chairperson Minister of MOC
Participated Organizations MOC, JICA
3. Discussion
1.6.10 2nd MOTC Meeting (12th Oct)

2nd MOTC meeting was held on 12th October 2016 (Wed), chaired by Minister of MOTC. The
Table 1.6.10: Summary Result of 2nd MOTC Meeting
Title of the Meeting 2nd MOTC Meeting
Date and Time 12th October 2016 (Wed) 9:10-11:30
Venue MOTC (Nay Pyi Taw)
Chairperson Minister of MOTC
Participated Organizations MOTC, JICA
3. Discussion
1.6.11 4th Periodical Meeting of YRG (9th Nov)

4th periodical meeting was held on 9th November 2016 (Wed), chaired by Chief Minister of YRG. The
Table 1.6.11: Summary Result of 4th Periodical Meeting of YRG
Title of the Meeting 4th Periodical Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 9th November 2016 (Wed) 9:10-11:30
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Participated Organizations Yangon Regional Government, JICA
3. Discussion and comments from YRG
1.6.12 Stakeholder Meeting for a Trial Event (5th Dec)

Stakeholder Meeting for Trial Event was held on 5th December 2016 (Mon), chaired by Secretary of
YCDC. The summarized result is shown in the following table.

I 1-6
Table 1.6.12: Summary Result of Stakeholder Meeting for a Trial Event

Title of the Meeting Stakeholder Meeting for Trial Event
Date and Time 5th December 2016 (Mon) 13:15-15:45
Venue YCDC (Yangon)
Chairperson Secretary of YCDC
Participated Organizations All Departments from YCDC, Ministry of Hotel & Tourism, National University of Arts
and Culture, YHT, Various Press, Residence from the Trial Event Site, Western Yangon
Technological University, JICA
2. Presentation of the outline of SUDP (JICA Study Team)
3. Presentation of the objective of the Trial Event (YCDC)
4. Discussion
1.6.13 5th Periodical Meeting of YRG (7th Dec)

5th periodical meeting of YRG was held on 7th December 2016 (Wed), chaired by Chief Minister of
Date and Time 7th December 2016 (Wed) 14:20-15:20
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Participated Organizations Yangon Regional Government, Embassy of Japan, JICA
3. Discussion and comments from the Chief Minister
1.6.14 3rd MOC Meeting in Yangon (9th Dec)

3rd MOC meeting was held on 9th December 2016 (Fri), chaired by Deputy Director of DUHD,
Housing Division. The summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.14: Summary Result of 3rd MOC Meeting in Yangon
Title of the Meeting 3rd MOC Meeting
Date and Time 9th December 2016 (Fri) 10:00-13:00
Venue MOC (Yangon)
Chairperson Deputy Director of DUHD, Housing Division
2. Presentation on the explanation of the outline of the revised SUDP, Housing
Development and Urban Development (SUDP, JICA Study Team)
3. Discussion
1.6.15 6th Periodical Meeting of YRG (12th Dec)

6th periodical meeting of YRG was held on 12th December 2016 (Mon), chaired by Chief Minister of

I 1-7

Venue YRG (Yangon)
Participated Organizations Yangon Regional Government, MLIT, NPA, Embassy of Japan, JICA
2. Presentation of the progress of the study (JICA Study Team) and MLIT
3. Discussion
1.6.16 4th MOC Meeting (19th Dec)

4th MOC meeting was held on 19th December 2016 (Mon), chaired by Minister of MOC. The
Table 1.6.16: Summary Result of 4th MOC Meeting
Title of the Meeting 4th MOC Meeting
Venue MOC (Nay Pyi Taw)
Chairperson Minister of MOC
3. Discussion on comments and suggestion from MOC
1.6.17 3rd MOTC Meeting (19th Dec)

3rd MOTC meeting was held on 19th December 2016 (Mon), chaired by Minister of MOTC. The
Table 1.6.17: Summary Result of 3rd MOTC Meeting
Title of the Meeting 2nd MOTC Meeting
Date and Time 12th October 2016 (Wed) 9:30-11:30
Venue MOTC (Nay Pyi Taw)
Chairperson Minister of MOTC
Participated Organizations MOTC, JICA
3. Discussion on comments and suggestion from MOTC
1.6.18 Consultative Workshop (23rd Dec)

Consultative workshop was held on 23rd December 2016 (Fri), chaired by Secretary of YCDC. The

I 1-8
Table 1.6.18: Summary Result of Consultative Workshop

Title of the Meeting Consultative Workshop
Date and Time 23rd December 2016 (Fri) 9:00-12:00
Venue YCDC (Yangon)
Chairperson Secretary of YCDC
Participated Organizations YCDC, Fire Service Department, Budget Department, Yangon Region Social Welfare
and Services, MOC, National Planning Department, YHT, DWIR, Yangon University,
MPT, YRDC, AMA, General Administration Department, JICA and Various Media
2. Presentation of the explanation of the study (JICA Study Team) and MLIT
3. Discussion and suggestions from the participants
1.6.19 Handing Over of Summary Report (24th Dec)

Handing over of Summary Report was held on 24th December 2016 (Sat), chaired by Chief Minister of
Table 1.6.19: Summary Result of Handing Over of Summary Report
Title of the Meeting Handing over of Summary Report
Date and Time 24th December 2016 (Sat) 15:00-16:00
Venue YRG (Yangon)
2. Remarks by JICA
3. Handing over of the Summary Report and follow up by photo section
1.6.20 JCCM Meeting (20th Jan)

JCCM meeting was held on 20th January 2017 (Fri), chaired by the Minister of Embassy of Japan and
the chief representative of JICA Yangon office in order to share the summary report among Japanese
companies. The summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.20: Summary Result of JCCM Meeting
Title of the Meeting JCCM Meeting
Date and Time 20th January 2017 (Feb) 14:00-15:30
Venue JETRO Myanmar Office
Chairperson Minister of Embassy of Japan, chief representative of JICA Myanmar Offce
Total Number of Participants About 25 participants
Participated Organizations JCCM Members, Embassy of Japan, JICA, JICA Study Team (SUDP and YUTRA)
Agenda 1. Opening remarks (chairperson)
2. Presentation of the summary report (JICA Study Team)
3. Discussions
1.6.21 7th Periodical Meeting of YRG (23rd Jan)

7th periodical meeting of YRG was held on 23rd January 2017 (Mon), chaired by Chief Minister of

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Date and Time 23rd January 2017 (Mon) 13:30-14:30
Venue YRG (Yangon)
2. Presentation of the progress of the study (JICA Study Team) and MLIT
3. Discussion
1.6.22 Development Partners’ Meeting of YRG (20th Feb)

Development Partners’ meeting of YRG was held on 20th February 2017 (Mon), chaired by Mayor of
YCDC. The summarized result is shown in the following table.
Table 1.6.22: Summary Result of Development Partners’ Meeting of YRG
Title of the Meeting Development Partners’ Meeting of YRG
Date and Time 20th February 2017 (Mon) 14:00-16:00
Venue YRG (Yangon)
Chairperson Mayor of YCDC
Participated Organizations Yangon Regional Government, Corporation Partners Group, JICA
2. Presentation of the explanation of the study (JICA Study Team)
3. Discussion and explanation for the questions from CPG

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Chapter 2: Fact Findings, Planning Process,

and Updated Points
2.1 Development Visions
2.1.1 Framework and Planning Process
(1) Planning Framework (Target Year)

The target year of the plan is the year 2040 when the development visions of the Greater Yangon are
set. To achieve set development visions step by step, benchmarks of the plan are set as follows;
 Short-term: the year 2020
 Middle-term: the year 2030
 Long-term: the year 2040
As mentioned above, the development vision is basically targeting year 2040, about quarter of century
later. Since promotion and control of urban where a lot of people, buildings and infrastructure
accumulate takes much time to be an ideal image, the vision is required to foresee longer period. In
line with such idea, the development vision can be said to target from 2040 to 2065, about half of
century later as shown in Figure 2.1.1.

Figure 2.1.1: Target Year of the Plan
(2) Necessity and Formulating Process of Vision

A development vision is an ideal future image of a city which can be attained through addressing
problems and issues, catering to the citizens’ needs, and integrating foresight of the stakeholders, and
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other disciplines. Without setting clear development vision, it would be difficult to implement an
integrated urban development plan efficiently. Consequently, the administration would come to a
deadlock, as there are a number of concerned sectors playing important roles in developing, improving,
and managing a large city.
In this context, it must be noted that the development vision under the new administration commenced
from April 2016 has been discussed and modified in the subsequent steps to reach the ultimate visions
commonly based on the vision set in the previous SUDP. The formulating process of the
development vision is shown in Figure 2.1.2
Drafting Process in 2016
2nd Aug 16th Aug
Development Vision Kick‐off Meeting 1st YRG Periodical

SUDP 2013 1st Steering Committee Meeting
7th Sep
2nd YRG Periodical
Meeting
10th Oct
30th Sep Interim Report Meeting
3rd YRG Periodical Draft of

Meeting Development Vision
Finalizing Process in 2016
11th, 12th Oct
MOC & MOTC
Meeting 9th Nov
4th YRG Periodical
Meeting
7th Dec
5th YRG Periodical
Meeting
12th Dec
19th Dec 6th YRG Periodical

MOC & MOTC Meeting
24th Dec
Meeting
23rd Dec Handing Over Meeting
YCDC Consultative Development Vision

Workshop SUDP 2016

Figure 2.1.2: Formulating Process of the Development Visions

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2.1.2 Making of a Schematic Structure

A schematic structure of the whole Yangon Region with its surrounding area shall be discussed in
long-term span in order to draw the big picture of the future urban image of Yangon. Drawing and
sharing different kinds of viewpoints and approaches are being considered and determining which
directions and areas are to be developed as urban areas in the future. Generally, creating and upgrading
a city, especially such a large city like Yangon, takes much time in making it an ideal image.
(1) Review of Relevant Plans

Prior to make a schematic structure covering whole Yangon Region, some plans provided by other
donors or developers were reviewed and reflected in the structure to be proposed in this plan. Other
plans tend to focus more on south of Yangon stretching to the mouth of the Yangon River, namely
Elephant points.
1) A Proposal introduced by YRG

A proposal which consists of new city development concept of mixed use urban development,
international airport and & SEZ and Port, was introduced to JICA Study Team by YRG in
October 2016. The main target area is Kyee Mying Daing west side of Yangon River, Dala
and southward of Yangon as shown in Figure 2.1.3 below. Since it is obvious that YRG’s
intention is development of west and south parts of Yangon according to this plan, the proposal
was reflected in the plan of SUDP as step-wise development. This proposed 9 types of land
use which are (1) SEZ (industrial and port), (2) Green and open area, (3) International airport,
(4) Commercial, (5) Local port and commercial, (6) Mixed use zone, (7) Commercial and
leisure, (8) Lake, and (9) Industrial zone with huge development areas.
Source: A Proposal introduced by YRG

Figure 2.1.3: New City Development Concept

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2) Master Planning Works prepared by KOICA

KOICA has been conducting A Project Consulting Service, namely Master Plans for
Yangon-Hanthawaddy-Bago Corridor and Yangon South Western Region Development, which
started from January 2016 and to be completed by the end of 2017. The service includes legal
system establishment, regional development strategy master plan, and pilot project master plan.
As its title mentioned, the plan covers not only Yangon but also Bago and south western part of
Yangon.
Source: KOICA Project Consulting Service

Figure 2.1.4: Proposed Urban Growth Axis
Source: KOICA Project Consulting Service

Figure 2.1.5: New City Development Plan

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3) A Proposal prepared by a Chinese Company

A Chinese company, China Communications Construction, proposed a plan of south western
part of Yangon, namely “Promoting Infrastructure Construction to Upgrade City - Creating a
New Framework for Yangon Regeneration”. This proposal includes key projects as short-term
actions, which are new cities developments.
Source: China Communications Construction

Figure 2.1.6: Spatial Structure of New cities

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(2) Yangon’s Schematic Structure

To achieve the future urban image requires a long period. In this context, the schematic structure has
the image of the year 2065, half a century later, as shown in Figure 2.1.7. Currently, Yangon Region
consists of a total of 44 townships, where, 33 townships are covered by YCDC service area, which is
Yangon City. Yangon Region has a population of approximately 7.4 million with its area of 10,170
km2, and YCDC service area has a population of approximately 5.2 million with its area of 895 km2.
Applying an annual growth rate of 2.6%, the future population half a century later (year 2065) will be
27.2 million in the Yangon Region. Meaning, there will be an increase of 20 million in the population.
To manage such large city and to accommodate such large number of population properly and actively,
step-wise urban development with appropriate infrastructure provision must be conducted together
with governmental initiative in good relation with positive private activities and citizen’s
understanding and cooperation.

Figure 2.1.7: Draft of Schematic Structure
(3) Logistics Function

Yangon is surely expected to enhance the function of its international logistics hub by having good
linkages of land, sea, air, and water. Key functions must be developed to realize the schematic
structure of the following:

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Outer Ring Road should be functioned Development of Hanthawaddy Function of Thilawa Area Port is
in connection with economic corridors International Airport is negotiated necessary in short and middle term
Source: JICA Study Team and DCA
Figure 2.1.8: Images of Necessary Logistics Functions
1) Economic Corridors and Outer Ring Road

To be more economically active, strengthening economic corridors by having strong connection
with neighboring countries (e.g., China, Thailand, India) is essential in terms of logistics and
industry by land-based, air-based, and water-based linkages. Yangon is currently expected to be
a focal west gateway of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (hereinafter referred to as “GMS”).
Additionally, a new emerging economic corridor connecting GMS east-west corridor and
Yangon, and then stretching to the west to Ngayoke Kaung SEZ facing the Bay of Bengal, is
considered recently. To establish an efficient logistics through the economic corridors and to
avoid heavy traffic in existing built-up area of Yangon, an outer ring road should be developed
well.
2) Airports
The existing Yangon (Mingaladon) International Airport reached a total of 4.9 million
passengers in 2015. Considering the past trend of 18% annual growth, air traffic demand is
forecasted to reach 42 million passengers in 2040 and 72 million passengers in 2050
respectively by the Myanmar Government. In line with this forecast, the current airport capacity
will be inadequate and new international airports are necessary in the near future. Currently, the
Hanthawaddy International Airport, located at about 65 km from of Yangon, is expected to start
its operation around the year 2022, while the existing airport is processing to expand its capacity
having 6 million passengers. Furthermore, development of a new international airport may be
also considered in Kungyangon, south of Yangon, according to air traffic demands in a longer
term, targeting half a century later.
3) Ports
The existing Yangon Port, a river port in the Yangon River, is composed of two port areas,
namely: Yangon Main Port and Thilawa Area Port. The Thilawa Area Port has some definite
advantages for its entrance because it takes 12 hours to enter Thilawa Area Port from Elephant
Point, while it takes 24 hours to reach Yangon Main Port due to the additional time spent while
waiting for the tidal cycle. The total container throughput forecast is estimated to be more than 4
million 20 foot equivalent units (hereinafter referred to as “TEUs”) annually in 2030. As the
capacity of Yangon Main Port is limited up to less than 1 million TEUs, the main logistics
function must shift to Thilawa Area Port gradually. To encourage Yangon to be the logistics
node through economic corridors, Thilawa Area Port should be developed and functioned well
in short and middle term, and development of a deep sea port at the south of Yangon may be
considered in longer term. (* a comparison study for the future sea port was done and discussed
as referring to the end of this report).

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4) Canal and Waterway

Twantay Canal, which was developed since the old time, should play an important role to
connect with China through Mandalay in terms of logistics. It is also necessary to make good
use of riverways such as the Yangon River, the Bago River, and the Pazundaung Creek for
public transportation inside Yangon.
5) Railway
The current number of railway lines, which consist of eight lines with three main lines and five
branch lines, is insufficient judging from the present population of Yangon. Not only
modernization of existing three main lines but also construction of two new mass rapid transit
(hereinafter referred to as “MRT”) lines shall be required in the future.
(4) Urban Function

Yangon’s urbanized areas shall be surely expanded more in the future. New built-up areas shall be
developed to accommodate the increasing population of around 20 million in half a century later.
Riverside space of CBD should be Thilawa SEZ and new cities have IZs (e.g., Hlaing Tharyar) should be
recovered for the citizens. been developed. improved more.
Figure 2.1.9: Images of Necessary Urban Functions
1) Existing Built-up Area

Generally, urban areas are strongly recommended to be as compact as possible, basically inside
of the outer ring road, for efficient traffic and infrastructure development and operation. In this
context, existing built-up areas, which have basic infrastructure and social services should be
utilized and rehabilitated in the future to have a more comfortable and attractive environment.
To avoid further congestion of the current Central Business District (hereinafter referred to as
“CBD”), decentralization of urban function should be promoted by creating new sub-centers.
CBD has planning disciplines with grid pattern road network and plenty of greenery. In light
that logistics function will shift to Thilawa Area Port, open spaces along the Yangon River has
to be recovered for the citizens.
2) New Cities
To accommodate a large number of population in the future, development of some new cities is
necessary in four main places, namely: Thilawa, Southwest New City (west side of Kyee Myin
Daing), Dagon Myothit (East) New City, and Dala New City. Considering new cities, there are
some necessary points to be considered thoroughly especially flooding risk at low-lying areas.
In the long term, urban development in the south of Yangon is also considered with the
proposed deep sea port and new airport.
More detailed planning on 3 suburb new cities should be conducted. The points of
consideration are shown as below:
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1. Linkage to public transportation (e.g. MRT, BRT)

2. Consideration of Land Suitability
There are some necessary points to be considered thoroughly especially flooding risk at
low-lying areas.
Table 2.1.1: Points to be considered for New Urban Development

Items Points
1. Population A developing area should correspond to population forecast (increase population) no to
be over-scale development.
2. Accessibility A developing area should have strong linkage of public transportation connecting with
built-up area of Yangon.
3. Infrastructure A developing area should develop infrastructures and social services, especially how
water and power are supplied.
4. Flood Resistant Costly embankment and drainage system are necessary for a low-lying area to
minimize flooding risk
5. Earthquake Resistant Buildings in a developing area, especially low-lying, should consider deep-piling
works, which takes much more cost
6. Development Cost Estimated cost becomes more expensive when the development area is selected in
Financing low-lying. Financing should be considered.
3) Industrial Zones
Thilawa SEZ, as well as IZ such as Hlaing Tharyar and Shwe Pyi Thar, should be developed to
promote more manufacturing and industrial activities. As the industry activates more in long
term, development of more SEZs or IZs should be considered outside of Yangon.
2.1.3 Development Vision
(1) Development Vision

A development vision is an ideal future image of a city, which can be attained through addressing
problems and issues, catering to the citizens’ needs, and integrating foresight of the stakeholders, and
other disciplines. Without setting clear development vision, it would be difficult to implement an
integrated urban development plan efficiently. Consequently, the administration would come to a
deadlock, as there are a number of concerned sectors playing important roles in developing, improving,
and managing a large city.
(2) Definition of Vision

The development vision shall consist of “Statement of Vision”, “Key Drivers of the Vision”, and
“Development Strategies”. The definitions of the development vision in the plan are described as
shown in the following table.

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Table 2.1.2: Definition of Vision

Items Definition
Statement The statement of the vision expresses the image of the future Yangon. It summarizes related key drivers
and strategies.
Key Drivers Statement of the vision consists of several related key drivers. These key drivers correspond to major
sector development field of the city and they are expected to become strengths and opportunities which
lead to the realization of the vision.
Development Strategies are development measures to be taken for the realization of the vision. These consist of
Strategies measures such as:
- Enhancement of current strength of the city and added value to current urban resources; and
- Improvement of weakness of the city, which hinders progress of urban development and its favorable
environment.
(3) Set of Yangon’s Development Vision

In this context, it must be noted that the development vision under the new administration commenced
from April 2016 has been discussed to reach the ultimate visions. Consequently, the development
visions of Yangon, which consists of one statement and four key drivers, was crafted as shown in
Figure 2.1.10 in consideration of discussions mainly among YRG and YCDC.

Figure 2.1.10: Development Visions of Yangon

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1) Statement
Attractive International Port and Logistics HUB

-A City of Blue, Green, and Gold-
The statement above expresses Yangon’s future goal of urban images, which has strong
competitiveness in terms of port and logistics hub against neighboring countries in the world.
Yangon is rich in beautiful lakes, rivers, canals, green natural environment and lighting gold of
Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Yangon will enhance its charms and characteristics not only to be stronger
but also more attractive with its history, culture, environment, and people.
2) Key Drivers
Under the statement, key drivers of development visions are summarized into four main points,
namely: 1) International Logistics HUB City; 2) Knowledge and Comfortable City; 3)
Well-managed Infrastructure City; and 4) Good Governance City. These key drivers correspond
to major sector development field of the city and they are expected to become strengths and
opportunities which will lead to the realization of the development vision.
a) International Logistics HUB City
Yangon is expected to be an “International Logistics Hub City” with attractive and competitive
urban and logistics functions where more people and companies (businesses) gather from
surrounding area since Yangon is the city with the largest economy and with an international
gateway to Myanmar.
b) Knowledge and Comfortable City

Yangon is expected to be a “Knowledge and Comfortable City”, where everyone who lives and
works in Yangon should be able to enjoy a more comfortable living in consideration of
environmental and social aspects.
c) Well-managed Infrastructure City

To achieve an international logistics HUB city, urban infrastructure development must be the
focal factor. To provide a safer, more reliable and convenient urban life, and to realize economic
development and industrialization, the vision of becoming a “Well-managed Infrastructure City”
must be realized in the future.
d) Good-Governance City
To establish a good city both for living and business, to be a “Good Governance City” is an
indispensable key factor.
2.1.4 Development Strategy
(1) International Logistic HUB City

Yangon is expected to be an “International Logistics Hub City” with attractive and competitive urban
and logistics functions where more people and companies (businesses) gather from surrounding areas.
Moreover, Yangon is also expected to be an international business city with integration of Information
Technology (hereinafter referred to as “IT”), manufacturing, and service industries at SEZ and new
cities.
Yangon is a city with the largest economy and with an international gateway to Myanmar, which is
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currently a country with increasing attractiveness and growing world attention. Additionally, Yangon is
the focal node city of economic corridors of GMS, which are East-West Economic Corridor, Western
Economic Corridor, Southern Economic Corridor, and New Emerging Corridor and Asian highways in
strong linkage with China, Thailand, India, and other countries not only by land but also by sea, river
way, and air. When goods and people movement becomes freer, particularly in the Association of
Southeast Asian (hereinafter referred to as “ASEAN”) region, the international logistics hub and
gateway functions for exports/imports and exchange of knowledge shall be improved, thereby leading
to accelerated and sustainable economic development.
Yangon has been and will be expected to enhance the central functions of service, trade, and
distribution. This means that Yangon will further accommodate the increasing population and
employment as the city with the largest economy in Myanmar. Developing the logistics, industrial, and
commercial sectors would need a labor force either by in-migration from other areas or a shift from
the agricultural sector to the manufacturing and services sectors in the future.
Yangon and Mandalay, which are the main cities of the country in the Two-Polar Development
Strategy, will share their respective roles in the future in terms of economics, politics, and culture.
These main cities will be connected with railway (Yangon-Mandalay railway) and highway networks
and form the main frame of the nation passing Nay Pyi Taw, the capital city. In order to create
well-balanced development in the whole country, it is very important to develop road network with
broader trunk roads and accesses to logistics nodes all over the country, especially enhancing the
function of economic corridors. An outer ring road and elevated inner ring road of Yangon should be
constructed in connection with such national road network to mitigate traffic burden by cargo transport
passing through the city. Twantay Canal also has a large potential to empower connection with China
and Mandalay, in terms of inland water logistics.
Development of SEZ and an international port shall play an important role as an industrial and logistic
core area to accelerate economic growth and industrial promotion for Yangon and Myanmar. To
accelerate it in the short and middle term, development of Thilawa SEZ and port is necessary and
significant. Other IZs should be also upgraded with safely and advanced technology. This shall
contribute to, not only new job creation but also, economic development by means of attracting
advanced manufacturing factories such as motor, electronic, and electrical assembly.
Yangon (Thilawa port and south deep sea port) and Ngayoka Kaung (SEZ and port in Ayeyarwady)
shall be strongly connected with economic corridors by functioned key ports and IZs at the Bay of
Andaman and Bengal. Additionally, since international airports shall push economic and logistics
activities up efficiently, airports shall be constructed step by step according to demand forecast.

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Figure 2.1.11: Proposed Key Actions for International Logistics HUB City
(2) Knowledge and Comfortable City

Yangon is expected to be a “Knowledge and Comfortable City”, where everyone who lives and works
in Yangon should be able to demonstrate their potentials and abilities and to enjoy a more comfortable
living in consideration of environmental and social aspects.
Strengthening knowledge and educational function for improving human resources by research and
development (hereinafter referred to as “R&D”) facilities, educational organization, and related
facilities shall be necessary. Human resources will be a key factor for foreign and domestic investors
in making sound investment decisions to put their businesses in Yangon for international
competitiveness.

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Table 2.1.3: List of Universities
Number of Number of
No University Township Affiliation
S tudents Teachers
1 University of P ublic Health Latha Ministry of Health 91 16
2 University of Nursing Ministry of Health 748 150

Lanmadaw
3 University of Medicine (1) Ministry of Health 4,312 417
4 National Management C ollege Botahtaung Ministry of E ducation 689 16
5 Institute of E conomics Ministry of E ducation 10,196 189
6 Institute of E ducation Ministry of E ducation 5,076 134
7 University of Distance E ducation Kamaryut Ministry of E ducation 150,681 151
8 University of Foreign Languages Ministry of E ducation 2,046 168
9 University of Yangon Ministry of E ducation 2,409 693
10 University of Dental Medicine Thingangyun Ministry of Health 831 141
11 Yangon Technological University Ministry of E ducation 637 121

Insein
12 University of Medical Technology Ministry of Health 607 68
13 Institute of Defense S ervices Medicine Mingalardon Ministry of Defense - -
14 University of P harmacy Ministry of Health 622 62

North Okkalapa
15 University of Medicine (2) Ministry of Health 3,600 386
16 University of C omputer S tudies (Yangon) S hwe P yi Thar Ministry of E ducation 630 149
17 West Yangon Technological University Hlaing Thayar Ministry of E ducation - -
18 National University of Art and C ulture S outh Dagon Ministry of C ulture - -
19 Dagon University E ast Dagon Ministry of E ducation 17,618 1,019
20 Technological University (Thanlyin) Ministry of E ducation 10,219 202
21 University of E ast Yangon (Tarwa) Ministry of E ducation 8,677 460

Thanlyin
22 Myanmar Maritime University Ministry of Transport 2,244 132
23 C o-operative University Thanlyin Ministry of E ducation - -
24 Technological University (Hmawbi) Hmawbi Ministry of E ducation 7,148 181
25 University of W est Yangon Htantabin Ministry of E ducation 6,369 353
235,450 5,208

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Figure 2.1.12: Location of Universities

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Yangon is expected to accelerate housing supply of more than one million units to accommodate the
families in 2040 for various households. To achieve good living environment, housing supply will be
one of the most important measures by means of creating new cities in the suburb area of Yangon
including a mass low cost and affordable housings. Creation of sustainable sub-centers and station
front urban area with appropriate size should also be considered in order to contribute for Yangon to be
efficient and compact city with a concept of decentralization of urban function from CBD. In contrast,
high-valued agriculture and related industries in the suburbs should also be enhanced in good balance.
To encourage well-balanced urban development with integrated business and residential areas and
with traditional and natural environment with respect to Yangon’s landscape and heritage is also
important. Although Yangon has 189 registered historical heritage buildings, some of these heritage
buildings are in decrepit condition without much care and utilization. The characteristics of these
historical heritages should be maintained and enhanced further. Yangon would play the role of an
international gateway for visitors to popular domestic tourism destinations. Succession of such
historical heritages and creation of attractive river-front area should be carried forward to the future.
Establishment of sustainable low carbon society is also a necessary approach to be achieved.

Figure 2.1.13: Proposed Key Actions for Knowledge and Comfortable City
(3) Well-Managed Infrastructure City

To achieve an international logistics HUB city, urban infrastructure development must be the focal
factors. To provide a safer, more reliable and convenient urban life and to realize economic
development and industrialization, the vision of becoming a “Well-managed Infrastructure City” must
be realized for the future, especially in transportation and road, electricity, and water supply. A concept
of “public safety” should be thoroughly considered by securing safer sanitation.
For the future of Yangon, the existing transportation system and facilities are inadequate as compared
with what they should be. Consequently, it may be necessary to examine how to encourage more
commuters to use the existing circular and intercity railway and/or whether to introduce the urban
MRT. Integrated public transportation must be considered having suitable roles in good balance with
automobiles. To reorganize bus routes with convenience, to upgrade railway network with punctuality,
convenience, and comfort, and to utilize water transport as public transport and tourism are expected
to enhance more.

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Regarding electricity, improvement of power supply is one of the urgent needs. In Yangon, which has
a share of almost half of the domestic power demand, it is important to draw the appropriate strategies
of power supply and transmission in the future.
Additionally, urban infrastructure (water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste, telecommunication)
and social services (education, medical, public facility, and tourism) are in relatively lower level than
neighboring countries. Sustainable and reliable infrastructure shall be developed with consideration on
effective operation and maintenance (hereinafter referred to as “O&M”).
To be resilient against disaster risk of earthquake and flooding is also important and cope up with step
by step to secure public safety.

Figure 2.1.14: Proposed Key Actions for Well-Managed Infrastructure City
(4) Good-Governance City

To establish a good city both for living and business, to be a “Good Governance City” is an
indispensable key factor. To realize this urban development plan, it is necessary to establish a system
which controls and promotes urban development activities and building constructions based on land
use plan and implements infrastructure development and social service projects based on the
development strategies and action plans. A concept of “Social Benefit” should be thoroughly
considered.
Since preparation and enactment of new laws take time, the tentatively enacted by-laws of Yangon
shall be examined for rules and laws enforcement. To implement necessary development projects
through transparent legal system under the rule of law is deeply expected, especially a system with
regard to zoning regulation and development permission which restrict people’s property rights.
Given the very fast pace of expanding economic activities in the Greater Yangon, needs for urban
infrastructure development that needs massive financing sources because the existing financial sources
alone are not able to close the financing gaps. To establish urban development financing mechanism in
order to fill such gap in urban development by taxation and project financing are necessary in the
implementation phase. In the mid to long term, it can be enabled and empowered to explore its
untapped potential in order to increase and diversify “own-source revenues”.

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Recently, capacity development has been growingly recognized as one of the most essential factors for
urban development in particular. Capacity development is defined as the process whereby people,
organizations, and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt, and maintain capacity over
time. Continuous capacity development shall be necessary.

Figure 2.1.15: Proposed Key Actions for Good Governance City

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2.2 Urban Framework and Structure
2.2.1 Economic and Financial Status
(1) Export and Import

Major export commodities in 2014 were “Miscellaneous manufactured articles” (42% of total export)
followed by “Mineral products” (mostly natural gas, 31%), “Vegetable products” (10%), and “Textiles
and textile articles” (8%). The most notable changes in export are the facts that a share of “mineral
products” fell by 7 points from its share of 38% in 2011, while a share of “Miscellaneous
manufactured articles” jumped up by 20 points from its share of 22% in 2011. These changes reflect
the fact that the economy of Myanmar is becoming more diverse in recent years. Major import
commodities in 2014 were “Mineral products” (mostly refined mineral oil, 17% of total import),
followed by “Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment” (16%), “Miscellaneous
manufactured articles.” (16%), “Vehicles, aircraft, vessels and associated transport equipment” (12%)
and “Base metals and products” (10%). Yangon is a center of export and import of the country,
because of the presence of Yangon Port.
(2) Foreign Investment

Inflows of FDIs dramatically increased after 2009. Total amount of FDIs in the period of 2010-2014
was 38.2 billion USD, 4.3 times as much as the total in 2000-2009. By sector, the resource sectors
composed of the oil and gas, power and mining sectors had been dominant until 2011 that made up a
vast majority, 93% of a total permitted investment amounts by the existing enterprises in 2011.
Starting from 2012, FDIs started to flow into more diverse sectors other than resource sectors. In total
of 2012-2014, share of FDIs to “Manufacturing” sector jumped up to 27% from barely visible 0.8% in
total of the previous period of 2000-2011, while the resources sector’s share became 29% in
2012-2014, still very large but not as prominent as it was.
It should be noted that foreign investment in the non-resource sectors would provide large benefits to
Myanmar’s economy through creating employment opportunities, transferring the industrial
technologies, enhancing the convenience of the nation, obtaining foreign currency and so forth.
Therefore, it is crucial to encourage expansion of foreign investment in the non-resource sectors.
In Greater Yangon, growth in foreign investment is expected to the thermal power station,
manufacturing, construction, transport, telecommunications, hotel, tourism, real estate and industrial
park. It is expected that the new SEZ law, (January 2014), amendments of Investment Law (December
2015), and implementation of Thilawa SEZ development project farther encourage inflows and
diversification of FDIs to Myanmar.

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Table 2.2.1: Total USD Investment of Permitted Enterprises by Sector, Under the Foreign Investment Law
(Million USD)
2000-20 2012-20
2000-20 2010-20
Classification 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 11 14
09 total 14 Total
Total % Total %
Agriculture 20 139 - 10 20 40 208 0.5% 0.5%
Livestock & Fishery 41 - - 6 96 27 128 0.1% 0.9%
Mining 876 1,396 20 15 33 6 1,470 6.8% 0.4%
Oil and Gas 1,328 10,179 248 309 - 3,220 13,957 35.1% 26.1%
Manufacturing 164 66 32 401 1,827 1,502 3,829 0.8% 27.6%
Power 6,311 8,219 4,344 364 47 40 13,013 56.3% 3.3%
Transport & Communication 38 - 1 - 1,190 1,679 2,870 0.1% 21.2%
Hotel & Tourism 39 - - 300 435 358 1,093 0.1% 8.1%
Real Estate Development 31 - - - 441 781 1,221 0.1% 9.0%
Industrial Estate 0 - - - - - 0 0.0% 0.0%
Construction 21 - - - - - 0 0.1% 0.0%
Others 10 - - 15 18 357 390 0.0% 2.9%
Total 8,879 19,999 4,644 1,419 4,107 8,011 38,180 100.0% 100.0%
Source: MNPED, Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) data.
(3) Financial Base of YCDC

YCDC is considered as an independent body raising its own revenues through collecting fees, taxes,
issuing licenses, and etc.
As sources of funds, YCDC has a number of income generating enterprises including banking services,
hotels, markets, condominiums, golf courses, property development and manufacturing of construction
material such as bricks and cement. Total income of YCDC has dramatically increased by 480%
from 58 billion MMK in 2011/12 to 279 billion MMK in 2015/16. The most increased source is
“Capital Income” that has come to be 122 billion MMK (44% of total income) in 2015/16 that is 20
times as large as the one back in 2011/12.
The total income raised is, however, not always sufficient to cover the whole expenditure of YCDC.
When a budget deficit occurs, money from a special fund may be used as it happened in 2011/2012.
YCDC also receives financial assistants from international donors that are allocated to specific
projects, and cannot be used to cover activity outside of the project scope. These are separately
counted as “Income/expenditure from foreign aid” and have increased from 0.63 billion MMK in
2013/14 to 15 billion MMK in 2015/16.
A budget deficit, once it was as large as -23.4% as percentage to the total expenditure in 2011/12, has
been controlled to be smaller at the level of -1.9% in 2015/16. Given huge needs for investments in
urban renewal and development, however, it is indispensable to further diversify sources of income
and enhance a sustainable financial base for urban management.

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Table 2.2.2: Income and Expenditure Account from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016

(Million MMK)
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016
Account Title
Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual
Total Income 58,152 103,167 145,768 252,179 279,359
Sub-total (Normal+Capital) 58,152 103,167 145,133 249,794 264,004
Normal Income 51,886 95,311 92,180 134,232 141,795
Capital Income 6,266 7,856 52,953 115,562 122,210
Sub-total (Other Sources) 0 0 634 2,385 15,354
Income from foreign aid 634 2,385 12,539
Income from debt 2,815
Total Expenditure 75,949 100,198 145,727 252,141 284,826
Sub-total (Normal+Capital) 52,214 100,198 145,093 249,756 269,472
Normal Expenditure 36,008 48,273 50,410 67,693 79,779
Capital Expenditure 16,206 51,926 94,682 182,062 189,693
Sub-total (from other sources) 23,735 0 634 2,385 15,354
Expenditure from Special Fund 23,735
Expenditure from foreign aid
634 2,385 12,539
income
Expenditure from debt income 2,815
Fiscal Balance (Income-Expenditure) -17,797 2,969 41 38 -5,467
Fiscal Balance (as % of expenditure) -23.4% 3.0% 0.0% 0.0% -1.9%
Source: YCDC data.
(4) Housing in Yangon - Shortage of Low-cost and Affordable Housing
1) Huge Shortage in low-cost and Affordable Housing

Yangon, home to more than 5 million people, is also the economic center for much of the
country’s industry and services, and generates about 20 percent of Myanmar’s GDP. Given the
fact that the huge influx of population to the city is expected to continue, Yangon faces a
housing shortage. While authorities have commissioned several affordable housing projects and
MOC is planning to sell more than 1000 low-cost apartments in Yangon and to build and sell
8000 apartments over the next two years, it is far behind the demand for housing for average
people.
According to research by the Department of Urban and Housing Development under MOC,
while 65% of Yangon’s population own their houses, more than 1.8 million or 35% of the
population are in need of low-cost housing. It is also estimated that 25% of total population’s
dwellings are temporary huts and shanties that mainly house the rapidly increasing influx of
population attracted by factory work in the city’s industrial zones where FDIs are concentrated.

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2) Supply-side of Housing-need Investment for “K10 Million

Apartments”
The main challenge of low-cost housing is the need for sufficient investment to be able to sell
apartments for under K10 million per unit. This is the price range where majority, as much as
60% of Yangon residents according to DUHD’s estimates in 2015, who earn K300,000 a month
(USD244) or less can afford. At the moment, however, there are no plans to build “K10 million
apartments” under current market conditions. Most of the booming construction for housing
over the past few years has been at the higher segments of the market.
U Myint Naing, DUHD’s assistant director told the news media: “It could be possible to build
low-cost homes on state-owned land, with the government providing water and other
infrastructure, for less than K10 million per apartment. But given the limitations of the
government budget, it would be very difficult to provide enough of them.”1 The government,
“supply side” of low-cost housing is in short of budget for investment.
There is another option to increase supply of housing; to develop the rental sector. This “rental”
option could be seen as provision of affordable and decent housing for the middle income
population while they need some time to save enough money to pay for the first installment
(usually 30% of total value) to buy their houses (often apartments).
3) Demand-side of Housing-need Better Housing Loans

For financing the demand side of housing, the Construction and Housing Development Bank
(CHDB)2 is the only development bank that can provide mortgage-type of loans to people to
buy houses with the loan period longer than one year and up to 8 years at an interest rate of 12%
per year. CHDB also provides finance for the developers of low-cost and affordable housing.
CHDB has recently announced that it will release new policies for selling low-cost apartments
to depositors of the bank who can pay 30 per cent of the total value in an initial instalment. The
managing director of the CHDB told the news media: “People can save their money at the
CHDB. They will have a chance to buy apartments through a lucky draw program when they
can pay the first instalment. It will take them a long time to save Ks 3 million if they save Ks
10,000 per month. It would take 30 months if they save Ks 100,000 per month. The main point
is they will have to save enough money to pay the first instalment.”3 It is estimated by CHDB
that monthly saving or repayment amount at 30% of monthly incomes is the viable range for
average people.
Given the huge demand for low-cost and affordable housing, however, a scale of provision of
loans by CHDB is not large enough, not long enough (8-years repayment is too short), and not
affordable enough (interest rate of 12% is too high). These shortcomings are reflections of
characteristics of the current sources of funds; short-term and high interest rates. In order for
CHDB to provide forms of loans better fit to the needs, it is indispensable for them to have
sources of funds with “long-term”, “low-interest rate”, and “large-scale” in their natures.
There is also a glitch in a legal framework that pauses CHDB a difficulty. Currently, there is no
legal framework for “collective ownership” that enables the buyers to register their bought
1 The Myanmar Times, Friday, 23 September 2016.

2 The Construction and Housing Development Bank was set up in 2013 under the Ministry of Construction’s supervision to
providing the loans that could allow more people to afford homes, but so far its success has been limited. The CHDB has
opened seven branches in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Mawlamyine and Pathein. Plans are under way to open additional branches
in places where the low-cost housing projects are implemented.
3 Eleven Myanmar, Tuesday, 19 July 2016.

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apartments as collaterals for their housing loans. Likewise, CHDB cannot provide real
“mortgage” loans to those who buy apartments, which more likely the cases for urban areas.
2.2.2 The Previous Plan

In the previous SUDP study, “Sub-center with Green Isle System” was proposed and formulated
through discussion in steering committees, stakeholder meeting and other opportunities, and interview
survey whose targets are the chief of the townships to carry forward to formulate urban structure of
future’s Greater Yangon. In the structure plan, Thilawa SEZ development with 163,000 residential
population and 204,000 labor population were already integrated.

Figure 2.2.1: Previous Urban Structure Plan of Greater Yangon planned in 2013
However, after the previous SUDP was published in 2013, some urban development related plans such
as YUTRA (Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan of the Greater Yangon), new city development
plans and so on were planned, integration of the plans is required. In addition to this, since economic
activities were drastically accelerated in Yangon, large-scale urban development projects are moving
or planning. For the reason, reflection of these projects is also needed.
2.2.3 Planning Process

To draft the future vision and the structure plan for the Greater Yangon, internal discussions between
JICA Study Team and YCDC were conducted constantly. After creation of the draft plan, official
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meetings with nodal agencies such as YCDC, YRG, MOTC, MOC and other related organizations
were held to form the plan or collect comments on it. The official meetings which were held to
concrete urban framework and the structure are shown as below;
Table 2.2.3: Record of Meetings

Date Title Venue Agenda
4th Aug 2016 (Thu) Kick-off meeting with MOTC MOTC and MOC  Explanation of the project overview
and MOC office from JICA and JST
 Opinion exchange on the project
implementation
5th Aug 2016 (Fri) Meeting with MES MES office  Explanation of the project overview
from JST
implementation
24th Aug 2016 (Wed) Meeting with YCDC YCDC office  Discussion on the future vision and
the schematic plan
7th Sep 2016 (Tue) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Proposal of structure plan form JST
30th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YCDC YCDC office  Explanation of the updated future
vision and the structure plan
30th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Explanation of the updated future
vision and the structure plan
10th – 12th Oct 2016 Progress report meetings to YRG, MOTC and  Progress report for the
YRG, MOTC and MOC MOC offices considerations on the suture vision
and the structure plan
9th Nov 2016 (Wed) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Explanation of population projection
according to the updated structure
plan
2.2.4 Updated Points from 2013 to 2016
(1) Urban Structure Plan Updating Principles

Urban structure plan of the Greater Yangon is updated according principles as follows;
1) 5.2 million population increase is accommodated by urbanized area

in 2040
Since the latest census was published in 2014, base year of population estimation is updated
from 2011 to 2014. Although population increase ratio “2.6 %” is same as the ratio used in
previous SUDP, due to gap of the base year population, updated population is estimated as 10.8
million (10,794,920). As the result, population increase from 2014 (0 year) to 2040 (targeted
year) was 5.2 million (5,256,473). New built-up area by 2040 and additional developments in
existing built-up area shall be allocated to accommodate this amount.
2) Compact urbanized area

Although population density of new built-up area was equally set as 120 people/ha in previous
SUDP, it should be partially higher in areas such as sub center or areas along railway like TOD
(Transit Oriented Development) area. According to this principle, several range of population
densities are to make urbanized area more compact.

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3) Reflection of revision of railway development plan

Although 6 new railway lines were proposed in previous SUDP, 4 of 6 were removed through
consideration of YUTRA. In line with this modification, suburb area without proposed railway
lines is removed from new built-up area.

Figure 2.2.2: Removed Proposed Railway Line after previous SUDP
4) Reflection of revision of outer ring road alignment

Through discussion with YCDC and MOC, alignment of outer ring road was revised.

Figure 2.2.3: Alignment of Revised Outer Ring Road

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5) Inclusion of an idea of new city development planned by YCDC

Red hatched areas in Figure 2.2.4 below show seven new cities planned by YCDC. Since
housing developments are important projects for the Greater Yangon, prioritized areas (not
whole of new cities) are selected through discussion with YCDC and included as urbanized
areas.

Figure 2.2.4: Seven New cities planned by YCDC
2.2.5 Updated Strategy of Urban Structure Plan

In line with updating principles above, 4 categories on urbanized area defined. The details are shown
in the Table 2.2.4.
Table 2.2.4: Category of Urbanized Area

Category Location Description
 Planned population density: 200 people/ha
 Estimated population: +120 thousands
 Land use: public, commercial, office, residential
 Development image:
Sub-center
Updating from previous Master Plan;

1) Yankin was selected as a sub-center in stead of
Hlaing Thaya, because Yankin area is more
economically attractive and not only residential but
also commercial developments are planned.
2) Dagon Seikkan was selected as a sub-center in
stead of Bago Riverside, because wider area
development(90 ha) funded by UN-Habitat is
ongoing at the site.

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Category Location Description

 Land use: commercial, residential
Urban area along

circular railway line

This land use is newly added to consider transport
oriented development in the Greater Yangon.
 Land use: mainly residential
Ongoing large-scale
residential
developments

Situation, especially about population, of
large-scale residential developments such as Star
City (Thanlyn) and Dagon Seikkan (Dagon
Seikkan) were updated.
 Planned population density: 120-150 people/ha
 Estimated population: +4,780 thousands
 Land use: mainly residential
Newly urban area

In the new urban structure plan, 1) to North-east,
and 2) to South-west are adopted as directions of
urban expansion. Accordingly the urban area of the
directions are widened, areas of the other directions
are shrunk.
Source: JICA Study Team and Star City web site

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2.3 Urban Function Development
2.3.1 Current Status

In recent years, not only public sector, but also private sectors have conducted many urban
development projects with rapid urbanization in Yangon. In this clause, overview of major urban
development projects by private sectors is summarized.
Figure 2.3.1 and Table 2.3.1 show location and list of large urban development projects in Yangon.
Those high-rise buildings with commercial, business and residential use will occupy about 205 ha of
land. Those will provide about 25,000 housing units of residence by 2020, which will accommodate
about 100,000 populations.
l k
j
i
g
f
e
c b
a d

Figure 2.3.1: Location of Relevant Urban Development Projects

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Table 2.3.1: List of Relevant Urban Development Projects

Area Num. of
No. Project Name Status Project Period
(ha) Units
a) Sule Square Construction Period 2014-2016 n/a n/a
b) Landmark Planned 2016-2020 4.00 n/a
c) Junction City Construction Period 2013-2019 2.60 n/a
d) Star City Construction Period 2013-2017 54.60 1,154
e) Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Construction Period n/a 89.00 19,600
f) 68 Residences Construction Period 2014-2017 0.35 369
g) Times City Construction Period 2012-2017 4.05 260
h) Golden City Construction Period 2014-2018 33.50 935
i) Skysuites Condominium Construction Period 2014- n/a 0.33 108
j) HAGL Construction Period 2013-2018 8.00 937
k) Lottee Hotel Construction Period 2014-2017 6.00 315
l) The Leaf Residence Construction Period 2015-2019 1.09 321
m) Pyae Sone Chan Thar Condo; Construction Period 2014-2016 0.35 143
n) Min Residences Construction Period 2016-2019 1.30 614
Total 205 24,756
a) Sule Square
Developer: n/a
Contractor: CNQC construction and others
Source: www.buildersguide.com
Figure 2.3.2: Completion Image (LEFT), Typical Residential Floor Plan(RIGHT)
Key Map Status: Under construction (2014-2016 Dec)

Project Area: n/a
Total Floor Area: 58,000 sqm
Num. of floor: 23 FL
Used FAR: n/a
Building use:
Restaurants, ballrooms and other facilities
Floor area for office place:
20,00 sqm (lettable floor area)
Rental price: 80-85 USD/sqm (office)
Num. of housing units: n/a

Address: Sule pagoda road & Ahnawrahta road,
Kyauktada Township.

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b) Landmark Project
Developer: Yoma Strategic Holding (Local Main Developer) (proposed)
Contractor: Not known yet
Source: Mitsubishi Corporation

Figure 2.3.3: Completion Image
Key Map Status: Suspended (before the end of FY 2016-before

the end of FY 2020)
Project Area: 4 ha (including part of the site of a
separate project)
Total Floor Area: no detail design is issued
Num. of floor: 21-25 FL
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: mix use
Floor area for office place: n/a
Rental price: n/a
Address: Corner of Sule pagoda road & Bogyoke road, Num. of housing units: n/a
Pabedan Township
c) Junction City
Developer: Shwe Taung Junction City (Main) & Keppel Land ( Singaporere)
Contractor: Shwe Taung Construction (Main) & Green River Construction and Engineering
Source: Junction City Website

Key Map Status: Under construction, Developed in 2013 (will

finish in 2019)
Project Area: 2.6 ha
Total Floor Area: 33400 sq.m (only office tower)

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Num. of floor: 23-28 FL

Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Hotel, office tower, Service Apartment
tower, (mix-use)
Floor area for 1 housing unit: 1700-2000 sq.m (for
office tower)
Selling/ rental price: 900 USD/sq.m
Num. of housing units: hotel and office towers only (no
residential unit)
Address:
Corner of Shwedagon Pagoda Road and Bogyoke Road,
Pabedan Township
d) Star City
Developer: Thanlyin Estate Development (Myanmar)
Contractor: Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd. (Singapore)
Source: Brochure of Star City Project

Key Map Status: Under construction (2013-2017)

Project Area: ~54.6 ha
Total Floor Area: ~250000 sq.m
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Residential, commercial, office,
hotel, school, college and shopping mall.
Floor area for 1 housing unit: 60-314 sq.m
Selling price: ~ 2150 USD/sq.m
Num. of housing units: 1154 units
Address: Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Road, Thanlyin ownship,

Yangon, Myanmar.

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e) Ayeyarwun and Yadanar Housing (Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Township)

Developer: Hteik Sin Co.,Ltd & Myanmar Saytana Co.,Ltd
Contractor: Crown Advanced Construction & Hteik Sin Construction Co.,Ltd.
Source: Brouchre of Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Housing

Key Map Status: Under construction

Project Area: 89 ha
Total Floor Area: 245,260 sq.m (for 11 buildings)
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Shopping centers, banks, business
centers, clinics, playground, swimming pools, and
schools, etc.,
Floor area for 1 housing unit: 55.7- 111.4 sq.m
Selling price: 893.08 USD/sq.m
Num. of housing units: 19,600 units
Address: Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Township, Yangon,
Myanmar.
f) 68 Residence
Developer: United GP Development
Contractor: n/a (suppose that United GP is contractor)
Source: Brochure of 68 Residence Project


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Project Area: ~ 0.35 ha
Total Floor Area: n/a
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Residential, shopping mall.
Selling price: 3300-4800 USD/sq.m
Address: At the corner of KabaAye Pagoda Road and Saya

San Road, Bahan TS, Yangon, Myanmar.
g) Times City
Developer: Local and Foreign Developers (divided by sectors)
Contractor: Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd. (Myanmar)
Source: Brochure of Crown Advanced Construction Co., Ltd.


Num. of floor: 23-27 FL (including basements)
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Residential, commercial, office,
shopping mall & hotel
Selling price: 2,350 USD/sq.m
Address: Hanthawaddy Road, No (8) Ward, Kamayut/

Sanchaung TS

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h) Golden City
Developer: Golden Land Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. (Singapore)
Contractor: n/a
Source: Brochure of Golden City Project


Total Floor Area: ~350000 sqm (gross)
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Residential, hotel, shopping mall and
office tower.
Address: Yankin Road, CMA Old Building, Yankin

Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Remarks: Run as joint venture between Uni Global Power Group (Singapore) and local conglomerate Jewelry
Luck Group. Land ownership is by Ministry of Defense.

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i) Skysuites Condominium
Developer: SCW Development
Contractor: Q Home (local company)
Source: Brochure of Skysuites Condominium


Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Residential
Address: No.23, Yanshin Road, Yankin Township,

Yangon, Myanmar.
Remarks: Comcon Group Thailand made the project management
j) HAGL Project (Myanmar Plaza)

Developer: Vietnamese Developers
Contractor: n/a

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Project Area:
Total Floor Area: 640,000 sq.m
Num. of floor: 24 FL + Basements
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Hotel, office towers, shopping area,
residential
Floor area for 1 housing unit: n/a
Rental Price: 45-85 USD/ sqm (shops)
: 50-65 USD/sqm (office)
Num. of housing units: 937 (residential)
Address: No (1) Industrial Road, Yankin
k) Lottee Hotel (Daewoo Amara)

Developer: Daewoo (Main Korea Developers) & Local Developers
Contractor: POSCO Engineering and Construction

Project Area: 6 ha
Total Floor Area: 102,000 sq.m (for 11 buildings)
Num. of floor: 15 – 29 FL
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Restaurants, ballrooms and other
facilities
Floor area for hotel ball rooms: 1987 sqm
Selling price: n/a
Num. of housing units: 315 (residential)

343 (hotel rooms)
Address: Pyay Road, Hlaing Township

Remarks: Lottee Korea took part in Hotel Management. BOT system with MIC (Ministry of Commerce)

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l) The Leaf Residence

Developer: Global Green Development Group
Contractor: IME Construction Co., Ltd.
Source: Brochure of The Leaf Residence and web page of The Leaf
Key Map Status: Under construction (March 2019)

Total Floor Area: 74000 sq.m
Num. of floor: 12.5 FL
Used FAR: 677 %
Address: No. 204, Dhama Thukha Kyaung Street, Hlaing TS,

Yangon.
Remarks: Surbana Jurong involved in Project Management.

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m) Pyae Sone Chan Thar Condominium

Developer: Golden Gate International Development Co., Ltd
Contractor: Golden Gate Engineering
Source: Brochure of Pyae Sone Chan Thar Condominium.

Key Map Status: Under construction (Dec 2016)

Project Area: ~0.35 ha
Total Floor Area: ~ 25000 sq.m
Num. of floor: 13 FL (including 2 basements)
Used FAR: 714 %
Address: No-32, Oak Kyin Butaryone St, Hlaing TS,

Yangon, Myanmar.

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n) Min Residence
Developer: Oxley Myanmar (Singapore origin) & Mottama Holdings (Land Owner)
Contractor: Sino Great Wall (China)
Source: builders.com

Total Floor Area: 120000 sq.m
Used FAR: n/a
Building use: Office space, shopping area and
residential.
Floor area for 1 housing unit: 55.7-130 sq.m
Selling price: n.a
Address: Mindammha Road, Mayangone Township

Basically, consideration of the urban functions was conducted in parallel with the structure planning.
For the reason, the planning process is almost same as the one for the structure planning. The official
meetings which were held to concrete urban functions are shown as below;
Table 2.3.2: Record of Meetings

4th Aug 2016 (Thu) Kick-off meeting with MOTC MOTC and MOC  Explanation of the project overview
and MOC office from JICA and JST
implementation
24th Aug 2016 (Wed) Meeting with YCDC YCDC office  Discussion on the urban functions
for the Greater Yangon
7th Sep 2016 (Tue) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Proposal of the urban functions form
JST
15th Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC YCDC office  Discussion of cityscape planning and
pedestrianization of the CBD
30th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YCDC YCDC office  Explanation of the updated urban
functions
30th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Explanation of the updated urban

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functions
10th – 12th Oct 2016 Progress report meetings to YRG, MOTC and  Progress report for the
YRG, MOTC and MOC MOC offices considerations on the urban
functions
9th Nov 2016 (Wed) Meeting with YRG YRG office  Explanation of layout plan for the
urban functions
9th Dec 2016 (Fri) Meeting with DUHD, MOC YRG office  Opinion exchange on the housing
development
 Explanation of the key findings of
urban redevelopment and land
readjustment
19th Dec 2016 (Mon) Meeting with MOTC and MOTC and MOC  Explanation of draft final report
MOC office
2.3.3 Updated Points from 2013 to 2016
(1) Decentralization of the Urban Core

To decentralize the existing urban core in the CBD, development of secondary CBD and sub centers
are proposed. The number of these new urban cores are same as the SUDP 2013, but layout is updated
based on the latest development situation. Especially in Yankin area, a lot of private activities such as
commercial complexes, hotels and residential buildings are accumulated after SUDP 2013 was formed.
Because of it, the area is selected as a sub center.
(2) Layout of Three New city in Suburb Area

Through discussion with YCDC, suburb area development was focused in the three new cities
development namely Southwest New City (west of Kyee Myin Daing and Twantay), Dala New City
and Dagon Myothit (East) New City to make the future urbanized area more compact.
(3) Provision of Efficient and Effective Traffic Network

According to considerations above, trunk road network and public transportation network like railway
lines are updated to provide smooth connectivity among those urban cores and new city cores.
(4) Categorized Housing Supply

Targets of housing project should be categorized by peoples’ income for more practical distribution.
And the number of housing provision in 2040 is updated along with new projection of population.
(5) Yangon Heritage Strategy

YHT provided the Yangon Heritage Strategy which proposes the 12 key principles for future vision,
three-phased strategy, and 24 sections of action plan to combine conservation heritages and
development for Yangon’s livability in 2016. The cooperation of various professionals including YHT
and human resource development for experts in various fields are required.
(6) Water-front Development

In water-front, there will be pressure for commercial development including living, workplace, and
leisure development, for which the waterfront would provide an attractive environment.

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(7) Goal of Area of New Public Park in New city

Area of public parks and other recreation spaces per capita should be kept as same as current. In new
city areas, construction of new parks is needed to keep public services and urban environment.
2.3.4 Supplemental Explanations of the SUDP
(1) Establishment of Funds for Low-income People

For low-income people, it is problem that there are no funds to purchase houses. To distribute housing
to low-income people, not only provision of affordable housing, but also establishment of a revolving
fund for long-term housing loans are necessary.

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2.4 Infrastructure Development
2.4.1 Water Supply
(1) Current Status
1) Progress and Achievement after SUDP

Current status of water supply projects mentioned in SUDP in 2013 is summarized in Table
2.4.1. Six projects in total were proposed and all projects have been completed or ongoing so far.
Project No.1 and 2 have been executed by grant project and No.3 to 6 has been executed or will
be executed by Japanese yen loan project except for the portion of construction of Lagunbyin
WTP in No.3 which is being implemented by YCDC budget.
Table 2.4.1: Current Status of Water Supply Projects after development of SUDP in 2013
No. Project Name Outline Current Status
- Replacement of all pump facilities, improvement
Renewal of Pump Station of Already completed
1 of preventing water hammer, refurbishment of
Nyaunghnapin WTP in 2015
house and installation of monitoring equipment
- Replacement of distribution pipeline between
Renewal of Distribution Already completed
2 Kokkin Reservoir to Yegu Pumping Station
Pipeline in Yankin Township in 2016
- Establishment of DMA
- Intake pump facilities from Kokkowa river and
Construction of Kokkowa WTP
conduct pipeline Already pledged in
3 and transfer/distribution
- New WTP (75MGD) 2017
pipeline
- Transfer/distribution pipeline
Construction of Lagunbyin - New WTP (40MGD) of which water resource is Under construction
4 WTP and transfer/distribution Lagunbyin reservoir and will be
pipeline - Transfer/distribution pipeline (19km) completed in 2021
- Renewal of distribution pipe network (556km)
Renewal of Distribution Pipe - Rehabilitation of existing reservoir Already pledged in
5
Network of Zone 1 - Installation of DMA 2017
- Installation of distribution pumps for higher area
- Installation of disinfection facilities such as Under construction
Installation of Disinfection
6 Gyobyu WTP, Nyauhnapin WTP and Hlawaga and will be
Facility
pumping station completed by 2021
2) Institutional Setting
The water supply system for Yangon City is managed by the Engineering Department (Water
and Sanitation) in YCDC with 2,185 staffs in total as of October 2016. Figure 2.4.1 shows
organization chart of YCDC and Figure 2.4.2 shows organization chart of Engineering
Department (Water and Sanitation).

I 2-42
Mayor
(Chairman of YCDC)
Minister of Development Affairs
Secretary
Joint Secretary
Committee Member 4 Committee Member 5
The Administration Budget & Accounts Work Inspection Co-ordination Assessors’

Revenue Depa rtment Markets Department
Department Department Department Department Depa rtment
Veterinary & Engineering Engineering Engineering Motor Tra nsport &
Pollution Control & Central Stores
Slaughter House Department Department Depa rtment Workshop
Cleaning Department Department
Department (Road & Bridges) (Buildings) (Water & Sanitation) Department
Security & City Planning a nd Public Relations and
Pla ygrounds, Parks & Production
Disciplinary Land Administra tion Health Department Informa tion Committee Office
Gardens Department Department
Department Department Depa rtment
Source: YCDC, Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation)

Figure 2.4.1: Organization Chart of YCDC
Head of Department
(CE)
Deputy Head of Deputy Head of Deputy Head of

Department (DYCE) Department (DYCE) Department (DYCE)
Electrica l & Administra tion

Reservoir Supporting Wa ter Supply Pipe Plant Sa nita tion
Mecha nical & Finance
Division (ACE) Division (ACE) Division (ACE) Division (ACE) Division (ACE)
Division (ACE) Division (ACE)
Ea st District Ea st District
Gyobyu Yegu Pumping Quality Control Administra tion
Resea rch Section
Reservoir Sta tion Section Section
West District West District
Store Section Income Section

Phughy Electrica l Ma nagement
South District South District
Reservoir Section Section
Computer Expenditure
North District North District
Section Section
Hlawga Mechanical Production
Reservoir Section Section
Pipe Section Computer
Wa ter Quality
(Ea st) Water Meter Section
Monitoring
Section
Section Budget Section
Nga moeyeik Tube Well
Reservoir Section
Pipe Section Wa ste Water
(West) Administration Public Water Trea tment Plant
Section Charges Section
Office Section
Ma intenance
Section
Office Section
House
Connection
Office Section
Office Section

Figure 2.4.2: Organization Chart of Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation)
Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation) consists of the following seven divisions.
a) Reservoir Division (439 staffs)

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 O&M of three reservoirs (Gyobyu, Phugyi and Hlawga) and four pumping stations
(hereinafter referred to as “P/S”) (Gyobyu, Phugyi, Hlawga and Nyaughnapin Water
Treatment Plant (hereinafter referred to as “WTP”) P/S)
b) Supporting Division (50 staffs)
 Storing necessary instruments for auxiliary works
 Execution of water quality monitoring
 Preparation of documents such as drawings, etc.
c) Water Supply Division (1,201 staffs)
 Acceptance of new connections
 Repair of minor leakage
 Water distribution from tube wells
d) Electrical and Mechanical Division (160 staffs)
 O&M of booster P/S and Yegu P/S
 Maintenance and upgrade of existing machines and equipment
e) Pipe Plant Division (26 staffs)
 Production of pipes
 Maintenance of the transmission/distribution pipes
f) Administration and Finance Division (257 staffs)
 Execution of administrative works
 Formulation of short term and long-term plans
 Collection of water charge
g) Sanitation Division (152 staffs)
 O&M of sewerage system
 Desludging of septic tanks
It is considered that enhancement of management capacity of Engineering Department (Water
and Sanitation) is necessary for providing reasonable water supply service to residents. Under
the circumstances, JICA technical assistance project is being executed and will be completed in
2020. Main components for institutional improvement of this project are 1) establishment of the
planning section, 2) development of the institutional management plan and 3) enhancement of
human resources development.
3) Water Supply System

Main facilities of water supply system owned by YCDC are 1) reservoirs and tube wells as
water resources, 2) WTPs, 3) pumping stations, 4) piping systems, etc.
There are three kinds of water resources, namely reservoir, river and tube well. Current and
future water resources statuses are summarized in Table 2.4.2. Column of 2016 shows the current
status, and that of 2040 is destination (refer to chapter 5.4.1 (3) 2)). The Engineering
Department (Water and Sanitation) has five water resources, namely Gyobyu (27 million
gallons per day (hereinafter referred to as “MGD”)) Phugy (54 MGD), Hlawga (14 MGD),
Ngamoeyeik (90MGD), and tube wells (8MGD) as of 2016. Additionally, Lagunbyin WTP (40
MGD) funded by YCDC is being developed (10 out of 40 MGD will be utilized for Thilawa
SEZ). The feasibility study (hereinafter referred to as “F/S”) for Kokkowa Phase 1 (60 MGD)
has been completed, and it has already been pledged and will be commenced as ODA loan
project. The location and capacity of each water resource is shown in Figure 2.4.3.

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Table 2.4.2: Current and Future Water Resources (MGD)

Name Water Resource 2016 2040 Remarks
Gyobyu Reservoir 27 27 -
Phugy Reservoir 54 54 -
Hlawga Reservoir 14 14 -
Ngamoeyeik Reservoir 90 90 -
10MGD for Thilawa will be available from
Lagunbyin Reservoir - 30+(10) 2019.
Full capacity will be available after 2021.
Kokkowa River - 120 Phase 1 (60MGD) F/S has been completed
Toe River - 60 -
Pan Hlaing River - 60 -
Additional resource River - 155 Kokkowa, Toe or Pan Hlaing will be utilized
Tube well Tube well 8 - Not available after 2025
Total - 193 610 -
Note: 1MGD=4,546m3/day
Source: YCDC Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation), JICA Study Team
Source: Based on The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014), JICA Study Team updates the development capacity
Figure 2.4.3: Location and Capacity of Each Water Resource
There are six WTPs, namely Gyobyu, Nyaunghnapin, Yangonpauk, Dagon Myothit (South)
No1, Dagon Myothit (South) No.2 and Thaephyu. Currently, water from Hlawga and Phugyi
reservoirs is distributed without treatment. However, such situation will be solved by
installation of chlorination facilities under ongoing ODA loan project.
YCDC water supply service ratio is 33% of total population in Greater Yangon as of 2014.
To expand the coverage area, transmission/distribution pipes related to Lagunbyin WTP is to
be installed under ODA loan project. Installation of transmission pipes and

I 2-45
installation/rehabilitation of distribution pipes to distribute the water from Kokkowa Phase 1

WTP will be executed as ODA loan project and YCDC budget project.
Non-Revenue Water (hereinafter referred to as “NRW”) of YCDC water supply system in
2013 is quite high, estimated at 66%. To solve this situation, an NRW reduction projects for
Mayangone Township (by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, TSS and Toyo Engineering),
Insein Township and South Okkalapa Township (by Mitsubishi Corporation and Manila
Water) are ongoing, and for Tarmwe Township funded by Agence Française de
Développement (hereinafter referred to as “AFD”) is under the planning stage.
YCDC water supply system mentioned above only covers Yangon City at present. However,
part of around six townships, namely Kyauktan, Thanlyin, Hlegu, Hmawbi, Htantabin and
Twantay Townships, are to be incorporated into YCDC water supply service area after 2025
sequentially. Currently, residents in these townships basically take water from private tube
well, pond, rainwater, etc. There are only public water supply systems in Kyauktan and
Thanlyin Townships, which are not operated by YCDC as shown in Table 2.4.3.
Table 2.4.3: Water Supply System in Kyauktan and Thanlyin Townships

Township Kyauktan Thanlyin
Water Resource Reservoir Tube Well
No. of System 1 3
No. of Private Tube wells 350 9986
No. of service connection 1564 97(42+19+36)
Population in 2016 128,254 236,060
Service coverage 6% 0.18 %
No. of Service tank 15 communal tank 3 elevated tank
Water Tariff 4000 MMK/month 1000 MMK/month
Source: Yangon Region Development Committee
4) Financial Aspect
Current water tariff system is summarized in Table 2.4.4. Currency applied for water tariff
collection has been unified to MMK.
Table 2.4.4: Water Tariff System

Meter Rate
No. Category Flat Rate (MMK/month)
(MMK/m3)
1 Governmental Institution Variable, price upon the
 Departmental, officers and staffs 88 daily water usage is
 Housing factories, workshops 110 estimated by water rate.
2 Public
 Household
 High rise building, individual house with 88 3000
compounds, residences
 Individual house and apartment 88 1800
 Commercial
 Construction Industry 110 -
 Commercial 110 -
3 Hotels, motels, inns (investment in foreign currency) 880 -
4 Industries, workshops, markets and condominium 880 -
5 Rent of household (including individual house with 440 -
compounds, residences, apartments, high rise buildings)
The revenue and expenditure of Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation) is shown in
Table 2.4.5. Recently, the expenditure from water supply service exceeds the revenue.

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Table 2.4.5: Revenue and Expenditure of Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation) (Million MMK)
Account Title FY2013-2014 FY2014-2015 FY2015-2016
Revenue
Water Charges for Government 1,111 1,608 1,697
Water Charges for Private 5,973 6,906 8,497
Water Connection Fees 218 296 536
Sales of Water Meters 130 280 732
The Others 167 197 292
Total 7,599 9,288 11,753
Expenditure
Operational Expenditure
Salary and Allowance 1,512 1,729 2,233
Material Cost, Labour Charge and Service 5,631 9,552 11,474
Maintenance and Repair 2,234 2,343 2,789
Capital Expenditure
Extension of Water Supply Pipes 190 2,243 5,146
Water Resources 32,153 38,860 56,055
Water Supplies 1,843 7,950 4,013
Sewage Disposal 167 241 208
Waste Water Treatment Plant 49 69 39
Machinery 955 4 2
Total 44,734 62,990 81,959
Balance -37,136 -53,702 -70,207
Source: YCDC Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation)
It has already been pointed out that improvement of water tariff is desired as one of the
solutions to improve current situations. However, it has not been achieved so far and it was
considered that formulation of sustainable financial management system and proper
organization system were necessary. Under the circumstances, JICA technical assistance project
to tackle with improvement of management system is ongoing.
(2) Planning Process
Table 2.4.6: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Water Supply)

12th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting with JICA Myanmar JICA Office  Current Status of Water Supply
Office staffs  Opinions from JICA
15th Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with JICA expert YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Water Supply
(Water Supply Sector)
23th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Water Supply
Engineering Department  Opinions from Engineering
(Water and Sanitation) Department
26th Oct 2016 (Wed) Meeting with JICA expert YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Water Supply
(Capacity Development)
31th Oct 2016 (Mon) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Opinions from Engineering
Engineering Department Department
(Water and Sanitation)
01th Nov 2016 (Tue) Field survey Lagunbyin WTP  Field Survey
Nyaughnapin WTP
Hlawga reservoir
03th Nov 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Discussion about Development
Engineering Department Plan
(Water and Sanitation), JICA
experts

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(3) Updated Points from 2013 to 2016
1) Water Demand
 Future population and Unit Water Consumption are updated in the Study.
 Water demand in 2040 for Greater Yangon is estimated at 610 MGD (634 MGD estimated in
2013).
2) Development Plan of Water Resources

 Total development capacity of water resources decrease from 635 MGD to 610 MGD due to
reduction of estimated water demand as shown in Figure 2.4.4.
 Pan Hlaing River is added as available water resources with capacity of at least 60 MGD.
 After development of Toe River Phase 2, remaining water demand of 155 MGD will be covered
by any of Kokkowa, Pan Hlaing and Toe River.

Figure 2.4.4: Development Plan of Water Resources
(4) Supplemental Explanations of the SUDP
1) Demand Analysis
Water supply demand has been estimated in the Study. Flow of water demand forecast is
shown in Figure 2.4.5.

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Source: The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014)

Figure 2.4.5: Flow of Water Demand Forecast
(I) Conditions applied for Water Demand Forecast
I) Future Population
Based on census 2014, future population for each township has been estimated in the Study
and utilized for water demand forecast.
II) Water Supply Service Ratio

Basically, updated water supply service ratio estimated in Preparatory Survey for Greater
Yangon Water Supply Improvement Project Phase II (2016) has been utilized because the
estimated ratio reflects the result of census 2014. However, increasing ratio per year of Kyee
Myin Daing Township is revised to 3% to reach almost same service ratio in 2040 as
surrounding townships because Kyee Myin Daing Township is planned to be developed as
New city Core. Additionally, increasing ratio per year for Twantay Township is also changed
to 3% because Twantay Township also will be developed as new city core same as Kyee
Myin Daing Township.
III) Water Demand per Capita, Planned NRW and Leakage Ratio and
Planned Peak Factor
Same value shown in The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014) is applied as
shown in Table 2.4.7 and Table 2.4.8. 1.1 is applied as planned peak factor.
Table 2.4.7: Applied Water Demand per Capita

Water Demand per Capita (LPCD)
area
2014 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
CBD, IUR, ORZ, NS,OS 185 220 250 278 305 333
SoCBD, NewS, PA 115 143 167 195 222 250
Table 2.4.8: Applied NRW and Leakage Ratio

Year 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
NRW (%) 46 35 26 20 15
Leakage (%) 33 25 18 13 10

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(II) Estimated Service Ratio and Served Population

Service ratio and served population are estimated based on the conditions above as shown in
Table 2.4.9 and Table 2.4.10.
Table 2.4.9: Estimated Service Ratio

No. Township Name Township Group 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
1 Latha 97% 100% 100% 100% 100%
2 Lanmadaw 82% 92% 100% 100% 100%
3 Pabedan 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
CBD
4 Kyauktada 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
5 Botahtaung 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
6 Pazundaung 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
7 Ahlone 32% 45% 55% 65% 75%
8 Kyee Myin Daing 16% 26% 41% 56% 71%
9 Sanchaung 26% 45% 55% 65% 75%
10 Dagon 59% 69% 79% 89% 99%
11 Bahan Inner Urban Ring 98% 100% 100% 100% 100%
12 Tarmwe 99% 100% 100% 100% 100%
13 Mingalar Taung Nyunt 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
14 Seikkan 78% 88% 98% 100% 100%
15 Dawbon 41% 51% 61% 71% 81%
16 Kamaryut 20% 45% 55% 65% 75%
17 Hlaing 39% 49% 59% 69% 79%
Outer Ring
18 Yankin 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
19 Thingangyun 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
20 Mayangone 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
21 Insein Northern Suburbs 38% 48% 58% 68% 78%
22 Mingalardon 42% 52% 62% 72% 82%
23 North Okkalapa 98% 100% 100% 100% 100%
24 South Okkalapa Older Suburbs 80% 90% 100% 100% 100%
25 Thaketa 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
26 Dala 22% 32% 42% 52% 62%
South of CBD
27 Seikgyikhanaungto 12% 22% 32% 42% 52%
28 Shwe Pyi Thar 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
29 Hlaing Tharyar 15% 45% 55% 65% 75%
30 Dagon Myothit (North) 46% 56% 66% 76% 86%
31 Dagon Myothit (South) New Suburbs 37% 47% 57% 67% 77%
32 Dagon Myothit (East) 28% 38% 48% 58% 68%
Dagon Myothit
33
(Seikkan) 26% 36% 46% 56% 66%
34 Kyauktan 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
35 Thanlyin 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
36 Hlegu 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Periphery Area
37 Hmawbi 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
38 Htantabin 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
39 Twantay 0% 10% 25% 40% 55%
Table 2.4.10: Estimated Served Population

1 Latha 24,305 25,057 25,057 25,057 25,057
2 Lanmadaw 38,671 43,387 47,160 47,160 47,160
3 Pabedan 33,336 33,336 33,336 33,336 33,336
CBD
4 Kyauktada 29,853 29,853 29,853 29,853 29,853
5 Botahtaung 40,995 40,995 40,995 40,995 40,995
6 Pazundaung 48,455 48,455 48,455 48,455 48,455
7 Ahlone 20,426 32,106 43,375 54,518 66,663
8 Kyee Myin Daing 18,933 32,363 53,550 75,433 98,543
9 Sanchaung 27,398 49,751 63,657 77,477 91,987
10 Dagon 18,290 25,064 32,904 40,229 48,264
Inner Urban Ring
11 Bahan 95,662 98,409 99,204 99,733 100,263
12 Tarmwe 168,436 174,480 178,823 181,718 184,613
13 Mingalar Taung Nyunt 142,679 151,845 161,011 167,122 173,233
14 Seikkan 2,204 2,487 2,769 2,826 2,826
I 2-50
15 Dawbon 31,813 40,613 49,821 58,954 68,359

16 Kamaryut 18,444 44,599 58,298 71,883 86,385
17 Hlaing 68,585 93,030 120,275 147,099 175,790
Outer Ring
18 Yankin 77,107 82,651 88,195 91,892 95,588
19 Thingangyun 131,410 159,315 188,936 217,699 247,606
20 Mayangone 129,529 162,311 198,292 232,673 269,187
21 Insein Northern Suburbs 130,459 181,220 238,826 295,519 356,776
22 Mingalardon 171,450 248,132 338,608 426,325 523,238
23 North Okkalapa 361,371 400,653 432,561 453,832 475,104
24 South Okkalapa Older Suburbs 132,310 152,300 173,057 175,614 178,171
25 Thaketa 91,525 118,121 146,203 174,038 202,863
26 Dala 27,161 42,012 63,525 95,402 143,446
South of CBD
27 Seikgyikhanaungto 4,468 8,830 13,774 18,892 24,398
28 Shwe Pyi Thar 79,072 132,604 195,465 259,882 330,519
29 Hlaing Tharyar 116,177 383,621 511,758 638,596 775,832
30 Dagon Myothit (North) 106,568 143,708 185,837 226,635 270,761
31 Dagon Myothit (South) New Suburbs 155,250 217,491 288,363 358,228 433,847
32 Dagon Myothit (East) 101,573 225,245 394,915 667,751 1,006,298
Dagon Myothit
33
(Seikkan) 58,728 105,855 166,615 257,367 367,596
34 Kyauktan 0 6,624 18,003 38,518 74,181
35 Thanlyin 0 37,297 99,915 211,172 403,081
36 Hlegu 0 1,138 2,364 3,758 5,431
Periphery Area
37 Hmawbi 0 3,243 6,487 9,730 12,974
38 Htantabin 0 4,729 15,167 36,574 76,167
39 Twantay 0 17,622 62,770 143,208 255,727
Township Total (Greater Yangon) 2,702,643 3,800,553 4,918,178 6,235,153 7,850,571
(III) Result of Demand Analysis

Estimated water demand is shown in Table 2.4.11. Water demand is decreased from 634MGD,
estimation in The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014), to 610MGD because 1)
total population decrease and 2) water supply service ratio for each township are changed by
updating of population projection.
Table 2.4.11: Estimated Water Demand (MGD)

1 Latha 2 2 2 2 2
2 Lanmadaw 3 3 4 4 4
3 Pabedan 3 3 3 3 3
CBD
4 Kyauktada 2 2 2 3 3
5 Botahtaung 3 3 3 3 4
6 Pazundaung 4 4 4 4 4
7 Ahlone 2 3 4 5 6
8 Kyee Myin Daing 2 3 4 6 9
9 Sanchaung 2 4 5 7 8
10 Dagon 1 2 3 3 4
11 Bahan Inner Urban Ring 8 8 8 8 9
12 Tarmwe 13 14 15 15 17
13 Mingalar Taung Nyunt 11 12 13 14 16
14 Seikkan 0 0 0 0 0
15 Dawbon 3 3 4 5 6
16 Kamaryut 1 4 5 6 8
17 Hlaing 5 8 10 12 16
Outer Ring
18 Yankin 6 7 7 8 9
19 Thingangyun 10 13 15 18 22
20 Mayangone 10 13 16 20 24
21 Insein Northern Suburbs 10 15 20 25 32
22 Mingalardon 14 20 28 36 47
23 North Okkalapa 29 32 35 38 43
24 South Okkalapa Older Suburbs 11 12 14 15 16
25 Thaketa 7 10 12 15 18
26 Dala 1 2 4 6 10
South of CBD
27 Seikgyikhanaungto 0 0 1 1 2
28 Shwe Pyi Thar New Suburbs 4 7 11 16 22

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29 Hlaing Tharyar 6 21 29 39 52
30 Dagon Myothit (North) 6 8 11 14 18
31 Dagon Myothit (South) 8 12 17 22 29
32 Dagon Myothit (East) 5 12 23 41 68
Dagon Myothit
33
(Seikkan) 3 6 10 16 25
Township Total (Yangon City) 197 267 342 433 554
34 Kyauktan 0 0 1 2 5
35 Thanlyin 0 2 6 13 27
36 Hlegu 0 0 0 0 0
Periphery Area
37 Hmawbi 0 0 0 1 1
38 Htantabin 0 0 1 2 5
39 Twantay 0 1 4 9 17
Township Total (Greater Yangon) 197 271 354 460 610
2) Water Allocation Plan

Water allocation plan in 2025 and 2040 are shown in Figure 2.4.6 and Figure 2.4.7.
Total River Reservoir Total River Reservoir
Capacity 305 90 215 Capacity 610 395 215
Demand 271 65 206 Demand 610 395 215
Hmawbi Hmawbi
0 Gyobyu Ngamoeyeik 1 Gyobyu Ngamoeyeik
0 0 27 90 0 1 27 90
Hlawga Zone.6 Hlawga Zone.6

Phugyi 7 Hlegu Phugyi 17 Hlegu
68 0 7 0 68 0 17 0
0 0 0 0
Zone.5 Zone.5
17 45
Htantabin 0 17 Lagunbyin Htantabin 0 45 Lagunbyin
0 30 5 30
0 0 Zone.4 5 0 Zone.4
48 78
Zone.9 0 48 Zone.7 Zone.9 78 0 Zone.7
Kokkowa 21 19 Zone.8 Kokkowa 52 86 Zone.8
60 21 0 Zone.3 0 19 17 120 52 0 Zone.3 20 66 54
40 0 17 69 0 54
0 40 Zone.2 69 0 Zone.2
Pan Hlaing 37 Pan Hlaing 60
0 Zone.1 (kokkine) 0 37 60 Zone.1 (kokkine) 60 0
37 54
37 0 54 0
Zone.1 (Central) Additional Zone.1 (Central)

Twantay 18 155 Twantay 24
1 0 18 Thanlyin 17 24 0 Thanlyin
1 0 2 17 0 27
0 2 0 27
Toe Zone.10 Kyauktan Toe Zone.10 Kyauktan

30 4 0 60 17 5
4 0 0 0 17 0 0 5
Source: JICA Study Team Source: JICA Study Team

Figure 2.4.6: Water Allocation Plan in 2025 Figure 2.4.7: Water Allocation Plan in 2040

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2.4.2 Sewerage
(1) Current Status

Current status of sewerage projects mentioned in SUDP in 2013 is summarized in Table 2.4.12.
Two projects in total were proposed. Installation of interceptor proposed in No.1 project has
been executed by YCDC for improvement of water quality in Kan Dow Gyi Lake. However, the
others works/project, dredging for the lake and introduction of sewerage system in CBD area,
has not been commenced so far.
Table 2.4.12: Current Status of Water Supply Projects after Development of SUDP in 2013
- Interceptor and pumping station
Improvement of water quality of - Eliminating water bloom and dredging up Partially executed
1
Kan Dow Gyi Lake sludge from bottom by YCDC so far
- Rain water discharge facilities
2 Installation of Sewerage System - Construction of sewerage system in CBD area Not yet started
The sewerage system is managed by the Sanitation Division with only 152 staffs in Engineering
Department (Water and Sanitation) in YCDC as of October, 2016. Sanitation Division consists
of seven sections as shown in Figure 2.4.2 and below;
a) East District Section
b) West District Section
c) South District Section
d) North District Section
e) Computer Section
f) Wastewater Treatment Plant Section
g) Office Section
3) Sewerage System
The sewerage collecting system was developed in 1890 during the British Colonial Period. It
has been used for over 120 years with repairing and expansion and covers only CBD which
accounts for about 4.1% of total population in Greater Yangon as of 2014. The existing
wastewater treatment plant (hereinafter referred to as “WWTP”) was built in 2005. The
sewerage system consists of following components;
a) Sewer Main (L=10.8km, Diameter=300-900mm)
b) 40 ejector stations (5 out of 40 do not work)
c) Two air compressor stations
d) WWTP (Capacity=14,775m3/day)
The sewerage system only collects black water and gray water is discharged without treatment,
and the amount of sewage flowing into the WWTP is about one-tenth of the design capacity of
the WWTP. Additionally, it is estimated that the capacity of 14,775 m3/day is not enough in case
the existing collecting system is improved and all sewage generated from the CBD flows into
the WWTP. Therefore, improvement of the existing sewerage system was set as a priority
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program in The Improvement of Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage System in Yangon City
(2014). However, no development works have been carried out so far.
Currently, two F/Ss funded by Japanese government whose target area are C1 and W1 are being
executed and will be completed by the end of FY2016. Sewerage planning area is shown in
Figure 2.4.8.
Outside of YCDC sewerage system service area, on-site disposal system, namely septic tank,
pour flush, etc. are installed to treat wastewater.
Source: Based on The Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014), JICA Study Team updates the target area
Figure 2.4.8: Sewerage Planning Area
4) Financial Aspect
The account for sewerage is together with that of water supply. Currently, the sewerage service
is provided to residents with no charge. Expenditure for sewerage is estimated at about MMK
502 million in 2016 as shown in Table 2.4.13, which accounts for about 0.6% of total
expenditure of the Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation).
Table 2.4.13: Estimated Expenditure for Sewerage in 2016

Item Quantity (Unit) Cost (million MMK)
Regular Staff 66 (Persons) 129
Manpower
Labor 79 (Persons) 102
Power 511 (MWh) 18
Maintenance (per year) 242
Others - 11
Total Estimated Sum - 502
Source: YCDC Engineering Department (Water and Sanitation)

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12th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting with JICA Myanmar JICA Office  Current Status of Sewerage
Office staffs  Opinions from JICA
15th Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with JICA expert YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Sewerage
(Water Supply Sector)
23th Sep 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Sewerage
Engineering Department  Opinions from Engineering
(Water and Sanitation) Department
27th Sep 2016 (Tue) Meeting with METI study JICA Study Team  Discussion about Sewerage System
team Office in CBD
26th Oct 2016 (Wed) Meeting with JICA expert YCDC City Hall  Current Status of Sewerage
(Capacity Development)
31th Oct 2016 (Mon) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Opinions from Engineering
Engineering Department Department
(Water and Sanitation)
02th Nov 2016 (Wed) Field survey WWTP in CBD  Field Survey
03th Nov 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC YCDC City Hall  Discussion about Development Plan
Engineering Department
(Water and Sanitation), JICA
experts
(3) Updated Points from 2013 to 2016
1) Wastewater Generation
 Daily maximum wastewater generation in 2040 for Greater Yangon is estimated at
3,030,000m3/day (3,138,000m3/day estimated in 2013).
 The reason causing above change is that consumed water amount is different from that
applied in 2013.
2) Development Plan in 2040

 Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar and Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Townships are newly
selected as development area within 2040.
 Target wastewater generation to be treated and coverage ratio of total population in 2040
are 2,050,000m3/day (1,529,000m3/day estimated in 2013) and 60% (36% estimated in
2013) respectively.
 There is possibility that Latha and Lanmadaw Townships which belong to W1 area at
present are incorporated into C1 area by the result of ongoing F/Ss by Japanese
Government.
3) Improvement of Institution, Organization and Human Resources

 The project for improvement of legal system and capacity development for sustainable
sewerage service is newly recommended as short-term projects.
 1) improvement of legal system, 2) improvement of sewerage charging system and 3)

capacity development for operation are main scope.
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1) Wastewater Generation Estimation

Based on the result of population projection executed in the Study, wastewater generation is estimated.
Wastewater generation is calculated from water consumed by houses, public and commercial
establishments plus infiltration. Consumed water equals to distributed water minus leakage.
Infiltration is estimated by 10m3/ha/day adopted for Bangkok due to the similar characteristics of the
both cities. It should be noted that maximum infiltration is assumed to be 30% of wastewater
generation because infiltration at new development area which are to be developed in the future tends
to be calculated excessively high. Estimated wastewater generation for each township is summarized
in Table 2.4.15.
2) Selection of Target Townships

To select the target townships where centralized treatment system will be applied in 2040, the study of
population density is implemented for evaluation of each township’s urbanization in 2040. Townships
whose population density will be over 100 person/ha in 2040 can be considered as urbanized
townships where adoption of centralized treatment system is reasonable. There are 28 townships
satisfying the conditions. As mentioned in previous chapter, Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar and
Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Townships are newly selected as centralized treatment system area in 2040
as shown in Table 2.4.15.
Table 2.4.15: Estimated Wastewater Generation and Target Townships in 2040

Estimated Wastewater Generation (m3/day) (Daily Max) Population Density Urbanized
No. Township Name Township Group Area (m3)
(person/ha) in 2040
Wastewater Infiltration Total
1 Latha 9,188 600 9,788 604,770 414 X
2 Lanmadaw 17,292 1,310 18,602 1,310,572 360 X
3 Pabedan 12,223 610 12,833 618,984 539 X
CBD
4 Kyauktada 10,946 670 11,616 701,876 425 X
5 Botahtaung 15,032 2,580 17,612 2,601,921 158 X
6 Pazundaung 17,767 1,040 18,807 1,067,498 454 X
7 Ahlone 24,443 3,290 27,733 3,380,984 263 X
8 Kyee Myin Daing 28,499 4,520 33,019 4,570,110 304 X
9 Sanchaung 33,729 2,390 36,119 2,404,656 510 X
10 Dagon 17,697 4,640 22,337 4,894,633 100 X
11 Bahan Inner Urban Ring 36,763 7,670 44,433 8,474,439 118 X
12 Tarmwe 67,691 4,990 72,681 4,985,869 370 X
13 Mingalar Taung Nyunt 63,519 4,780 68,299 4,943,032 350 X
14 Seikkan 1,036 224 1,260 1,174,225 24 -
15 Dawbon 25,065 2,950 28,015 3,111,295 271 X
16 Kamaryut 31,675 6,380 38,055 6,472,493 178 X
17 Hlaing 64,456 9,250 73,706 9,820,283 227 X
Outer Ring
18 Yankin 35,049 4,780 39,829 4,791,565 199 X
19 Thingangyun 90,789 12,090 102,879 13,120,302 189 X
20 Mayangone 98,702 22,500 121,202 25,834,479 104 X
21 Insein Northern Suburbs 130,818 29,050 159,868 31,397,616 146 X
22 Mingalardon 190,684 68,006 258,690 127,943,855 50 -
23 North Okkalapa 174,205 26,460 200,665 27,755,247 171 X
24 South Okkalapa Older Suburbs 65,329 7,960 73,289 8,217,705 217 X
25 Thaketa 74,383 12,600 86,983 13,448,713 189 X
26 Dala 39,448 29,402 68,850 98,400,859 24 -
South of CBD
27 Seikgyikhanaungto 6,709 3,349 10,058 12,101,872 39 -
28 Shwe Pyi Thar New Suburbs 91,574 23,173 114,747 52,706,107 105 X

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29 Hlaing Tharyar 213,354 44,264 257,618 77,614,147 133 X

30 Dagon Myothit (North) 74,546 15,077 89,623 24,177,408 130 X
31 Dagon Myothit (South) 119,463 30,959 150,422 37,506,127 150 X
32 Dagon Myothit (East) 274,901 62,125 337,026 170,871,278 87 -
33 Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) 101,089 17,960 119,049 42,035,707 132 X
34 Kyauktan 20,400 4,604 25,004 76,120,987 24 -
35 Thanlyin 110,847 37,313 148,160 254,846,226 40 -
36 Hlegu 1,494 16,011 17,505 101,003,839 1 -
Periphery Area
37 Hmawbi 3,568 16,549 20,117 84,228,570 4 -
38 Htantabin 20,946 11,915 32,861 81,770,250 23 -
39 Twantay 51,145 9,926 61,071 107,864,054 43 -
3) Candidate Area of WWTP

WWTP should be constructed together with development of sewerage collecting system to treat
collected wastewater. The candidate location for WWTP at each planning area was proposed in The
Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage MP (2014). However, necessary area for WWTP is changed in
the Study due to update of population projection as shown in Table 2.4.16. According to the results
below, necessary WWTP area at 7 out of 10 planning areas will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to
consider the candidate location of WWTP at these planning areas accordingly. Additionally, the
candidate location at W1 area has been used for port facilities. In the ongoing F/Ss by Japanese
government, candidate location of WWTP at W1 will be studied as well.
Table 2.4.16: Necessary Area for WWTP

C1 C2 W1 W2 W4 E1 E3 E4 N1 N3
Daily Max
60,868 471,453 160,058 150,459 257,618 290,288 265,420 119,049 159,868 114,747
(m3/day)
WWTP Area
5.9 20.9 10.7 10.3 14.3 15.4 14.6 8.9 10.7 8.7
(ha)
Deviation
from
-0.5 -0.7 -1.0 +0.9 +1.8 +1.3 +0.1 +1.7 +0.9 +0.3
previous MP
(ha)

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2.4.3 Drainage & Flood
(1) General
Generally, disaster risk can be indicated by the product of 1) damage scale and 2) occurrence
probability, as shown below;
Disaster Risk = Damage Scale x Occurrence Probability

Normally, disasters that cause large damage tend to
occur less frequently and disasters with small damage
tend to occur more frequently. “infrequent disaster with
large damage” and “frequent disaster with small damage”
are distinctly treated in disaster management policy. In
general, measures for “infrequent disaster with large
damage” are considered to be more important than that
for “frequent disaster with small damage” because of its
impacts on human life and properties. For flooding in the
Greater Yangon, the Cyclone can be categorized as
“infrequent disaster with large damage” and inland
inundation can be categorized as “frequent disaster with
small damage” as shown in Figure 2.4.9. The Greater
Yangon often have flood inundations almost every year
which is due to 1) rainwater congestion in inland and 2) Source: JICA Study Team
tidal water. Cyclones quite rarely come to the Greater Figure 2.4.9: Theory of Disaster Risk
Yangon. No citizen had experienced such disaster in and
around the area before and after the Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. The cyclone caused severe damage
in the Greater Yangon which may be the largest water related disaster in the area. Flood in 2015 also
affected the Greater Yangon. 4
(2) Flood Conditions
1) Major Findings of Previous Study

(I) Flooding
Yangon downtown along with the Yangon River has little disaster risks against flooding
although the district is suffering from drainage congestion during rainy season. Periphery areas
of the Greater Yangon have flood disaster risks especially during high tide period because of
their low ground elevation. The Household Interview Survey (HIS) carried out in SUDP also
indicate frequent flood inundation in the Greater Yangon. 5,422 household in 10,045 household
(53.8%) have never experienced flood inundation in own house area but 4,191 household
(41.6%) have flood inundation every year in own house area. Most of the inundation depth at
their areas are up to ankles or knees (91.8 %) and inundation duration ranges from less than half
day to more than six days.
The Yangon River has large differences of water level between the low and high tides. The
water levels of the Yangon River exceed El. 2.5 to 3.0 m during the high tide with full moon.
4 Approximately 16,000 households were forced evacuation against the flood inundation as shown in Table 2.4.17.
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There are several lowland areas below El. 3.0 m in the Greater Yangon where have rainwater
drainage issue. The drainage congestion problem in the Greater Yangon is complicated; harsh
natural conditions, rapid urbanization and poor capacity of drainage system, cause the problem.
Dala Township is located south part of the Greater Yangon across the Yangon River where has
potential for development, but most of the area is lowland with El. 1.5 to 3.0 m utilized as
paddy field. They experience inundation almost every high tide during the full moon time all
around the year. Inundation that occur almost every month is relatively short and shallow: a half
to one hour duration and 0.5 to 1.0 m inundation depth. Hence, rice crop can be grown and local
people accept the periodical inundations.
Severe cyclones occur during the pre-monsoon season of April to May or post-monsoon season
of October to November. Cyclones have three destructive force i.e. i) storm surge, ii) heavy
rainfall and iii) strong wind. Cyclone Nargis hit the Greater Yangon in 2nd and 3rd May 2008
which largely inundated the area (e.g 83.37% of Dala TS) and blown off a lot of house roofs.
It was recommended that 1) implementation of detailed analysis and assessment of disaster risk,
2) legal and institutional improvements and 3) structural advices including i)
compartmentalization of low-lying deltatic areas, ii) improvement of rainwater drainage system,
iii) reduction of run-off water in urban area, iv) safety design of crest elevation of highway and
railway and v) regulation of underground development.
Inland Inundation in Yangon City Dala TS, South Part of Greater Yangon
Chronic flooding causes such as traffic congestion, has The area close to the downtown across the Yangon river
had an adverse effect on the socio-economic activities. has a development potential though it is frequently
flooded.
Figure 2.4.10: Present Flooding Conditions in Greater Yangon
(II) Rainwater Drainage

In SUDP, sewerage and rainwater drainage were categorized in one sector although both sector
is managed by Department of Water and Sanitation and Department of Roads and Bridges,
respectively. Rainwater drainages are normally arranged both side of major highways and urban
roads. SUDP pointed out a section of drainage is indispensable to improve current rainwater
congestion issue which section was absent in YCDC at that time.
SUDP proposed three term improvement plan of existing drainage system. As shown in a table
in Figure 2.4.11, it was proposed that i) improvement of existing drainage channels in CBD and
other three existing open channels in Yangon city as the short term plan, ii) installation of
storage pipe (rainwater retarding pipe laid on underground) in CBD and improvement of other
existing open channels in Yangon city as the middle term plan and iii) installation of pumping
station (drainage pumping system) and other channels improvement as the long term plan.
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However, the rainwater drainage improvement was not listed on the priority 77 sub-programs
without any clear descriptions.
Source: SUDP and “The Project for the Improvement of Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage System in Yangon City
Vol V Sewerage and Drainage System Summary” (2014)
Figure 2.4.11: Master Plan of Rainwater Drainage Improvement
2) Update and Additional Information of Floods

(I) Flooding
I) Major Floods in Yangon Region

Statistical data of flood damages are available on state or region basis in Myanmar and those of
township basis are not available according to responsible RRD staff.
Table 2.4.17 shows recent major flood damage in Yangon Region. Cyclone Nargis caused the
most serious damage on the local people. The damaged area in the Yangon region was
approximately 167 km2. In addition, 7,379 cattle were killed and 530 padogas, 1,078
monasteries, 32 nunneries, 35 churches, 25 mosques, 17 Hindu shrines and 19 hospitals and 99
clinics and 832 primary schools, 69 junior high schools and 33 high schools were destroyed by
the flood.
Table 2.4.17: Recent Major Flood Damage in Yangon Region

Event Affected people Mortality Missing Evacuated People Damaged House
Cyclone Nargis Approximately 1,640 8 ? 371,373
(2008) 4 million
2015 Flood 63,082 1 0 15,523 0
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on information from RRD

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II) Additional Survey on Flood Situations

The JICA study team received 6th draft version of the flood hazard map in Yangon city from the
TA team (ADB flood hazard map hereinafter). There are some differences of flood inundation
areas among flood inundation area maps 5. We carried out quick interview survey on flood
situations in some townships (TSs) with a YCDC CP to confirm the data accuracy. The survey
areas are TSs of Shwe Pyi Thar, Mingalardon, Hlegu, Dagon Myothit (Seikkan), Dagon Myothit
(South), Thaketa and North Okkalapa.
A house located in the southern part of Shwe Pyi Thar TS had flood inundation with 50 cm
depth during Cyclone Nargis (Figure 2.4.12 (a)) which is not corresponding to flood inundation
area by the Cyclone detected by UNOSAT shown in Figure 2.4.16 (a). A woman living in
Mingalardon TS destroyed own house twice by the Cyclone and 2015 flood which corresponds
the Figure 2.4.16 (a). Most of residences in Hlegu TS stilt up their house floors to avoid
frequent flood inundations which implies frequent flood inundations around the area. A local
community leader in Shwe Pyi Thar TS warned about approaching of Cyclone Nargis at five
PM, 2nd May 2008: making a good enough time to evacuate people. Lots of houses were
heavily damaged but nobody was injured because of evacuation to safer neighborhood house
owned by a community leader. The community constructed foot passes with participate of
community people: a construction worker per a household and donation based on each income
scale. Highway in Hlegu TS has poor pavement conditions which makes difficulties of
evacuation before disaster and transportation of daily goods during and after severe floods.
A developed area, Yuzana Garden City at Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) TS has less flood inundation
which may correspond to the ADB flood hazard map. Cyclone Nargis also did not cause flood
inundation although strong wind caused some damages. Apartment buildings areas newly
developed at Dagon Myothit (South) TS are arranged rainwater drainage network (Figure 2.4.12
(b)). An inhabitant living 51 years at left bank side of Nga Moe Yeik Creek in Thaketa TS had
flood inundations with depth of 50 cm and 15 cm on cyclone Nargis and 2015 flood,
respectively. It is smaller depth than that of the ADB flood hazard map. Two inhabitants along
Thu Dhamar road in North Okkalapa TS replied that they have no flood inundation after
construction of a drainage along the road although they had previously. It indicates that the
flood inundation situation have been changed with urban development. Periodical monitoring of
flood inundation is required to understand flood risk in the study area.
III) Evacuation against Large Flood

The JICA Study Team visited and interviewed a monastery facility in Dala Township to collect
information of evacuation activities of local people against large flood. Maha Thumanaryarma
monastery located in Kamar Kathwe Ward, west part of Dala Township received approximately
700 to 800 evacuees immediately after Cyclone Nargis. They stayed the monastery around two
to three months. Four buildings in the monastery area such as a dormitory of monk and a private
school as shown in Figure 2.4.12 (c) and (d) were temporary used for evacuation place although
the accommodation capacity of such buildings was only 200. The facility has no stock of daily
necessities for the evacuees but the daily necessities were donated from other people.
5 There are several flood hazard map for Yangon city as shown in Figure 2.4.16 and Figure 2.4.20 but there are some
differences on flood inundation area and depth. Integration works are required to use the map.
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(a) Quick Interview Survey on Flood Situations (b) Apartment Buildings Area Newly Developed at
Dagon Myothit (South) Township
(c) Dormitory of Monks (d) Private School in Monetary Facility

Figure 2.4.12: Present Flooding Conditions in Greater Yangon
(II) Rainwater Drainage

Figure 2.4.13 shows drainage basin of CBD and arrows colored as light blue in the figure
indicate possible rainwater direction based on topographical slope. Rainwater around the
Shwedagon Pagoda may flow down to CBD even if circular railway divides the area on north
and south parts on map. Rainwater in the west side of the Pagoda flow into the Kyon Gi canal in
Lanmadow Township and then flow out to the Yangon River from drainage No.1: west
boundary of Lanmadow Township shown in Figure 2.4.14.
Figure 2.4.14 shows conceivable flood inundation locations in CBD. Why “conceivable” is
added on the tittle is 1) argument on some flood inundation locations are different among
studies by several engineers and 2) the situation of flood inundations have been improved by
responsible authorities: Engineering Department of Roads and Bridges (DRB) under YCDC.
The most severe flood inundation occurs around traffic junction between Maha Bandula road
and Thein Phyu Street in west portion of Botahtaung Township and secondly severe flood
inundation is on between 19th and 22th streets along Kanner Road according to DRB staffs.
Periodical monitoring of the situation and update of the flood inundation information including
inundation depth is essential to study flood measure in CBD.
Figure 2.4.15 shows current maintenance works of drainage facilities by DRB, YCDC. The
authority carries out removal of garbage in front of drainage outlet along Kanner Road twice a
day on every day on outsourcing basis (Figure 2.4.15 (a)). However, maintenance of drainage
flow capacity is quite difficult because of endless garbage dumping by people. There are 17

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sluice gates in CBD which are operated (open and close of the gates) by employed daily
workers. These gates are manually operated twice a day based on tidal water level to stop
backwater from the Yangon River. A daily worker is assigned for a sluice gate with payment of
700 MMK/day.
Note: Arrows colored as light blue indicate possible rainwater flow directions based on topographical slope.
Numbers shown in the map is elevation on each contour line.
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on topographical survey result of SUDP and own survey results
Figure 2.4.13: Drainage Basin of CBD
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on information from DRB-YCDC, ADB-TA for DMH and own survey
results
Figure 2.4.14: Conceivable Flood Inundation Locations in CBD

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(a) Removal of Garbage in front of Drainage Outlet (b) Drainage Sluice Gate on Outlet at Yangon River
(Strand Rd.)
Source: Role of YCDC on Disaster Management, YCDC
Figure 2.4.15: Operation and Maintenance of Drainage Facilities by DRB, YCDC
3) Flood Hazard Map

(I) Available Information on Flood Inundation
SUDP collected some information on flood inundation as shown in Figure 2.4.16. Figure 2.4.16
(a) is estimated flood inundated areas by cyclone Nargis based upon the satellite image. It
indicates Township Group (TSG) of South of CBD and Periphery Area have flood inundation
risk. Figure 2.4.16 (b) was prepared based on interviews on some township offices and local
people. It indicates part of TSG Inner Urban Ring and CBD and along middle stretch of Nga
Moe Yeik Creek in TSG New Suburbs are potential flood areas. In addition, it explains that high
tide highly affects the flooding conditions in the study area. Figure 2.4.16 (c) was prepared for a
railway project after SUDP based on the HIS result which indicate approximate flood
inundation depth in house areas with exact locations.
Recently, a technical assistance project namely, “TA-8456: Transformation of Urban
Management – Part II, Flood Management” for Department of Meteorology and Hydrology
(DMH), MOTC funded by ADB (ADB TA Project herein after). The project have prepared
flood hazard maps of Yangon city using Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) Model developed by
a Japanese institute: International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management, National
Research and Development Agency Public Works Research Institute (ICHARM, PWRI). A
flood hazard map prepared by the project is shown in Figure 2.4.20.

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(a) Flood Inundation Area in Greater Yangon by Cyclone (b) Flood Inundation Area in Yangon City (SUDP, 2013)
Nargis, 2008 (SUDP based on UNOSAT)
(c) Flood Inundation Depth in Yangon City

(SUDP-HIS, 2013)
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on SUDP outputs.
Figure 2.4.16: Several Information of Flood Inundation in Study Area

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(II) Required Activities on Completion and Use of Flood Hazard Map

In this study, the flood inundation area in the Greater Yangon by Cyclone Nargis, 2008 (SUDP
based on UNOSAT) is referred as potential flood inundation areas because it has affinity with
ground elevation and interview survey results.
However, as the results of additional flood damage surveys, existing flood inundation map still
requires some modifications. In addition, topographical conditions, land use and drainage
conditions in the Greater Yangon are rapidly changed which impact on flood inundation
conditions. The ADB TA Project also mentioned that preparation works of the flood hazard map
in Yangon area have been carried out under lack of essential information and which left further
modification works. Therefore, accumulation of fundamental data including flood damage
conditions to prepare flood hazard map shall be carried out by responsible authorities which
data shall be integrated in the central authorities such as DMH. The modified flood hazard map
shall be shared by related authorities and local people in the Greater Yangon.
(3) Organizational Structure of Natural Disaster Management
1) Transition of Natural Disaster Response by Central Government

Table 2.4.18 summarizes natural disaster related history and transitions of disaster management
laws and organizations in Myanmar. After the severe disaster Cyclone Nargis, national system
for response on large scale natural disaster is gradually established with experiences of recent
flood disasters.
Table 2.4.18: Transition of Natural Disaster Response by Central Government

Year Action
Establishment of Burma Meteorological Department (BMD): former Department of Meteorology
1937
and Hydrology (DMH)
1948 Establishment of former Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD)
1951 Establishment of RRD under Ministry of Social, Welfare, Relief and Resettlement (MOSWRR)
1972 Establishment of General Administration Department (GAD)
1974 Re-named DMH from BMD
2005 Adoption on Hyogo Framework for Action 2005 – 2015
Signature on ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Establishment of National Natural Disaster Preparedness Central Committee (NDPCC)
2008 Cyclone Nargis on 2nd – 3rd May caused severe damages in Ayeyarwady Delta and southern
Yangon Division
2009 Formulation of Myanmar Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR)
Draft of Standing Order on Natural Disaster Management in Myanmar
2011 Formulation of Standing Order on Natural Disaster Management in Myanmar
2013 Congress Approval of National Natural Disaster Management Law (NNDML)
Emergency Call on NDPCC against a cyclone on May
2015 2015 Flood by floods and Cyclone Komen in August
Flood disaster response by National Natural Disaster Management Committee (NNDMC)
Note: * The English notation called NDPCC was later revised to National Natural Disaster Management Committee
(NNDMC) according to a research paper “Government disaster response and river infrastructure function in the
2015 Myanmar flood: An investigation in the Bago River Basin” (2016).
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on several documents and web-site information.
2) Recent Organization for Natural Disaster Response

(I) NNDPCC / NNDMC
The National Natural Disaster Management Committee (NNDMC) of Myanmar equivalent to
the Central Disaster Prevention Council in Japan was founded in 2005. It was called at a
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nationwide disaster: the Cyclone Nargis on May 2008 by the chairman of committee i.e. the
Prime Minister which is the first major activity of the committee. NNDMC is clearly
determined in NNDML approved in the Congress in 2013 which is currently chaired by the
second vice president.
(II) DMH
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) carries out flood forecast and warning as
precautionary measure against flood disaster. Figure 2.4.17 illustrates flood forecast and
warning network of the country. Observations are normally reported from DMH branches such
as Kaba Aye branch6 in Yangon city to Multi-Hazard Early Warning Center of DMH. The
center issues flood warning to local authorities such as Yangon Region, YCDC and mass media
in case of emergency. In parallel, the urgent information including heavy rainfall information
will be sent to related organizations including central offices of GAD and RRD. These central
offices will inform the disaster to their township offices where have emergency disaster risk.
Beside the Yangon Region office will also inform the urgent information to such township
offices of GAD and RRD.
Source: Term used in Weather Forecasting, DMH

Figure 2.4.17: Flood Forecast and Warning Network from DMH Branch
6 Japanese government donated the meteorological radar system on the Kaba Aye branch.
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(III) GAD
General Administration Department (GAD) has responsible for instruction of evacuation,
disaster preparedness activities through participate on DPMC (Disaster Preparedness
Management Committee) in township level. The JICA Study Team interviewed a GAD
township office although detailed situations and activities may differ in each GAD office of
township.
The GAD township office has DPMC meeting every Friday morning. The major discussion
topics are emergency and crime cases, awareness of flood disaster and existing drainage
conditions. 50 monastery facilities such as pagoda are designated as evacuation place and 10
schools will be added as evacuation place in the township. Disaster information from DMH is
provided through some SNS. The GAD office informs the disaster information from DMH to a
FM radio studio. The executive officers in the GAD office moved to the office around 2014.
They have no information about activities on the Cyclone Nargis case. GAD executive officers
normally move working place every three years. They need inheritance of disaster information
in townships when they move. No activities on the GAD office during 2015 flood because it
was not so severe damage in the township.
(IV) RRD
Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD) was established under MOSWRR with the
objectives to provide relief for victims of natural disasters to ease their sufferings and take
precautionary steps as to minimize loss of lives and property of the victims of natural disasters.7
RRD has initiative of disaster education activities e.g. Figure 2.4.18 (a) to (c). Six cyclone
shelters are constructed in the Yangon Region (Figure 2.4.18 (d)).
Some INGOs from Japan carried out a disaster education event. SEEDS Asia8 carried out
evacuation drill against Cyclone for RRD Yangon Region through a grassroots grant aid of
Japan.“Iza! Kaeru Caravan!” was carried out in BEHS Lanmadow TS, Yangon city on 6th
December 2013 which made effects on not only disaster management capacity of the citizens
but related organizations for disaster management such as RRD. The events have been
continued by RRD staffs in monetary facilities despite of its smaller scale.
(a) Disaster Management Training on Public (b) Public Awareness of Flood Disaster
Officers
7 http://www.preventionweb.net/organizations/16762
8 SEED Asia is a member of the working group for disaster management in the country. The working group carry out some
activities on disaster management including preparation of awareness brochure on natural disasters.
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(c) Evacuation Drill for Flood Disaster (d) Cyclone Shelter in Kyaktan TS
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on Disaster Management Presentation, RRD and own survey results.
Figure 2.4.18: Disaster Education Activities and Evacuation Facility Introduced by RRD
(V) YCDC
YCDC township offices contribute disaster responses such as preparation and maintenance of
evacuation places. They collected information of flood inundation conditions including
locations, inundation depths and inundation durations in 2012 and 2015 which is fundamental
and useful data to modify flood hazard map, to study urban plan and to carry out public
awareness of flood disaster.
3) Organizations for Flood Management of Inland Inundation

There are two organizations to manage flood protection structures in the study area: 1) DRB
under YCDC, and 2) Irrigation Department (ID) under Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and
Irrigation (MOALI). Table 2.4.19 summarizes their responsibilities on flood protection
structures.
Table 2.4.19: Responsibility on Management of Flood Protection Structures

Implementation Management Responsible Structures
Agency Authority
DRB YCDC Drainage networks including open channels in Yangon city
ID MOAI River structures including river embankment, reservoir.
(4) Recent and On-going Projects and Research for Flood Management
1) YCDC
(I) Rehabilitation of Existing Drainage Network (DRB, YCDC)
Currently, DRB have rehabilitated existing drainage networks in CBD (Figure 2.4.19) and have
planned to rehabilitate other six townships i.e. TSs of Ahlone, Kyee Myin Daing, Sanchaung,
Dagon, Bahan, Mingalar Taung Nyunt in TSG of Inner Urban Ring. DRB created a drainage
section under the department and annual budget for drainage management was arranged
approximately 14 billion MMK in fiscal year of 2015.

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Under Construction of Drainage Culvert below Completed Drainage Culvert below Walkway
Walkway
Source: Role of YCDC on Disaster Management, YCDC

Figure 2.4.19: On-going Rehabilitation of Existing Drainage Network by DRB, YCDC
(II) Grassroots Technical Cooperation by Fukuoka City (DRB)

DRB have received a grassroots technical cooperation from Fukuoka City funded by JICA since
March 2016. It objects capacity development of the department staffs to carry out plan, design,
construction and operation and maintenance of effective road drainage systems. The grassroots
technical cooperation will last to March 2019.
(III) METI Study (DWS)

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan started a study for improvement of
sewerage and drainage system in Yangon city in this year. The main counterpart is Engineering
Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The study is from late September 2016 to end of
February 2017. Study area is CBD and west part of Inner Urban Ring. The study team of METI
think that combined type sewerage and rainwater drainage is one affordable alternative from
view point of economic efficiency.
2) Related Authorities
(I) Project for Establishment of Disastrous
Weather Monitoring System and the
ADB TA Project (DMH)
A Japan’s grant aid project namely, the Project for
Establishment of Disastrous Weather Monitoring
System provided a meteorological radar system
including data display and communication system
and related software in DMH Yangon compound. It
is expected that the equipment will improve flood
forecast and warning capacity of DMH. Currently,
observed rainfall are recorded daily basis. Short
time rainfall data will be available after hand over
of the meteorological radar system by the Japan’s
grant aid on coming October.
Source: Myanmar Japon, August 2016.
The ADB TA Project have been carried out for Figure 2.4.20: Example of Flood Hazard
DMH which aims to promote sustainable urban Map Produced by ADB TA Project
development in Myanmar cities by building the
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institutional capacity of local authorities, leading to the prioritized needs-based provision of

essential infrastructure. The project is composed of two parts: Part I: Urban Management and
Part II: Flood Management. The main objectives of the Part II are: 1) Hydro-meteorological
analysis related to floods and storm surges; 2) Flood and storm surge risk assessment; 3)
Capacity development of the DMH; and 4) Capacity development of organizations relevant to
flood and storm surge risk assessment. One component of the Part II have prepared a flood
hazard map of Yangon area using the RRI Model developed by ICHARM. Currently the flood
hazard map is under finalization. The hydrological model and data was transferred to DMH
staffs. Two permanent staffs in the central office of DMH are assigned for modeling works. Two
staffs in DRB, YCDC also had a training of the modeling. Figure 2.4.20 shows flood hazard
map of urban area in Yangon city which is published with a free paper magazine. The flood
hazard map contributes that citizen in Yangon city aware danger locations of flood inundation.
(II) Construction of Cyclone Shelter (Yangon Region)

Recently, nine cyclone shelter were completed by the YRG on coastal area of the Region. No
cyclone shelter is constructed in the Greater Yangon. The JICA Study Team visited a cyclone
shelter in Kyauktan Township which was completed February 2016 (Figure 2.4.18 (d)). No use
during normal time so the facility has no usage experience. The facility comprises capacity of
100 persons accommodation with solar panel system for lighting and rainwater collection
system for toilet and septic tank for wastewater.
(III) SATREPS (YTU)

The Yangon Technological University (YTU) have received a project namely, Project for
Development of a Comprehensive Disaster Resilience System and Collaboration Platform in
Myanmar under Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development
(SATREPS) of Japan. The project aims capacity building of YTU on scenario analysis and
disaster response systems to predict the disaster vulnerability in Myanmar. Japanese
Universities including the University of Tokyo and Tohoku University participate the project.
The project period is from May 2014 to April 2020. For water related disaster management, i)
assessment of human health risk by inundated wastewater from drainage and ii) establishment
of flood warning system on the Yangon and the Bago River basins and development of unified
disaster response system is under implementation.

30th Aug 2016 (Tue) Field Survey Shwe Pyi Thar,  w/ YCDC, Ms. Nyein Aye
Mingalardon, Hlegu TSs (Division Head)
31st Aug 2016 (Wed) YCDC meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Tin
Maung Kyi, Chief Engineer
(Head of Department)
31st Aug 2016 (Wed) Information Collection MES  w/ Mr. U Aung Myint
(President) and staffs
2nd Sep 2016 (Fri) Information Collection YTU  w/ Ms. Daw San San Moe
(Associate Professor)
3rd Sep 2016 (Sat) Field Survey Dagon Myothit (Seikkan),  w/ JST members
Dagon Myothit (South),
Thaketa and North
Okkalapa TSs
7th Sep 2016 (Wed) Information Collection DMH  w/ Ms. Yee Yee Nyein,
(Director, Lower Myanmar
Branch)

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8th Sep 2016 (Thu) Information Collection GAD,  w/ Mr. U Aung Lwin (General
Administrator of North
Okkalapa TS)
9th Sep 2016 (Fri) Information Sharing JST Office  w/ Mr. Takaaki Kato
Associate Professor, The
University of Tokyo,
SATREPS team
12th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting JICA Yangon Office  w/ Ms. Kiko and Ms. Sakurai
14th Sep 2016 (Wed) Meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Aye
Ko (Deputy Chief Engineer)
15th Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting YCDC  w/ Vice Mayor
7th Oct 2016 (Fri) Meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Aye
11th Oct 2016 (Tue) Field Survey Kyauktan TS  w/ YCDC, Ms. Nyein Aye
(Division Head)
13th Oct 2016 (Thu) Field Survey CBD, Inner Urban Ring  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Aye
and staffs
17th Oct 2016 (Mon) Field Survey Dala TS  w/ YCDC, Ms. Nyein Aye
(Division Head)
20th Oct 2016 (Thu) Information Collection YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. Kyaw
Min Oo (Assistant Engineer)
20th Oct 2016 (Thu) Information Sharing JST Office  w/ Mr. Sawano, ICHARM
(Team Leader of ADB-TA for
DMH)
21st Oct 2016 (Fri) Information Sharing JST Office  w/ Mr. Komori Associate
Professor, The University of
Tokyo, SATREPS
24th Oct 2016 (Mon) Meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Aye
and staffs
24th Oct 2016 (Mon) Information Sharing JST Office  w/ Mr. Komori Associate
Professor, The University of
Tokyo, SATREPS
26th Oct 2016 (Wed) Meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC-DRB, Mr. U Aye
and staffs
26th Oct 2016 (Wed) Meeting YCDC  w/ YCDC, Ms. Nyein Aye
(Division Head)
(6) Updated Points from SUDP 2013 to 2016

a) Update and Additional information of floods in the study area is updated.
b) Current status of flood hazard maps in the study area is studied.
c) Organizational structures of natural disaster management including i) transition of natural
disaster response by the central government, ii) recent organizations for natural disaster
response, and iii) organizations for flood management of inland inundation is updated.
d) Recent and on-going projects and research for flood management by YCDC and related
authorities are studied.
e) Current conditions and issues on flooding are reviewed.
f) The sector vision and the basic policy on rainwater drainage and large flood management are
modified and newly prepared.
g) Preliminary development plan including i) strategies, ii) flood management in the whole area,
iii) rainwater drainage improvement in CBD and iv) implementation schedule is prepared.

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1) Current Conditions of Flood Inundation

(I) Harsh Natural Conditions
Low Elevation in Deltatic Periphery Area: There are several lowland areas below El. 3.0
m in the Greater Yangon with rainwater drainage issue. Most of the lowlands are located in
south part of the area including townships of Dala, Twantay, Kyauktan and Thanlyin (Figure
2.4.21 (a)).
Variable Topography: A part of urban area in Yangon city is located on elongated hill from
south to north which topography is variable rather than flat. Rainwater goes to lower ground on
concrete and asphalt surface which makes prolonging paddles because of less opportunity of
infiltration.
Short & Intense Rainfall: Rainfall in the Greater Yangon is short in duration and intense.
Remarkably, 50 year probable 60-minute rainfall intensity exceeds 100 mm/hour. Such a high
intensity of rainfall is a major cause of inundation problems in downtown Yangon.
Backwater of Yangon River during High Tide and River Floods: The Yangon River has large
water level differences between the low and high tides. Water levels of the Yangon River
increase El. 2.5 to 3.0 m during the high tide with full moon. Dala township has periodical high
tide on every high tide during full moon time all around the year although it is short duration:
half to one hour. Rainwater cannot be drained out to the Yangon River from some drainages in
the Greater Yangon.
(II) Rapid Urbanization

High Run-off Ratio Associated with Buildings and Pavements: Most of urban area is
covered by concrete and asphalt except for Inya and Kan Daw Gyi Lakes, limited gardens,
public parks. Rainwater does not infiltrate to ground and goes to lower land immediately.
Development of Wetlands including Paddy Field and Pond to Construct Buildings: In the
past, wetlands reserved rainwater coming from higher land and then infiltrate to ground or flow
out to rivers little by little. Recently, a lot of wetlands developed as new urban areas or illegally
settled resulted in reduction of rainwater retaining function in the urban areas.
Illegal Dumping of Garbage on Drainage Open Canal: Illegal dumping of garbage on
drainage open canal reduces flow capacity of drainages. DRB-YCDC cleans up such garbage
twice a day using outsources but the illegal dumping is non-stop habit.
Inadequate Infrastructure: Construction of drainage facilities cannot catch up rapid
urbanization in the suburb area of the Yangon city which may be caused by difficulties of land
acquisitions for new drainage facilities and shortage of budget allocation for the infrastructure
construction (Figure 2.4.21 (b)).
(III) Poor Capacity of Drainage System

Structural Problems on Drainage System: Some drainage facilities do not contribute enough.
Figure 2.4.21 (c) shows a large paddle next to an inlet of drainage. The water level of the paddle
is higher than the inlet structure due to road settlement.

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(b) Conceivable Flood Inundation Locations in CBD
(a) Flood Inundation Area in Greater Yangon by

Cyclone Nargis, 2008 (SUDP based on UNOSAT) (c) A Paddle Immediately in Front of Drainage Inlet Beside
a Major Highway

Figure 2.4.21: Flood Situations in Greater Yangon
2) Demand Analysis
(I) Flood Damages
The Household Interview Survey (HIS) in SUDP carried out from September to November 2012
revealed flood situation in the Greater Yangon. Figure 2.4.22 shows frequency of flood
inundation in house. 5,422 households (53.8% of 10,069 household surveyed) have no
experiences of flood inundation in own house but 4,644 households (42.9%) have flood
inundation every year or almost every month. Figure 2.4.23 shows flood inundation depth in
house during the maximum flood. Within 4,644 households who have experienced flood
inundation in own house, flood inundation depth up to knees is majority with accounting for
4,264 households (91.8%). The inundation depth up to waist and above waist is 280 households
(6.2%) and 64 households (1.4%), respectively. South of CBD and Periphery Area have
relatively deeper inundation depth.
As described in before9, Cyclone Nargis in 2008 took away 1,640 people and 2015 Flood forced
approximately 16,000 people to evacuate in the Yangon Region. Table 2.4.21 shows health
effects i.e. physical damage of people in HIS household due to experienced floods. The number
of mortality/dies by cyclone is much larger than that of normal floods. Periphery Area has 120
mortality by cyclone where is the most vulnerable area against flood disaster in the Greater
Yangon.
9 “1.2.9 Disaster (Flood & Drainage), (2) Flood Conditions, 2) Update and Additional Information of Floods,
(I) Flooding, I) Major Floods in Yangon Region” in this report.
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Therefore, urban fringe areas as Periphery Area and South of CBD highly need proper measures
of flood management.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Total 124 4,191 47

48
234 5,422
CBD 19 201 1522 274
Inner Urban Ring 35 540 2355 914
Outer Ring 20 366 935 486
Northern Suburbs 7 451 2

16 880
Older Suburbs 16 677 4766 595
South of CBD 1 144 352 225
New Suburbs 19 1,303 14

8115 1,099
Periphery Area 7 509 11

4010 949
Every Month Every Year Every 2 Years Every 10 Years
More than 10 Years Never Experienced No Answer
Source: JICA Study Team prepared based on SUDP-HIS results

Figure 2.4.22: Frequency of Flood Inundation in House
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Total 2,251 2,013 30

28664
CBD 118 112 90
Inner Urban Ring 284 281 30 76
Outer Ring 231 155 1115
Northern Suburbs 242 192 33 56
Older Suburbs 429 291 2912
South of CBD 56 67 26 51
New Suburbs 742 610 56177
Periphery Area 149 305 92 28 3
Up to Ankles Up to Knees Up to Waist More than Waist No Answer

Figure 2.4.23: Flood Inundation Depth in House during Maximum Flood
Table 2.4.21: Health Effects of HIS Households by Experienced Floods

Health Effect Sickness Injury Mortality /dies
Cause Cyclone Flood Cyclone Flood Cyclone Flood
Total 286 7 204 4 165 5
CBD 5 0 1 0 0 0
Inner Urban Ring 18 4 6 0 0 0
Outer Ring 9 0 7 0 4 0
Northern Suburbs 38 0 35 0 35 0
Older Suburbs 6 0 7 0 0 0
South of CBD 17 0 2 0 0 0
New Suburbs 52 2 21 0 6 0
Periphery Area 141 1 125 4 120 5

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(II) Potential Demand on Rainwater Drainage in Urban Area

Table 2.4.22 shows area, population and population density on township group basis. CBD has
extremely highest population density in the Greater Yangon. Inner Urban Ring has secondly
high population density in the study area. From the viewpoint of beneficiaries, priority areas of
rainwater drainage infrastructures are on 1) CBD and 2) Inner Urban Ring.
Table 2.4.22: Area and Population in Township Groups

Township Group Area Population Population
(km2) (2011) Density
(Person/km2)
CBD 6.91 252,391 36,525
Inner Urban Ring 37.94 778,156 20,510
Outer Ring 34.20 596,426 17,439
Northern Suburbs 185.18 219,512 1,185
Older Suburbs 49.42 848,153 17,162
South of CBD 110.50 805,461 7,289
New Suburbs 404.91 1,642,030 4,055
Periphery Area 705.83 430,114 609
Total 1,534.89 5,572,242 3,630
Source: SUDP
3) Development Goals and Target Effect Indicators
Table 2.4.23: Development Goals and Target Effect Indicators for Flood Management
Development Goal Effect Indicators
- No mortality by flood disaster
a) Damages on people in the Greater Yangon by flood
- Mitigate flood damage including sickness, injury
disaster is significantly mitigated
and house inundation
b) Construction and establishment of operation and - No flood inundation by five year probable flood in
maintenance system of rainwater drainage facilities in the Greater Yangon
urban area of the Greater Yangon

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2.4.4 Solid Waste
(1) Current Status

Current status of solid waste management projects after development of SUDP in 2013 is
summarized in Table 2.4.24. There are two key projects launched since 2013. One is a pilot
scale waste to energy projects in Shwe Pyi Htar Township utilizing the Japanese Joint Crediting
Mechanism, the other one is a private-based project for development of comprehensive waste
management facility in Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ). On the other hand, three
projects, which are large-scaled waste to energy project, utilizing land fill gas and construction
of a new sanitary landfill site and privatization of waste collection service utilizing Build
Operation Transfer (BOT) and Public Private Partnership (PPP), are suspended or terminated.
As for short term projects proposed in the SUDP, only some waste vehicle and equipment were
procured by YCDC expense and the other all of the project have not been started yet.
Table 2.4.24: Current Status of Solid Waste Management Projects after development of SUDP in 2013
Solid Waste
Category Management Project/ Outline Current Status
Program
- Procurement of waste vehicles and Only some
Project for Supply of
equipment. vehicle and
Collection Equipment for
- Procurement of maintenance tools and equipment were
Solid Waste Management
equipment procured by
(1)
YCDC expenses
- Preparation of an action plan for short term
development
- Reviewing and updating and modify the
waste collection system
- Development of operation manual of
Project for Capacity
hazardous waste management Not yet started
Development of SWM (1)
Short Term - Public enhancement program.
Projects - Coordination with the concerned
proposed in stakeholders
the SUDP - Development and executive of a regular
training program for SWM
Project for Sanitary - Construction of a sanitary landfill
Landfill Development - Procurement of necessary equipment and
[Htein Bin, Kyi Su, facility for landfill management such as Not yet started
Hlaing Tharyar, Thanlyin weighing scale, heavy equipment,
(1), and Dala (1)] environmental monitoring equipment, etc.
- Construction of an incinerator for hazardous
Project for Hazardous
waste treatment as a pilot scale facility
Waste Treatment Facility
[treatment capacity: 100ton/day] Not yet started
(Pilot scale) [Htawe
- Procurement of necessary equipment and
Chaung]
facility
- Construction of a pilot scale waste
incineration power plant [60 tons/day x 1 Under
Waste to Energy Project
unit with 0.7 MW] construction (To
(Pilot Scale) in Shwe Pyi
- Supported by the Japanese Joint Crediting be completed in
Thar Industrial Zone
Mechanism (Reducing CO2 emissions by March 2017)
Projects
about 2,400 t-CO2/year)
planned by
- Construction of a waste incineration power Suspended
YCDC-PCCD Waste to Energy Project
plant [700 tons/day including 100 tons/ day (Effected until
(BOT Project) in Htawae
for hazardous industrial waste] the first half of
Chaung
2017)
Landfill Gas Utilization - Construction of gas collection system from Suspended
and New Final Disposal landfill site and its utilization (Effected until

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Solid Waste
Category Management Project/ Outline Current Status
Program
Site Project (BOT Project) - Construction of final disposal site (extension) the first half of
in Htein Bin 2017)
Privatization of waste - Outsourcing waste management for 33
collection services in townships in Yangon under public-private
Terminated
Yangon City (PPP partnership
Project)
- Construction and operation of waste
Waste Management management facilities [sorting and recycling,
Facility including controlled final disposal site, Wastewater
Projects by Operated since
hazardous waste in treatment] by a Japanese Private Company
private sector November 2015
Thilawa Special (DOWA Eco-system, Japan)
Economic Zone - 40 ha located in Thilawa Special Economic
Zone
2) Key International Cooperation and Bilateral Assistance Projects

Key international cooperation and bilateral assistance projects related to SWM in Yangon City
after development of SUDP in 2013 is summarized in Table 2.4.25. There are two local level
projects for YCDC funded by EU and JICA, and one national level project related to YCDC
funded by Norway Government. In addition to the above three projects, there are various small
sized projects on SWM in Myanmar such as Developing National/City Waste Management
Strategies funded by UNEP and Capacity Development Program on Solid Waste Management
funded by KOICA.
Table 2.4.25: Current Status of International Cooperation and Bilateral Assistance Projects
related to Solid Waste Management
Implementation Key
Project Name Component of the Project Period
Agency Counterparts
Environmental EU YCDC 1. Reinforcement of institutional and 2013-2015
protection and technical capacities of Local
sustainable Authorities of YC
development: 2. Development of an information
building local system for SWM to be managed
capacities on solid by the YCDC-PCCD
waste 3. Increase of community awareness
management in on the importance of good
Myanmar practices
Grassroots JICA (Tokyo YCDC 1. Development of a manual to 2015-2017
Project on Metropolitan accomplish a planned and
Improvement of Government) comprehended waste treatment
Solid Waste system
Management in 2. Development of a public
Yangon City awareness tool to improve
(Phase 2) communication between residence
and government
Norway-Myanmar Norwegian MONREC-ECD 1. Conservation of biodiversity and 2015-2018
Bilateral Government YCDC improved management of
Environmental MDCD protected areas in Myanmar,
Program 2. Integrated water resources
management - institutional
building and training, and
3. Management of hazardous waste

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3) Key Achievements
(I) Waste to Energy Project (Pilot Scale) in Shwe Pyi Thar Township
According to the website of JEE Engineering Cooperation which is implementing construction
of the waste incineration plant in Shwe Pyi Thar Township, JFE Engineering was entrusted from
YCDC to implement the design and procurement and construction of the waste incineration
power plant to be completed in March 2017. This plant will have a waste incineration treatment
capacity of 60 tons/day, and will generate approximately 5,200 MWh/year (0.7 MW) of electric
power. The plant used the bilateral Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) between Myanmar and
Japan. JCM is a bilateral scheme which makes it possible to achieve Japan’s emission reduction
target through reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in developing nations that are
realized by dissemination of outstanding Japanese low-carbon technologies, products, and
services to those nations
Source: JFE Engineering Cooperation (http://www.jfe-eng.co.jp/en/news/2015/20151112.html, accessed in October

2017)
Figure 2.4.24: Conceptual Drawing of Waste to Energy Project (Pilot Scale)
in Shwe Pyi Thar Township
(II) Comprehensive Waste Management Facility in Thilawa SEZ

According to the website of DOWA Eco-System Co., Ltd., 100% subsidiary company of the
DOWA Eco-System; Golden DOWA Eco-System Myanmar Ltd. constructed and started
operates a comprehensive solid waste management facility since November 2015 to provide
services including transportation, pre-treatment, recycling, and final disposal. The facility has
40 ha in total and can be received industrial and business-related waste including hazardous
waste. The outline of main waste management facilities are as follows;
a) Sorting & Recycling
Sorting and recycling process for waste will save resource and contribute to make
zero-waste society.
b) Final disposal
Landfill is designed refer to international standard of structure of hazardous waste (US
EPA). It has high safety performance for prevention of accident.

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c) Waste water treatment

Waste water treatment system has biological and coagulating sedimentation process for
proper treatment of waste water.
Source: DOWA Eco-System Co., Ltd. (http://www.dowa-eco.co.jp/en/group/myanmar, accessed in October 2017)

Figure 2.4.25: Birds-eye Picture of Comprehensive Waste Management Facility
in Thilawa Special Economic Zone
4) Present Approach of Short and Middle Terms SWM Planned by

YCDC
According to Pollution Control and Cleansing Department (PCCD) of YCDC, PCCD pointed
that three critical issues on solid waste management have been laying.
a) Issue on Securing Capacity of Final Disposal Site
There are two large scaled open dumping sites (Htain Bin in Hlaing Thar Ya Township and
Htwei Chaung in Dagon Myothit (East) Township) managed by YCDC, which remaining
number of years to receive solid waste are about ten years. However, land acquisition of new
FDSs to be secured in case the existing dumping sites become full are nowhere in sight. The
previous SUDP predicted that the amount of solid waste to go to FDS will be around four
times from 2016 to 2025 due to population increase and economic growth as shown in
Figure 2.4.26. Thus, securing lands for new FDSs and/or installation of municipal waste
incinerators will be required to meet the demand of waste to be disposed.
Another important issue related to the existing FDSs is the possibility of environmental and
health impacts to the surrounding areas and underground due to seeping leachate from the
sites without any treatment and prevention system.

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Source: The Project for the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon, JICA
Figure 2.4.26: Capacity Demand of Final Disposal Site by Year 2040 with Waste Reduction
(Municipal Waste)
b) Issue on Lack of Facility to Treat High Risk Hazardous Waste

YCDC has a simple hazardous waste disposal site to dispose expired medicines, paints, and;
mercury and a crematory furnace to incinerate hospital waste. However, high risk hazardous
waste such as liquid infectious waste, explosive waste, and corrosive waste shall be treated
by a hazardous waste incinerator or detoxifying treatment such as solidification and
chelation.
c) Issue on Pollution from Industrial Zones
According to PCCD of YCDC, illegal dumping sites are existing in and around industrial
zones. In the industrial zones in Yangon City, labor-intensive industries, such as food
processing and clothing, are dominant and organic waste may be generated from such sectors.
Hazardous and chemical waste may be generated through manufacturing process in some
factories such as battery, dyeing, and metal smelting. There is a possibility that these illegal
dumping sites may cause health impacts to the surrounding residence due to seeping leachate
from the sites including hazardous and chemical wastes.
In addition to critical issues pointed by PCCD, the following issues are also identified as the
results of the survey to achieve vison and basic policy:
i) Lack of detailed plan for solid waste management (SWM),
ii) Weakness of legislation/unclear enforcement of hazardous/infectious waste management,
iii) Incomplete cost recovery from beneficiary,
iv) Inefficient waste collection system and old equipment, and

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v) Securing lands for transfer stations in the city to respond to increased municipal solid
waste for reducing cost and environment burden to be transferred to new dumping sites.
On the basses of the above situations, PCCD is planning three approaches to tackle with solid
waste issues in short term and mid-term as follows.
a) Waste to Energy Projects
In order to extent remaining number of years to receive solid waste in the existing disposal
sites before opening the new final disposal sites, YCDC has a plan to build four new
incineration power plants (including in one pilot plant) in Yangon City. YCDC plans to
install three medium scale (600-800 tons/day) plants in three zones; north-east, south, and
west taking into consideration of optimization of collection and transportation, available land.
The estimated total capacity of the plants is 2,000 tons/day which may be able to cover
receiving municipal wastes in 2025.
b) Hazardous and Infections Waste Incinerator Project
In order to treat hazardous and infections waste from industries and hospitals in Yangon, a
hazardous and infections waste incinerator plan to be installed in Hlaing Tharyar Township.
According to PCCD, the installation cost (approximately 20 billion MMK) has been
budgeted. This plant may be a first advanced hazardous and infections waste incinerator in
Myanmar.
c) Recycling Center Projects in Industrial Zones
In order to reduce illegal dumping from industrial zones and to separate recyclable from
non-recyclable waste, to and segregate non-hazardous waste from hazardous waste, YCDC
plans to build recycling center in each industrial zone. If the recycling centers are established
and segregated industrial waste in accordance with a category of hazardous waste to be set
by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), a large
portion of hazardous waste generated from industrial zone will be identified and treated by
the hazardous waste facility of YCDC and the comprehensive waste management facility in
Thilawa SEZ.

In order to establish solid waste management as urban infrastructure development plan, the study team
carried out meeting with PCCD and UPD in YCDC, and private companies which commences solid
waste management services, and site visits as shown in Table 2.4.26.
Table 2.4.26: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Solid Waste Management)

12th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting with JICA JICA Myanmar Office  Current status of solid waste
Myanmar Office management
 Opinions from JICA
12th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting with YCDC-UPD YCDC-UPD  Current status of solid management
activities in urban planning process
15th Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Secretary of YCDC  Opinion exchanges about policy
YCDC for solid waste management
22nd Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC-PCCD YCDC-PCCD  Current status of solid management
activities and on-going project by
YCCD-PCCD
12th Oct 2016 (Wed) Site Visiting Pilot waste to energy  Site visiting waste to energy plant
plant in Shwe Pwi Thar  Opinion exchanges about waste to
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energy projects
18th Nov 2016 (Fri) Joining the task force to Hotel in Yangon  Current progress of developing
develop master plan for master plan for hazardous waste
hazardous waste management
management under Norway
7th Dec 2016 (Wed) Site Visiting Comprehensive waste  Site visiting comprehensive waste
treatment facilities in treatment facilities
Thilawa SEZ  Opinion exchanges about industrial
and hazardous waste management
28th Feb 2017 (Tue) Training on solid waste YCDC-UPD  Lectures & group discussion on
management for YCDC solid waste management
UPD & PCCD  Introduction of updated solid waste
management plan
28th Feb 2017 (Tue) Meeting with YCDC-PCCD YCDC-PCCD  Current status of solid management
activities and on-going project by
YCCD-PCCD

As mentioned in Table 2.4.24, most of the proposed SWM projects in SUDP have not been started yet
since 2013 but pilot waste to energy project in Shwe Pwi Htar township and comprehensive waste
management facilities development project in Thilawa SEZ have already started. In response to this,
SUDP is updated from 2013 to 2016. The main updated points in the short-term are summarized
below;
a) Industrial and Hazardous Waste Management
A private project for development of a comprehensive waste management facility in Thilawa
SEZ has been in operation since November 2015. In addition, MONREC is preparing a
categorization and classification of hazardous waste in accordance with the requirement
stipulated in the Environmental Conservation Rules. Furthermore, YCDC has plans to install
recycle centers in each IZ and to install an incinerator for infectious waste. On the bases of the
above actions, construction of hazardous waste landfill site is canceled and construction of
recycling centers of each industrial zone and incinerator for infectious waste are proposed in the
short-term.
b) Final Disposal
There are two critical issues on FDSs, namely: 1) securing new FDSs possible to receive
enough volume of waste to be disposed even if large-scaled incinerators are installed and 2)
improvement of existing open dumping without causing pollution. Thus, securing land in the
short-term and stepwise construction of new FDSs are proposed taking into consideration the
remaining number of years to receive solid waste by FDSs in the middle- and long-terms. As for
improvement of existing dumping sites, a project for the improvement of existing dumping sites
to sanitary landfill sites is propose in the short term because stopping environmental pollution is
a primary issue on SWM, and improvement of waste collection and transportation and
intermediate treatment without sanitary landfill sites is an ineffective one-sided solution.
c) Waste to Energy Project
Although two (2) waste to energy (hereinafter referred to as “WtE”) projects under BOT scheme
have not started yet since 2013. Currently, YCDC keeps promoting of WtE projects (three3
projects to treat approx. 2,000 tons/day in total) to reduce waste to the final disposal sites and to
contribute to electricity power supply. Thus promotion of WtE projects are listed in the priority
projects in the short-term. However, it is necessary to assess the feasibility on the projects in
terms of environment, society, economy, and technical aspects during the short-term because it
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is difficult to get a feasible result on WtE projects in other ASEAN countries without
consideration of tipping fee, power selling price, and financial support from the government.

As a supplemental explanation of the SUDP, the most critical point to improve current solid waste
management is to have a common understanding on further prioritizing projects listed in the
short-term among important stakeholders such as YRG, policy decision maker of SWM (Mayor and
Secretary of YCDC), and its enforcement organizations (YCCD-PCCD). Especially, it is essential to
make comparative analysis between i) promotion of WtE and ii) securing additional final disposal site
for selection of prioritization based on lessons and learnt on suspending current WtE projects, Table
2.4.27 summarizes IFC WtE strategy in the challenges of waste to emerging markets by International
Finance Corporation (IFC). For promotion of WtE ptoject, YCDC also has to take into consideration
the IFC WtE strategy.
Table 2.4.27: Summary of IFC WtE Strategy

Strategy Items Contents
Basic Strategy When WtE makes  Constrained land and transport infrastructure
sense  Sufficient revenue streams
Where WtE Makes  Rapidly growing large cities
Sense  Island nations
WtE is a win-win  Bring together electric utility or offtaker and local
waste management authority in decision-making
process.
Challenges of Structural  Waste regulations and enforcement
WTE in emerging  PPP regulations
markets  Waste supply capacity
 Creditworthiness
 Ability for long-term agreements / PPAs
Technical  Proven WtE technology & sponsor
 Waste Quantity and Quality
 Electricity grid access issues
Others Considerations for  Transparent and competitive selection process
development  Community engagement and acceptance
financing  Impact on informal sector
 Air and effluent emissions standards
 Environmentally sustainable ash disposal solutions
 Integration into a broader SWM plan
Source: International Finance Corporation (http://iswa2015.org/assets/files/downloads/03_miller__stephanie.pdf)

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2.4.5 Electricity
(1) Current Status

No short-term projects on electricity was proposed in SUDP in 2013.
The electricity system is managed by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (hereinafter
referred to as “MOEE”), and MOEE is consisted of 11 departments as below. Each department
has responsibility, such as planning, power generation, transmission/distribution, etc.
1) Department of Electric Power Planning (DEPP)
2) Oil and Gas Planning Department (OGPD)
3) Department of Power Transmission and System Control (DPTSC)
4) Department of Hydro Power Implementation (DHPI)
5) Electric Power Generation Enterprise (EPGE)
6) Electricity Supply Enterprise (ESE)
7) Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE)
8) Myanma Petrochemical Enterprise (MPE)
9) Myanma Petro Product Enterprise (MPEE)
10) Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC)
11) Mandalay Electricity Supply Corporation (MESC)
One of the departments, Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (hereinafter referred to as
“YESC”) is in charge of electricity distribution in Yangon area. Organization chart of YESC is
shown in Figure 2.4.27. Townships of YESC electricity system service area is summarized in
Table 2.4.28.
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Board of Director Board of Director Board of Director Board of Director Board of Director
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
CEO
Administration Finance Planning Material Planning Distribution

Department Department Department Department Department
Source: YESC
Figure 2.4.27: Organization Chart of YESC

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Table 2.4.28: Townships of YESC Service Area

District Office East District West District South District North District
of YESC
Thingangyun Kyauktada Thanlyin Insein
Yankin Pabedan Kyauk Tan Mingalardon
South Okkalapa Latha Thon Gwa Hmawbi
North Okkalapa Lanmadaw Kha Yan Hlegu
Daw bon Ahlone Twantay Taikkyi
Thaketa San Chaung Kawhmu Htantabin
Tarmwe Ka Mar Yut Kungyangon Shwe Pyi Thar
Mingalar Taung Nyunt Kyee Myin Daing Dala Hlaing Tharyar
Townships Pazundaung Hlaing Seikgyikhanaungto Htaukkyant
Covered by the Bothahtaung Ma Yan Gone Cocokyun Okekan
District Office Dagon Myothit Bahan Lat Khote Kone Dapain
(North)
Dagon Myothit Dagon Kyeik Htaw Ahpyauk
(South)
Dagon Myothit (East) Seikkan Tada (sub-township) Phaunggyi
Dagon Myothit Kyee Myin Daing Myaungtaga
(Seikkan) (other side of river)
Shwe Paukkan Inndine
Shwelinpan
Source: YESC
Currently, YESC has a five years’ investment plan (FY 2016-FY 2020). On the other hand, there
is no official Electricity M/P for whole Myanmar. Under the circumstances, JICA is executing
the assistance project which will continue up until early 2019 for formulating Electricity M/P.
MOEE is expected to familiarize itself with technical knowledge and skills required for the
formulation/update of the M/P through this project.
3) Electricity System
Myanmar has four types of power station, namely hydropower (2,801 MW), gas turbine power
(1,714 MW), combined cycle and thermal power (498 MW), and coal-fired power (120 MW).
The total installed capacity reaches 5,133 MW as shown in Table 2.4.29 to Table 2.4.32.
Additionally, incineration plant from waste has started operation in Shwe Pyi Thar Township
with capacity of 700 kW as alternative energy source.
Table 2.4.29: Existing Hydropower Stations as of 2016

Specification of generator
No Name of Power Plant
Installed Capicity (MW) Generator Number Total (MW)
Total (Hydro) 70 2801
1 Paung Laung 70 4 280
2 Beluchaung (1) 14 2 28
5 Ye Ywa 197.5 4 790
6 Shweli (1) 100 4 400
7 Mone Chaung 25 3 75
8 Kintar 28 2 56
9 Tha Phan Seik 10 3 30
10 Kha Paung 15 2 30
11 Se Taw Gyi 12.5 2 25
12 Ye Nawe 12.5 2 25
13 Zaung Tu 10 2 20
14 Zawgyi (1) 6 3 18
15 Zawgyi (2) 6 2 12
16 Kyaing Taung 18 3 54
17 Shwe Kyin 18.75 4 75
18 Tapein (1) 60 1 60
19 Koon 20 3 60
20 Kyi Own Kyi Wa 37 2 74
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21 Tout Yay Khat 40 3 120

22 Nan Cho 20 2 40
23 Chipwenge 33 3 99
24 Phyu Chaung 20 2 40
25 Upper Paung Laung 70 2 140
26 Myoe Gyi 15 2 30
Source: YESC
Table 2.4.30: Existing Gas Turbine Power Stations as of 2016

Specification of Generator
Installed Capacity MW Generator Number Total MW
Total (Gas Turbine) 420 1714
1 Kyun Chaung 18.1 3 54.3
2 Mann 18.5 2 37
3 Shwe Taung 18.5 3 55.5
18.5 1 18.5
4 Myan Aung
16.3 1 16.3
18.5 1 18.5
5 Tha Htone
16.3 2 32.6
Myin Chan (Aggreko) 1.1 92 101.2
6
Myin Chan (V power) 1.6 96 153.6
7 Kyauk Se (GE) 1.5 75 112.5
21.5 1 21.5
8 Mawlamyine (ML) 43.5 1 43.5
43.5 2 87
Kyauk Phyu (V Powper 1) 1.6 32 51.2
9
Kyauk Phyu (V Powper 2) 1.6 32 51.2
Hlaw Ga 33.3 3 99.9
10 Hlaw Ga (MCP-1) 1 26 26
Hlaw Ga (MCP-2) 9 3 27
Ywama (EGAT) 120 2 240
18.5 2 37
11 Ywama
24 1 24
Ywama (UPP) 4 13 52
Ahlone 33.3 3 99.9
12
Ahlone (Toyo Thai) 47 2 94
Thaketa 19 3 57
13
Thaketa (MAX) 3.3 16 52.8
14 Thilawa 25 2 50
Source: YESC
Table 2.4.31: Existing Combined Cycle and Thermal Power Stations as of 2016
Total (Gas Turbine) 11 498.6
1 Hlaw ga 54.3 1 54.3
2 Ywama 9.4 1 9.4
3 Ahlone 54.3 1 54.3
4 Ahlone (Toyo Thai) 27.6 1 27.6
5 Thaketa 35 1 35
33 1 33
6 Mawlamyine (ML)
45 1 45
Source: YESC
Table 2.4.32: Existing Coal Fired Power Stations as of 2016

Total (Coal) 2 120
1 Ti Kyit 60 2 120
Source: YESC
The electric power transmission system in Myanmar consists of 230 kV, and 66 kV; while
distribution system consists of 33 kV, 11 kV, 6.6 kV, and 0.4 kV or less.
Transmission/Distribution lines are controlled by different department depending on the area as
shown in Table 2.4.33.
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Table 2.4.33: Department for controlling Transmission/Distribution Line

Department Controlling Transmission and Distribution line Remark
DPTSC (Department of Power Except for Yangon
500kV (Future plan), 230 kV, 132 kV and 66 kV
Transmission and System Control) Region
YESC (Yangon Electricity Supply 66 kV,33 kV (to be abolished in the future), 11 kV, 6.6
for Yangon Region
Corporation) kV (to be abolished in the future) and (0.4-0.23 kV)
MESC (Mandalay Electricity
33 kV and less for Mandalay Region
Supply Corporation)
ESE (Electricity Supply Except for Yangon
33 kV and less
Enterprise) and Mandalay Region
Source: YESC
Actual maximum electricity supply in 25th August 2016 is only 2,554 MW as shown in Figure
2.4.28, though total installed capacity is 5,133 MW. One of the main reasons is that the losses
on transmission/distribution lines, about 25% consisting of 7% from transmission and 18% from
distribution. Additionally, the electricity demand in 2016 and 2030 is estimated at least 2,800
MW and 9,100 MW respectively according to the Data Collection Survey on Capacity
Development of Power Sector Development Planning (2015). Currently, the generation does not
meet the demand by about 300 MW and the shortage will increase year by year. Under the
circumstances, additional power station’s development and rehabilitation/upgrade of existing
power stations are being executed and planned. Moreover, MOEE has procured 600 MW rental
based power generation for next five years. Regarding the distribution losses, the improvement
of distribution lines and substations are being executed and planning by YESC. However,
development plan of ten substations in Dagon South and South Okkalapa is facing with the
difficulties in terms of time and land acquisition.
2,800
2,400
2,000
1,600
MW
1,200
800
400
Total Yangon The others area
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Source: YESC
Figure 2.4.28: Actual Power Generation at 25th August 2016
4) Financial Aspect
The following electricity tariff shown in Table 2.4.34 has been applied since 1st April 2014.
Table 2.4.34: Electricity Tariff in Myanmar

Consumer Type Unit (kWh) Fixed Rate (MMK)
1 to 100 35
Domestic/Residential 101 to 200 40
201 and above 50
1 to 500 75
501 to 10,000 100
10,001 to 50,000 125
Industrial/Commercial
50,001 to 200,000 150
200,001 to 300,000 125
300,001 and above 100
Source: YESC

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Table 2.4.35: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Electricity)

14th Sep 2016 (Wed) Meeting with Japanese Project office  Current Status of Electricity in
electricity expert Yangon
 Opinions from expert
26th Sep 2016 (Mon) Meeting with YESC staffs YESC office  Current Status of Electricity in
Yangon
 Opinions from YESC
28th Oct 2016 (Fri) Meeting with DEPP under MOEE office  Current Status of Electricity in
MOEE staffs Myanmar
 Opinions from MOEE
1) Power Station Construction Plan

 Currently, the installed capacity of hydropower stations accounts for more than 50% of
total capacity.
 It is said that the power stations should be developed not to rely on the kind of generation
according to the Data Collection Survey (2015).
 MOEE is now considering option to import Liquefied Natural Gas (hereinafter referred to
as “LNG”) as fuel for power generation. Therefore, gas fired power plants utilizing
imported LNG is the key for power supply in the middle term.
 It should be noted that JICA is assisting for formulation of the Electricity M/P and will be
completed within 2019. All of the development plans should follow the M/P after
formulation.
2) Distribution Line and Substation Improvement in Yangon City

 Five year’s development plan was formulated by YESC, and it is mention that
improvement of distribution line and substation are necessary.
 It is necessary to improve these facilities in accordance with development plan.

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2.4.6 Information Telecommunications
(1) Current Status

Current status of telecommunication project mentioned in SUDP in 2013 is summarized in
Table 2.4.36. One project was proposed and under construction by Japanese yen loan project
currently.
Table 2.4.36: Current Status of Telecommunication Projects after development of SUDP in 2013
Construction of Next Generation - Installation of 4 NGN core facilities Under construction and will
1
Network and construction of FTTX be completed in 2019
The MOTC is in charge of telecommunication work. There are two organizations under MOTC
related to telecommunication, namely Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications (hereinafter
referred to as “MPT”) and Posts and Telecommunication Department (hereinafter referred to as
“PTD”). The MPT provides telephone, telegram, mobile phone and postal services; and PTD
regulates telecommunications and broadcasting.
3) Telecommunication System
The number of service providers for internet service has become 27 including MPT, Yadanaporn
Teleport, etc., as of August 2015, even though the number was only three in 2012. Satellite
terminal, digital subscriber line (hereinafter referred to as “DSL”), and fiber to the x (hereinafter
referred to as “FTTx”) services are provided. Users of broadband gradually increase year by
year as shown in Figure 2.4.29. However, it was still only 190,000 people accounting for 0.3%
of the total population as of 2015 due to the delay of implementation of fixed telecom network.
Source: Based on ITU World Telecommunication/ ICT Indicators Database, 2016

(http://www.soumu.go.jp/g-ict/country/myanmar/detail.html#internet)
Figure 2.4.29: Broadband Users and Service Ratio (2011 to 2016)

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Telenor from Norway and Ooredoo from Qatar have entered the mobile phone business in
Myanmar since September 2014. Additionally, Viettel from Vietnam has been selected as the
fourth mobile phone business company in March 2016. There are four carriers including the
MPT cooperating with KDDI and Sumitomo Corporation at present.
Telenor has started the GSM and W-CDMA service in Yangon, Naypyidaw and Mandalay from
September 2014 and possessed more base station than Ooredoo had as of October 2015. They
have launched 4G LTE service in Naypyidaw from July 2016.
Ooredoo also has started the W-CDMA type’s 3G service in major cities including Yangon,
Naypyidaw and Mandalay in 2014 and got loan from ADB and IFC to expand the service area
of 3G. Additionally, they have introduced 4G LTE service in a part of Yangon, Naypyidaw and
Mandalay from March 2016.
MPT has provided various types of mobile phone service, such as CDMA, GSM and W-CDMA,
and lowered the price of SIM card to compete with other companies. From October 2016, they
have also launched 4G LTE service in Yangon and Naypyidaw.
These situation has caused drastic increase of subscriber of mobile phones. Approximately 80%
of the total population in Myanmar owns their mobile phones as of May 2016. The changes of
mobile phone users and service ratio from 2011 to 2015 are shown in Figure 2.4.30.

Figure 2.4.30: Mobile Phones Users and Service Ratio (20110 to 20154)
As for fixed telephone service, only MPT provide the service. Fixed network development is
being executed by ODA loan project. The number of users is still low as shown in Figure 2.4.31
because of 1) increase of demand for mobile phones and 2) insufficient network for fixed
telephone.

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Figure 2.4.31: Fixed Phones Users and Service Ratio (2011 to 2015)
Table 2.4.37: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Telecommunication Supply)

25th Oct 2016 (Tue) Meeting with Japanese Project office  Current Status of telecommunication
telecommunication experts  Opinions from experts
1) Internet Infrastructure Development

 The development of internet infrastructure is being moved forward rapidly. Introduction of
optical fiber cable (hereinafter referred to as “OFC”) is under implementation between
major cities and in each city.
 Enhancement of the national gateway in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw is ongoing.
2) Telecommunication Network Development

 Wireless communication system, such as Long-Term Evolution (hereinafter referred to as
“LTE”), is being developed by each carrier sequentially, and the users of mobile phone
drastically have increased.
 Development of next generation network (hereinafter referred to as “NGN”) is desirable for

high speed and reliance network.

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2.4.7 Disaster Risk Management (Earthquake)
(1) Current Status
1) Major Destructive Earthquakes in Myanmar

The 1,200 km long Sagaing Fault is running from north to south in the central area of Myanmar.
M7 class earthquakes have been recurring around this fault since 1900’s. Major cities such as
Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay are adjacent to Sagaing Fault. Table 2.4.38 lists up major
destructive earthquakes with year of occurrence and magnitude, and Figure 2.4.32 shows the
location of Sagaing Fault and distribution of epicenter of these major destructive earthquakes.
Areas circled in red line in Figure 2.4.32 indicate high-probability areas that have potential risk
of earthquake to happen in the future. Yangon has high seismic risk for this reason. Seismic
property of city infrastructure and buildings need to be improved for Yangon to achieve
sustainable development.
Table 2.4.38: Major destructive earthquakes
D/M/Y Disaster area Magnitude Remarks
23/5/1912 Mayo, Mandalay Region 8.0 Severe disaster with deceased
5/5/1930 Kayan, Yangon Region 7.3 500 dead in Bago and 50 dead in Yangon
3/12/1930 Nyaunglebin, Bago Region 7.3 30 dead
27/1/1931 Myitkyina, Kachin State 7.6 Crack in the ground (Myitkyina earthquake)
12/9/1946 Tagaung, Mandalay Region 7.8 M7.5 aftershock occurred
16/7/1956 Sagaing Region 7.0 Pagodas collapsed, 40-5- dead
Source: ‘Research Report on Infrastructure Development for Earthquake Disaster Prevention in Myanmar’ August
2015, The Overseas Construction Association of Japan, Inc.
Source: Sagaing Fault, Myanmar (Burma) http://www.sagaingfault.info

Figure 2.4.32: Sagaing Fault and Distribution of Epicenter of Major Destructive Earthquakes

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2) Earthquake-Resistant Design Standards of Myanmar

The following are issues regarding earthquake-resistant design that address potential seismic
risk in Myanmar.
a) Myanmar National Building Code: Currently there is no building standards law in place.
Myanmar National Building Code (hereinafter called ‘MNBC’) is still in process of
creation. This is going to be enacted into law in the future.
b) Committee for Quality High-rise Building Project: Currently, YCDC is examining nine
to twelve stories buildings in Yangon city with the instruction of the Committee for Quality
High-rise Building Project (hereinafter referred to as "CQHP). This institution is not based
on any laws either. Majority of the CQHP basically refers to Uniform Building Code 97
(hereinafter referred to as "UBC97"), and there is not much detailed description. However,
some items such as fixing length of slab RC are specifically stated in Burmese language,
while detailed seismic design method is not. Under the circumstances, it is assumed that
seismic design standards are not widely recognized among local designers.
c) Reference Code：Both MNBC and CQHP are created by partially revising United States’
design criteria. MNBC is based on the American Society of Civil Engineer 7 (hereinafter
referred to as ‘ASCE7’) while CQHP is based on the UBC97. Difference in design
methods adopted by ASCE7 and UBC97 may cause confusion when the MNBC is
officially legislated.
d) Problems of Application Procedures at YCDC: The building lower than eight stories
does not require seismic design.
Table 2.4.39 shows seismic zone at MNBC. Figure 2.4.33 shows design for shear coefficient
map established by MNBC. This map indicates that the institute takes into account the seismic
risk caused by the Sagaing Fault.
Table 2.4.39: Seismic Zone at MNBC
Seismic
Seismic Zone The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
Acceleration
Strong:
I Low Zone 0.05 - 0.07g VI Felt by all, many frightened. Some heavy furniture moved; a few
instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight.
Very Strong:
Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction;
Moderate
II 0.1 - 0.15g VII slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable
Zone
damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some
chimneys broken.
Severe:
Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable
III Strong Zone 0.2 - 0.3g VIII damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse.
Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory
stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.
(VIII) Severe:
Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable
damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse.
Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory
VIII- stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.
IV Sever Zone 0.3 - 0.4g
IX (IX)Violent:
Damage considerable in specially designed structures;
well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. Damage
great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse. Buildings
shifted off foundations.
Violent:
Damage considerable in specially designed structures;
Destructive
V 0.4 - 0.5g IX well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. Damage
Zone
great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse. Buildings
shifted off foundations.
Source: USGS http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/mercalli.php, Myanmar National Buildings Code 2016
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Yangon
Source: Myanmar National Building Code-2016

Figure 2.4.33: Design for shear coefficient distribution map (excerpt from MNBC-2016)
3) Issues concerning Building Seismic Property of Yangon

(I) Locational Characteristics and its Risks
Yangon is located adjacent to high-probability area (area that had seismic activity in the past but
hasn’t been the seismic center for a long period of time) of Sagaing Fault that has potential risk
of earthquake in the future. Due to this reason, Yangon has quite high seismic risk.
In addition, majority of the Yangon urban area is located in the flood plain area formed by
Ayeyarwaddy River etc. Figure 2.4.34 shows geological map of Yangon division. This indicates
that Yangon has a vast layer of soft alluvium soil along rivers, and once earthquake occurs, this
soft surface stratum can amplify the tremor and cause massive damage from the earthquake.

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Yellow brown forest soils
Meadow and meadow alluvium soil
Lateritic soils Saline swampy meadow gray soils
Swampy soils
Grey & Grey swampy soils
Mangrove forest soils
Dune forest & Beach sand
Source: Yangon River Geomorphology Identification and Its Environmental

Impact Analysis by Optical and Radar Sensing Techniques, HP
Figure 2.4.34: Soil Map of Yangon Division
(II) Building Construction

Visit to the construction site and concrete factory revealed some issues and challenges as
described below. The visit details are described in 3.3 Building Seismic Diagnosis.
a) Construction site: 4U5S (Hlaing Tharyar Township)
b) Concrete factory: HIGH TECH CONCRETE Co., LTD.
I) Construction Technologies
As for issues in the actual construction site, it is highly likely that construction site manager
does not receive appropriate professional ethics education. In addition, due to absence of
supervisor (engineer) on the construction site, construction workers are not educated about
adequate construction method. Due to the following issues are coming up to the surface.

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a) Construction is done based on a drawing different from the one submitted to YCDC.
b) Column rebar is decentered from the center of mold form and covering depth is different
between left and right.
c) Spacer is used only in some areas, and even when it's used the concrete piece is not fixed
(might move while casting). We observed such cases where insufficient construction
accuracy is achieved for maintaining design strength.
d) Vibrator is inserted askew.
e) We observed honeycombed concrete in columns that came immediately out of mold form.
This is assumed to be due to blending of concrete, grain size of coarse aggregate (quality
of material used) and inappropriate use of vibrator.
Decentered column rebar Unfixed spacer
Vibrator inserted askew Honeycombed column

Figure 2.4.35: Photos from Construction Site
II) Material Used
(i) Concrete
a) Concrete factory is performing appropriate management of material and mixing of
concrete, and the quality of concrete is stable.
b) However, due to the cost or shortage of supply, many of the construction sites are partially
using side-mixed concrete. In case of 4U5S (Hlaing Tharyar Township), factory-made
concrete is used for beam and slab, and side-mixed for column and foundation. Instead of
using proper scale that can weigh accurately, they use a plastic case as a unit of measure
for blending concrete material. (Refer to Figure 2.4.36)
c) River Single or Crushed Stone is used for aggregate.
- Fine grain distribution of River Shingle does not meet ASTM (USA) standards
- Fine grain distribution of Crushed Stone meets ASTM (USA) standards
d) However, many of the local contractors are using less expensive River Shingle. This is also
the case for side-mixed concrete.
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Side-mixing of concrete Factory produced concrete

Fine grain test result for River Single
Figure 2.4.36: Concrete Mixing Status
(ii) Rebar
a) Rebar is put on wood pieces so as not to touch the ground. (Rust was observed on the
surface of rebar stocked outside exposed to rain.)
b) Rust in rebar is removed before using.
c) Bending work is done on site.
d) Rebar is produced abroad.

Figure 2.4.37: Material storage status
As a result of visit to the construction site, inconsistencies between submitted drawing and
construction drawing used on site, and issues concerning construction quality such as
construction technologies and storage of construction material have been confirmed. Due to
these findings, it is hard to expect that the buildings under construction possess sufficient
building strength as outlined in the design document. Improvement of such construction quality
is one of the challenges in current construction situations in Myanmar.
During concrete factory visit it was observed that management of material (cement and
aggregate) and various tests are being performed properly, therefore we can assume that proper
product quality is assured. However, material that does not meet ASTM standards is sometimes
used for aggregate due to cost reasons. This needs to be improved.
In order to resolve above issues, countermeasures to improve construction quality are required
via conducting unannounced construction site inspection by additional personnel in supervising
organization (YCDC) or giving proper advice to the contractor

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(III) Institutional Point of View
I) New Building (Legal system reform)

As previously mentioned, without building standards related law in place, the building lower
than eight stories are not obliged to adopt earthquake-resistant design. In addition, since
buildings don’t need to go through inspection after construction, there are cases where buildings
are constructed differently from the submitted drawing. Construction quality is also low. In
order to improve such issues, following regulations should be established or improved.
a) Establish building standards related law (MNBC is underway)
The following items should be incorporated in the Building Code enforcement.
- Obligatory earthquake-resistant design
- Create standards documents in Burmese so that seismic design standards become widely
established.
- Designating construction material to be used (designation of quality)
- Implementing mandatory inspection by third party during and after construction
b) Establish construction status monitoring system
One of the examples is execution of unannounced test against construction site by adding
personnel in the supervising institution (YCDC). It is desirable to establish regulations that
enforce post-construction inspection for all buildings.
c) Establish the institution to improve construction quality
It is necessary to provide professional ethics education to construction supervisors and set
up license system to be granted for construction supervising engineer. It is desirable to
establish regulations mandating that personnel who obtained abovementioned license
resides on-site and instructs construction workers.
II) Existing Building (Building quake-proof city)

Seismic diagnosis and seismic reinforcement are required for improving aseismic properties of
existing buildings. We hereby propose following steps to ensure execution of improvement in a
step-by-step and stable manner.
a) Define specific emergency transportation routes for transporting emergency goods in times
of disaster.
b) Start with buildings along emergency routes for applying seismic reinforcement.
Specifically, identify buildings along the emergency roads and mandate application of
seismic reinforcement on such buildings whose maximum height is larger than 1/2 of the
width.
Specific emergency transportation routes: Prevent roads from being obstructed by collapsed
buildings in time of earthquake that mainly secures evacuation and transportation routes in a
wide area. For example, over four-lane road that can facilitate truck transportation.
Setting up specific emergency transportation routes. Tokyo prefecture: Sample of specific emergency transportation routes
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Earthquake-Resistant portal site (http://www.taishin.metro.tokyo.jp/)
Figure 2.4.38: Example of specific emergency transportation routes
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Table 2.4.40: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Earthquake)

11th Aug 2016 (Thu) 4U5S on-site investigation Hlaing Tharyar  RC arrangement status investigation
Township  Sample gathering
12th Aug 2016 (Fri) Room layout investigation YCDC  Hearing investigation about legal
with YCDC Engineering system and examination system
Department
15th Aug 2016 (Mon) 4U5S on-site investigation Hlaing Tharyar  Hearing with on-site supervisors
Township  Casting status investigation
17th Aug 2016 (Wed) Concrete factory inspection HTC  Hearing about quality management
 Material management status
investigation
22th Aug 2016 (Mon) 4U5S on-site investigation Hlaing Tharyar  RC arrangement investigation
Township  Casting status investigation
23th Aug 2016 (Tue) Concrete factory inspection CPAC  Hearing about quality management
 Material management status
investigation
16th Oct 2016 (Sun) Concrete quality check MES  Hearing about concrete quality
7th Dec 2016 (Wed) Schmidt hammer test Grand Mee Ya  Concrete quality investigation
Htar Hotel
1) Result of Seismic Diagnosis

Aiming at evaluating seismic properties of buildings currently under construction in Yangon,
seismic diagnosis was conducted for following three building. None of the buildings adopt
seismic design.
a) As a result of seismic diagnosis, all the three buildings have a risk of collapse in case of
moderate-sized earthquake. It is preferable that the buildings are reinforced.
b) According to the calculation, it was confirmed that some beams in two buildings out of three are
already yielded by stationary load. There is a risk that floor crumbles when heavy load is put on,
some countermeasures need to be taken.
c) The buildings in Yangon (target buildings) have larger column cross-section compared to beam
cross-section and are expected to result in beam collapse type. Since it is not appropriate to
adopt the same simplified diagnosis practiced in Japan, we hereby proposed a seismic diagnosis
tailored for Yangon that assumes beam collapse. This proposed seismic diagnosis (simplified
diagnosis) for Yangon can offer accurate diagnosis result and easier calculation compared to
incremental analysis (detailed diagnosis). Therefore, it is considered to be a simple and effective
method for diagnosing seismic capacities of buildings in Yangon.

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2.4.8 Disaster Risk Management (Fire)
(1) Current Status
1) Introduction
This section describes fire accidents in Yangon. It is investigated in five viewpoints and some
suggestions for fire protection method are provided. Five viewpoints are as follows:
a) The actual condition of fire accidents
Some graphs are shown for understanding about actual condition of fire accidents.
b) Fire stations
As fire stations are important for urban fire protection, list of fire engines and water
resources are presented.
c) Map of large road
Large roads can be applied as fire spread prevention belts. It is important for urban fire
safety to separate by fire spread prevention belts.
d) Maintenance condition of fire standard
There is no fire standard at present.
e) Visual survey in town
Surveying of some crowded building areas was carried out.
2) The Actual Condition of Fire Accidents in Yangon

(I) The number of fire
Figure 2.4.39 shows the number of fire accidents per year in Yangon. And it shows the
breakdown of causes. The graph was formed from data provided by Myanmar Fire Service
Department.
a) The number of fire accidents was on the increase from 2010 to 2015. Especially, electric
fire was on the increase. Electric fire can occur at any classification of building type.
b) The number of fire accidents decreased from 2006 to 2010. Careless fire decreased the
most.
c) In 2015, Careless fire and Electric fire are recorded as the main causes of fire accidents.
d) The causes of electric fire are mainly of cable and faulty wiring.
e) About 200 fire accidents occurred every year.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Number of fire
Stove fire Careless fire Natural causes Electoric fire Arson Wild fire Other
Source: JICA Study Team based on the data of Fire Department

Figure 2.4.39: The number of fire accidents

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(II) The amount of loss by fire accidents

Table 2.4.41 is the amount of loss by fire accidents per year in Yangon. The table was compiled
from data provided by Myanmar Fire Service Department.
a) The amount of loss was not proportional to the number of fire accidents.
b) In 2009, 2010 and 2012, the amount of losses is regarded to be large amount. Reason of
large amount in 2012 is that there was huge fire at Myanmar International Terminal
Thilawa. The amount of loss was 4,000 million MMK. If excluding 4,000 million MMK,
amount of loss in 2012 would be 346 million MMK which sums to similar amount of other
years. Maybe 2009 and 2010 may have the same reasons.
Table 2.4.41: The Amount of Loss by Fire Accidents

Buildings or Amount of loss
Year Fire accidents Victims
houses (MMK)
2006 287 158 916 374,172,225.00
2007 257 133 735 330,125,496.00
2008 161 643 3751 282,880,000.00
2009 127 48 145 9,084,016,300.00
2010 131 1647 597 23,488,397,900.00
2011 186 204 1528 305,473,500.00
2012 198 1596 1908 4,345,850,791.00
2013 235 127 1238 377,399,200.00
2014 266 197 307 328,782,300.00
2015 224 316 1216 365,270,500.00

(III) Huge Fire Accident

Table 2.4.42 describes big fire accidents with loss over 10 million MMK from 2011 to 2015 in
Yangon. The table was made from data provided by Myanmar Fire Service Department.
Sometimes buildings or house rows are empty in this table, because this table was made for
amount of loss.
a) Market fire is easy to become the inception of huge fire. Because market has small shops
having a lot of items and lack of separation by wall. It is easy to spread to the adjacent
shops.
b) There were 5 accidents that amount of loss were over 100 million MMK.
c) The highest amount of loss was at Myanmar International Terminal Thilawa, 26 March
2012. According to “Myanmar Times”, the huge fire destroyed teak and hardwood logs
that were stored at the port for export. And it took about 16 hours to bring under control.
d) Huge fire explosion occurred in Mingalar Taung Nyunt, 2011. According to “The New
Light of Myanmar”, an explosion occurred due to chemical reaction of the herbal materials.
Fire started at the electronics warehouse and spread to the chemical material warehouse.
Then the chemical material ware house was exploded. The explosion broke many houses.
e) The fire in market is easy to become a huge fire. Because there are many shops in markets.
Each shop has many items like a warehouse. And the partitioning with neighbor shops is
absent. In this condition, fire spreads at fast speed.
f) Markets and factories are burned down every year.
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Table 2.4.42: Huge Fire Accidents with Loss over Ten Billion MMK.
Amount of
Building
loss
Year Date Time Township Ward/Village Cause of Fire or Remark
(MMK in
House
million)
Car manufacturing Over-heated less
17.04 14:20 Thardukan 20.00
factory fuel KVA machine
Shwe Pyi Over-heated
26.04 1:35 VeVe Juice factory 30.50 Factory
Thar switch
Baho Road leather Child playing gas
28.12 16:10 Mayangone 1 13.00
2011 factory lighter
Myittar Mon
Mingalar
29.12 10:45 traditional medicine Exploded fire 94 113 60
Taung Nyunt
shop
Seint Augustin
30.12 17:30 Kamayut Charging battery 41.50
School
Hlaing
06.02 12:15 Ah Lae village Remaining fire 339 10.08
Tharyar
26.03 14:20 Kyauktan Thilawa MITT Cigarette disposal 4000.00
Apply
South Market
10.04 1:20 Haymawun market mosquito-coil in 893 61.30
Okkalapa chamber
the evening
Heated punching
Hlaing Shwe Lin Ban
12.04 14:50 of polystyrene 1 95.00
2012 Tharyar Industrial Zone
foam box
Market
18.05 1:05 San Chaung Gwa market Wire shock 233 349.50
chamber
Hlaing Shwe Lin Ban

11.06 Gas Pipe line 30.26
Tharyar Industrial Zone
Over-heated
15.07 18:05 Kyauktada India Embassy 13.19
inverter
Hlaing Diesel filling
12.03 12:00 Ppcl petroleum oil 2 29.00
Tharyar accident
07.04 11:45 Mingalardong Pearl(1) Ward Workshop welding 20.03
Corner of Zizawa
18.04 18:50 Dagon Road & Samon Wet Cable shock 27.52
2013 Road
18.9 11:30 Mingalardong A1 Garment factory Over-heated wire 12.70
Industrial
Zone(113)Ward Over-heated
06.11 6:30 Dagon(ya) 100.00 store(1)
(Pwint Oo furniture complex wire
store)
Mingalar market
Ward(Military
Fall of oil tank
21.01 18:05 Mingalardong security troop(air 28.20 store(1)
from truck
force) oil storage
warehouse
Thida Ward(Old
Jam of saw dust
Kyee Myin Thirimingalar
28.01 23:45 and others in 12.10
Daing market/Sinma
2014 exhaust-fan
Furniture factory)
Wire shock spark
Hlaing
05.04 19:23 (7) Ward transit to 8 18.10
Tharyar
water-proof sheet
Over-heated glue
Industrial
Hlaing purification
13.11 15:45 Zone(2),Opal-1 80.00 Factory(1)
Tharyar machine of
Garment factory
FUSSING on first

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Amount of
Building
loss
Year Date Time Township Ward/Village Cause of Fire or Remark
(MMK in
House
million)
floor
Industrial
Zone(2),(Myanmar
Hlaing Labors’ reckless
04.12 24:00 Sandy Shoes 40.00 store(1)
Tharyar cigarette disposal
factory) raw
material store
Hlaing Tharyar
Industrial Zone(3), Over-heated wire
Hlaing
31.07 3:15 MrSon paper box in CCTV control 23.00
Tharyar
factory for 'Yes' room
cartoon
Zaygabar
garden+Yangon
Industrial Zone R-7
2015 Apply
24.09 6:30 Mingalardong Road, raw material 112.50 Store(1)
mosquito-coil
store for Coca Cola
bottle of Shwe Than
Kyaw Company
Industrial Over-heated main
Hlaing Zone(2),Makaya power-line switch
19.11 4:00 15.00 Factory(1)
Tharyar Prince Road,'Shwe' and spark on
peanut oil factory oil-screening sheet
(IV) The dead and injured people by fire accidents

Figure 2.4.40 was made from data provided by Myanmar Fire Service Department. It was the
data of Yangon.
a) About 20 people die every year.
b) Dead and injured people were not decreased. Recently, the number of high rise buildings
and big shopping center is under increase in Yangon. Those are popular as gathering spaces.
Then there are some possibilities of increasing dead and injured people.
350 120
Number of fire accidents
300 100
250
80
People
200
60
150
40
100
50 20
0 0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Year
Fire accidents Dead Injured
Source: Myanmar Fire Service Department

Figure 2.4.40: The Dead and Injured People by Fire Accidents

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3) Fire Station
(I) Fire Station
There are three types of fire station.
a) Township Fire Station – 36 stations
b) Zonal Fire Station – 14 stations
c) Volunteer Fire Station – 5 stations
Township fire stations are main fire station. Zonal fire
stations are at compliment position for Township fire
stations. Volunteer fire stations are sub fire station.
In average, callings from fire accidents received in
Yangon are at two to three times per day during dry Source: JICA Study Team
season and one to two times during rainy season per day. Figure 2.4.41: Kyauktada Fire
Station (Township Fire Station)
(II) The Number of Fire Engine
The features of fire engines in Yangon City are as followings;
 Pump vehicle is main fire engine. It has pump and small water tank. Pump vehicle takes
upon roles that pumping up from water resource and discharge of water to fire.
 Tank vehicle has big size water tank.
 Engine vehicle has tank and portable fire pump.
 Support vehicle is special support for firefighting. For example Ladder vehicle.
 Mobile pump is light weight pump.
 Trailer is attached to vehicle.
 Command vehicle is for commander.
There are 55 fire stations and 109 fire engines. Compared to fire stations, the number of fire
engines appears to be a small amount. The Fire Service Department does not have the
right-of-way.
Table 2.4.43: The Number of Fire Engine

Township Zonal Volunteer
Pump Tank Fire Support Mobile Command
District Fire Fire Fire Trailer
vehicle vehicle Vehicle vehicle pump vehicle
Station Station Station
Head
_ _ _ _ _ 1 1 2 _ 5
quarter
East 12 6 _ 34 14 1 8 67 _ 2
West 6 2 1 19 8 _ 6 45 2 _
South 10 2 1 25 11 5 1 46 7 3
North 8 5 3 31 12 9 3 56 2 _
Total 36 14 5 109 45 15 18 214 11 5

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Pump Vehicle Tank Vehicle
Mobile Pump Control Vehicle

Figure 2.4.42: Fire Engines
(III) The Number of Water Resources for Fire-fighting (Outdoor Standpipe)

Water resources are important for fire-fighting. It is
accessed from outdoor standpipes (Figure 2.4.43). Table
2.4.44 shows the number of outdoor standpipes in each
township.

Figure 2.4.43: Photo of
Outdoor Standpipe
Table 2.4.44: The Number of Outdoor Standpipe by Township

District Township Outdoor Standpipe
East South Okkalapa 30
North Okkalapa 25
Thingangyun 27
Dagon Myothit (South) 14
Dagon Myothit (North) 17
Dagon Myothit (East) 2
Shwe Pauk Kan 10
Seikkan 4
Total 129
West Kyee Myin Daing 7
Kyauktada 8
San Chaung 12

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District Township Outdoor Standpipe

Dagon 10
Pabedan 15
Bahan 18
Latha 7
Lanmadaw 9
Ahlone 6
Total 92
South Thaketa 15
Dawbon 3
Tarmwe 36
Yankin 16
Mingalar Taung Nyunt 35
Pazundaung 6
Botahtaung 11
Dala 8
Total 130
North Kamaryut 11
Hlaing 19
Mayangone 20
Insein 53
Mingalardon 20
Shwe Pyi Thar 98
Hlaing Tharyar 1
Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone 10
Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Terminal 12
Dagon Ayar Highway Bus Terminal 8
Total 252
4) Map of Large Road

Figure 2.4.44 shows width of roads. The
features of Yangon City are as followings;
a) 4-6 lanes road can be fire spread
prevention belt.
b) CBD has many fire spread
prevention belts.
c) New city area has a few fire spread
prevention belts.
Fire spread prevention belt means that
road prevents spreading fire over urban
area. Urban area should be separated by
fire spread prevention belt. Because
spread of fire leads to a huge fire.
The spread fires prevention method of
buildings are fireproofing of buildings and
separatedby fire spread prevention belts.
Most of the buildings in Yangon are made
of concrete and block. It is already
fireproofing for buildings.
In Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in
Japan 1995, over 12m width road Source: JICA Study Team
prevented fire spread. Then over 12m Figure 2.4.44: The Number of Road Lanes
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width road can be fire spread prevention belt. Since road width per lane is about 3m and road
width of four lanes is about 12m, over four lanes road can be fire spread prevention belt.
The CBD, as a main urban area, is separated by many wide roads. Although all areas almost
outside of the CBD area are separated by some fire spread prevention belts, the north-east area
is not separated by fire spread prevention belts. Therefore, the risk of fire spread would increase
with the increase of buildings
5) Maintenance Condition of Fire Safety Code

Buildings in Yangon have few fire prevention measures because there is no Fire Safety Code in
place.
6) Visual Survey in Yangon

Visual features in Yangon City from a view point of fire prevention are as followings.
Table 2.4.45: Features of Yangon City from a View Point of Fire Prevention
CBD (1) CBD (2) CBD (3)

Separated by wide road. Inside of market. Narrow road between old buildings.
There are many shops with a lot of Buildings were made of concrete.
goods.
CBD (4) CBD (5) CBD (6)

Trash-strewn alley. Roadside car parking in narrow road. Electric wires outstretched above
narrow road.
Tarmwe (1) Tarmwe (2) Tarmwe (3)

Separated by wide road A lot of electric wires which are not Many old residence buildings don’t
arranged properly have space between each building

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Dagon Myothit (North) (1) Dagon Myothit (North) (2) Bahan

Separated by large road New residence buildings It is near Shwedagon Pagoda. There
are 5-8 stories buildings. These are
crowded.
Table 2.4.46: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Fire)

23th Aug 2016 (Tue) Field Survey CBD, Bahan  Field Survey of Town
24th Aug 2016 (Wed) Collecting Information Kyauk Tadar fire  Collecting Information of Fire
station Accident data
Field Survey Dagon Myothit  Field Survey of Town
(North), Tarmwe
25th Aug 2016 (Thu) Collecting Information YCDC (Building  Collecting Information of Fire
Department) Safety Code
31th Aug 2016 (Thu) Collecting Information MES  Collecting Information of Fire
Safety Code
1st Sep 2016 (Thu) Field Survey Factory in  Field Survey of Fire Site
Mingalar Taung
Nyunt,
Haymawun
Market, Gwa
Market
24th Oct 2016 (Mon) Field Survey CBD  Field Survey of Town
25th Oct 2016 (Tue) Field Survey CBD  Field Survey of Town
26th Oct 2016 (Wed) Meeting with YCDC YCDC (Head of  Plan of Field Survey
Division)  Agenda of meeting with Fire Force
27th Oct 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Myanmar Fire Myanmar Fire  System of Fire Department
Force Force
28th Oct 2016 (Fri) Meeting with YCDC YCDC (Building  Collecting Information of Fire
Department) Safety Code
Field Survey FMI building  Field Survey of Buildings
1st Nov 2016 (Tue) Field Survey Sakura Tower,  Field Survey of Buildings
Market Place
9th Nov 2016 (Wed) Meeting with Myanmar Fire Myanmar Fire  Development plan of fire
Force Force
Field Survey National Theater  Field Survey of Buildings
10th Nov 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC YCDC (Roads  Development plan of fire
and Bridges
Department)
10th Nov 2016 (Thu) Meeting with YCDC YCDC (Head of  Development plan of fire
Division)

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2.4.9 Urban Transport Management

This Study, SUDP, has been conducting in parallel with the other study, namely YUTRA, which
focuses on urban transportation. Basic direction and contents of this part, urban transport and logistics,
basically follow YUTRA Study.
(1) Current Status

(I) Overall Traffic Conditions
Number of registered private car is currently approximately 0.33 million (as of June 2016) in
Yangon region, which is more than doubled comparing to the number in 2012 (about 0.16
million) as shown in Figure 2.4.45. Number of registered trucks has also been rapidly increasing,
approximately 27,000 in 2012 to 141,000 in 2016, which is more than 5 times comparing to the
number in 2012.
Source: Myanmar Statistical Yearbook 2015 (2012-2015), Road Transportation

Administration Department (2016)
Figure 2.4.45: Number of Registered Vehicle in Yangon Region
While bus plays a significant role as a major public transportation as shown in Table 2.4.47, bus
operation system has not been improved and deteriorated traffic congestion, management and
safety. 358 public bus lines used to be operated in Yangon City and multiple operators are
competing in the same major routes along the arterial roads that became a major issue causing
traffic congestion. Since the bus drivers are paid based on the number of trips and customers,
such competitive situation makes the driver’s manner more aggressive and risks traffic safety. In
order to improve such conditions, bus lines were consolidated into about 70 routes in January
2017.

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Table 2.4.47: Urban Transport Demand and Modal Share in the Greater Yangon (2013)
Share (%)
No. of Trips
Mode Type Including Excluding
(000/day)
Walking Walking
Walking 4,778 42.2 -
Bicycle 1,472 13.0 22.5
Motorcycle 471 4.2 7.2
Car/van 530 4.7 8.1
Taxi 502 4.4 7.7
Road
Bus 2,838 25.1 43.4
Truck bus 391 3.5 6.0
Truck 101 0.9 1.5
Subtotal 6,305 55.7 96.5
Railway 71 0.6 1.1
Waterway 160 1.4 2.4
Total (Excluding Walking) 6,536 57.8 100
Total 11,313 100 -
Source: YUTRA
Due to the rapid increase of the number of vehicles and weak management of public
transportation, number of traffic accidents has almost doubled in 2014 (3,008 in total)
comparing to the number in 2010 (1,678 in total) as shown in Figure 2.4.46. The major reasons
of the accidents, which are the careless of drivers and violation of traffic rules by pedestrians,
imply the significant importance of enforcement on awareness rising for the traffic safety and
securement of safe and convenient pedestrian access.
Source: Myanmar Statistical Yearbook 2015
Figure 2.4.46: Traffic Accidents by Causes in Yangon Region
While uncontrolled on-street parking also causes traffic congestion, major improvements have
not been implemented since the completion of the previous YUTRA Study (Project for
Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan of the Greater Yangon) in 2014. According to the traffic
simulation by previous YUTRA Study, average travel speed will be increased by approximately
6 to 7 km/hr. in CBD area under enforcement of on-street parking. Additionally insufficient
numbers of traffic signals is in the Greater Yangon (147 as of April 2013) and its old operation
system deteriorates the traffic congestion. Therefore, currently traffic signal improvement
project is under implementation including the installation of 154 signals with an area traffic
control center in Yangon region by Myanmar Shwe Yin Company and China Railway

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Construction Corporation Limited. While the control center was completed in late 2016, it has
not started its operation as of January 2017.
(II) Organizational Structure

YUTRA proposed the establishment of responsible agency to implement urban transport plans
in a holistic manner and Yangon Region Transport Authority (hereinafter referred to as
“YRTA”) started to be organized in July 2016. Steering Committee of YRTA consists of the
members from YRG, YCDC, MOTC, Public Transport Company, Myanmar Engineering
Society, and Yangon Technological Institute.
2) Road Network
(I) Bottleneck Locations
In addition to the issues on traffic management previously described, physical issues on road
network also cause traffic congestion. Since study area is divided by Yangon River, Bago River,
Pun Hlaing River, Pazundaung Creek, and Twante Canal, bridges crossing these waterways
become bottleneck that causes traffic congestion. Flyover also can cause a bottleneck if the
number of lanes are insufficient at the junction point. While five flyovers have been completed
since 2014 as shown in Figure 2.4.47, two more flyovers planned to be constructed at the
intersection of Kabar Aye Pagoda Road and Parami Road as well as at North Okkalapa
Roundabout have been canceled due to the risk to deteriorate the traffic conditions in the
adjacent areas.
Traffic Congestion at Myaynigone Flyover Tarmwe Flyover under Construction

Note: The pictures were taken in March 2016
Source: Preparatory Survey on Urban Transport Development in the Greater Yangon, JICA
Figure 2.4.47: Flyovers in Yangon City
Railway crossing also become a bottleneck especially the level crossing at grade. As shown in
Figure 2.4.48, total of 25 level crossings are located along circular railway except for the south
section close to CBD area where underpasses are adopted.
Many roundabouts in the study area also exceed their traffic capacity and cause traffic
congestion especially during peak hours.
In order to eliminate the bottlenecks, holistic approach should be adopted such as continuous
grade separation rather than a spot solution.

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Flyovers shown in red letters:

completed after completion of
previous YUTRA Study in 2014
Figure 2.4.48: Locations of Flyovers, Level Crossings and Underpass for Circular Railway
(II) Completed and On-going Projects

Bayint Naung Bridge was completed in 2014 and new Thaketa Bridge is currently under
construction by JICA Grant Aid. The project for construction of Bago River Bridge is also
currently underway by JICA.
Other donors are also involved in road and bridge projects in the Greater Yangon. Master plan
for Yangon-Hanthawaddy-Bago Corridor and Yangon south western regional development is
currently preparation by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and construction of
Dala Bridge has been pledged by ODA loan by Korean government associated with the master
plan.
Since the private sector also has proposed some infrastructure development projects such as
several bridge construction projects associated with the large scale residential development plan
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in Twantay, public sector should review these proposed plans in a careful manner to confirm the
consistency with its master plan as well as to secure necessary social benefits by the project.
3) Railway
(I) Implementation System
Total number of 20,479 staffs are belonged to Myanmar Railways (MR) as of March, 2015. The
implementation system at MR is divided into 11 divisions that are further grouped namely
Lower Division (Division 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) and Upper Division (Division 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11).
Study area is under Division 7 in Lower Division.
Although Circular Railway has the largest passenger (31 million in FY 2013) among the routes
operated by MR, total number of passengers have been decreasing mainly due to the decrease of
intercity railway passengers as shown in Figure 2.4.49.
In terms of legal framework for implementation, The Railway Act originally formulated in 1890
was amended and approved by the parliament in January 2016. One of the major highlights of
the amendment is the introduction of various Public Private Partnership (PPP) strategies such as
BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer), BLT
(Build-Lease-Transfer), DBFO (Design -Build- Finance-Operate), and DCMF
(Design-Construct-Manage-Finance) to improve convenience of public transport and economic
efficiency.
Source: MR, ADB Myanmar Transport Sectoral Policy Note-Transport (2016)
Figure 2.4.49: Number of Passengers by Train Service
(II) Completed and On-going Projects

Several railway projects have been completed and under implementation during the last couple
of years including Basic Design Study on the Yangon Circular Railway Line Upgrading Project
by JICA as shown in Figure 2.4.50.

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Figure 2.4.50: Completed and On-going Railway Projects in the Greater Yangon
(III) Opportunities and Issues on Integrated Development

Although potential governmental lands for integrated development with railway projects surely
exist peripheries of railway lines as shown in Figure 2.4.51, consensus needs to be made among
the relevant agencies. While areas registered as industrial use are mostly underutilized with
ample room for intensification of land use through mixed use development, such improvements
also require the coordination with landowners. Also, agricultural lands and green areas along
north portion of Circular Railway includes some potential for the integrated development with
on-going Circular Railway line upgrading project.

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Source: YCDC, SUDP, and YUTRA

Figure 2.4.51: Potential Sites for Integrated Development with Railway Projects
Integrated development includes social infrastructure and housing projects in addition to

commercial and mixed use development since enhancement on accessibility/mobility as well as
development of residential /commercial /business areas are essential to secure sufficient
ridership for sustainable railway operation and management. Since majority of the existing
railway stations lack sufficient feeder transport services and pedestrian access, roadway
improvement projects as well as local public transport service project need to be implemented
as a part of integrated development.

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Once owners of these governmental lands are able to coordinate to consolidate the land for the
integrated development, land value will be more increased and captured by the public sector in a
timely manner to implement relevant social infrastructure and housing projects.
While TOD (Transit Oriented Development) tends to be focused in site scale for limited station
area development such as commercial and mixed use development, it also needs to be
considered in city scale by a holistic manner through the integration with urban development in
terms social, economic and environmental aspects.
4) Port and Logistics

(I) Freight Transport
Container handling throughput at Yangon Inner Harbor has been significantly increasing due to
its rapid expansion of container area and became more than double amount in 2014 comparing
to the number in 2011 as shown in Figure 2.4.52. It follows that number of container trucks has
also been increasing and deteriorating traffic congestion in CBD area as well as the adjacent
areas of major truck routes shown in Figure 2.4.53. Although YUTRA proposed to relocate the
existing truck terminal to segregate the freight transport from inner city transport as shown in
Figure 2.4.53, relocation has not been implemented as of January 2017.
(TEU)
Source: Myanmar Port Authority
Figure 2.4.52: Container Handling Throughput in Yangon Inner Harbor and Thilawa Area

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Source: YUTRA
Figure 2.4.53: Improvements on Freight Truck Routes
(II) Passenger Transport

Since the Greater Yangon is divided by rivers and creeks, ferry service plays an important role
to connect CBD and surrounding areas. Currently IWT (Inland Water Transport) operates three
routes shown in Figure 2.4.54. Yangon-Dala route provides the most frequent services (46 round
trip a day from 5:00 to 21:30) that carry 27,200 people a day on average according to the latest
data (from April 2015 to March 2016).

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Source: YUTRA, IWT

Figure 2.4.54: Ferry Route across Yangon River
Table 2.4.48: Profiles of Ferry Routes across Yangon River

Passenger
No. of Ave. No. of Daily
No. Route Fare
Round-trips/day Passengers*
(MMK)
1 Pansodan Jetty ⇔ Dala Port 100 46 27,200
2 Kai Tan Jetty ⇔ Kha Naung To 200 8 2,174
3 Wadan ⇔ Dala Port Jetty ( Car Ferry) 100 10 284
* Average passengers from April 2015 to March 2016
Source: IWT
Table 2.4.49: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Urban Transport & Logistics)
26th Aug 2016 (Fri) Meeting with City Planning & Office of Deputy  Current status of urban development
Land Administration Head of Department projects relevant to urban transport
Department (Urban Planning)
31st Aug 2016 Meeting with City Planning & City Planning & Land  Current status of compilation of road
(Wed) Land Administration Administration and land use data including
Department (Urban Planning) Department availability of GIS data
1st Sep 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Engineering Engineering  Building regulation relevant to urban
Department (Building) of Department transport
YCDC  Recent trend of construction
permission
3rd Sep 2016 (Sat) Field Survey Project Area  Field survey of public housing
development projects and their
impact on transport
22nd, 23rd Nov (Tue, Field Survey Station Areas of  Field survey of existing conditions at
Wed) Yangon Circular major stations along Yangon Circular
Railway Railway
1) Urban Transport Management

As previously described, YRTA was started to be organized in 2016 to manage urban transport
in a holistic manner. Base law to stipulate YRTA was also approved in 2016 and according to
the law, YRTA was officially established in January 2017. While new traffic signals and new

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traffic control center were constructed in 2016, the center has not started its operation yet as of
January 2017.
2) Road Network
In addition to the completion of Bayint Naung Bridge, construction of Thaketa Bridge, planning
of Dala Bridge and Bago River Bridge as previously mentioned, improvements on several
arterial roads and bridges have been implemented. Main road No.3 was widened to 4 lane road
and upgrade of Main Road No.4 is currently under planning. Road widening for Thilawa SEZ
Access road (from 2 to 4 lanes) is currently under bidding.
3) Railway
Japanese ODA Loan agreement was signed in October 2015 for upgrading Yangon Circular
Railway and relevant JICA studies are currently underway aiming for the completion of
upgrading by 2020. Phase 1 section (Yangon-Taungoo) of Yangon-Mandalay Railway
Improvement Project has also been under implementation since Japanese ODA Loan agreement
signed in September 2014.
4) Port and Logistics

Further expansion of port terminals has been implemented in waterfront areas adjacent to CBD
and deteriorates traffic congestion in CBD area.

Future urban transport network has been proposed considering the impact by major urban
development projects. Further details of the existing and proposed transport and logistic
networks are described in the report prepared by YUTRA Study.

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2.5 CBD Renovation
(1) Existing Condition
1) Population
CBD is formed six townships. Sule Pagoda, YCDC, many heritage buildings and Maha
Bandoola Park are located in Kyauktada Township. Bogyoke Aung San Market and Indian
Town are located in Pabedan Township. New development projects named “Landmark Project”
and “Junction City” are located in this township. Yangon General Hospital and China Town are
located in Latha Township. Lanmadaw Township is located western edge of CBD. Institute of
Nursing, University of Medicine and New Yangon General Hospital are located in this township.
Botahtaung Township is located eastern edge of CBD. Pazundang Market (YCDC) is located in
Pazundang Township.

Figure 2.5.1: Boundary of Six Townships in CBD
Existing population and density of each township is shown in following Table 2.5.1. Density of
Kyauktada, Pazuntaung and Pabedan Township is over 400 Persons/ha. Many vacant lands are
located in Botahtaung Township and density is 171 Persons/ha. Density of Yangon is 71
persons/ha, six townships densities are higher than average density of Yangon.
Table 2.5.1: Population and Density of CBD

Area
Population Density
Area (km2) Area (ha)
(2014) (Persons/ha)
Total 6.95 695 224,856 -
Kyauktada 0.60 60 29,853 498
Botahtaung 2.40 240 40,995 171
Pazuntaung 1.01 101 48,455 480
Lannmadaw 1.41 141 47,160 334
Latha 0.77 77 25,057 325
Pabedan 0.76 76 33,336 439
Yangon 1,036.00 103,600 7,360,703 71
Source: The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, Yangon Region: Area, Wikipedia

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Numbers of households and household size are shown in following Table 2.5.2. Female-headed
household ratio of Yangon Region is 24.3%, and six townships of CBD are over 30%.
Household size of Yangon Region is 4.4 persons/family. Botahtaung and Pazuntaung Townships
household size is same as Yangon Region. Kyauktada, Lannmadaw and Latha Townships are
lower than Yangon Region.
Table 2.5.2: Conventional households and household size

Conventional households Population in ・・・・
Female- Female-headed Conventional Mean household
Number Male-headed Institutions
headed households households size
Total 44,458 28,835 15,623 35.1% 193,553 31,303 4.4
Kyauktada 6,120 3,779 2,341 38.3% 25,754 4,099 4.2
Botahtaung 8,397 5,872 2,525 30.1% 36,661 4,334 4.4
Pazuntaung 10,306 6,873 3,433 33.3% 45,347 3,108 4.4
Lannmadaw 8,599 5,418 3,181 37.0% 36,302 10,858 4.2
Latha 4,473 2,679 1,794 40.1% 18,161 6,896 4.1
Pabedan 6,563 4,214 2,349 35.8% 31,328 2,008 4.8
Yangon 1,582,944 1,199,003 383,941 24.3% 6,949,440 411,263 4.4
Source: The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, Yangon Region
Selected age groups and dependency ratio are shown in following Table 2.5.3. Total dependency
of Yangon Region is 24.3%. Six townships dependency ratio is under 29%. Old dependency
ratio of CBD is 7 to 9%. These ratios are higher than Yangon Region ratio. Child dependency
ratio is lower than Yangon Region.
Table 2.5.3: Selected Age Groups Structure and Dependency Ratios

Selected age groups and dependency ratios
Total Child dependency Old dependency
0-14 15-64 65-
dependency ratio ratio ratio
Kyauktada 4,287 22,744 2,822 24% 14% 9%
Botahtaung 7,105 30,926 2,964 25% 17% 7%
Pazuntaung 8,177 36,300 3,978 25% 17% 8%
Lannmadaw 5,565 37,879 3,716 20% 12% 8%
Latha 2,735 19,986 2,336 20% 11% 9%
Pabedan 5,945 24,577 2,814 26% 18% 8%
Yangon 1,725,413 5,219,941 415,349 29% 23% 6%
Type of ownership of CBD is shown in following Table 2.5.4. Renter ratio of Yangon Region is
27.5%, and six townships renter ratio is lower than YRG Quarters of Botahtaung Township is
2,165 families. It is a characteristic of Botahtaung Township.
Table 2.5.4: Type of Ownership

Type of ownership
Provided free Government Private Company
Total Owner Renter (Ratio) Other
(individually) Quarters Quarters
Kyauktada 6,120 4,207 1,321 21.6% 151 354 32 55
Botahtaung 8,397 4,468 1,337 15.9% 227 2,165 93 107
Pazuntaung 10,306 6,866 2,552 24.8% 321 365 53 149
Lannmadaw 8,599 5,394 1,912 22.2% 343 750 84 116
Latha 4,473 3,192 834 18.6% 170 244 20 13
Pabedan 6,563 4,937 1,215 18.5% 246 82 32 51
Yangon 1,582,944 1,020,778 387,853 27.5% 53,856 77,333 20,288 22,836

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2) Land use (Building use)

The CBD is the central area of Yangon built during the British rule, formed by the grid‐like
street from east to west around the Sule Pagoda Street. For the survey on the present uses of
buildings, the buildings in CBD were examined according to 13 kinds of uses.
According to the results, the central part of CBD has intensive use for commercial and business
purposes along Sule Pagoda Street. Commercial and business land uses are also predominant in
the roadside of Strand and Kon Zay Dan streets. The buildings in the central part of CBD
follows a patter where the lower floors of a building are for commercial and business uses,
while the middle and higher floors are for residential use. However, as one moves away from
Sule Pagoda Street to the east or west, the ratio of apartment buildings (no commercial use on
the lower floors) becomes higher.
Source: JICA Study Team based on YCDC

Figure 2.5.2: Current Condition of Building Use
In the by‐laws of the YCDC, the height of buildings within the CBD is regulated. According to
the findings of the building survey on the number of stories in CBD, even the high‐rise
buildings along the arterial roads, the building height is restricted to be less than twice on the
front road width. The height ratio of the buildings to the front road within the inner blocks is
regulated with a higher height limit of 2.5 times as that of the front road.

Figure 2.5.3: Current Condition of Building Height

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3) Traffic condition
CBD road network forms five arterial roads (west – east) and six arterial roads (north – south).
Bogyoke Aung San, Anawrahta, Maha Bandoola, Merchant and Strand Streets are arterial roads
(west – east). Pyay, Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, Pansodan, Thein Phyu and Lower
Pazundaung Roads are arterial roads (north – south).
The streets are in a grid pattern at right angles, and neighborhood streets (first to fifty-seven)
connect Bogyoke Aung San, Anawrahta, Maha Bandoora and Kanner Road.

Figure 2.5.4: Road Network of CBD
(2) Historic Buildings

‘Yangon is the only city in Asia with its historic core [an estimated 2,000 properties that date
back from before 1950] largely intact, primarily as a result of decades of political and economic
isolation. The city’s historic core reflects the rich and cosmopolitan past of the city: pre-
colonial structures such as pagodas and temples, grand mansions and administrative buildings
dating back to the colonial period and important 20th century architectural heritage. In a
long-denied striving for modernization, many of the original properties are now being
demolished to make way for modern buildings. Almost invariably this means that original 4-6
story historic properties are being replaced by modern 8-12 story structures transforming the
cityscape at a rapid pace, thus putting pressure on the public infrastructure. Local livelihood is
changing, developers move in, original residents move out with a severe impact on the
cityscape.’
‘In an environment where legislation is still being developed and market forces prevail, new
development is happening abruptly, often distorting the urban fabric and uprooting the local
community. In addition, physical improvements are often confined to buildings only, without
much if any, improvement to the public and common spaces. Given the speed of change
occurring in the historic core of the city, there is only a short window of opportunity before the
unique character of Yangon’s city center will be lost forever.’

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Notes: Pre-Feasibility Study in three pilot areas’ (Cities Development initiative for Asia (CDIA), YCDC, YHT, April 2016)
Source: Historic Plan of Yangon (Rangoon) 1911
Figure 2.5.5: Introduction from ‘Heritage-led Urban Regeneration in Yangon
The built heritage of Yangon is varied and extensive. It includes the early pagoda structures
which marked the focal points of the early settlements along the river edge, and the city which
was planned around them in the 19th century. The latter comprises not only the grid-iron layout
of streets, laid out in the 19th century, but also the greener areas to the north to Inya Lake and
beyond. There are significant buildings and structures in this area which are also to the heritage
of the area.
The Heritage of the area comprises the tangible – buildings and structures - and also the
intangible heritage - the communities and rich culture which has grown from inhabiting the city
and which is the result of over 150 years of settlement by a variety of ethnic, cultural and
religious groups which make up the current population.
The legacy is a heritage which is unique in South East Asia.
1) ‘Heritage Buildings’
To be listed as a heritage building and given legal protection, historic buildings in Myanmar
have to be of historic or cultural significance, publicly owned and over 100 years old. 189 such
buildings are listed in Greater Yangon. A large proportion of these are in the CBD.

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Table 2.5.5: Distribution of Listed Heritage Buildings, Yangon City (reproduced from SUDP 2013, YCDC
(JICA))
Commercial Bldg
No. Township Religious Buildings
Social Bldg
/
Institution
Residential
Buddhism
Christian
Chinese
Muslim
Admin
Hindu
others
Ratio
Total
1 Latha 2 1 1 3 7 3.7%
2 Lanmadaw 2 3 1 1 7 3.7%
3 Pabedan 6 2 1 2 1 5 5 1 23 12.2%
4 Kyauktada 33 1 2 1 2 39 20.6%
5 Botahtaung 3 3 2 1 9 4.8%
6 Pazundaung 1 1 1 1 4 2.1%
7 Ahlone 1 1 0.5%
8 Kyee Myin Daing 1 1 1 3 1.6%
9 Sanchaung 1 2 2 5 1 1 12 6.3%
10 Dagon 2 5 1 3 6 17 9.0%
11 Bahan 2 2 3 5 12 6.3%
12 Tarmwe 1 2 3 1.6%
13 Mingalar Taung Nyunt 1 3 3 2 9 4.8%
14 Kamaryut 17 1 1 19 10.1%
15 Hlaing 1 1 0.5%
16 Yankin 1 3 4 2.1%
17 Thingangyun 1 2 3 1.6%
18 Mayangone 3 3 1.6%
19 Insein 3 3 1 7 3.7%
20 Mingalardon 1 2 2 5 2.6%
21 North Okkalapa 1 1 0.5%
Total 52 39 3 3 22 29 14 16 9 2 189 100%
27.5%
20.6%
15.3%
11.6%
100%
1.6%
1.6%
7.4%
8.5%
4.8%
1.1%
Notes: Administrative and Institutional Building: Offices, medical centers, etc.

Social Buildings: Schools, hospitals, etc. Commercial Buildings: Hotels, markets, etc.
Source: Edited from the YCDC Heritage Buildings List

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Figure 2.5.6: Protected Heritage buildings - Sule Pagoda and Ministers’ Building (Secretariat)
Not represented on the list of protected heritage buildings are a wide range of other historic
buildings which have heritage merit but do not confirm with the criteria adopted for listing e.g.
they may be in private ownership or less than 100 years old.

Figure 2.5.7: Residential buildings such as these are an important part of the character of the city
but are not currently protected by listing

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As indicated in the introduction, the character of Yangon’s historic core, now its CBD, is created
not just by high quality individual buildings but by a range of elements which make up the
anatomy of the city center – including the grid of streets and their hierarchy; the discipline and
consistent scale of the traditional buildings on those streets; the different building types; and key
views and vistas.
Currently there is a significant gap between the historic buildings which are protected by law,
and the much wider extent and nature of the historic legacy which gives Yangon its unique
character.
Below is a summary of current legal protection for historic built environment.
2) Heritage Legislation
Measures to protect cultural heritage in Myanmar date from the early period of the country’s
independence after World War 2. Those measures were put in place to protect antiquities which
defined the nation’s history and identity. However, that protection was limited.
(I) “The Antiquities Act” (Ministry of Culture, 1957)

The 1957 Antiquities Act of Myanmar acknowledges the protection of places of worship.
In common with other countries seeking to protect heritage, the first step in Myanmar was to
protect antiquities which define the nation’s origins and identity. The law allows the government
to decide on a case-by-case basis on the preservation status of a monument. In April 2015, the
Government of Myanmar released two heritage protection bills which modify the 1957
Antiquities Act.
The bills protect “…more than 100-year-old buildings and antiquities across the
country—either above or below the ground and water—that have historic, cultural, artistic,
antique and archaeological values.
‘Penalties for damaging, removing or destroying heritage buildings and objects would be
tougher than under the 1957 Act. The Protection and Conservation of Ancient Buildings Bill
states anyone who destroys or damages protected buildings could face prison terms of between
1–7 years.’
(II) The Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law

(Ministry of Culture, 1998, amended 2009)
The process of property designation and property listing on the National Heritage Register are
the two currently available operational tools for identifying and protecting historic assets. This
law applies to places which have been designated as Protected Areas and ancient buildings or
monuments. To achieve this designation the building or monument must be older than 100
years.
A list of 189 designated heritage buildings in Yangon was published in 2001. Whilst this is a
step forward in protecting the heritage of Yangon, the law has a number of limitations.
The 100 years old threshold means that a large number of Yangon’s 20th century heritage
remains unprotected. In particular the rule means that Yangon’s heritage from the post-war
period – the early years of Myanmar’s independence from British rule – is not protected. This
was a period of considerable activity in forging a new state and identity which was reflected in
the architecture of the period, and there are some notable buildings from this period which could
be worthy of protection.

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3) Draft / Proposed Heritage Legislation

(I) Historic Building chapter in Myanmar National Building Code (MNBC)
(MOC, provisional 2015)
Where a permit is being sought for development proposed to a ‘listed’ heritage place or property,
a conservation management plan and heritage impact assessment may be required.
The purpose of the Historic Building chapter (HBC) is to provide regulation to guide works
affecting heritage places during conservation, restoration, rehabilitation, relocation,
reconstruction, adaptation; or new works to buildings or properties designated as heritage places
or properties within heritage conservation areas.
The CDIS report indicates that ‘When passed this piece of legislation will be a major
breakthrough in the protection of heritage buildings. According to "Regulations for Historical
Buildings (Historical Building Chapter, HBC)”(provisional), authorities can designate areas of
significant historical, social, cultural, architectural and scientific values to protect the nature
and character of the urban heritage conservation areas, and the developer to submit heritage
impact assessment or/and conservation management plan when proposing interventions to
historic properties.
The CDIS report indicates that the law – as other heritage legislation - only applies to the 189
‘listed’ buildings in Yangon, all of which are said to be in public ownership. It does not apply to
buildings in private ownership – including many of high architectural quality. It does not
therefore guarantee the protection of buildings which might contribute to the special character
and appearance of a heritage area within a dense urban context, such as Yangon’s CBD.
(II) Draft Yangon Urban Heritage Conservation Law (YHT 2013) – not yet
enacted
This draft law was submitted to the Regional Government by YHT in 2013 to address the lack
of sufficient legal background for all categories of urban heritage in the Union level “Cultural
Heritage Regions Law”. However, it has not yet been enacted.
(3) YHT Activities

YHT is a Non-Governmental Organization promoting the conservation of Yangon’s unique
urban heritage through advocacy, research and projects. It was founded in 2012 by Dr. Thant
Myint-U and a group of like-minded architects, business people, historians, at the occasion of a
conference “Towards a Conservation Strategy for Yangon in the 21st Century” at which national
and international experts, civil society leaders, and government ministers recognized the
urgency of Yangon’s quickly disappearing heritage. In a time-span of only three years YHT has
grown from a small group of volunteers to a mature organization with a full-time staff of 15
historians, architects and administrative personnel. YHT is supervised by a board of 12 of the
country’s leading practitioners in the field of planning and architecture. YHT’s activities can be
broadly be divided in the following three categories:
1) Advocacy & Policy Development

YHT is taking a pro-active role in developing planning guidelines for the downtown area: they
are not only advisors on the various committees currently drafting new zoning and land-use
plans, but perhaps more importantly, have taken the initiative to draft legislation to best guide
development, such as:

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 Proposed Downtown Conservation Area - YHT has been the key advocate for a
designated heritage area with height and density controls in the downtown area. The
proposed Downtown Conservation Area covers approximately 2 km2 and contains almost
3,000 buildings, of which 40% were built before 1945.
Source: YHT Special Development Plan

Figure 2.5.8: Location of proposed Downtown Conservation Area (in red)
Source: YHT 2016

Figure 2.5.9: Boundary of Proposed Downtown Conservation Area

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 Yangon Urban Heritage Conservation Law - YHT was asked to assist in the drafting of
Myanmar’s first urban heritage conservation law. This was submitted to the Regional
Government in May 2013 and allows, for the first time, urban heritage places such as
buildings, parks, streetscapes, conservation areas, moveable objects and archaeological
sites to be considered as heritage items. It does not mandate an age by which a place can be
considered valuable but instead acknowledges that Yangon’s urban heritage has an
evolving and diverse value for the community.
 Advocacy for amendment/expansion of 189 list – YHT hopes that the 189 lists will
become part of its proposed Yangon Urban Heritage Conservation Law and be expanded to
include not only individual buildings but several conservation areas where neighborhoods
and streetscapes have a collective heritage value. YHT’s work has shown that there are
many thousands of individual heritage buildings in Yangon and that an area-based
approach, providing protection for districts and neighborhoods is required to properly
manage Yangon’s unique urban heritage.
Source: YHT 2016

Figure 2.5.10: Area of proposed Downtown Conservation Area and Height Controls
 Heritage-led urban regeneration in Yangon: Pre-Feasibility Study in three pilot areas

Final Report 05 April 2016. – This study (the PFS) was to precede the preparation of the
Special development Plan (see below). The main focus of the Pre-Feasibility Study was to
assess the feasibility of potential tools and instruments that could allow for urban
regeneration/adaptive re-use intervention that is more respectful of the historic fabric
compared to the current practice of site clearance and new build real estate development.
o One commercial/cultural area (Pansodan Cluster)

o Two typical residential areas (Shwe Bontha and Bogalayzay Cluster)
The team was able to broadly distinguish three types of properties (together representing
nearly 30 million sqft in the proposed Downtown Conservation Area, roughly three
quarters of the historic urban fabric) which each merit their own intervention approach.
o 1. Typical tenement buildings with apartment units in private ownership

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o 2. Privately owned (former) commercial/industrial properties that are currently

underutilised/vacant
o 3. Publicly owned properties that are currently underutilised/vacant
Source: Pre-Feasibility Study 2016, CDIA/YCDC/YHT

Figure 2.5.11: Appropriate Intervention Approaches and Tools for different building types
While the primary focus of this study was on privately owned buildings, the study also
investigated redevelopment opportunities of publicly owned properties and sites and potential
for partnerships between public and private sectors. It looked in detail at three pilot areas within
the CBD.
It concluded that a heritage-led approach was financially viable for certain building types and
proposed approaches and financial tailored instruments which would make the renovation and
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adaptive re-use of other building types attractive to owners and investors. The pre-feasibility
study provides evidence to support to Yangon Heritage Strategy.
 The Yangon Heritage Strategy (formerly known as the Special Development Plan) -
YHT started the process in 2015 by leading a multidisciplinary team of local and
international experts to bring together a plan for wider Yangon with a focus on the
proposed Downtown Conservation Area. The models and approaches to be put forward in
this plan are meant to provide ideas for Myanmar Government and YCDC in forming a
foundation to make decisions about the appropriateness of new developments, their
location, scale and impact in the coming five years, an important transitional period for the
development of the city. The plan was published on 12 September and will be reviewed at
the next stage of the SUDP study.
 Conservation Management Plan (CMP) - YHT has been instrumental in making
Conservation Management Plan (CMP) a compulsory requirement for development of the
city’s iconic historic buildings. Two examples are:
o The Secretariat - Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) required the site’s lease
holder, Anwamar Group, to submit a CMP. YHT worked closely with Anawmar on
the conservation guidelines within the plan which was executed by Edinburgh-based
heritage consultancy, Simpson and Brown.
o New Law Courts - Prime Residence - the developer of the New Law Courts site –
also needed to submit a CMP as part of the approval process to convert the NLC into
a Kempinski Hotel. This is plan was undertaken by Purcell, out of their Hong Kong
office. YHT acted as an advisor on the CMP process.
2) Example Renovation Projects

YHT has initiated and advised renovation
projects to showcase how respectful
upgrading of historic building can be
done in the Yangon context. These
projects go beyond physical restoration of
buildings and emphasize a holistic
approach to preserving the spirit and
vitality of neighborhood life with special
attention to social exchange and
environmental impact. Some recent
examples:
 Merchant Road Restoration
Project – This joint project with
Turquoise Mountain Foundation, Source: JICA Study Team
Canadian Department of Foreign Figure 2.5.12: 491-501 Merchant Road
Affairs and Global Heritage Fund is
restoring a historic building at 491-501 Merchant Street which is over 100 years old, and
has a mix of commercial and residential uses. The restoration project which was completed
mid-2016 engages the public and government in a conscious decision making process
regarding the development of Downtown Yangon and will provide an example to drive the
sympathetic conservation of other historic Downtown buildings.

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 Yangon General Hospital – YHT is closely involved as an advisor to the architect’s team
working on the restoration and upgrading of the Yangon General Hospital. The team has
adopted a sympathetic approach to the renovation works which stems from the decision to
use the original buildings as recovery wards while moving the major operating theatres and
care wards to new buildings.
 Chin Tsong Palace (State Fine Arts School) – YHT was asked by the Ministry of Culture
to provide advice on how to ensure the long-term conservation and use of the State Fine
Arts School (the former Chin Tsong Palace). The site is one of the most ornate and
impressive heritage buildings in Yangon. The Ministry are hoping to allow limited
commercial use of the site to fund future conservation.
 Former Reserve Bank of India - YHT is part of the review committee on the current
adaptation of the former Reserve Bank of India into Myanmar’s first stock exchange.
 U Thant House – YHT assisted with the renovation of the residence of former United
Nations Secretary – General U Thant. The house, which belongs to the government is a
colonial era building which has been renovated for reuse as a museum dedicated to the life
of U Thant, as well as a center for public events, such as lectures and seminars.
 Waziya Cinema - Waziya is the oldest cinema in Yangon and is situated the heart of what
was once known as “cinema row” in the center of the city. YHT is advising Myanmar
Motion Picture Association (MMPA) in their plans to renovate and restore the historical
Waziya into a modern cinema and performance arts space in the center of Yangon.
 Government Press Building – YHT made a design study for the Ministry of Information
for repurposing of the Printing and Publishing Enterprise building (formerly Government
Press) at the ground floor level incorporating new public bookshops, cafes, restaurant,
multipurpose spaces, car parking and garden courtyard spaces.
3) Public Engagement & Education

A large part of YHT’s work is recording Yangon’s tangible and intangible heritage and sharing
this knowledge to build awareness on the value of heritage. YHT’s research and educational
outreach activities about Yangon’s history and heritage are fundamental to reconnecting
residents and locals with the buildings around them. Selected examples:
 Blue Plaques – commemorative plaques around Yangon to highlight historical buildings
and renowned residents
 Heritage Walking Tours - for both locals and international visitors. YHT tours are
conducted by YHT’s trained tour guides with anecdotes and insights into the history of
both buildings and residents. All funds raised through the tours supports YHT’s continued
advocacy efforts.
 Exhibitions - “Global City: Yangon’s Past, Present and Future” exhibition sponsored by
Prudential showing more than 120 photographs exposing Yangon as the hub of many of the
key events in the history of Myanmar revealing Yangon’s cosmopolitan past and present.
 Outreach Projects - YHT - with the assistance of the New Zealand government - initiated
a project to study local residents’ opinion on the city that they call home. Polaroid cameras
were provided to take pictures of things that residents in three townships value and things
they dislike within their environment.
 Trainings & Workshops - YHT regularly initiatives training and capacity building in a
variety of topics from cultural mapping to conservation techniques and 3D rendering,
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typically in collaboration with industry associations like AMA or MES, local universities
(YTU, MTU), and/or international universities (HKU, University of Pennsylvania) or
architectural practices.
(4) YHT and YCDC

YHT works closely with YCDC. The following extract from the CDIA report describes the
relationship:
‘Although coming from a different perspective, the two organizations are very much aligned and
there is strong mutual respect. Both are very committed and have substantial leverage but
limited capacity to undertake the work required. They understand the argumentation of the
advocates of a ‘different approach to development’ in the historic core very well and they
recognize the only way to convince them is with well-substantiated alternatives for which they
have limited resources and manpower.’
‘The two organizations work together in many aspects of what could become the first generation
of legislation to manage the city’s heritage assets. The collaboration manifests itself at different
levels. In the first place there are the formal arrangements:
 YCDC and YHT together with representatives from the Department of Human Settlements
and Housing Development (DHSHD), the Ministry of Science and Technology, Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), various Union and Regional level ministries and
the Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA) – sit on the zoning committee for Yangon,
established in 2013 to update the current planning framework and consider a
comprehensive height control and zoning plan for the city of Yangon.
 Both are involved in the formulation of the National Building Code that was kick-started
in July 2011, as a result of a joint initiative between MOC and UN-Habitat, the Myanmar
Engineering Society. This four years project was completed with a Provisional Building
Code in 2015 that included specific articles on heritage buildings (see chapter 5.2).
Addtionally YHT advises redrafting other pieces of legislation relevant to the urban built
environment such Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law
[1998] and the Antiquities Act [1957] as well as Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC)
controls for development/investment of places with heritage significance in Yangon.’
In addition, there is a continuous working relationship in which the YCDC Planning Unit
typically consults YHT for matters concerning heritage in general and the downtown area
specifically, such as demolitions, listing and heritage impact assessments.
In the past years there has been a number of capacity building initiatives that have further
strengthened the working relationship. Examples are joint capacity building trajectories by UN
Habitat (2014) and NUFFIC (June 2014) as well as a more comprehensive EU funded capacity
improvement program (2013-15) aimed at strengthening institutional and operational capacities
of both organizations in three key areas:
 Enhance quality of urban planning and practice, in particular heritage planning framework;
 Make planning processes more inclusive and accessible to citizens, including awareness
raising for heritage conservation; and
 Provide capacity building, data and software to embark on an inventory of heritage
buildings.
What transpired from these collaborative capacity building and research initiatives was the
urgency of the situation, the unique window of opportunity and the need for guidance on
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financial and legal tools and instruments to better guide development in the historic core, but
perhaps most important, the willingness of YHT and YCDC’s Planning Unit to join forces in
progressing this agenda.
2.5.2 Policy for CBD Development

After previous SUDP was published, many urban development projects are planned and implemented.
Based on this situation, development policy and the plan are required to realize economically active
and environmentally livable CBD of Yangon. In this section, development policies on 4 key sectors
such as “Transportation and Road”, “Urban and Infrastructure Development”, “Heritage and Cityscape”
and “Urban amenity and Tourism” are shown.
(1) Transportation and Road

“Easy to Move” and “Fun to Walk”
One of the most serious urban problems of CBD in
Yangon is chronic traffic congestion. Since many urban
functions (such as commercial, office, residence
administrative facilities) are accumulated in CBD, so
many traffic is concentrating to the CBD. For the reason,
traffic congestion is occurred not only traffic peak hour
(morning and evening commuting time), but also other
daytime along main roads. This situation gives bad effect
on walkability of CBD.
It is required that not only reduction of traffic volume in
CBD through consideration of well-management of
public transportation and so on, but also development of Source: JICA Study Team
Figure 2.5.13: Traffic Congestion of
pedestrian-friendly walkway network. To improve current
Main Road in CBD
traffic congestion, and provide better environment to
pedestrians, “Easy to Move” and “Fun to Walk” is
proposed as a development policy for Transportation and Road sector.
(2) Urban and Infrastructure Development

“Good for living” and “Resilience City”
CBD was developed downtown of Yangon in the middle of the 19th century by Alexander Fraser who
was an army engineer from England. After the first development of the downtown, infrastructure had
not been reconstructed over 100 years. For example, wastewater in YCDC is collected by ejector
system which was constructed by British in 1890. This system has been utilized continuously with
periodical modifications for approximately 120 years. Road network of CBD is not changed over 100
years. Many buildings pass 50 years and some of them are over 100 years from establishment.
Although YCDC is improving infrastructure of CBD, the work is still covered only some parts of the
area and more investment is required to renew old infrastructure. On the other hand, economic activity
by private company is pointing also to CBD, improvement of infrastructure is identified as a urgent
urban problem. Since this work provides not only better living environment but also disaster resilient
space for locals, “Good for living” and “Resilience City” is proposed as development policy of
Urban Infrastructure Development sector.

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Old Building with Rubbish at Flooding in CBD

Weak Infrastructure Backyard of CBD

Figure 2.5.14: Current Living Problems in CBD
(3) Heritage and Cityscape

“Conservation Area” and “Restore the building while living”
As total, 183 historical buildings are located in CBD.
And some of them are accumulated along center of CBD
(Pansodan Street, Maha Bandoola Park Street, Bank
Street and Sule Pagoda Road).
Many new buildings are constructed in CBD. Various
design, material and color of buildings are constructed
and the landscape of CBD changes with it. Asian cities
such as Jakarta, Manila, Singapore lost old buildings and
historic area for new development. Batavia that is old
center area of Jakarta restarts to repair old buildings. Old
buildings and cityscape including such old buildings are
very important. In this plan, policies of Heritage and
Figure 2.5.15: A Historical Building in
Cityscape are “Conservation Area” and “Restore the
CBD
building while living”.
(4) Urban Amenity and Tourism

“Most Comfortable Place in Asia”
and “Golden Place for tourist”
The number of visitors to Myanmar is small. This is
primarily due to its current political situation. However,
after the junta transferred power to the civilian
government, the tourism sector saw an increase in
tourism arrivals and in 2012, and tourist arrivals
surpassed the one million marks for the first time. CBD Source: JICA Study Team
has much attractions. Heritage buildings, Sule Pagoda, Figure 2.5.16: Cityscape with Big
Market, Street venders, restaurants and Hotels. Billboards in CBD
Disadvantages of the CBD for tourist destination of
CBD are narrow pedestrian, unhygienic outdoor eateries, confusing directions or tourist information.
CBD is an area that is worth to accept a lot of tourists. In this plan, policies of Urban Amenity and
Tourism are “Most Comfortable Place in Asia” and “Golden Place for tourist”.
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2.5.3 Necessary Actions
(1) Transportation and Road
1) Car Traffic (Inflow) Control

CBD has eleven entrances and fourteen lanes for entrance and same lanes for exit. In CBD, road
network forms four one way roads (Bogyoke Aung San Road and Maha Bandoola Road for
west to east, Anawrahta Road and Marchant Road for east to west) and five two way roads
(Pyay Road, Shwe Dagon Pagoda Road, Sule Pagoda Road, Pansodan Road and Thein Phyu
Road) for north to south. Fundamental problems are following.
 Characteristics of road network of CBD is that north-south roads density is high and
east-west roads density is low. Almost east-west traffic must use only five roads
 Some functions of CBD (such as markets, Theingyi Market and around the market), offices,
commercial and wholesale (material of construction and electrical accessories) are
concentrated in west area of Sule Pagoda Road
 Center of population of CBD will be pointed west area from Sule Pagoda Road
 Parking system of CBD is also a factor traffic congestion. About 20,000 parking lots are
located on the road in CBD, but all of these parking lots are for residences. Now CBD
needs pay-by-the-hour parking lots.
(I) Construction of Multi-modal Node Facilities

(Target: 4 Main Points, Central Station, Kandawgalay, Puzundaung and
Thakin Mya Park)
About 26 lanes of road for car traffic are networked for entrance of CBD, and same as for exit.
First step is to control the point of entry for private cars which their destination is in CBD. JICA
Study Team proposes multi-modal node facilities and car parking near these 11 entrances.
Figure 2.5.17 shows the existing 11 entrance locations and cross sections of 11 roads:

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C D
E F
B G H I J
A
K
Section R.O.W. Num. of Lane Section R.O.W. Num. of Lane

A 30.5 m 6 lanes (3 lanes each) G 32.45 m 8 lanes (4 lanes each)
B 28.8 m 4 lanes (2 lanes each) H 17.2 m 4lanes (2 lanes each)
C 11.8 m 2 lanes (1lane each) I 22.4 m 4lanes (2 lanes each)
D 28.7 m 5 lanes (2 & 3 lanes) J 22.4 m 4lanes (2 lanes each)
E 17.3 m 4 lanes (2 lanes each) K 16.6 m 4lanes (2 lanes each)
F 32.5 m 6 lanes (3lanes each)
Figure 2.5.17: Existing Entrance Roads of CBD
JICA Study Team proposes six multi-modal node facilities and car parking. It is very easy to
access these facilities by car because of closing with each entrance road. Car drivers and fellow
passengers change mean of transportation (car to bus). The followings are the locations of
multi-modal node facilities and car parking and existing condition of sites proposed for
facilities.

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C D
E
F J (6) Pazundaung
B G H I
Market
A
K
(1) Tha Khin

Mya Garden (2) Above Circular (5) Road
Railway Transport Dept.
(3) Pansodan Bridge (4) Kandawgalay
No.1 No.4
Name: Name:
Tha Khin Mya Garden Kandawkalay
Area: 2.7 ha Area: 1.5 ha
Remarks:
Undergrounding Remarks:
Multi-stories
No.2 No.5
Name: Above Circular Name: Land of Road &
Railway Transport Dept.
Area: 1,800m * 15m Area: N/A
Remarks: Development
above railway line Remarks:
Multi-stories
No.3 No.6
Name: Name:
Pansodan Bridge Pazundaung Market
Area: 0.6 ha Area: 1.5 ha
Remarks:
Develop above railway Remarks:
line Multi-stories

Figure 2.5.18: Location and Current Situation of Proposed Sites for Parking
(II) Introduction of Restriction Entry (Road Pricing System)

Road pricing system is one of effective way that can control the traffic volume of CBD. This is
a first step to solve the traffic congestion. JICA Study Team proposes two road pricing systems
and the contents are following.

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Table 2.5.6: Road Pricing Systems

Title Content Remarks
ERP ERP is an Electronic Road Pricing System used in

managing road congestion. Based on a pay-as-you-use
(Electronic Road principle, motorists are charged when they use priced
Pricing) roads during peak hours.
ERP rates vary for different roads and time periods

depending on local traffic conditions. This encourages
motorists to change their mode of transport, travel route
or time of travel.
（Photo : Singapore）
Odd-even license By the end of number of the license plate, it is a way to

plate system control the amount of motor vehicles entering the CBD.
Residents living in the CBD will be outside the scope of
this system. In case of odd number day, cars that plates
are even number, they can’t enter CBD, and they must
park the parking building on the edge of CBD.
（Photo : Jakarta）
(III) Provision Car Parking Buildings

In CBD, the capacity of parking lots is about 20,000. The numbers of family of CBD are about
40,000, existing capacity of parking lots is about 50% of the whole. This volume of parking lots
is for only resident, drivers for work, tourism, taking meal and shopping and need rental parking
lot by hour. JICA Study Team proposes some parking buildings in CBD.
Table 2.5.7: List of Proposal Parking Buildings

No. Name of parking building (Tentative) Location Area (ha)
1 Tha Khin Mya Garden underground car park Fringe of CBD 2.7 ha
2 Circular Bridge car park (above Circular Railway) Ditto 2.7 ha
3 Pansodan Bridge car park Ditto 0.6 ha
4 Kandawgalay car park Ditto 1.5 ha
5 Road Transport Department car park Ditto 3.8 ha
6 Pazundaung Market car park Ditto 1.5 ha
7 Bokalay Market car park Inner of CBD 0.1 ha
8 Chan Myae Market Ditto 0.3 ha
9 Maha Bandoola Park underground car park Ditto 2.6 ha

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2 4
6
1 8
3
9 7 5

Figure 2.5.19: The Location of Proposal Car Park
(IV) Step-wise Traffic Control

JICA Study Team proposes the method for suppressing traffic that flows into CBD. First step,
Electronic Road Pricing System (ERP) or Odd-even license plate system must be introduced for
controlling private car traffic. Second step is to introduce a transit point to transfer from car to
bus in multi-modal node facility and car park at the edge of CBD. The policy of restraining
traffic is shown in Figure 2.5.20.
Volume of Private car traffic
Road Pricing System Restraining of private car traffic

Electronic Road Pricing System (ERP) or
Odd-even license plate system
Restraining of private
Multi-Modal Node Facility and Car Park car traffic
Passengers can transfer car to bus or railway
smoothly. Other functions (Ex. shop, restaurant)
To CBD

Figure 2.5.20: Image of Restraining of Private Car Traffic

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2) Public Transportation Promotion

(I) Introduction of Circulation Bus
From 16th January 2017, Yangon’s new
Bus Service (YBS) has started. Bus routes
were reorganized 300 to 60, and 4,000
buses have been operating to all over
Yangon District. Six bus routes (Lower
Kyee Myin Daing Rd, Pyay Rd, Sule
Pagoda Rd, Thein Phyu Rd, Upper
Pazundaung Rd and Maha Bandoola Rd)
are accessed to CBD, and connect to three
circulation bus routes (located by Bogyo
Aung San Rd, Anawrahta Rd, Maha
Bandoola Rd, Merchant Rd and Kanner
Rd).
The new bus service has just started since
January and it is difficult to evaluate its
effect. However, based on this bus service,
JICA Study Team need to propose a better
bus service.
It is necessary to improve bus service by
interview to dissatisfactions and requests
of users.
JICA Study Team proposes some items
Source: YRTA HP (http://www.yangonbus.com/)
for a smooth bus service. One of item is
Figure 2.5.21: New Bus Route Map
Bus Lane. Bus lane is an effective way in
order to facilitate the traffic of bus. JICA
Study Team proposes to install bus lane in CBD arterial roads.

Figure 2.5.22: Photos of Bus Lane (existing road (CBD), Nagoya City and Jakarta City)
Shwedagon Pagoda Road is an old road from Shwedagon Pagoda to CBD. In the report of
“Yangon Heritage Strategy (YHT)”, this road is important road in Yangon City.
YCDC has a plan of Shwedagon Pagoda Road, too. First floor of Theingyi Market that locate in
front of Shwedagon Pagoda Road, JUNCTION City and Bogyoke Aung San Market are
connected with sky deck.

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Bogyoke Aung
San Market
Connect with Pedestrian Bridge

and first floor of Market
Pedestrian Bridge
(Widening)
Theingyi Market
Pedestrian Bridge (Renovation)
(Widening)
Connect with Pedestrian Bridge

and first floor of Market
New Shwedagon
Landing Park
Source: Yangon Heritage Strategy, YHT Source: JICA Study Team based on YCDC
Figure 2.5.23: A Vision for Yangon Figure 2.5.24: The Concept of Sky Deck
Shwedagon Pagoda Road is very important road for the plans of YHT and YCDC, and
Shwedagon Pagoda is a symbol of Myanmar people and destination for tourism of forging
countries. JICA Study Team proposes to improve the convenience of public transportation
system from Shwedagon Pagoda to CBD. This system can bring many worshippers and tourism
from Shwedagon Pagoda to Shwedagon Pagoda Landing Park. This system will transport
passenger for worship, sightseeing, shopping and work.
To improve the convenience

Shwedagon Pagoda
of public transportation
Phayalan New Ma Hlwa Gone
JUNCTION City
Theingyi Market
New Shwedagon
Landing Park

Figure 2.5.25: Image of New transportation system from Shwedagon Pagoda to Shwedagon Landing Park

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(II) Waterway Promotion

To install new Jetty on Pazundaung redevelopment project for commuting (New Pazundaung
Jetty will be connected with Bo Aung Gyaw Street and Sule Pagoda Wharf)
New Jetty
New Pazundaung
Jetty
Bo Aung Gyaw
Street Wharf

Figure 2.5.26: Image of New Tram from Shwedagon Pagoda to Shwedagon Landing Park
3) Arrangement of Parking on the Road and Street Venders

To relocate street venders to food court or new spot, and provide pedestrian spaces
YCDC has a plan of street venders’ relocation. New location is Site along Kanner Road. JICA
Study Team proposes that some car parking lots will be abolished and some car parking lots to
change their system. For example, Maha Bandoola Road car parking lots are at right angles to
the road, but we propose that car parking lots layout to be parallel to the road. With this change,
the width of the pedestrian will spread 3 m and become about 5 m.
Pavement Parking
Pavement Parking

Figure 2.5.27: Image of Maha Bandoola Road Elevation

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(2) Urban and Infrastructure Development
1) Introduction of Development Regulation and Control

(I) Implementation of the Zoning Code
Zoning Code of Yangon City has not yet been enforced. In the near future, the zoning code will
be approved by the government, and regulate the form of new building.
Source: YCDC
Figure 2.5.28: Zoning Code of CBD (Draft)
When Zoning Code is carried out, everybody must be able to access this information easily and
correctly. JICA Study Team proposes to make a space or room for reading Zoning Code. Urban
Redevelopment Authority (URA) in Singapore, Zoning Code information was edited and
everybody can access the code. In Singapore, those who wish can also question about the city
planning in URA. Figure 2.5.29 is a photo of URA. Left photo is Zoning Code Book and right
one is explanation of Master Plan of Singapore.

Figure 2.5.29: Zoning Code Book and Explanation Board of URA in Singapore

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(II) Establishment of Heritage Restoration Scheme and Guideline

Restoration of Heritage Buildings has been carried out in CBD. AYA Bank is next to YCDC
building. This building was restored with technical support from YHT. This building was built
in 1910 and housed the Rowe & Co. which is a department store in the first half of the 20th
century. For over 30 years it held the office of the Department of Immigration and Manpower
until 2005. This building applications have changed three times.
Source: YHT Exhibit in display space and HP

Figure 2.5.30: Existing AYA Bank (until 2005 Department of Immigration and Manpower)
On the other hand, there is a case that the building was restored without changing the use of the
building. These photos are indoors of 491-501 Merchant Street. This project was done by
Turquoise Mountain in partnership with YHT over the year leading to April 2016. This project
is different from AYA Bank Project. All residents and shops were not relocated to other places,
and after restoration, they moved back to this heritage building. The concept is “LIVING
RESTORATION”.
Source: right photo, JICA Study Team and left photo report of LIVING RESTORATION Turquoise Mountain
Figure 2.5.31: 491-501 Merchant Street indoor before and after restoration
Some of restoration projects of Heritage buildings are in progress in CBD. Some organizations
study restoration projects, and the government has a plan that new function of public service
will be installed to heritage buildings.

Figure 2.5.32: Yangon Division Court and Burma Oil Company Headquarter

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(III) Establishment of Government Building Redevelopment Scheme

In CBD, government has several land and residents.
Some of them were already redeveloped into new
buildings. For example, 50th Street MOC residence
redevelopment project is a good example. In this case,
public and private company constructed new residence,
and families that lived in this place before the
redevelopment got new apartments from 1st to 6th floor,
and new families live from 6th to 11th floor. The ground
floor and 1st to 6th floors are owned by MOC, and above
7th floor is owned by the private company. Such method (Before Redevelopment)
is good practice about redevelopment in CBD, and this
case was introduced through tele broadcast media.
Government’s room
Company’s Rooms
Government’s Rooms
(Existing)
Source: Myay Construction Co., Ltd.

Figure 2.5.33: Elevation of 51st Street Housing Reconstruction Project
2) Promotion of Urban Development Activities

(I) Redevelopment of Government Land
(Target: Pazuntaung Market, Bokalay Market, etc.)
In CBD, YCDC manages some markets in each township. Some of these markets are
redeveloped and became high-rise and multifunctional buildings. Junction Mawtin and Yay
Kyaw Market are already redeveloped and the existing market functions are modern
supermarket, departmental store and high-rise residence and includes new building. (Figure
2.5.34 left photo is Junction Mawtin and right photo is Yay Kyaw Market)

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Figure 2.5.34: Cases of market redevelopment, Junction Mawtin and Yay Kyaw Market
In CBD, many old or low-density markets are located. For example, Bokalay Market is
low-density and Chan Myae Market is an old market. Pazundaung Market is very large market
(Class-A), and the location of this market is very good for new jetty of inland water
transportation.
JICA Study Team proposes to redevelop such YCDC markets and install multi-function
buildings (market, modern super market, parking lots, new jetty and residence) in CBD.

Figure 2.5.35: Location Map of YCDC Markets

Figure 2.5.36: Left is Pazundaung Market, Middle is Bokalay Market and right is Chan Myae Market

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Residence(4)
Residence(3)
Residence(2)
Residence(1)
Car Parking
Car Parking
Market
Existing Market Station Square

Figure 2.5.37: Image of Elevation of Market Redevelopment Plan
(II) Development of Multimodal Nodes

In order to ease the traffic congestion in CBD, it is effective that passengers transfer from the
car to public transport in the edge of CBD. JICA Study Team proposes multimodal node in the
edge of CBD.
3 4
6
1 2

Figure 2.5.38: Proposed Multimodal Node Location

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I) Car Parking at Underground Space of Thakin Mya Park

Thakin Mya Park Underground Car Parking is west hub of multimodal node. Two main bus
routes are installed Kyee Myin Daing Kanner Road and Bogyoke Aung San Street. Entrance of
car parking will be connected with Thakhin Mya Garden Street and exit will be connected with
Aung Yadana Street. Car users will change transportation from car to bus from here.
1 Entrance
Underground
Car Parking
Exit Surface
Park

Figure 2.5.39: Proposed Plan of Thakin Mya Park Underground Car Parking
II) Side Space of Pansodan Bridge

Pasondan Bridge is a bridge crossing over circular railway. Multi-stories car parking is proposed
by utilizing land owned by Myanmar Railway along this bridge.
Car Parking Building
Entrance
Exit

Figure 2.5.40: Proposed Plan of Pansodan Bridge Car Parking

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III) Upper Space of Circular Railway Line

Circular railway is located in the north edge of CBD. Arterial roads (Pyay Road, Myoma
Kyaung Street, Shwe Dagon Pagoda Road, Sule Pagoda Road, Pansodan Street and TheinPhyu
Road) cross circular railway. JICA Study Team proposes to use above circular railway for car
parking. Entrance and exit will be installed to the end of bridge of three cross points (Pyay Road,
Shwedagon Pagoda Road and Sule Pagoda Road). The route of loop buses goes around inside
CBD via above circular railway.
3 Parking and Inter-modal Facility above

Circular Railway
(Double-Decker Plan)
Exit
Entrance
Exit
Entrance Exit
Entrance
Loop Bus Route

Figure 2.5.41: Proposed Plan of Space above Circular Railway
IV) Roadside of Thein Phyu Road

Main bus route is installed on Thein Phyu Road. This road connects CBD and Kan Daw Gyi
Lake. Many car-traffics use this road, and JICA Study Team proposes to install multimodal node
along Thein Phyu Road.

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Entrance
Exit

Figure 2.5.42: Proposed Plan of Road side of Thein Phyu Road
V) Eastern Part of CBD

This land owner is Road Transport Department. This location is good for multimodal node.
Because the arterial roads of Maha Bandoola Road and Merchant Road are close to this land.
Car users will be able to transfer from car to bus easily.
5
Entrance
Exit

Figure 2.5.43: Proposed Plan of Eastern Part of CBD
VI) Puzundaung Market

The location of Puzundaung Market is good for multimodal node. This market has a jetty for
fisherman and is close to Upper Pazundaung Road. Upper Pazundaung Road is one of arterial

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roads to access to CBD. JICA Study Team proposes to redevelop this market and construct
multifunction building.
6 Transfer from car to Bus
from Ferry to Bus
Loop Bus Route

Figure 2.5.44: Proposed Plan of Puzundaung Market
3) Natural Disaster Management

(I) Disaster Risk Assessment
JICA Study Team proposes some damage preventions about cyclone and earthquake. (Refer to
“5.1.6 Disaster (Flood & Drainage)”. Yangon is the most populous city in Myanmar, and CBD
is the most densely populated area in Yangon. About flood and cyclone, JICA Study Team
proposes to repair drainage system of CBD. About earthquake, JICA Study Team tried to check
evaluation of seismic capacity of one sample building. (Refer to “5.1.6 Disaster Risk
Management (Earthquake)”).
(II) Construction of Open Spaces for Evacuation Space

The population of the CBD is around 225,000 persons. If big earthquake happens, many victims
need shelters. Open spaces of CBD are very important for shelters, and such open spaces must
have functions for shelters. JICA Study Team proposes some functions (For example,
warehouse for stock of food, tent, fuel, water and blanket, buffer for spreading fire and meeting
place for victims.) The space of park is very important for disaster prevention and public
facilities. JICA Study Team proposes three-dimensional use of park. For example, the surface of
park is for open space, buffer zone and warehouse for stock. Underground space is for
reservoir.

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Buffer for spreading fire

Park Warehouse
for stock
Drain Pipe Canal
Reservoir

Figure 2.5.45: Image of Park of Protection against Disasters and Maha Bandola park Reservoir
(III) Make a Rule of Disaster Prevention of Old Building for

Earthquake-Resistance
JICA Study Team did a test of evaluation of seismic capacity by three buildings. We understood
the vulnerability of CBD’s old buildings for earthquake. Three buildings that had been subjected
to seismic inspection were predicted to collapse due to the earthquake assumed in Yangon. For
this reason, it is necessary to conduct earthquake strengthening and to review the buildings plan
newly constructed based on earthquake resistance criteria.
(3) Heritage and Cityscape
1) Heritage Conservation and Restoration

a) To specify a boundary of Conservation Area for Heritage buildings (based on Yangon Heritage
Strategy)
b) Restoration of one heritage building for restoration project, and add a new function to that
building (library, restaurant, museum etc.)

Figure 2.5.46: Heritage Buildings in CBD
2) Cityscape Improvement
a) Construction of a system for understanding the maximum height that can be built in CBD.
b) Operation of rule and regulation of design code for advertisement and signboards (based on
Yangon Heritage Strategy)
c) Operation of rule and regulation of landscape design (based on Yangon Heritage Strategy)

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3) Waterfront and Open-space Development

a) Redevelopment of warehouses and add a new function (For example, market function,
convention, restaurant)
(4) Urban Amenity and Tourism
1) Pedestrian Way and Sidewalk Improvement

(I) Development of Pedestrian Road
(Target: Maha Bandoola Park Street, Bank Street, etc.)
Maha Bandola Park Street is close to Maha Bandoola Park. This street is located in the center of
heritage building conservation area. Existing function of this road is not only car traffic
management but also car parking and space of street vender. Existing condition of Maha
Bandoola Park Street is not good for pedestrian safety.
JICA Study Team proposes that the function of Maha Bandola Park Street is changed to
pedestrian road. Figure 2.5.47 is an image of pedestrian road. In future, Maha Bandoola Park
Street function will be harmonized with Maha Bandoola park.

Figure 2.5.47: Image and photo of pedestrian Road Maha Bandoola Park Street
(II) Widening of the Sidewalk of the Arterial Road

(Target: Maha Bandoola Road, Anawrahta Road, etc.)
Figure 2.5.48 is existing Maha Bandoola Road plan. Car parking lots are met right-angle to road.
Such a case, left-most car lane (yellow dotted line) is dangerous that parking car will be in
contact with the start-up. In future, it is necessary that CBD become a good area to walk around.
Pedestrian walkway must be widened for walkers.
JICA Study Team proposes that car parking system is changed from right-angle to parallel. If
the system of car parking change, we will get more about 3 m width space on roadside. Existing
pedestrian width is about 2 m, and future Yangon people can get 5 m for pedestrian space.

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Figure 2.5.48: Existing Road Plan of Maha Bandoola Road
(III) Relocation of Street Venders

In CBD, about 5,000 street venders work on road. YCDC has issued a decree of street vender
relocation plan. Deadline of relocation is middle of November, and YCDC sets up transitional
measures specified separately. In future, street venders in CBD will relocate to Kanner Road,
Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street. The location of new area for street venders is
shown in red line in Figure 2.5.49.
Source: JICA Study Team based on YCDC Data

Figure 2.5.49: Stretches for Venders Relocation from Inside CBD

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2) Tourism Promotion
(I) Creation of Night Market Streets for Tourists and Locals
Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street are important for future CBD vision. Many Yangon
people and tourists concentrate this area for working, taking a rest and walking. JICA Study
Team proposes to make a pedestrian from Maha Bandoola Park to waterfront area with these
two streets.
At first, JICA Study Team will hold an event on Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street.
During this event, cars will not be allowed to use these roads and no parking as well.
These two streets will become streets where cars are shut out temporarily and some events will
be held. And if this event’s get good evaluation, JICA Study Team insists that these streets
function change to pedestrian road.

Figure 2.5.50: Location of Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street

Figure 2.5.51: Plan of Event (Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street)

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(II) Installation of the Tourist Information Center

(Target: near Sule Pagoda)
In 2003, only 210,000 tourists visited to Myanmar. But in 2013, about 2,040,000 tourists visited.
Numbers of tourist increased about 10 times during 10 years. Ministry of Hotels and Tourism
estimated a future projection of international arrivals. In this result of projection, about
7,500,000 tourists will come to Myanmar for tourism. The target of government is shown in the
following Table 2.5.8.
Around Sule Pagoda is a famous spot for tourist. Many heritage buildings and Maha Bandoola
Park are located. These is a good location to install tourist information center. For example,
government old building which is a Heritage building (Ministry of Hotels and Tourism) near
Sule Pagoda is in a good location to install tourist information center.
Table 2.5.8: Future Projection of International Arrivals, Visitor Expenditure and Tourism Employment
Conservative Mid-range High Growth
2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020

International 1,528,020 2,815,279 1,829,943 3,680,669 3,009,663 7,489,906
Arrivals
Visitor Expenditure 1.83 3.82 2.19 5.00 3.61 10.18
(USD Bill)
Tourism 424,450 563,056 n.a. n.a. 836,018 1,497,801
Employment
Source: Myanmar Tourism Master Plan, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism

Figure 2.5.52: Image of Tourist Center and candidate of Tourist Center (Heritage Building of Ministry of
Hotels and Tourism)
Table 2.5.9: Record of Meetings and Surveys (CBD Renovation)

1st Aug 2016 (Mon) Meeting with JICA Myanmar JICA Office  Check of contents
Office  Matters that require attention
2nd Aug 2016 (Tues) Meeting with YCDC (kickoff YCDC  Explanation of Study contents
Meeting  Requests from YCDC
3rd Aug2016 (Wed) Meeting with Turquoise Heritage Building  Hearing about Heritage building
Mountain repair
3rd Aug2016 (Wed) Meeting with MOC MOC  Hearing about the system of
Reconstruction Building Reconstruction reconstruction
Building
6th Aug 2016 (Sat) Field survey Ring Railway -
13th Aug 2016 (Sat) Field survey CBD Area -
16th Aug2016 (Tues) Meeting with Turquoise Turquoise  Hearing about Heritage building
Mountain Mountain Office repair

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17th Aug2016 (Wed) Meeting with YHT, YCDC YCDC  Hearing about Heritage building
repair (under consideration for
repair)
18th Aug2016 (Turs) Field survey Myanmar Port -
20th Aug2016 (Sat) Field survey CBD -
21th Aug2016 (Sun) Field survey CBD -
23th Aug2016 (Tues) Field survey CBD  check the location of CBD’s gate
24th Aug2016 Wed) Meeting with Building YCDC  check the flow of permission system
Department of building
27th Aug2016(Sat) Field survey CBD  check development site in CBD
30th Oct2016(Fri) Meeting with Deputy Director YCDC  to report the capacity of car parking
area on road
1st Nov 2016(Sat) Field survey Puzundang  check existing condition of road
Township network of Puzundang
3rd Nov 2016(Mon) Meeting with Deputy Director YCDC  to report the condition of floor
volume and coverage of several
blocks of CBD
13th Nov 2016(Thurs) Meeting with transportation YCDC  to collect an information of plan of
division of YCDC bus network in Yangon
16th Nov 2016(Sun) Field survey Puzundang  check road width of Puzundang
Township Township
2.5.5 Supplemental Explanations of the SUDP
(1) Market and Township Office

In CBD, eight YCDC class A Markets and three class B Markets are located. Some markets have been
redeveloped. For example, Mawtin Market (Class B, Figure 2.5.53 white circle) have been redeveloped
at 2010. Before redevelopment, Mawtin Market was one-storied house, and sold sundries. After
redevelopment, semi basement floor is market. In ground floor, first and second floor, a supermarket
(City Mart), restaurants and new shops are opened and over third floor is residence.
Source: JICA Study Team based on YCDC Market Department Data

Figure 2.5.53: YCDC Markets Location Map (Class-A, B)

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Pazundaung, Bokalay and Chan Myae Markets do not redevelop, but their locations are very good.
Pazundaung Market is located beside Pazundaung canal and Pazundaung Station. It is easy and
convenience to transit transportation. Bokalay Market locates center of CBD and locates roadside of
Marchant Road. YCDC Markets are low density and deterioration.
(2) Street Vender

Figure 2.5.54 presents numbers of street venders of each road in CBD. Looking at this figure, many
street venders are opened in part of Anawrahta Road, Maha Bandula Road, 26th Street and 18th Street.
26th Street is neighbor of Thein Gyi Zey Market, and Maha bandula Road is main bus route from
north-west area. Anawrahta Road is main bus route from north-east area.

Figure 2.5.54: Numbers of Street Vender
Figure 2.5.55 presents density of street venders. According to the result of analysis, 17th, 18th, 26th
and Shwe Bon Thar Road are high density streets and Anawrahta, Maha Bandoola and Sule Pagoda
Roads are high density of street venders, too.

Figure 2.5.55: Density of Street Vender

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(3) Parking
Building that is under construction must install parking lots with regulatory compliance. Some high
density buildings that established before carrying out the equipment‐duty car‐park regulation
developed new parking building near the building (Ex. SAKURA Tower and Shangri-la Hotel). The
main car parking in the CBD area is a parking on the street. JICA Study Team has counted numbers of
parking cars on the road in CBD. Capacity of parking lots in CBD is about 20,500. In CBD, about
45,000 households are living. If all families park a car in CBD, about 24,500 cars parking is
insufficient. In addition to this, it is necessary to pay-by-the-hour parking lots and company private
parking lots. Figure 2.5.56 is existing parking capacity of each road and street of CBD. According to
this output, north- south street (Ex. Latha, Bo Ywe, Shwe Dagon Pagoda street) have big capacity of
parking (such a case, car is parking right angle to road). West – East road (Ex. Anawrahta Road,
Kanner Road) capacity of parking is lower than north- south street. Maha Bandoola Road (Lan Thit
Street to Phone Gyi Street) capacity of parking is 121-196 lots.

Figure 2.5.56: Numbers of Lot of Parking cars on the Road
Figure 2.5.57 shows ratio of existing parking lots on the road. Result of survey is similar to Figure
2.5.56.

Figure 2.5.57: Ratio of parking capacity on the Road
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2.6 Financing Urban Development
(1) Current Status
1) Financial Base of YCDC

YCDC is considered as an independent body raising its own revenues through collecting fees,
taxes, issuing licenses, and etc. As sources of funds, YCDC has a number of income generating
enterprises including banking services, hotels, markets, condominiums, golf courses, property
development and manufacturing of construction material such as bricks and cement.
In recent years, YCDC’s budget both on the revenue and expenditure sides have been increasing
quite rapidly. Total income of YCDC has dramatically increased by 380% from MMK 58 billion
in 2011/2012 to MMK 279 billion in 2015/16. The most increased source is “Capital Income”
that has come to be MMK 122 billion (44% of total income) in 2015/2016 that is 20 times as
large as the one back in 2011/2012. A budget deficit, once it was as large as -23.4% as
percentage to the total expenditure in 2011/2012, has been controlled to be smaller at the level
of -1.9% in 2015/2016.
Table 2.6.1: Income and Expenditure Account from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 (Billion MMK)
2015/2016
2011/ 2012/ 2013/ 2014/ 2015/ increase
Account Title 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
% Share
over 5yrs
by account
Total Income 58 103 146 252 279 100% 380%
Tax and Normal Income 52 95 92 134 142 51% 173%
Capital Income 6 8 53 116 122 44% 1850%
Income from foreign help 0 0 1 2 13 4% -
Income from debt 0 0 0 0 3 1% -
Total Expenditure 76 100 146 252 285 100% 275%
Normal Expenditure 36 48 50 68 80 28% 122%
Capital Expenditure 16 52 95 182 190 67% 1070%
Expenditure from Special Fund 24 0 0 0 0 0% -
Expenditure from foreign help income 0 0 1 2 13 4% -
Expenditure from debt income 0 0 0 0 3 1% -
Fiscal Balance (Income-Expenditure) -18 3 0 0 -5 - -
Fiscal Balance (as % of expenditure) -23.4% 3.0% 0.0% 0.0% -1.9% - -
Source: YCDC data.
The total income raised is, however, not always sufficient to cover the whole expenditure of
YCDC. When a budget deficit occurs, money from a special fund may be used as it happened in
2011/2012. YCDC also receives financial assistants from international donors that are allocated
to specific projects, and cannot be used to cover activity outside of the project scope. These are
separately counted as “Income/expenditure from foreign aid” and have increased from 0.63
billion MMK in 2013/14 to 15 billion MMK in 2015/16.
A budget deficit, once it was as large as -23.4% as percentage to the total expenditure in
2011/12, has been controlled to be smaller at the level of -1.9% in 2015/16. Given huge needs
for investments in urban renewal and development, however, it is indispensable to further
diversify sources of income and enhance a sustainable financial base for urban management.

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The structure of YCDC’s income in 2015/2016 is as summarized as the Table 2.6.2. There were
three major types of income sources. The largest source was “Capital Income” = “YCDC
Property Based” (44% of total income) and most of which (33% of total income) was basically
onetime-income as shares from sales of real estate development projects where YCDC provided
land (virtually as a from of in kind investment) to the private developers. The second largest is
“Service Charge Based” that were for cost recovery of public services. The smallest was “Tax
Based” (13%) that could be most stable and sustainable sources in the long term perspective.
Table 2.6.2: YCDC Income Account in FY2015/16 (Billion MMK)

Account Title Descriptions Income Share
Tax and Normal Income 141.8 50.8%

Income from Tax “Tax Based” 36.4 13.0%
Property Tax Tax levied on properties. 12.8 4.6%
Wheel Tax Tax levied on automobiles. 13.9 5.0%
Revenue Share Shared tax from Union tax. 9.6 3.4%
Income from goods selling and services “Service Charge Based” 99.3 35.5%
City Planning and Land Admin. Department Land inspection and other fees. 24.5 8.8%
Engineering Department (Buildings) Real estates rental, inspection,and licence fees. 19.9 7.1%
Engineering Department (Water & Sanitation) Water supply service charges and other fees. 11.0 3.9%
Administration Department Various fees 9.3 3.3%
Markets Department Rental fees and other fees. 7.3 2.6%
Engineering Department (Road & Bridges) Billboard fees 5.4 1.9%
Others 1.9 0.7%
Pollution Control and Cleansing Department Waste Management Sevices 5.0 1.8%
Others 14.9 5.3%
Forfeit and other Incomes 6.1 2.2%
Capital Income “YCDC Property Based” 122.2 43.7%
Engineering Department (Building) Construction of Urban Development Buildings 91.3 32.7%
Markets Department Income from the Construction of New Markets 15.8 5.7%
Urban Planning and Land Admin. Department Income from the selling of new plots of land 10.9 3.9%
Others 4.2 1.5%
Income from Foreign Help 12.5 4.5%
Income from Loan 2.8 1.0%
Grand Total 279.4 100.0%
Source: YCDC data.
2) Issues in Income Structure

(I) YCDC Property Based Incomes - “Important but must use them carefully”
The most notable characteristic of the income structure of YCDC is the fact that it depends upon
“YCDC Property Based” incomes. Given the fact that “Tax Based” income is small and unlikely
to be expanded as fast as increase demand for public investment, “Real Estate Based” income
shall be the most important source especially in the immediate to short term perspectives. There
are 3 points to note regarding “Real Estate Based” incomes.
Firstly, it should be noted that the private sector investments are often essential to develop urban
buildings and structures on YCDC’s lands to yield economic returns, especially those in high
potential urban centers. “No private investment” means “no capital income for YCDC”. Thus,
private sector participation must be encouraged.

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Secondly, it is essential not to provoke real estate speculation. There is nothing wrong with
decent rises in real estate prices as results of urban development in conjunction with
improvements of public infrastructure. However, once the real estate speculation goes way too
far up to the level of “bubble market”, negative impacts will be devastating not only on urban
development but also on the whole Myanmar economy. There could be many empty buildings
and condominiums, many of them often not to be completed. Such non-performing assets are
vast waste of resources. Under “bubble” many of average Yangon citizens could never afford to
buy their houses. Low cost urban housing is by itself an important area that needs special
attention by the public sector.
Thirdly, in order to control speculation, there must be well-designed urban zoning and
regulations to impose it. A refined property based taxation system is also essential in order to
increase costs for those who benefit from provoking speculative moves.
(II) Tax Based Income - “Property tax could also work as a link to bring rises
in real estate values back to public incomes.”
As already mentioned, shares of “Tax Based” incomes are very small. The “YCDC Property
Based” incomes may neither always be stable nor able to grow at a current pace for a long
period of time. Thus, it is recommended to increase shares of “Tax Based” incomes. In the
context of expanding the financing sources for urban development, “Property Tax” is the most
directly relevant tax item. It is recommended to refine the system of property related taxes and
to be prepared to make a solid link between increase in real estate values and tax incomes with
long term perspectives.
3) Housing in Yangon - Investment to Alleviate Shortage of Low-cost

and Affordable Housing
(I) Huge shortage in low-cost and affordable housing
Yangon, home to more than 5 million people, is also the economic center for much of the
country’s industry and services, and generates about 20 percent of Myanmar’s GDP. Given the
fact that the huge influx of population to the city is expected to continue, Yangon faces a
housing shortage. While authorities have commissioned several affordable housing projects and
MOC is planning to sell more than 1000 low-cost apartments in Yangon and to build and sell
8000 apartments over the next two years, it is far behind the demand for housing for average
people.
According to research by the Department of Urban and Housing Development under MOC,
while 65% of Yangon’s population own their houses, more than 1.8 million or 35% of the
population are in need of low-cost housing. It is also estimated that 25% of total population’s
dwellings are temporary huts and shanties that mainly house the rapidly increasing influx of
population attracted by factory work in the city’s industrial zones where FDIs are concentrated.
(II) Supply-side of housing - need investment for “K10 million apartments”

The main challenge of low-cost housing is the need for sufficient investment to be able to sell
apartments for under K10 million per unit. This is the price range where majority, as much as
60% of Yangon residents according to DUHD’s estimates in 2015, who earn K300,000 a month
(USD244) or less can afford. At the moment, however, there are no plans to build “K10 million
apartments” under current market conditions. Most of the booming construction for housing
over the past few years has been at the higher segments of the market.

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U Myint Naing, DUHD’s assistant director told the news media: “It could be possible to build
low-cost homes on state-owned land, with the government providing water and other
infrastructure, for less than K10 million per apartment. But given the limitations of the
government budget, it would be very difficult to provide enough of them.”10 The government,
“supply side” of low-cost housing is in short of budget for investment.
There is another option to increase supply of housing; to develop the rental sector. This “rental”
option could be seen as provision of affordable and decent housing for the middle income
population while they need some time to save enough money to pay for the first installment
(usually 30% of total value) to buy their houses (often apartments).
(III) Demand-side of housing - need better housing loans

For financing the demand side of housing, the Construction and Housing Development Bank
(CHDB)11 is the only development bank that can provide mortgage-type of loans to people to
buy houses with the loan period longer than one year and up to 8 years at an interest rate of 12%
per year. CHDB also provides finance for the developers of low-cost and affordable housing.
CHDB has recently announced that it will release new policies for selling low-cost apartments
to depositors of the bank who can pay 30 per cent of the total value in an initial instalment. Win
Zaw, the managing director of the CHDB, told the news media: “People can save their money at
the CHDB. They will have a chance to buy apartments through a lucky draw program when
they can pay the first instalment. It will take them a long time to save Ks 3 million if they save
Ks 10,000 per month. It would take 30 months if they save Ks 100,000 per month. The main
point is they will have to save enough money to pay the first instalment.”12 It is estimated by
CHDB that monthly saving or repayment amount at 30% of monthly incomes is the viable range
for average people.
Given the huge demand for low-cost and affordable housing, however, a scale of provision of
loans by CHDB is not large enough, not long enough (8-years repayment is too short), and not
affordable enough (interest rate of 12% is too high). These shortcomings are reflections of
characteristics of the current sources of funds; short-term and high interest rates. In order for
CHDB to provide forms of loans better fit to the needs, it is indispensable for them to have
sources of funds with “long-term”, “low-interest rate”, and “large-scale” in their natures.
There is also a glitch in a legal framework that pauses CHDB a difficulty. Currently, there is no
legal framework for “collective ownership” that enables the buyers to register their bought
apartments as collaterals for their housing loans. Likewise, CHDB cannot provide real
“mortgage” loans to those who buy apartments or condominiums, which more likely the cases
for urban areas.
(2) Prospective Sources of Financing

Given very fast pace of expanding economic activities in Myanmar, there are ever growing
needs for development in all aspects. As already described in the previous sections of the
present report, the Greater Yangon falls short of capacity and quality of its urban infrastructure
and services in many ways. Needs for urban infrastructure development, likewise, financing
10 The Myanmar Times, Friday, 23 September 2016.

11 The Construction and Housing Development Bank was set up in 2013 under the Ministry of Construction’s supervision to
providing the loans that could allow more people to afford homes, but so far its success has been limited. The CHDB has
opened seven branches in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Mawlamyine and Pathein. Plans are under way to open additional branches
in places where the low-cost housing projects are implemented.
12 Eleven Myanmar, Tuesday, 19 July 2016.

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sources are massive. Since existing financial sources alone are not able to finance urban
development sustainably, the path to long-term finance is to diversify sources.
In the shorter-term, it is most viable to refine and expand existing forms of financial sources
such as YCDC Property Based Incomes in conjunction with FDIs and development banks. In
the mid to long-term, the Greater Yangon can be enabled and empowered to explore its
untapped potential of “Land-Value-Based Financing” in order to increase and diversify
“own-source revenues” in innovative ways such as revising existing property taxes and
introducing new urban development tax (city planning tax) for urban centers. Among the other
options, it is recommended to explore four prospective sources of financing as described below.
(I) Private Sector Participation - FDIs for short-term investment and capital
incomes
One good prospective financial source is to encourage more private participation in urban
development. In theory, this can be through loans from commercial banks, issuing municipal
bonds or implementing Private-Public Partnerships. Given its immaturity in the banking and
financial sectors, however, FDIs shall take prominent roles and shares in private investments for
urban development in short-term. In case FDIs or other private investments are implemented in
conjunction with use of YCDC’s property, these could be good sources of capital incomes for
YCDC,
The most important thing to encourage the private sector to invest is to eliminate institutional
uncertainties. The private sector is generally ready to come and invest wherever they find it
commercially viable. There are, however, some common concerns for them. It is risks of
“uncertainty” in the process of investment. These uncertainties are felt mostly due to a lack of
clear policy directions, laws and regulations related to real-estate development.
For example, it is widely recognized as one of the largest problems among foreign investors that
there is no “building codes” in Myanmar. Instead, early investors applied self-imposed
regulations when designing a new structure. In case of “Sule Square”, the building construction
follows Singaporean building and fire safety codes. While it is technically and physically
sufficient to apply Singaporean standards to assure quality of buildings, they still feel some
uncertainty where their projects could be unforeseeably put under “halt” by the ad hoc
government decisions unless solid building and fire safety codes of Myanmar are in place.
There are three things to do in order to eliminate things that FDIs see as the sources of
uncertainty.
 Common and clear understandings based upon urban development plans: urban plans are
generically long-term in its vision and goals to achieve how a city is structured. Plans
should be revised flexibly to accommodate socioeconomic changes and new needs. But it
should not be too often at the level of structural plans that define principles and directions
of urbanization.
 Clear and solid rules and regulations (building codes, fire safety codes, land use, incentives,
and etc.,): rules and regulations must be clearly written with concrete operational
guidelines that do not leave rooms for arbitrary decisions.
 Transparent and consistent application of rules and regulations: rules and regulations must
be applied in a transparent and consistent manner. Transparency and consistency make it
predictable for investors in estimating time and costs they need to go through process of
investments.

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(II) Expand Development Bank Financing for Urban Housing: Expand

financing capacity for low-cost and affordable housing
Urban housing is one of the most important aspects of urban development. In case of Yangon, at
the moment, low-cost and affordable housing is a critical factor of urban development and urban
renewal at large. Without accelerated supply of low-cost and affordable housing in Yangon area,
those rapidly growing manufacturing and processing industries will soon face shortage of labor.
At the same time, potential buyers do not have sufficient savings to buy houses.13
Thus, it is recommended to expand financing for low-cost housing by increasing financial
capacity of banks that are capable of extending long term housing loans. One option to support
this is to do capital injection in a form of “Two-Step Loan” financed by concessional loans by
development partners and to establish revolving funds for long-term housing loans at low
interest rates. As of December 2016, the CHDB is the only bank that has a development bank
license allowing the bank to extend loans longer than one-year repayment period.
Recommended actions include the following items,
 Financing for low-cost and affordable housing development projects (supply side).
 Providing housing mortgage loans to the individual buyers (demand side),
 Promote “Housing Savings Account” (generate private savings),
 Establishing revolving funds for long-term and low interest rates – one option to support
this is to do capital injection in a form of “Two-Step Loan” financed by concessional loans
by development partners.
It is also expected that recently approved “Condominium Law” to be a good starting point to
provide a legal basis for condominium owners to have “building unit ownerships” that enables
them to take out mortgages on their condominium units. Once a law for “building unit
ownerships” is in place, registration (update of ownership documents) and thus, appropriate
registration for annual property tax must be part of the conditions to be eligible for housing
loans by CHDB (by development banks at large).
(III) Adjust Rates of Existing Taxes and Charges to Their Requirements:

Retrieve value-addition of urban development based upon “Beneficiaries
Pay Principle”
I) Tax as part of “traffic management”

There are other means where some existing taxes can be used as leading tools to change
people’s behavior towards policy objectives, such as imposing higher tax rates on “sources” of
traffic problems. Raising “Wheel Tax” within Yangon is being considered. Reintroduction of
“Parking Tax” can have the same effects.
To ease heavy traffic in Yangon, it is needed to invest in roads. A question is “who should pay
for this investment cost”. It is fair to assume that car owners are among the top beneficiaries of
13 In case of southern part of Vietnam, more specifically areas stretching from east of Ho Chi Minh City
towards Baria Vhun Tau Province, it was getting increasingly difficult to hire workers for newly built
factories by FDIs around 2010. The most prominent reason for this was due to the lack of reasonable housing
for workers migrated from rural areas to work in new industrial areas. It made housing conditions too bad
and too expensive for many workers to think it was not worth working in these areas while paying very high
costs for very poor living conditions. This is exactly what Yangon should not repeat. When factories need
workers, workers need decent places to live with payable range of costs.
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the roads; likewise they are the ones to bear some extra costs. Reintroduction of “Parking Tax”
is another possible option. It is estimated that 20,000 cars stay overnight within CBD of Yangon.
They occupy a quite a large space of precious CBD areas. “Parking Tax” could induce cars not
to stay within CBD.
II) Adjusting service charges as quality of services improve:

On the other hand, “Water Charges” and “Cleaning Charges” are more of charges for provision
of specific public services. Given the present level of charges, they do not fully recover their
operational costs and unrealistic to expect them to do so in a short period of time. In case of
waste collection, for example, service charges cover around 50% of service costs. Sudden and
steep increase of service charges likely to provoke users’ resistance. Rather, it is recommended
to first improve service levels good enough to raise levels of beneficiaries’ “willingness to pay”
and then raise charges accordingly.
(IV) Land-value-based Financing: Leverage local assets through

Land-value-based taxes
Land-based financing is an underutilized source of funding. Land values typically increase with
urbanization that is largely incurred with public investment for urban development. Thus, this
“unearned increment” is socially generated. Ways to share this value include value-based annual
land taxes, capital gains taxes, developer exactions, and land readjustment. For initial
investment for new urban development, developer exactions, such as putting conditions to let
developers provide certain amount of lands or investments for public use, are appropriate.
However, for financing operation, maintenance in the longer term, stable land value based
taxation is indispensable. Given the present conditions in Yangon, there are four options to
enhance land-value-based financing.
I) Property Tax
Firstly, the existing annual property tax should be adjusted to be more effective and fair in terms
of beneficiaries pay principle. In doing so, “taxable land values” must be linked to changes in
current property values. At present, taxable values for “property tax” are set way lower than
“roadside values” (in some cases down to 1/5 -1/10) that are used for “stamp duties” levied at
the time of property sales. It is recommended that taxable values for annual property tax should
be same as the ones for “stamp duties”. Instead, the rates of property tax should be lowered to
offset large increase in the levels of taxable values in order to avoid drastic increase in the
amount to pay. What is important now is to establish links between property tax and current
property values rather than raising tax revenues immediately.
II) Urban Development Tax

Secondly, it is recommended to introduce new and additional “Urban Development Tax” for
designated high-value zones within CBD and other new urban development areas in accordance
with zoning of the city land use plan. It is expected to see more concentrated public investments
within CBD and the other new urban centers in order to transform them to a cluster of
high-value zones with high density development for urban public transport, commercial
activities linked with residential zones. These areas need extra amount of public investment in
order to accommodate high-value activities, likewise, additional land-based tax to share extra
increment socially. This “Urban Development Tax” should be a “local and objective tax” to be
allocated for a special purpose fund such as “Urban Development Fund for Yangon CBD and
Urban Centers” that is earmarked specifically for investments within the designated areas where
it is levied.

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III) Property Trade Tax and Stamp Duty

Thirdly, the rates of Property Trade Tax (Union Tax) and Stamp Duty are too high and should be
lowered. For example, low-cost housing unit is worth between MMK 10 million and MMK 12
million in Yangon. In this case, Property Trade Tax and Stamp Duty are levied at 15% and 7%
of the property values, respectively. At such high rates, people are likely to be discouraged to
either buy houses or pay taxes, likewise, revenues could fall further. In addition, when people do
not pay taxes, they are unlikely to update ownership documents, which causing additional
problems. It is more important to encourage the people to buy, register houses, and pay annual
property taxes for longer period of time than to impose one-time heavy taxes at the time of
property trade.
IV) Fiscal Cadaster (Urban Mapping)

Lastly, a transparent and up-to-date fiscal cadaster (urban mapping) is essential in the utilization
of land-value-based financing. A fiscal cadaster is a cadaster designed for property tax purposes.
That is, it includes those factors required for implementation of a property tax system such as
legal description, dimensions, location of boundaries, ownership, description of improvements,
and land use. A fiscal cadaster could be integrated with other urban development GIS database
that could be a powerful planning tool as well.
Figure 2.6.1 is an example of Boston showing levels of rental costs in different places within
urban areas. Major roads, mass transit lines and stations are also shown on the same mapping.
Integration of both physical and economic indicators makes the current state and trends of
urbanization clearer.
Values of properties are…
Low in Suburb High in CBD
Source: Boston City

Figure 2.6.1: Rental Cost Heat Map in Boston 2013

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Table 2.6.3: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Financing Urban Development)

22nd Aug 2016 (Mon) Meeting with CHDB CHDB Head Office  Current status of housing loans.
 Current issues in urban housing sector.
 Policy direction of CHDB.
23rd Aug 2016 (Tue) Meeting with Mitsubishi Office  Problems encountered in on-going
Mitsubishi Corporation “Landmark Project”.
 Causes of such problems.
 Opinions to promote FDIs in urban
development.
21st Oct 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Budget Budget Department,  Requested budget data of YCDC.
Department YCDC  Definitions of budget items.
 Background of capital incomes.
24th Oct 2016 (Mon) Meeting with Budget Budget Department,  Ideas to strengthen the financial base of
Department YCDC YCDC.
 Prospective areas where financial base
can be strengthened and increased.
 CBD Development Tax.
27th Oct 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Assessor Assessor  Rates, rules and regulations of Assessor
Department Department, YCDC Department.
 Differences between tax-bases/rates of
Internal Revenue Department and that of
Assessor Department.
 Attitudes and understandings of local
people over taxes and charges.
 Opinions to introduce combined GIS
database system to collect full coverage
of charges and taxes.
 Opinions to promote housing loans.
27th Oct 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Water & Water and  Current activities that this department
Afternoon Sanitation Department Sanitation and JICA Technical Cooperation Team
Department, YCDC are carrying out.
 Increasing water charge rates and
coverage area.
28th Oct 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Pollution Pollution Control  Tax rates of cleansing services.
Control & Cleansing and Cleansing  Responses from people when the
Department Department, YCDC cleansing works were planned to
perform by private companies with PPP
system.
 Future plans for collecting and raising
cleaning charges.
 Garbage collecting system of Japan
(Yokohama).
 Future plans for handling hospital waste.
31st Oct 2016 (Mon) Meeting with CHDB CHDB Head Office  Concrete procedures needed to
introduce two steps loans.
 Sovereign Guarantee from MOC.
 Property registrations for getting
housing loan.
 Plans for low cost housings.
 Housing Loans for renovation of old
buildings.
1st Nov 2016 (Tue) Meeting with Engineering (Roads  Tax rates and charges collected from
Engineering (Roads and & Bridges) Engineering (Roads and Bridges)
Bridges) Department Department, YCDC Department.
3rd Nov 2016 (Thu) Meeting with Secretary YCDC Office  Briefing findings in YCDC budgeting.
of YCDC  Major issue in current tax and charges.
 Opinions and prospects to strengthen
financial sustainability of YCDC.

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4th Nov 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Engineering  Financial system of this department.
Engineering (Buildings) (Buildings)  Problems for shortage of lands.
Department Department  Prospects when Condominium Law is
fully approved.
 Numbers and prices of buildings that
YCDC constructed.
4th Nov 2016 (Fri) Meeting with JICA Yangon  Current situations of housing sector.
Expert for Housing  Prospects when Condominium Law is
Policy fully approved.
 Issues in housing loans.
4th Nov 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Engineering  Financial system of this department.
Engineering (Buildings) (Buildings)  Problems for shortage of lands.
Department Department  Prospects when Condominium Law is
fully approved.
 Numbers and prices of buildings that
YCDC constructed.
7th Nov 2016 (Wed) Periodical Meeting with YRG  Presenting findings and
Afternoon Region Minister recommendations in strengthen
financing capacity for urban
development.
 Comments on recommendations.
16th Nov 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Secretary YCDC Office  Briefing findings and recommendations
of YCDC in strengthening financial base of
YCDC.
 Comments on recommendations.
1) Tax Revenues in Myanmar
Source: Calculated by JICA Study Team based on World Bank Database.

Figure 2.6.2: Tax Revenues of Mid-income Countries as % of GDP in 2015

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According to “IMF 2015 ARTICLE IV CONSULTATION REPORT”, Myanmar’s tax revenue

is 6.7% of GDP that is quite small and depends more on revenues from state owned enterprises
that accounts for 9.2% of GDP in 2015. In cases of mid-income countries, total tax revenues
as % of GDP are 15-20%. It is important to restructure tax bases to link broader economic
activities where the size of economy could be linked with the size of GDP more directly.
In theory, it is income taxes that are directly linked to the size of “Value-additions”. While it is
very important to enhance taxes linked to incomes, it is also confirmed that costs of taxation are
often very high to operate income based tax, especially to keep information basis for individual
incomes. That is a largest reason why types of “consumption tax” are important sources in
many countries.
It is also discussed in international communities that “property value based taxation” should be
utilized more. Especially countries without well-established system for “income-based taxation”
yet, including Myanmar, “property-value based tax” is a good option.
2) YRG Budget and Expenditure

The Yangon Region budget for 2014/15 with budget and expenditure data for all the ‘Region
budget’ departments shown in Table 2.6.4, and grouped by Region minister, shows that:
 The total budget for Yangon Region is around 344 billion MMK (or 344 million USD),
almost 68 percent of which is generated by YCDC, the amount reflected as revenue (and a
modest loan) for YCDC (63.7 percent of total income) and the 10 percent contribution of
YCDC-collected income that is handed over as tax to the Region government (being 4.2
percent of total revenue);
 18.3 percent of the income originates from Union level transfers, in the budget shown
partly as income for the Budget Department received from the Union level, and another
part as income from the Union for the Region government, being the Constituency
Development Fund (MMK 100 million per township, 100,000 USD) and the Poverty
Reduction Fund (MMK 1 billion for the Region, 1 million USD).
 All other departments collect at least some income, but the volume of the amounts
collected is fairly negligible, with the exception of the amounts collected by MOC in
which operates as a state owned enterprise for public works (6 percent of total income).
 In fact, the three main sources of income for the Region (being municipal taxes, Union
grants and income for the public works state own company), account for over 92 percent of
the total income, while another 4.2 percent is from direct income for the Region
government, which could put into question whether the income-generating activities of all
these other sources is worthwhile and cost effective, as their contribution is less than 4
percent of total Region government income.
On the expenditure side, the data shows that:
 Over 70 percent of the available resources under the Region budget is spent on municipal
services, almost all (69 percent of total expenditure) by YCDC, while the aggregate budget
for the 12 townships outside of YCDC is only, 1.1 percent of total budgeted expenditure.
 49.2 percent of the budgeted expenditure is used for capital investments under YCDC and
20.8 percent of the expenditure budget is for recurrent expenditure under YCDC;
 YCDC, which is using 90 percent of its generated income, is self-sufficient (i.e. revenues
cover the costs) while the same applies for the three government owned enterprises
(Myanmar salt, Myanmar motion pictures and the public works);
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 With the Union grant, the various other departments are able to break even, while the
general tax income (17 billion MMK, 17 million USD) is used to top up the capital
investment budget of the Region government (from MMK 14 billion to MMK 31 billion -
from 14 million USD to 31 million USD).
Overall, the financial data show that the income and expenditure for YCDC totally dominates
the Region budget, and that the visibility for other Region ministries, maybe with the sole
exception of engineering works under the Ministry of Forestry (12 percent of total expenditure),
is fairly limited. By and large the Region budget is the budget of the larger city, which is, in
principle, controlled by the Region Hluttaw.
Table 2.6.4: Yangon Regional Government Revenue in FY2014/15 (in million MMK)
Revenue
Tax Revenue Other Capital Union Loan Total
gained from ordinary grant in MMK as %
Item
No. regional revenue million of
State-owned total
enterprises
I. Central organizations 14,939 0 5,500 0 20,439 5.9%
II. Regional Ministries and Departments 0 0 159,316 80,677 57,438 8,713 306,144 88.9%
Minister of Finance and Revenue 0 0 0 0 57,438 4,503 61,941 18.0%
Minister of Agriculture & Livestock breeding 0 0 293 0 0 0 293 0.10%
Minister of Forestry and Energy 0 0 20,673 0 0 0 20,673 6.0%
- Human Settlement & Housing
18 18 0
Development Department
- Maintenance of Buildings, roads and
3 3 0
bridges
- Public Works (Ministry of construction as
20,567 20,567 6.0%
enterprise)
- Other 85 85 0
Minister of Development (/urban) Affairs 0 0 137,900 80,677 0 4,210 222,787 64.7%
- YCDC 134,476 80,677 4,210 219,363 63.7%
- Development Affairs Organizations 3,424 3,424 1.0%
Minister of Transport 0 0 15 0 0 0 15 0
Minister of Rachine affairs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
Minister of Kayin affairs 0
III General taxes (for benefit of regional
17,609 66 0 0 0 0 17,675 5.1%
government)
Tax on alcohol 2,449 2,449 0.70%
Land tax 15 15 0
Dam tax 2 2 0
Forest product tax 111 111 0
Mineral tax 29 29 0
Pond tax 472 472 0.10%
Share of taxes collected by YCDC 14,533 14,533 4.2%
- Property tax 5,430 5,430 1.6%
- Wheel tax 9,103 9,103 2.6%
Revenue Regional state owned enterprises 66 66 0
TOTAL 17,609 66 174,255 80,677 62,938 8,713 344,258 100%
5.1% 0.0% 50.6% 23.4% 18.3% 2.5% 100.0%
Source: As translated and compiled in “The State of Local Governance: Trends in Yangon - UNDP Myanmar 2015”..

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Table 2.6.5: Yangon Regional Government Expenditure in FY2014/15 (in million MMK)
Expenditure % of
Ordinary Interest Grant Capital Loan Investment in Total expenditure
Item Expenditure expenditure repayment Organizations
No. in MMK as % of covered by
million total income
I. Central organizations 4,636 0 5,400 32,404 0 0 42,440 12.3% 48.2%
II. Regional Ministries and
114,681 16 15 186,282 172 700 301,865 87.7% 101.4%
Departments
Minister of Finance
55 0 0 76 0 0 130 0.0% 47511.9%
and Revenue
Minister of
Agriculture & 2,632 0 0 42 0 0 2,674 0.8% 11.0%
Livestock breeding
Minister of Forestry
29,978 0 0 14,145 0 0 44,123 12.8% 46.9%
and Energy
- Human Settlement
& Housing
1,283 648 1,930 0.6% 0.9%
Development
Department
- Maintenance of
Buildings, roads and 7,237 13,328 20,565 6.0% 0.0%
bridges
- Public Works
(Minisrty of
20,545 0 20,545 6.0% 100.1%
construction as
enterprise)
- Other 914 169 1,083 0.3% 7.9%
Minister of
Development 71,593 16 0 169,342 172 700 241,822 70.2% 92.1%
(/urban) Affairs
- YCDC 69,412 16 167,665 172 700 237,964 69.1% 92.2%
- Development
2,181 1,678 3,858 1.1% 88.8%
Affairs Organizations
Minister of
1,304 0 0 3 0 0 1,307 0.4% 1.2%
Transport
Minister of Rachine
42 0 0 1 0 0 43 0.0% 0.0%
affairs
Minister of Kayin 0.0%
affairs
TOTAL 119,317 16 5,415 218,686 172 700 344,305 100.0% 100.0%
34.7% 0.0% 1.6% 63.5% 0.0% 0.2% 100.0%
Source: As translated and compiled in “The State of Local Governance: Trends in Yangon - UNDP Myanmar 2015”..
3) Elements of Property Tax Reform

The tax on immovable property is salient and hard to avoid. The virtues of the property tax owe
to its relatively low efficiency costs, benign impact on growth, and high score on fairness. It is
generally considered to be underutilized in most countries. While there is renewed and
widespread interest in property tax reform globally, there are many policy and administrative
issues that must be carefully considered as prerequisites for successful property tax reform.
Fortunately, property tax has long been in Myanmar already.
According to IMF Working Paper, common elements of a reform strategy would ideally involve
the following:
 An in-depth diagnostic analysis that carefully maps present capabilities and identifies
policy and administrative weaknesses, combined with policy decisions on the future role of
property taxes, particularly as part of a broader decentralization strategy.
 Development of specific tax policy design, with particular focus on the definition of the
base, the rate structure, and exemption policy; the key objective should be simplicity with
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a minimum of exemptions and other reliefs, for ease of administration and maximum
fairness. Also, regular costing of reliefs in terms of revenue forgone is essential.
 Detailed planning of administrative reform, carefully adjusted to individual country
circumstances, involving in particular: (1) improved coverage of cadaster or tax register;
(2) better valuation, including procedures for regular updating; (3) improved record
keeping based on close coordination between agencies involved; (4) improved collection
rates though strong enforcement and low compliance costs; and (5) clear decisions on the
allocation of responsibilities between the central and local governments with regard to how
these core administrative tasks are carried out.
 Property transfer taxes should be reduced or phased-out, and possibly replaced by either
the recurrent property tax under reform, or (where administratively feasible) a capital gains
tax on property.
 Monitoring device based on quantitative performance indicators: to prevent property tax
systems from falling back into disrepair, development of a monitoring device based on
quantitative performance indicators is essential. These would ideally include regular
assessments of coverage of the tax register, valuation performance, and collection
efficiency.
In summary, efficiency and equity considerations combine in providing a strong case for
exploring ways to further strengthen the role of property taxes, and in particular recurrent taxes
on immovable property. While careful planning of necessary improvements to the basic
administrative infrastructure is clearly required to carry out successful reforms in this area, there
is a clear scope for assigning a more prominent role to immovable property taxes in the medium
to longer term. While data deficiencies preclude accurate estimates of their potential role, it
would not seem unrealistic to target a revenue raising potential of about 0.5–1 percent of GDP
over the next 5–10 years for many developing countries, but with a much larger potential of
about 2 percent of GDP or even higher for many developed countries that today rely only
modestly on taxation of immovable property.
4) Comparison of Different Approaches of Property Tax

Depending on their adopted policy objectives, countries differ substantially with regard to their
use of the different property tax sources. There are three types of approaches how a country use
sources.
a) Some countries place emphasis on providing a stable and substantial source of revenue for
sub-national governments through immovable property taxes,
b) Some countries prioritize general revenue raising (by using mainly capital transfer taxes),
c) Some countries enhancing the progressivity and fairness of the overall tax system (by
relying on taxes on net wealth or inheritance and gifts)..
Given the current high rates and bases of capital transfer taxes and very low tax bases for annual
property taxes, Myanmar is a country using sources more in ways of type (b). In order to make
revenue base for YCDC more stable and sustainable, it is recommended to put more emphasis
on sources of type (a). It is fortunate that Myanmar does already have a property tax of type (a),
so that things to do is to revise its tax base to make it closer to the current property values.
According to available data sources, property taxes are far from being a mainstay of the revenue
system in developed, developing, and transition countries. In cases of mid-income countries,
total tax revenues as % of GDP are 15-20%. Myanmar’s tax revenue is 6.7% of GDP that is
quite small and depends more on revenues from state owned enterprises that accounts for 9.2%
of GDP in 2015.

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The average revenue raising from property taxes is modest in all three main country groupings,
but seemingly with a slightly upward trend since the 1970s. The data also suggest that reliance
on property taxation (similar to most other taxes) is strongly related to economic development,
with the average revenue ratio to GDP in OECD countries being triple that of developing
countries.
Table 2.6.6: Level of and Trends in Property Tax Revenues as % of GDP

1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
OECD Countries 1.24 1.31 1.44 2.12
Developing Countries 0.42 0.36 0.42 0.60
Transition Countries 0.34 0.59 0.54 0.68
All countries 0.77 0.73 0.75 1.04
Source: John Norregaard, “Taxing Immovable Property: Revenue Potential and Implementation
Challenges, May 2013”, IMF Working Paper.
Thailand approved long-awaited land and buildings tax in Jun 2016 and it is expected to
generate more than 64 billion baht for government coffers when it takes effect in 2017. In
comparison with the current property tax of YCDC, newly introduce property tax in Thailand
has some distinctive features that may also be considered by YCDC (or Union and Region
levels at large) when it comes to the time to reform their property based tax system.
 Nominal tax rates are lower but tax bases are linked to the current property prices.
 There are built in “progressive” nature that excludes small houses for owners’ own
residential use are virtually tax exempted while the owner of multiple properties are taxed
with higher rates. There are 8,556 residential units that have an appraisal price of more
than 50 million baht, mostly in Bangkok and other big cities. That means about 99.96% of
residences nationwide are free from the tax liability.
 Given its progressive nature, it is expected that new tax would prompt some landlords who
own many plots (often left unused), particularly in prime locations where land values are
high, to develop the plots or sell them to avoid paying the high tax rate.
Table 2.6.7: Comparison of Property Tax in Myanmar and Thailand

Country Descriptions
Myanmar 1. Total annual value = annual value of the land + annual value of the building + annual value of the
YCDC machine.
(a) Annual value of the land = value of the land x 3%
(b) Annual value of the building = value of the building x 6%
(c) Annual value of the machine = value of the machine x 6%
(f) Total annual value = (a)+(b)+(c)
2. Total property tax = total annual value x 13%

(g) General tax (8%) = total annual value x 8%
(h) Lighting tax (5%) = total annual value x 5%
(i) Total property tax (13%) = (a) General tax (8%) + (b) Lighting Tax (5%)
Note: While the municipal act of 1922 mentions “Water Tax” and “Waste and Sewage Tax” as part
of property tax, these are not applied at present because “water charges” and “cleanliness
charges” are levied by respective service departments.
3. Summary of property tax rates on:

“Land” = value of the land x 0.39% = value of the land x 3% x 13%
“Building” = value of the building x 0.78% = value of the land x 6% x 13%
“Machine” = value of the machine x 0.78% = value of the land x 6% x 13%
4. Annual values of land are set far lower levels than the current values.

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For example, there are cases where applied “annual values = taxable value bases” are,
“Commercial use: 3,500 MMK/sqft” as oppose to the “current annual value: 26,000 MMK/sqft” thus
tax is “0.05% of the current values” of land,
“Industrial Zone: 1,000 MMK/sqft” as oppose to the “current annual value: 30,000 MMK/sqft” thus
tax is “0.01% of the current values” of land.
5. Stamp Duty for immovable property sales are quite high.

5%(base rate) + 2% (YCDC) = 7% on sales value.
Thailand New law approved on June 7, 2016, and be effective in 2017.

For “first home” with value less than 50 million THB are tax exempt.
For “second home” 30- 50 million THB, a tax rate shall be 0.20%.
Tax rates are progressive in accordance with property values and their usage. Unused and vacant land is
taxed with higher rates. These arrangements have an effect to induce land use changes in accordance
with properties’ values and locations, especially in urban centers where more intensive land use is
desirable. On the other hand, lower or rates (or tax exemptio) are applied for smaller houses and
agricultural land.
Source: Bangkok Post

Japan Property Tax on Land: Value of land x 1/6 x 1.4% (residential use < 200sqm),
(Benchmarking) Property Tax on Building: Value of building x 1/2 x 1.4% (newly build < 120sqm)
Registration Tax: Value of property x 2% (for residential use 0.3%)
Source: YCDC Assessors Department, Bangkok Post 08 Jun 2016

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5) Detail of the Current YCDC Property Tax
Table 2.6.8: Actual Normal Income of Assessor Department (Million MMK)

No Account Title FY-2013-2014 FY-2014-2015 FY-2015-2016
1 Private owned property tax
(1) Classified by Townships 231 226 247
(2) Commercial Purpose Shops + BCC submitted buildings 605 660 894
(3) Hotel, Motel and Inns 3,190 128 197
(4) House Rental 1,021 156 160
(5) Industrial/Economic Zones 155 146 190
2 Property Tax from Myanmar Port Authority 1,487 548
3 Property Tax from other Governmental Departments 311 360 404
4 Property Tax from Buildings levied by Foreign Currency 942 5,353 10,199
Total 6,454 8,515 12,840
Source: YCDC Assessors Department, Bangkok Post 08 Jun 2016
According to Assessors Department, there are two reasons for steep changes in the amount of
income between 2013-2014 FY and 2014-2015 FY.
In 2013-2014 FY, foreign currency amount levied from hotels, motels, inns and house rental
was exchanged into Myanmar currency and add it under its account title. Starting from
2015-2016 FY, this account was separated from the total account and put it under the title of
"Property Tax from buildings levied by foreign currency".
Another reason is that the currency rate was fixed as 1 USD= 1000 MMK before 2013, August.
After that, the currency exchange rate becomes the current price of the Central Bank. This is
another reason why YCDC could get more income for this account comparing with 2013-2014
FY.
For "Property Tax from Myanmar Port Authority (MPA)", YCDC announced a notification
dated in 2013 that MPA must pay 5% of their total tax income from the area inside YCDC
boundary. In 2013-2014 FY, MPA refused to pay that tax and they had to pay for 2 years amount
in 2014-2015 FY. That is why the amount of MPA tax in 2014-2015 FY is more than 2015-2016
FY.
6) Tax Rates and Procedures for Property Tax by Assessor Department

(description as provided by Assessor Department)
Specifications for levy on property tax
1. Assessor department conduct the levy on property tax upon lands and buildings in 32
townships inside YCDC’s boundary with following account titles.
Account Titles
a) Property tax on private property
b) Myanmar Port Authority Property Tax
c) Governmental Departments’ Property Tax
d) Property tax levied by Foreign Currency
Directives, Ordinances and Procedures
2. According to the notification (70/98) dated 29-7-1998, Committee released the order to
levy the property tax on lands and buildings which are rent with earnest money (guarantee
deposit) by the following instructions.

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a) To define as total rental fee for one year in which 15% of earnest money is added to
annual rental fee.
b) To define as annual rental fee with the inspection of Rental Comparison Method
comparing with rental prices of surrounding buildings (or) lands upon the total rental
fee for one year.
c) To calculate the annual value by deducting the concessions on derived annual rental
fees.
3. According to the clause (d) and (e) from the decision of Coordination Meeting of Assessor
Department which was held on 8-12-1998, in order to calculate the property tax by reference
no (1902/7185/Si Pin-Ya Pa) and notification (96/98) dated 24-12-1998, the areas which
should be defined as minimum areas for lands and buildings are described as follow.
a) In order to levy the property tax, the area of the land must be calculated at least 1200
square feet. If the land is wider than that, property tax must be levied in accordance with
wider area.
b) In order to levy the property tax, the area of the building must be calculated at least 625
square feet. If the building is wider than that, property tax must be levied in accordance
with wider area.
4. According to the clause 6(b) (1.2.3) from the decision of the Meeting of YCDC which was
held on 17-8-2015, starting from 1-8-2015, in order to calculate the property tax of
Governmental Organizations and Private buildings and new buildings for commercial uses
by reference no (1902/2203/Si Pin-Ya Pa) and notification (1/2015) dated 27-8-2015,
property tax must be levied 3% of one square feet of the land and 6% of one square feet of
the building based on township classifications into 23 first class townships and 9 second
class townships.
a) First Class Townships – Pazundaung, Botahtaung, Kyauktada, Pabedan, Latha,
Lanmadaw, Dagon, Mingalar Taungnyut, Sanchaung, Kamaryut, Tarmwe, Bahan,
Yankin, Mayangone, Hlaing, Ahlone, Kyee Myin Daing, South Oakkalarpa, North
Oakkalarpa, Thingangyun, Tharketa, Insein and Dawbon townships.
b) Second Class Townships – Shwe Pyi Thar, Hlaing Tharyar, Mingalardon, Dagon
Myothit (South), Dagon Myothit (North), Dagon Myothit (East), Dagon Myothit
(Seikkan), Dala and Seikgyikhanaungto townships.
c) 1 Square Feet Rates of Lands (MMK)
Township Classification Main Road Internal Road/ Street
First Class Townships 1000 800
Second Class Townships 600 400
d) 1 Square Feet Rates of Buildings (MMK)

Township Classification RC/Steel Structure Brick/ Brick Nog Wood/Zinc
First Class Townships 700 600 400
Second Class Townships 600 400 200
5. According to the reference no (1902/2203/Si Pin-Ya Pa) and notification (1/2015) dated
27-8-2015, concerning with high rise buildings,
a) Property Tax must be levied by deduction of the 20% of adjacent lower floor
apartment’s value up to 5th floor and levied with the value of 5th floor apartment for all
apartments upper than 5th floor.
b) For the penthouses, property tax is termed as the 50% of assessed value for that
apartment.
c) If the floor area of the upper apartment is not the same with that of lower apartment,
20% of assessed value should be reduced.
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d) If there are rooms in the apartment, assessed value of that apartment should be
calculated proportionately according to the dimensions of those rooms.
e) Before levying by rooms, rental charge of the land must be calculated as 2000 MMK for
first class townships and 1000 MMK for second class townships on (625) square feet
area for high rise buildings.
f) For levying the buildings in which escalators are installed, the value of the building is
calculated by adding all floors from this apartment into the ground floor.¥
6. According to the decision clause (19), notification (20/2011) from the meeting of Yangon
Regional Government which was held on 18-8-2011, general tax and lighting tax which are
included in the property tax are levied as 8% and 5% respectively and total 13%.
Property Tax on Private Property
7. Residential Buildings : In accordance with the changing of time, property tax is levied
as following rates according to the department notification (1/2015) starting from the
1-8-2015 for residential buildings.
% %
Monthly Assessed Value = 13%
8. Buildings or apartments in which private businesses are running : Although the

calculation of property tax for buildings or apartments in which private businesses are
running is according to clause (3) which is mentioned above, it is calculated with highest
rates, 1000 MMK for 1 square feet of the land and 700 MMK for 1 square feet of the
building without considering the classification of townships and types of streets.
9. Rental buildings or apartments : According to the notification (89/96) from the
Assessor Department, if the lands (or) buildings (or) apartments are rent with local or foreign
currency, taxation is made on the rest as property tax after subtracting the following
concession upon the one month rental charges which is mentioned in the contract submitted
by the owner.
a) Concession on 10% of income tax
b) Concession on 25% of maintenance expense on net remain charges
c) Concession on 25% of general expense on net remain charges
d) Specify the last remain charges as Monthly Assessed Value
e) Annual Assessed Value = Monthly Assessed Value 13% (General Tax 8% + Lighting
Tax 5%) 12 Months
10. For the buildings inside Bayint Naung Economic Zone: According to the decision (D)
of the meeting with Committee members and Department Heads which was held on
5-2-1999 and notification (41/99), monthly assessed value is calculated with 3% of the value
of the land and 6% of the value of the buildings inside Bayint Naung Economic Zone.
Charges are described as follow.
a) 1 square feet rate of the land 800 (MMK)
b) 1 square feet rate of the building 700 (MMK)
c) 1 square feet rate of the brick noggin 600 (MMK)
d) General tax 8%, lighting tax 5% and so total 13% is levied on the calculated monthly
assessed value one in 6 months starting from 1-10-2014.
11. Hotel, Motel and Inn: Property tax is levied with foreign currency for hotels in which
foreigners are fully invested and with Myanmar currency for hotels, motels and inns owned by
Myanmar native people. According to the decision of the Myanmar Investment Commission
(18/2011) which was held on 29-9-2011 and notification (54/11) of the Assessor Department

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dated 30-9-2011, taxation is made 6% on the rest as property tax upon total monthly rental fees
after subtracting the following concessions.
a) 10% income tax
b) 10% trade business tax
c) 10% service charge
d) Rental fee paid to the owner of land or building
e) 4% bank service (Foreigner owned)
f) After subtracting the concessions, taxation is made 6% on the rest as property tax and this
tax is recorded as general tax 8% and lighting tax 5%.
12. Detached Housing : According to the notification (89/96) from the
Assessor Department, if the lands (or) buildings (or) apartments are rent with local or foreign
currency, taxation is made on the rest as property tax after subtracting the following concession
upon the one month rental charges which is mentioned in the contract submitted by the owner.
d) Specify the last remain charges as Monthly Assessed Value
e) Annual Assessed Value = Monthly Assessed Value 13% (General Tax 8% + Lighting
Tax 5%) 12 Months
13. Levy the Property Tax on Apartment, Tower and Residence:
(A) For the apartments, towers and residences in which foreigners are fully invested, total 13%
property tax (general tax 8% and lighting tax 5%) is levied on the rest after subtracting the
following concession upon the rental fee of the rooms from which the rental fee of the land to
respective owners is deducted.
d) Concession on 20% of service expense on net remain charges
e) Taxation is made on the rest as property tax which is levied as 13% Tax (General Tax 8% +
Lighting Tax 5%)
(B) According to the notification (103/2016) of Assessor Department, if someone hire land (or)
land and building from original owner and lease again with Myanmar (or) foreign currency,
taxation is made as following upon the one who lease those properties.
a) Rental charges for the levy period = Myanmar (or) Foreign Currency
b) Concessions
i. Rental Charges for the original owner during the levy period
ii. 10% of income tax on net remain charges
iii. 25% of maintenance expense on net remain charges
iv. 25% of general expense on net remain charges
c) Net remain charge = Net Value
d) Monthly assessed value = MRV
e) Property Tax = MRV 13% (General Tax 8% + Lighting Tax 5%)
14. Industry, Workshop and Industrial Zones (Industry/ Economy): In levying the property
tax of industries and workshops, taxation is made total 13% (general tax 8% and lighting tax
5%) on the total annual value termed by adding the annual values of land, building and
machines. If streetlights are made self-help inside industrial zones, those are not included in
taxation.
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a) Annual value of land = 3% of land price

b) Annual value of building = 6% of building price
c) Annual value of machine = 6% of machine price
d) Total Annual Value = A + B + C
e) Property Tax = Total Annual Value 13% (General Tax 8% + Lighting Tax 5%)
Myanmar Port Authority Property Tax (1-01-02)
According to the YCDC law section 31, sub section (E) dated 2013, taxation is made as
Myanmar Port Authority Property Tax which is equal to the 5 % of total general income tax that
MPA got inside YCDC’s boundary.
Governmental Departments’ Property Tax (1-01-03)
According to the YCDC law section 31, sub section (F) dated 2013, in accordance with the
taxation on lands and buildings owned by governmental departments, property tax is levied by
coordination with responsible persons from respective departments.
Property Tax levied with Foreign Currency (1-01-04)
According to the decision (A/54) 1/2 of the meeting with Committee Members, which was held
on 14-8-2013 and the reference no 1997/3535/Si Pin – Ya Pa and notification (121/2013) dated
22-8-2013 of Assessor Department, starting from 1-8-2013, property tax for lands, buildings,
industries, workshops, hotels, motels, inns and detached housings in which foreigners are fully
invested, was levied in Myanmar currency with updated exchange rate of City Bank at the time
when the tax payer pay property tax.
7) CHDB “Housing Saving Account” Program (as introduced by

Myanmar Times Web version on 5th October 2016)
The state-owned lender started the program in August 2016, which aims to reward dedicated savers
with priority when allocating low-cost housing. Customers who manage to accrue a balance of K3
million for a down payment will be first in line when new apartments are sold, and are able to apply
for a CHDB loan to cover the monthly payments.
Some 3350 savers have opened accounts since the program started, and around 30 have the K3 million
balance that can be used as a down payment, said U Zaw Win, managing director of CHDB.
MOC, which set up CHDB, is planning to sell more than 1000 low-cost apartments, and CHDB is
drawing up a list of customers who will be offered the units, U Zaw Win said.
CHDB started the Housing Saving Account program after earlier initiatives were unsuccessful. The
bank attempted to lend to low-earners in a joint pilot project with the construction ministry aiming to
help people buy K10 million apartments in the Shwe Lin Pan low-cost housing project. But it found
that many borrowers struggled to pay back the loans.
“Some people had the K3 million down payment but couldn’t make the monthly K120,000 payments,”
he said. “Others couldn’t make the down payment. Although many people wanted to buy the
apartments, in reality they didn’t have the money. So we’ve opened the saving account [to encourage
people to save up].”
CHDB will offer loans at 12 percent to people with a K3 million deposit, but who need to borrow to
make the monthly payments. The bank is also still seeking low interest loans from foreign banks or
international financial institutions that it could use to lower the rates on its own lending.
“But that has been difficult to get because foreign lenders are still considering and observing the
condition of the country,” he said. “Also CHDB bank was only established two years ago.”

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New CHDB customer Ma Hnin Nu said that she likes the program. In the past savers still had little
chance of buying a house, but now she hopes that one day, when her balance hits K3 million, she can
buy her own apartment.
“I save a little money in each month to buy an apartment – it’s better than not saving anything,” she
said.

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2.7 Capacity Development
(1) Urban Planning as a New Concept

Myanmar has entered a new era of urban planning since 2011. The political and economic
liberalization has enhanced a strong market-oriented economy, attracting significant volumes of
foreign direct investments, imported goods and services, notably imported cars, and rapid urbanization,
especially in Yangon, the largest commercial city in Myanmar. Yangon has the highest population
density in the country, and expects to face greater pressures through rapid urbanization with high
economic growth. In this context, urban planning is one of the most urgent concerns in Yangon to
ensure sustainable urban development as the commercial capital. Urban planning can be described as a
technical and political process concerned with the welfare of people, control of land use, design of the
urban networks and lifelines and protection of the environments.
However, the concept of urban planning is still new in Myanmar. The laws, policies and executives’
capacities are still in transition. MOC is currently preparing for the national legal and policy
frameworks in urban development to meet such emerging demands for sustainable development in the
country. They include the Condominium Act approved in the early 2016, the draft Urban and Regional
Development Planning Bill, which contains planning permission and zoning regulation, the draft
National Building Code Bill, the draft National Housing Development Bill, which includes urban
redevelopment in housing sector, and the draft National Construction Industry Development Board
Bill. In advance to such the forthcoming frameworks at national level, YCDC introduced the
Notification No. 9/1999 (Buildings and Structure) and No. 3/2001 (Urban Planning and Land Use) to
deal with the emerging needs in the earlier era, and further has drafted the Zoning Regulation in
Yangon, recently.
While Myanmar has demonstrated significant progress in preparation for the legal and policy
frameworks in urban development for the past few years, there have remained some concerns on the
executives’ capacities for its implementation and enforcement. This section explores the current
situations of organizational capacities and human resources in urban development of Yangon.
(2) Stakeholders/Actors in Urban Development in Yangon
1) YCDC
YCDC is a municipal authority in Yangon which plays a central role in urban planning,
development and management through interacting with a variety of stakeholders/actors in public
and non-public sector. It was established in 1990. YCDC is responsible for service deliveries in
Yangon City, which covers 33 out of 45 Townships of Yangon Region. YCDC has been
constituted by the City of Yangon Development Act 1990 issued by the State Law and Order
Restoration Council and the Yangon City Municipal Law 2013 approved by the Yangon Region
Hluttaw or Parliament. YCDC is also responsible for duties stipulated in the Rangoon Municipal
Act 1922. The Budget of YCDC in FY2014/15 was around MMK 238 billion and accounted for

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almost 70 percent of YRG Budget14. YCDC notably generated over 90 percent of the total
revenue by themselves.
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from YCDC Home Page. Sept. 2016. [http://www.ycdc.gov.mm/]
Figure 2.7.1: Organization Structure of YCDC
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from YCDC document

Figure 2.7.2: Organization Structure of Urban Planning Division under City Planning & Land
Administration Department, YCDC
14 UNDP. (2015). ‘The State of Local Governance: Trends in Yangon’. Yangon: UNDP Myanmar.
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The Mayor is a head of YCDC and also acts as the Minister of Development Affairs of YRG.
The member of the Committee includes the Mayor, the Secretary, the Joint Secretary, and two
committee members. YCDC is supervised by the Ministry of Development Affairs of YRG.
YCDC consists of the Committee Office, twenty departments, the Yangon City Golf Club and
the Yangon City Bank (See Figure 2.7.1). They provide public services in 33 Townships of
Yangon Region, including regulatory services and service deliveries in roads, bridges, drainages,
water supply, sanitation, sewage, buildings, markets, waste management, park and street
management, land administration etc.
In 2012, the Urban Planning Unit was newly established at YCDC to deal with emerging urban
development issues through enhancing comprehensive planning approach. Later, the Unit was
transformed to the Urban Planning Division under the Land Administration Department, that is
now called as the City Planning and Land Administration Department. The Urban Planning
Division consists of 6 branches: including Zoning & Land Use Planning Branch; Urban Design
& District Planning Branch; Urban Socioeconomic Studies Branch; Infrastructure & Urban
Amenities Planning Branch; Urban Transportation & Road Network Planning Branch; and
Administration Branch (See Figure 2.7.2).
2) YRG
YRG was established in 2011 as one of 14 Regions and States in Myanmar. There are the
Region Hluttaw (Parliament), the Region Cabinet, the Region High Court and the Region
Auditor General in Yangon Region. The Region Cabinet consists of the Region Chief Minister
and 9 Region Ministers, including the Region Minister of Development Affairs who is also the
Yangon Mayor. YRG provides public services through its regional ministries, such as security
and border affairs, planning and finance, agriculture, livestock, forestry and energy, electricity,
industry and transportation, development affairs, social affairs, Rakhine, Kayin and advocate
general (See Figure 2.7.3).
Source: JICA Study Team modified from YCDC document and UNDP. (2015). ‘The State of Local Governance:
Trends in Yangon’. Yangon: UNDP Myanmar.
Figure 2.7.3: Governance Structure of YRG
The Yangon Region has four layer administrative structures under the Union Government: the
Region Government, 4 Districts, 45 Townships and 742 Wards/636 Village Tracts (See Figure
2.7.4). The General Administration Department (GAD) under the Ministry of Home Affairs

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(MOHA) is central to the local administrative system from Union to Ward/Village Tract level15.
The GAD covers tax collection, land management, assorted registration and certification
processes.

Figure 2.7.4: Governance Structure of Yangon Region
Besides this GAD’s administrative line from Union to ward/village tract level, there are other
parallel administrative channels in Yangon Region. One is the Union line ministries’
departments/agencies in Yangon Region that are responsible for service deliveries in education,
health, electrical power, industry etc., which are budgeted and administrated by Union line
ministries 16 . In urban development sector, MOC has Yangon branches, consisting of the
Department of Urban and Housing Development (DUHD), the Department of Building
Administration, the Department of Highways and the Department of Bridges. There are also the
Urban Research and Development Institute (URDI) and the Construction and Housing
Development Bank (CHDB) in Yangon to facilitate urban development from research and
banking perspectives. In addition, there are some public entities and authorities for service
deliveries in Yangon Region, like the Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC), the
Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT), the YRTA, the Myanmar Port Authority (MPA),
the Myanmar Railways (MR), the Inland Water Transport (IWT) etc.
YCDC is the other administrative channel which provides municipal services, such as water and
sanitation, waste management, roads and bridges, buildings, parks, markets and land
management. YCDC also dispatches their staff to 33 Townships of Yangon Region to provide
advisory and technical support to Townships to enhance effective service deliveries in their
responsible areas. In this context, YCDC has some degrees of influence on Townships where the
GAD has generally dominated over the country.
3) MOC
MOC is responsible for undertaking the legal, policy, and planning framework in urban
planning, development, and management at the national level. The Department of Urban and
Housing Development (DUHD) under the MOC plays a central role in this area, and has 14
15 Chit Saw and Arnold. (2014). ‘Administering the State in Myanmar: An Overview of the General Administration
Department’. Yangon: MDRI-CESD & Asia Foundation.

16 It should be noted that some information may be already old or no longer relevant as a result of the on-going Ministry
Reforms.
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region and state branches, including Yangon branch, and 19 district level planners in the country
to support local governments for implementing urban and regional policies and plans. There are
other relevant departments in urban development, such as the Department of Building
Administration, the Department of Highways and the Department of Bridges, which have also
region and state branches in the country.
4) Non-State Actors
Government largely depends on non-state actors that are functionally interdependent on each
other. In fact, there are a variety of concerned stakeholders/actors in urban development who
have strong influences to the implementation of urban development plan. They include the
private sector (real estate developers, construction companies, commercial banks, transport
companies etc., associations (Myanmar Engineering Council, Myanmar Engineering Society,
Myanmar Architects Council, Association of Myanmar Architects etc.), universities (Yangon
Technological University, Yangon University etc.), Non-Governmental Organizations/Civil
Society Organizations (Committee for Quality Control and High Rise Building Construction
Projects, YHT etc.) and donors (UN Habitat, ADB, EU, Japan, South Korea, France etc.) (See
Figure 2.7.5). Obviously, the private sector is the major player in urban development through
financial investments, constructions, operations and maintenances in buildings and transport and
lifeline infrastructures. Associations and universities produce the pool of human resources in
civil engineering, architecture and other areas, and provide information, knowledge, skills,
technology, and research and survey. NGOs/CSOs and donors provide advocacy, technical and
financial support to government and other stakeholders for sustainable urban development.

Figure 2.7.5: Major Stakeholders/Actors in Urban Planning in Yangon
(3) Capacity Development for Organizations and Human Resources

Capacity development can be described as capacity for handling issues, such as one identifies issues,
sets goals, and achieves these. Capacity consists of a variety of elements for handling issues, such as

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an individual’s knowledge and techniques and organizational capabilities of the affiliated institutions,
as well as related policy institutions and social systems17. While human resources were mainly focused
in the SUDP 2013, this study emphasizes the importance of organizational capacity for the
implementation of the SUDP 2016, treating human resources as one of the key elements of the
organizational capacity.
There are three main questions to analyze the current situations related to capacity development
around the SUDP:
 What is the progress of the implementation of the SUDP 2013?
 What are the main factors that has affected the performance of the implementation of the SUDP
2013? and
 What are lessons learnt, key elements and areas for capacity development at YCDC to facilitate
the effective implementation of SUDP 2016 towards the attainment of the goals of the Yangon
Future Vision 2040?
In order to find answers for the above questions, capacity assessment was conducted through key
informant interviews, a questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and direct observation with the
main stakeholders in urban development in Yangon during the period of August to December, 2016.
1) Progress of Implementation of SUDP 2013

The Strategic Urban Development Plan of Greater Yangon (SUDP) 2013 was made by YCDC
with support from JICA during the period of 2012 to 2013. The SUDP was officially approved
by the Yangon Region Cabinet in 2013. To identify what is the progress of the implementation
of the SUDP since 2013 can be an entry point to analyze the current situation from a perspective
of capacity development in organizations and human resources. It is important to ensure what
does work and doesn’t work for the last three years and draw lessons learnt for the
implementation of the forthcoming SUDP 2016.
The concept of urban planning was introduced in Myanmar in 2011, and its legal and policy
frameworks and executive capacities are currently in the period of transition. The SUDP may be
the first comprehensive urban plan in Yangon for recent years to meet emerging demands for
urban development associated with political and economic liberalization. In fact, the SUDP
enhanced Myanmar to open a new era of urban planning through providing vision, strategy and
plan for Yangon urban development in the long term. The SUDP also caused the establishment
of a new unit, the previous Urban Planning Unit, now the so-called Urban Planning Division at
YCDC to ensure a role and responsibility for urban planning through such an institutional
change. In this regard, the SUDP has played a significant role to forward urban development at
planning and institutional level in Yangon.
While offering a blue picture of urban development in the long term, the SUDP also suggested
77 projects proposed in 13 sectors related to urban and infrastructure development in Yangon. It
includes urban development and management (11projects), social services (3 projects), urban
landscape and heritage (5 projects), parks and greenery (2 projects), capacity development (5
projects), urban transport (21 projects), road networks (5 projects), railways (5 projects), port
and logistics (6 projects), water supply (6 projects), sewerage and drainage (2 projects), solid
waste management (5 projects), and telecommunication (1 project). The matrix of 77 projects
17JICA Research Institute. (2008). ‘Capacity Assessment Handbook: Project Management for Realizing Capacity
Development’.
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provided outlines, preliminary estimated costs and implementation schedules of the proposed
projects.
However, it is unlikely for the 77 projects to be implemented in line with the SUDP. Rather,
some projects are implemented, following their own sector plans and priorities. For instance,
water supply has one of better performed sectors in the implementation among 13 sectors that
the SUDP has covered. The Engineering Department (Water Supply and Sanitation) at YCDC is
the main responsible entity. This performance can be explained by JICA’s firm commitments to
the sector through providing supports in making the water supply master plan and its
implementation by grant, loan and technical cooperation projects in line with their sector master
plan.
It is also identified that there is no monitoring framework so that the Urban Planning Division,
YCDC is unable to track the progress of the implementation of the 77 projects. In fact, many
projects, especially in urban infrastructure and transport sector, fall into the responsibilities of
other ministries/agencies. Hence, it is difficult for the Urban Planning Division to track the
progress without the monitoring framework agreed with those ministries/agencies.
In summary, the implementation of the SUDP for the last three years has shown mixed results.
On the one hand, the SUDP has attributed to building the urban planning framework and
institutional arrangement in Yangon. On the other hand, it has faced some challenges in the
implementation and monitoring and evaluation due to lack of consensus among the major
stakeholders/actors in the planning process.
2) Main Factors for Performance of Implementation of SUDP 2013

Following the findings in the above, this section identifies what are the main factors that affect
the performance of the SUDP’s implementation. The main factors are assessed in relation to the
SUDP, organizations and human resources as follows.
(I) SUDP 2013

Despite the fact that the SUDP 2013 was officially approved by the Yangon Region Cabinet, it
is found ownership of the SUDP is weak. In the formulation process of the SUDP, consultation
process was undertaken through the steering committee meetings of YCDC, a couple of
launching workshops with stakeholders, mainly YCDC and MOC officials or staff, held in
Yangon and Naypyidaw around 2013. However, it is not necessarily the case that all officials or
staff currently know about the SUDP due to partially staff reassignments during the past three
years. At the same time, it implies that the SUDP may not be well operationalized or
internalized by/within YCDC. In fact, some departments at YCDC pointed out that the SUDP is
a plan for the Urban Planning Division or JICA while the departments have their own plan or
priority in the sector. It shows that the SUDP is likely to be considered as one of the sector plans
rather than a top of planning hierarchy in urban development in Yangon. Furthermore, the
majority of the other stakeholders, such as the private sector, associations, universities, NGOs,
and donors, told that they had never seen the SUDP although some of them were aware of it
through the media or having interviews with the SUDP 2013 study team in data collection.
Many indicated a language barrier with English. In fact, there is no Myanmar version of the
SUDP. Others pointed out the SUDP doesn’t align with the government format as the
government plan, and provides overwhelming technical information. Furthermore, it is
significantly pointed out that there were less consensuses with sector departments, ministries
and authorities as the urban plan or a top of the planning hierarchy and less consultations with
non-public key stakeholders in Yangon. Moreover, there were no action and monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) frameworks for the 77 projects: responsible authorities were not appointed,
resources for each project were not indicated and the projects were not prioritized.
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(II) Organizations
The 2008 Constitution defines the roles and responsibilities of the Union Government and the
Region/State Governments respectively, but there is no statement about YCDC. Instead, YCDC
has been constituted by the City of Yangon Development Act 1990 and the Yangon City
Municipal Law 2013 under the military rule and the Yangon Region Parliament. This might
challenge the legal status of YCDC as the largest local service provider in the country.
The Urban Planning Unit was newly established at YCDC in 2012, and later transformed to the
Urban Planning Division under the City Planning and Land Administration Department.
Nevertheless, the Urban Planning Division has not yet been constituted by YRG and the
Ministry of Planning and Finance (MOPF). As a result, there is limitation to hire permanent
officials at the Division, but relies on temporary contract staff who might be less motivated
through weak financial and non-financial incentives. In fact, many staff who worked previously
resigned from their jobs probably when due without renewals, and have been replaced by new
contract staff who might follow in the same way. In addition, the current organizational
structure of the City Planning and Land Administration Department has limited the mobility and
function of the Urban Planning Division as a planning division to play a catalytic role in the
process of urban planning, implementation and coordination with the other YCDC departments,
YRG and non-state actors.
According to non-state stakeholders, YCDC has offered less customer-centered services with
high transaction costs. There are less coordination mechanisms within YCDC so that the
customers are required to visit each relevant department to clear each stage in order to
accomplish one business. In the case of a high-rise building permit, some indicated it took more
than one year to obtain the permit, while taking over three months to get a high-rise building
completion certificate. The Engineering Department (Buildings) is a focal point to issue a
building permit; however, an applicant needs to visit relevant departments and other authorities
to clear each stage and is often required to make presentations to each department every time. In
the case of Singapore, some indicated that it might take only two weeks to obtain a building
permit through the online application system. In this context, there is room for improvement to
drastically reduce waiting time for such permits and certificates through improving transparency
in the procedures and coordination between YCDC departments and with other authorities.
(III) Human Resources

Human resource development in urban planning is still in transition. Although the existing pool
of human resources in civil engineering and architect needs to be further expanded, there are
urgent needs on human resource development in the field of urban planning, development and
management. The Department of Urban and Housing Development (DUHD), MOC recently
made the Five-Year Capacity Development Plan. It emphasizes some prioritized areas, such as
capacity building and training, urban research and advocacy, formulation of national urban
development strategies, formulation of housing development strategies, pilot action plan for
master plan development and strengthen GIS units. In the field of capacity building and training,
it prioritizes the following areas: urban planning guidelines and planning regulations,
infrastructure needs assessment (prioritization) for primary and secondary cities, housing needs
assessment for primary and secondary cities, disaster risk reduction integration into land use
planning, municipal financing and PPP, and city development strategies and capacity
development plans. MOC has also established the Urban Research Development Institute
(URDI) in Yangon as a think tank with support from UN Habitat. They focus on the area of
urbanization, urban development, housing and disaster risk reduction through policy advice,
capacity development and urban research.
The Urban Planning Division, YCDC has faced similar challenges with a limited number of
officials/staff who are able to understand overall urban planning. The URDI/UN Habitat have
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provided training programs to the Division although their main targeting groups are MOC and
others. Among the YCDC’s departments, the Urban Planning Division is one of the most
popular destinations to attract donors’ support due to their great expectations to the Division in
urban planning. In fact, there are a variety of training opportunities offered by donors. Among
them, learning by doing training programs, such as NUFFIC, seemed to be more demanded than
lecture oriented training programs.
Until 2011, there was no university to teach urban planning but civil engineering and
architecture. However, some university, like the Yangon Technological University, has launched
urban planning course to reflect emerging demands for urban planning associated with the
recent political and economic changes. Nevertheless, the new course is still far from popular,
like civil engineering, due to weak demand in the employment market. The university expects to
see emerging booms for the urban planning course in near future.
3) Lessons Learnt for SUDP 2016

This section concludes what are lessons learnt from the implementation of the SUDP 2013 and
for the forthcoming SUDP 2016 to ensure more efficient and effective implementation. To
strengthen inclusive ownership of the SUDP 2016 among the major stakeholders in urban
development, it is recommended for YCDC to seek any possibility of an endorsement from not
only YRG but also the Union Government to enable it to coordinate sector, public land and
redevelopment issues related to Union line ministries.
In order to do so, firstly, the SUDP 2016 may be more simplified, to some extent aligned with
the government format and importantly translated into Myanmar for expected readers, such as
the Cabinet members, government officials and other stakeholders. Secondly, the SUDP 2016
might build more consensus with other departments of YCDC and relevant regional
authorities/departments for each sector through aligning with their existing sector plans,
priorities and projects. In this process, proposed projects might be prioritized while indicative
resources and responsible implementation authorities may be addressed. Finally, the SUDP 2016
may be finalized through undertaking inclusive consultation processes with a wide range of
stakeholders, such as associations, NGOs, donors, the private sector, research institutes, the
media etc., to reflect voices of the people into the city plan, especially from socio-cultural
perspectives.
Capacity for implementation is always a challenge. In fact, the performance of the
implementation of the SUDP 2013 has shown mixed. Hence, it is important to make sure what
are lessons learnt from the previous experience and feedbacks to the forthcoming SUDP 2016
for its effective implementation. Despite the establishment of UPD at YCDC, UPD has still
faced a great limitation because it has yet been constituted by YRG and the Ministry of Planning
and Finance (MOPF). As a result, UPD has faced great difficulties to have sufficient numbers of
permanent officials and undertake effective coordination with other YCDC’s departments and
the non-state actors in urban planning, development and management. To strengthen inclusive
ownership of the SUDP among all stakeholders, it is necessary to have sufficient consultation
process with the other YCDC departments and the non-state actors in terms of harmonizing with
the existing sector priorities and building the comprehensive monitoring and evaluation
framework in urban planning.

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Table 2.7.1: Record of Meetings and Surveys (Capacity Development)

15th Aug, 2016 Interview with JICA Expert for Urban YCDC,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Planning, YCDC Yangon and human resources
16th Aug, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Head, Zoning & Land Use YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Planning Branch, YCDC Yangon and human resources
16th Aug, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Director, Urban Planning YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Division, YCDC Yangon and human resources
22nd Aug, 2016 Interview with JICA Expert for Water YCDC,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Supply, YCDC Yangon and human resources
22nd Aug, 2016 Interview with President, HCDB HCDB,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Yangon and human resources
23rd Aug, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Vice Representatives, Mitsubishi  Current status of institutions
Mitsubishi Corporation Myanmar Corporation, and human resources
Yangon
26th Aug, 2016 (Fri) Four Interviews with Officials/Staff, Urban YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Planning Division, YCDC Yangon and human resources
1st Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Head, Zoning & Land Use YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Planning Branch, YCDC Yangon and human resources
1st Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Head, Urban Design & YCDC,  Current status of institutions
District Planning Branch, YCDC Yangon and human resources
1st Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Head, Urban Socioeconomic YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Studies Brach, YCDC Yangon and human resources
1st Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Head, Infrastructure & Urban YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Amenities Planning Branch, YCDC Yangon and human resources
1st Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Head, Urban Transportation YCDC,  Current status of institutions
& Road Network Planning Branch, YCDC Yangon and human resources
2nd Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Head, Administration Branch, YCDC,  Current status of institutions
YCDC Yangon and human resources
2nd Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Director, Urban Planning YCDC,  Current status of institutions
2nd Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Director, Land Administration YCDC,  Current status of institutions
2nd Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Head, City Planning and Land YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Administration Department, YCDC Yangon and human resources
5th Sept, 2016 (Mon) Interview with Head, Engineering YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Department (Buildings), YCDC Yangon and human resources
Department (Water and Sanitation), YCDC Yangon and human resources
Department (Roads and Bridges), YCDC Yangon and human resources
5th Sept, 2016 (Mon) Interview with Head, Administration YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Department, YCDC Yangon and human resources
6th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Head, Pollution Control YCDC,  Current status of institutions
6th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Head, Playground, Parks and YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Garden Department, YCDC Yangon and human resources
6th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Head, Budget and Accounts YCDC,  Current status of institutions
6th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Head, Assessor Department & YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Coordination Department, YCDC Yangon and human resources
7th Sept, 2016 (Wed) Interview with Head, Markets Department, YCDC,  Current status of institutions
7th Sept, 2016 (Wed) Interview with Head, Department of Urban MOC,  Current status of institutions
and Housing Development, MOC, Yangon Yangon and human resources
Branch
7th Sept, 2016 (Wed) Interview with Director, General YRG,  Current status of institutions
Administration Department, YRG Yangon and human resources
7th Sept, 2016 (Wed) Interview with Director, Department of YRG,  Current status of institutions
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Planning, YRG Yangon and human resources
7th Sept, 2016 (Wed) Interview with Director, Department of YRG,  Current status of institutions
Budget, YRG Yangon and human resources
8th Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with District Executive Officer, Eastern  Current status of institutions
Eastern District Office, YRG District and human resources
Office,
Yangon
8th Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Township Executive Officer, North  Current status of institutions
North Okkalapa Township Office, Eastern Okkalapa and human resources
District, YRG Township
Office,
Yangon
9th Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Township Executive Officer, Seik Kan  Current status of institutions
Seik Kan Township Office, Western District, Township and human resources
YRG Office,
Yangon
9th Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Ward Officer, Seik Kan Ward Seik Kan  Current status of institutions
Office, Seik Kan Township, Western District, Ward Office, and human resources
YRG Yangon
9th Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with Township Executive Officer, Dala  Current status of institutions
Dala Township Office, Southern District, Township and human resources
YRG Office,
Yangon
12th Sept, 2016 Interview with Chairman, Committee for CQHP,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Quality Control and High Rise Projects Yangon and human resources
(CQHP)
12th Sept, 2016 Interview with Director, YHT YHT,  Current status of institutions
12th Sept, 2016 Interview with President, Association of AMA,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Myanmar Architects (AMA) Yangon and human resources
13th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Vice President, Myanmar MES,  Current status of institutions
Engineering Society (MES） Yangon and human resources
13th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Pro Rector, Yangon YTU,  Current status of institutions
Technological University (YTU) Yangon and human resources
13th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Associate Professor, YU, Yangon  Current status of institutions
Geography Department, Yangon University and human resources
(YU)
14th Sept, 2016 Interview with Assistant Director, Urban URDI,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Research and Development Institute (URDI) Yangon and human resources
14th Sept, 2016 Interview with Urban Planning Specialist, UN-Habitat,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) UN-Habitat Yangon and human resources
14th Sept, 2016 Interview with Project Team Leader, Asian URDI,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Development Bank Yangon and human resources
15th Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Compliance & Approvals FMI, Yangon  Current status of institutions
Manager, First Myanmar Investment and human resources
(FMI)/SPA Project Management Services
15th Sept, 2016 (Thu) Interview with Manager, Shwe Taung Group Shwe Taung,  Current status of institutions
Yangon and human resources
16th Sept, 2016 (Fri) Interview with General Manager, Capital Capital  Current status of institutions
Development Construction, and human resources
Yangon
19th Sept, 2016 Interview with Deputy Directorate Generals MOC,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) of Divisions, Department of Urban and Naypyidaw and human resources
Housing Development (DUHD), MOC
19th Sept, 2016 Interview with Director, Housing MOC,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Development Division, DUHD, MOC Naypyidaw and human resources
19th Sept, 2016 Interview with JICA Expert for Housing MOC,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Policy, DUHD, MOC Naypyidaw and human resources
20th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Director, Department of Road MOTC,  Current status of institutions
Transportation and Administration, MOTC Naypyidaw and human resources
20th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Deputy General Manager, MR,  Current status of institutions
Myanmar Railways (MR), MOTC Naypyidaw and human resources

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20th Sept, 2016 (Tue) Interview with Deputy Director General, MOPF,  Current status of institutions
Department of Planning, Ministry of Naypyidaw and human resources
Planning and Finance (MOPF)
21st Sept, 2016 Interview with Director, Budget Department, MOPF,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) MOPF Naypyidaw and human resources
21st Sept, 2016 Interview with Directors, General MOHA,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Administration Department (GAD), Land Naypyidaw and human resources
Administration Department, & GAD-YRG,
Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA)
21st Sept, 2016 Interview with Deputy Director, Agricultural MOAI,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Land and Survey Department, Ministry of Naypyidaw and human resources
Agriculture and Irrigation (MOAI)
23rd Nov, 2016 Focus Group Discussions with Senior YCDC,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Officials, Urban Planning Division, YCDC Yangon and human resources
25th Nov, 2016 (Fri) Focus Group Discussions with Heads f YCDC,  Current status of institutions
Branches, Urban Planning Division, YCDC Yangon and human resources
2nd Dec, 2016 (Fri) Meeting with JICA Myanmar Office JICA,  Draft Presentation to Chief
Yangon Minister of Yangon Region
7th Dec, 2016 (Wed) Meeting with Chief Minister of Yangon YRG,  Presentation to Chief
Region Yangon Minister of Yangon Region
9th Dec, 2016 (Fri) Meeting with MOC MOC,  Presentation to MOC
Yangon
12th Dec, 2016 Interview with Deputy General Manager, MPA,  Current status of institutions
(Mon) Myanmar Port Authority (MPA), MOTC Yangon and human resources
12th Dec, 2016 Interview with JICA Expert, MPA, MOTC MPA,  Current status of institutions
14th Dec, 2016 Meeting with Director, Urban Planning YCDC,  Current status of institutions
(Wed) Division, YCDC Yangon and human resources
15th Dec, 2016 (Thu) Meeting with JICA Expert, Urban Planning, YCDC,  Current status of institutions
16th Dec, 2016 (Fri) Meeting with Secretary, YCDC YCDC,  Presentation to Secretary,
Yangon YCDC
23rd Dec, 2016 (Fri) Consultative Workshop on SUDP YCDC,  Preparation for the workshop
Yangon

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2.8 Legal and Administrative Framework
2.8.1 Law and Regulation of YCDC
(1) City of Yangon Development Law

This law was enacted in 1990 and ordered the formation of YCDC in order to carry out the
development works of the city of Yangon, and stipulated YCDC shall lay down the policy, give
guidance and implement the following duties and responsibilities (Section 7):
 Preparation of civil projects and new cities;
 Administration of lands;
 Determination only of the population which should be allowed to settle properly;
 Construction, repair and demolition of buildings, squatter buildings, and squatter wards;
 Demolition and re-settlement of squatter huts, squatter buildings, and squatter wards;
 Construction of roads, bridges, and maintenance thereof;
 Stipulation of conditions for traffic, parking of vehicles, and slow moving vehicles;
 Construction of gardens, parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers, and maintenance thereof;
 Carrying out works for the lighting of roads;
 Carrying out works for water supply;
 Construction of reservoirs and pipelines, and maintenance thereof;
 Carrying out works for sanitation;
 Carrying out works for public health;
 Construction, maintenance, and administration of markets;
 Stipulation of conditions for road side stalls; and
 Carrying out precautionary measures against fires.
The law also gives YCDC the following powers (Section 9):
 Demarcating and re-demarcating the territorial limit of the City of Yangon Municipality;
 The right to operate works independently with funds owned by the committee;
 Prescribing, reviving, assessing, and collecting duties and taxes with their rates relating to
development works, in accordance with the existing laws;
 The right to apply the foreign currency derived from the lease of building, lease of lands or by
other means, for development works;
 The right to carry out works contributing to city development by making contracts with local
and foreign organizations and with local and foreign individuals;
 The right to take loans and grants from the government or from foreign organizations, and being
responsible for its payment;
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 The right to carry out works by forming sub-committees work-wise;

 Arranging modern methods and systems in order to carry out the development works
effectively;
 Exercising the powers conferred under the City of Yangon Municipal Act, rules, and bylaws;
 Exercising the powers conferred from time to time by the chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council;
It is noteworthy that YCDC can demarcate and re-demarcate the territorial limit of its own, prescribe
and collect duties and taxes of its own within the existing laws, and has the power to engage in
development projects under a contract and take loans/grants for the development of the city.
(2) Bylaws of YCDC

It is confirmed that there are 24 bylaws in effect in YCDC which have been enacted between 1995 and
2001. The contents of the bylaws cover all spheres of the city’s administration front, varying from
management, urban planning to infrastructure, and commercial registration. Among them, there are
four bylaws that are directly related to the urban planning by YCDC. Generally, the bylaws define the
basic procedures to be followed, but do not provide details of which such procedures are to be carried
out. The latter is mostly given in the form of regulations as detailed in item (5).
Table 2.8.1: Bylaws of YCDC Related to Urban Planning

Name Main Stipulation
Bylaw on Town Planning - Land management
and Land Use (No3/2001) - Formulation of city development plans
- Land use in accordance with the city development project/ plan
- Issuance of lease, license and permits, renewal and cancellation
- Assessment of tax, revenue, collection, exemption, and subsidization of tax for land
- Land confiscation, and buy and transfer of land
- Management of non-moveable/ fixed infrastructure
- Records, prescribe forms, maintenance of records, and duplication
- Land survey
- Removal of squatters and trespassers
- Appeal
Bylaw on Building and - Permission and application for construction
Construction (No.9/1999) - Issuance of license
- Buildings owned by the committee
- Buildings inappropriate or dangerous for residences
- Trespassing tax
- Sign boards and advertisement ads
- Prohibitions
Bylaw for Commerce and - Supervision of the development affairs
Markets - Restrictions
Bylaw for Garden and - Gardens
Recreation - Playgrounds
- Prohibitions
Source: YCDC
(3) Regulations related to Urban Planning

YCDC manages the new buildings at the time of application for contraction based on a set of
regulations. The legal nature of these regulations is yet to be found out in detail.

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1) Setback from Main Roads

When a building is to be built along any of the main roads, it must have a setback area of 20 feet
(6.0m) for clearance to any structure. This regulation applies to the main roads, such as Pyay
Road, Kaba Aye Road, University Avenue Road, and U Wisara Road.
Source: YCDC
Figure 2.8.1: Set-back to Main Road
2) Height of Buildings
There are two types of limits to the height of buildings. One is in relation to the frontage road, in
which the height of the building cannot exceed twice the width of the frontage road. It is to be
noted that there are a number of existing old buildings, particularly along narrow streets in CBD,
which are in violation of this regulation, although there is a provision to mitigate this limit. The
other type of limit relates to the shape of the building itself, in which the height of the building
cannot exceed thrice the length of the building. Up to what extent these principles have been
applied in providing building permission, is yet to be found out.
Source: YCDC
Figure 2.8.2: Height of Building

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3) Zoning Regulation
In the reserved area around Shwe Dagon Pagoda, buildings with more than six stories are
prohibited. The regulation says that anybody who would like to go beyond this must apply to
the Union Government for permission.
Reserved Areas for Shwe Dagon Pagoda
 Construction of more than six-story buildings is never allowed. If

someone wants to construct buildings with six or more stories, he
needs to apply to the State Government of the Republic of Union
of Myanmar.
 Reserved area boundaries are: East - Alanpya Pagoda Road,

Zoological Garden Road, Kan Road, Factory Road, Nat Mauk
Road, and Kaba Aye Road; North - Dama Saedi Road; West - Pyay
Road; and South - Min Ye Kyaw Swa Road, Circular Railways
Tracks, Yaw Min Gyi, and U Phoe Hlaing from Shwe Dagon
Pagoda Junction.
Source: YCDC
In addition to it, YCDC has been trying to introduce new zoning regulation covering existing
built-up area of Yangon City since 2012 by “Yangon City Comprehensive Land use, Zoning and
Urban Design Review Working Committee” organized by the former Mayor. Although being
drafted and proposed in December 2013, this zoning regulation has not yet been in enforcement
due to strong oppositions. Under new administration, this matter was raised again and will be
revised. The regulation includes land use, BCR (building cover ratio), FAR (floor area ratio),
and building height.
Although the regulation has not been enforced yet as of March 2017, the Engineering
Department (Building) of YCDC applies this draft regulation for building permission system in
order to instruct permission applicants to follow it. The target area, which is currently 18
townships out of 33 townships of YCDC, will expand all of townships.
Engineering Department (Building) of YCDC made “Land Usage and Building Height
Regulation” as an internal document.

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Source: JICA Study Team integrated based on date of Engineering Department (Building) of YCDC
Figure 2.8.3: Draft of Zoning Regulation of Yangon
2.8.2 Law and Regulation of Union Government
(1) Drafted Urban and Regional Development Planning Law

Drafts of “Urban and Regional Development Planning Law” have been submitted from MOC to the
Union Attorney General Office four times as of February 2017, and MOC received comments on it
and modified it each time. According to forecast of MOC, the draft law might be submitted to the
Parliament around June 2017 as the fastest.
The focal aim of the law can be said to define the urban development plan which direct future urban
image and framework. According to the draft, the objectives of the law are:
 To formulate the development plans within the country systematically and to have management
systems powerful enough to implement the development plans;
 To reduce the development gap among the regions within the country;

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 To support the security of the State, health, safety, economic development, culture, and higher
living standards of the people;
 To harmonize the land use appropriation in urban areas with policies related to the use of land
resources of the country effectively for future development and conservation;
 To implement the land use based regional plans systematically incorporating sector-wise plans
formulated for socio-economic development; and
 To become land use based that can support sustainable economic development of the country.
The law defines some kinds of plans to be formulated and approved by Union or regional governments.
These are “National Urban System Plan”, “Region/State Urban System Plan” “City/Town Conceptual
Plan”, “Master Plan” and “Detail Plan, Special Area Plan”. The urban development plan of the
Greater Yangon which was made in this study will be most suitable with the idea of “City/Town
Conceptual Plan” in this law.
Source: DUHD, MOC

Figure 2.8.4: Hierarchy of Plans defined in Draft of Urban and Regional Development Planning Law
The law classifies 367 cities and towns into five grades, from Grade A to Grade E, depending on those
population volumes or regional roles. As per classification, Yangon is Grade A as shown in Table 2.8.3

Grade Definition Target 3 Cities
Grade A CDC – 3 cities Yangon, Mandalay, NPT
Grade B District Level >20,000 pop, Township 40,000-100,000 pop (70 no)
Grade C District Level < 20,000 pop, Township 20,000-40,000 pop (66 no)
Grade D Township 10,000-20,000 pop (68 no)
Grade E Township <10,000 pop (160 no)
Source: JICA Study Team based on MOC Material

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(2) Other Related Laws
1) Condominium Law
Condominium Law has been enacted, which defines to regulate the classification ownership of
condominium, including foreigner’s ownership, in February 2016. Target in the law is the
condominium with more than six stories and/or has site area of more than 20,000 ft2
(approximately 1,858 m2). Foreigners are allowed to dominate up to 40% of the number of
households in the target condominium. By provision of the rules and regulation, which has
been finalized in March 2017, enforcement of this law is expected to commence. The
supervisory authority of the law is the Housing Development Division, DUHD, MOC.
Since this law defines individual buildings and those ownerships, it may not be affected by the
law in the urban development plan. On the other hand, this law shall encourage urban
development projects by foreign investors and high-rise building construction. These should
be taken into account in the planning work.
2) National Housing Development Law

The National Housing Development Law is being prepared in similar schedule with the Urban
and Development Planning Law. Current status of the law is in the phase of finalizing the draft
with UAGO. The law, which consists of 15 chapters and 67 articles, aims at sustainable
housing development to contribute to economic growth and living improvement. The draft law
is expected to proceed to the Parliament after June 2016. The supervisory authority of the law is
the Housing Development Division, DUHD, MOC, same as Condominium Law.
This law must be close relationship with the urban development plan, especially in housing
supply. Because a sort of housing supply master plan may be formulated under the law,
relevant information should be collected in the planning work.
3) Myanmar National Building Code

The Myanmar National Building Code (called “MNBC”) was made as its “Provisional” in 2012
supported by UN-Habitat. The supervisory authority of the law is the Department of Building,
MOC. Current status of the code is to complete revising as of 2016 version based on 2012 and
in the phase of public hearing from the chief engineers of each Region/State Government after
the confirmation of the Minister of MOC. Since the MNBC is a sort of operational guideline,
not a law, MOC intends to allow Region/State to modify the MNBC which MOC drafted
according to situation and needs of each Region/State.
Since this code covers zoning and planning permission, it should be referred more in detail
urban design in the implementation stage of SUDP, since the code shall have necessary power to
control individual building shape and location.
4) Myanmar Construction Industry Development Board Law

The Myanmar Construction Industry Development Board Law has commenced its drafting work
and almost finalizing as of February 2017. The supervisory authority of the law is the
Department of Building, MOC. The objective of the law is to identify building and development
permission and its procedure and criteria in order to control the quality of buildings.

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This law should be referred more in implementation stage rather than planning stage. In the
plan, this law will be mentioned as one of necessary law for urban management for realizing the
urban spatial plan.

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Chapter 3: Conducted Works
3.1 Pilot Project
3.1.1 Background
As mentioned in the section 2.5 above, a lot of heritage buildings, especially those in CBD, comprise
the character of Yangon. To make Yangon more attractive, utilization of the heritage buildings in CBD
will have a large advantage, however positive preservation activities including YHT have only just
begun and the values of the heritages have not yet been fully utilized. In addition, most of the streets in
the CBD are occupied by passing and parked car, which disturbs amenity of the area as well as
attention to beautiful cityscape with heritage buildings.
Renovation of heritage buildings in current use with private owner and implementation of regulation
for car free area to make a profit for the whole community are generally difficult, because it affects
people’s right who own the buildings or use cars in the area. In such case, it is effective and commonly
used in other countries to implement some pilot projects before actual implementation to make a trial
and enhance community’s understanding for social benefit including the people with established
interest. If the pilot project is approved widely by the community, the next step will go into depth.
3.1.2 Trial Event “Yangon Living Street Experience”

At evening of 10 and 11 December 2016, this SUDP survey implemented a trial event “Yangon Living
Street Experience” at a part of Maha Bandoola Park Street and Bank Street in Kyauktada Township.
The objectives of this event are to provide an opportunity for Yangon people to rediscover amenity of
pedestrian street and value of heritage buildings. During the event, cars are prohibited to enter and
street performances including traditional dance, exhibition about Yangon’s history and night market
attracted a lot of people.
Around 90,000 people visited the
event during the event time,
17:00-21:00 of both days.
During the time, a questionnaire
survey was conducted to get
people’s opinion about not only
the event itself but also city
improvement activities including
making pedestrian street,
creating park and restoration of
heritage buildings.
Detail information including its
results is described in Final Source: JICA Study Team
Report II of this SUDP survey. Figure 3.1.1: A Scene of Yangon Living Street Experience

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3.2 Capacity Assessment
3.2.1 Urban Planning as a New Concept

Myanmar has entered a new era of urban planning since 2011. The political and economic
liberalization has enhanced a strong market-oriented economy, attracting significant volumes of
foreign direct investments, imported goods and services, and rapid urbanization over the country.
Yangon is the largest city with the highest density in the country, and expects to face greater pressures
by rapid urbanization. According to the 2014 Population Census, there are about 7.4 million
population and 723 people per square kilometer in Yangon Region, which account for 14.4% of total
population and 3.5 times higher than Mandalay Region, the second largest region, in the density. This
indicates urban planning is one of the most urgent concerns in Yangon to ensure sustainable urban
development and management.
Despite this, there is the major challenge in readiness for urban planning to meet such rapid urban
development. In fact, there is no effective legal system in the country. The Ministry of Construction
(MOC) is currently prepared for the national legal and policy frameworks, such as the Condominium
Act, approved in the early 2016, the National Building Code Bill, the Housing Development Bill, the
National Construction Industry Development Board Bill etc. Notably, the Urban and Regional
Development Planning Bill and its Rules and Regulations, including zoning and planning regulations,
are also under preparation by the MOC.
While a zoning framework is prepared at the Union level, the zoning regulation and planning
permission system are developed and undertaken by local authorities. In advance to the above bills,
the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) introduced the Notification No. 9/1999 (Buildings
and Structure) and No. 3/2001 (Urban Planning and Land Use), and has drafted the zoning regulation
in Yangon. However, they don’t provide effective guidance and development controls. In this regard,
zoning regulation and planning permission system are highly required for urban development and
management in Yangon.
While the legal and regulatory frameworks in urban planning have been gradually prepared for the last
few years, there have remained another major concern on weakness of implementation and
enforcement capacities, in order to control the flows of surging direct investments to real estates for
sustainable urban development in Yangon. In this context, this section has capacity assessment on the
Urban Planning Division (UPD) under YCDC which is the most concerned organization in urban
planning in Yangon.
3.2.2 Objectives
The objectives of a capacity assessment are to identify what capacities already exist and what
additional capacities may be needed for UPD under YCDC to achieve the goals of the Yangon Future
Vision 2040 through the implementation of the Strategic Urban Development Plan of Greater Yangon
(SUDP). The capacity assessment provides better understanding of the existing capacities as well as
the capacity needs that can serve as inputs for the formulation of the Project Design Matrix or the
logical framework. It can also set baseline for monitoring and evaluation in the process of the capacity
development.
There are three main questions to provide the guidance of the capacity assessment for urban
development and management of UPD under YCDC as follows:
 What are existing capacities that UPD has developed since its establishment?
 What are desired capacities for UPD to enhance sustainable urban development in the Greater
Yangon? and
 What inputs are needed for the formulation of the capacity development response through
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external assistance?
3.2.3 Conceptual Framework
(1) Capacity Development

In recent years, capacity development has been growingly recognized as one of the most essential
factors for development in general, and urban development in particular. According to the OECD
(2006), ‘capacity development’ is defined as ‘the process whereby people, organizations, and society
as a whole, unleash, strengthen, create, adapt, and maintain capacity over time’18. Capability is
deemed as one for handling issues, such as one identifies issues, sets goals, and achieves these19.
Capacity consists of a variety of elements for handling issues, such as an individual’s knowledge and
techniques and organizational capabilities of the affiliated institutions, as well as related policy
institutions and social systems’ (See Figure 3.2.1).
The ‘Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All’ has also emphasized that
capacity development should be promoted as ‘a multifaceted approach that addresses the ability of
multiple stakeholders and institutions at all levels of governance, and combines the individual, societal,
and institutional capacity to formulate, implement, enhance, manage, monitor, and evaluate public
policies for sustainable urban development’20. However, it should be noted that it requires long term
efforts to enhance capacity development at all levels of stakeholders who contribute to urban
development. Therefore, it is important to have a long-term strategy and its action plan for capacity
development to ensure proper urban planning, design, financing, development, governance, and
management for sustainable urban development.

Figure 3.2.1: Concept of Capacity Development
(2) Organization as Open System

An organization can be viewed as an open system, which is a group of components or departments that
interact with and depend on each other for attaining a common goal of the organization through result
chains: transforming inputs and resources into outputs, outcomes and impacts (See Figure 3.2.2). In
this process, an open system interacts with the environments that include external actors (central and
18 OECD. (2006). ‘The Challenge of Capacity Development: Working Towards Good Practice’. Paris: OECD Publishing.
19 JICA. (2008). ‘Capacity Assessment Handbook: Project Management for Realizing Capacity Development’. Tokyo: JICA
Research Institute.
20 UN Habitat. (2016). ‘Habitat Ⅲ: New Urban Agenda’. Quito: UN Habitat.

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local governments, citizens, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations

(CSOs), academic institutions, the private sectors, donors etc.), institutions (legal, regulatory and
policy systems etc.) and society (economic, social and cultural contexts). The performance of the
organization largely depends on a way to adopt and influence the changing environments. Better
performance allows the organization to obtain more resources and incentives from the environments
and produce outputs for further performance and growth.
Source: JICA Study Team modified from EC. (2005). ‘Institutional Assessment and Capacity Development: Why,
what and how?’.
Figure 3.2.2: Organization as Open Space
3.2.4 Methodology
Capacity assessment was undertaken through the following methodology at the Urabn Planning
Division (UPD) under YCDC during the period of August, 2016 to February, 2017. Firstly, literatures
were reviewed to understand its context. Secondly, stakeholder anaysis was conducted to identifiy who
were the main stakeholders/actors in uraban development sector in the Greater Yangon, and how
YCDC interacted with them in the process of the SUDP’s implementation. Thirdly, organizational
capacity was examined qualitatively through key informat interviews and diect observation in line
with the check list for the key dimensions on organizational capacity. Key informants were identified
through the stakeholder analysis. Direct observation also helped verify findings from the qualitative
analysis and the other analysis during the period of this study. Fourthly, organizational capacity was
assessed through problem anaysis, objective analysis and other analysises for formulation of the
project design matrix. Two focus group discussions, inlucuding a group of seniour officials and one of
branch heads, were held at UPD. Finally, this study makes recommendations to YCDC and other
related stakeholders for fostering capacity development for sustainable urban development and
management in the Greater Yangon under the implementation of the SUDP 2016. The capacity
development strategy and its action plan are proposed to undertake concrete actions towards the
Yangon Future Vison 2040.
3.2.5 Targeting Group

The Urban Planning Division (UPD) at YCDC is a targeting group for this capacity assessment. UPD
is responsible for facilitating effective urban planning in Yangon. It was initially established as the
Urban Planning Unit in 2012, and was later transformed to UPD under the City Planning and Land
Administration Department. The Urban Planning Division consists of 6 branches: including Zoning &
Land Use Planning Branch; Urban Design & District Planning Branch; Urban Socioeconomic Studies
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Branch; Infrastructure & Urban Amenities Planning Branch; Urban Transportation & Road Network
Planning Branch; and Administration Branch (See Figure 3.2.3).
The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) is a municipal authority which is responsible for
urban development and service deliveries in Yangon, which covers 33 out of 45 Townships of Yangon
Region. YCDC was established in 1990, and it has been constituted by the City of Yangon
Development Act 1990 issued by the State Law and Order Restoration Council and the Yangon City
Municipal Law 2013 approved by the Yangon Region Hluttaw or Parliament. It is also responsible for
duties stipulated in the Rangoon Municipal Act 1922. The Budget of YCDC in FY2014/15 was around
MMK 238 billion and accounted for almost 70 percent of the YRG Budget21. YCDC notably generated
over 90 percent of the total revenue by themselves.
The Mayor is a head of YCDC who also acts as the Minister of Development Affairs of the Yangon
Region Government (YRG). The member of the Committee includes the Mayor, the Secretary, the
Joint Secretary, and two committee members. YCDC is supervised by the Ministry of Development
Affairs of YRG. YCDC consists of the Committee Office, twenty departments, the Yangon City Golf
Club and the Yangon City Bank (See Figure 3.2.4). They provide public services in 33 Townships of
Yangon Region, including regulatory services and service deliveries in roads, bridges, drainages, water
supply, sanitation, sewerage, buildings, markets, waste management, park and street management, land
administration etc.
21 UNDP. (2015). ‘The State of Local Governance: Trends in Yangon’. Yangon: UNDP Myanmar.
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Figure 3.2.3: Organization Structure of Urban Planning Division under City Planning & Land
Administration Department, YCDC
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from YCDC Home Page. Sept. 2016. [http://www.ycdc.gov.mm/]

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Source: JICA Study Team Modified from YRG document

The Yangon Region Government (YRG) was established in 2011 as one of 14 Regions and States in
Myanmar. There are the Region Hluttaw (Parliament), the Region Cabinet, the Region High Court and
the Region Auditor General in Yangon Region. The Region Cabinet consists of the Chief Minister and
nine Ministers. YRG provides public services through its sector departments, such as security and
border affairs, planning and finance, agriculture, livestock, forestry and energy, electricity, industry
and transportation, development affairs, social affairs, Rakhine, Kayin and advocate general (See
Figure 3.2.5). YCDC is supervised by YRG.
YRG doesn’t have any mandates and functions for urban planning in real term. However, YRG is
currently preparing for establishment of a new agency, Yangon Urban Planning Authority (YUPA).
Once YUPA is ready for being functional, it is likely to have the division of labor between YUPA and
YCDC in terms of urban policy/planning and implementation for which YCDC currently takes
responsible.
3.2.6 Existing Capacities for Urban Development
(1) Current Structure of UPD

In 2012, the Urban Planning Unit was established in YCDC and later upgraded to the Urban Planning
Division (UPD) under the City Planning and Land Administration Department. To serve a city
population of 5.2 million people in Yangon, there are 180 constituted official numbers in UPD,
according to the revised organizational structure of the Division (See Table 3.2.1 and Figure 3.2.6).
The constituted official number was increased from 100 officials to 180 officials in 2016.
The revision of the constituted official number includes 65 senior officials and 115 junior officials
(65-115) in UPD: 1 Deputy Head of Department, 6 Assistant Heads of Department, 20 Division Heads,
38 Section Heads (2 Computer Programmers, 1 Account, 23 Assistant Engineers, 12 Section Heads),
while 10 Computer Programmers, 55 Sub Assistant Engineers, 5 Land Surveyors, 16 Assistant
Computer Programmers, and 29 Upper Clerks (See Figure 3.2.6). They are allocated to the following
six branches: 31 officials (11 senior officials - 20 junior officials or 11-20) in the Zoning and Land Use
Planning Branch, 33 officials (12-21) in the Urban Design and District Planning Branch, 29 officials
(10-19) in the Socioeconomic Studies Branch, 29 officials (11-18) in the Infrastructure and Urban

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Amenity Branch, 29 officials (11-18) in the Urban Transportation and Road Network Planning Branch,
and 28 officials (9-19) in the Administration Branch.
Table 3.2.1: Comparison of Revised and Previous Official Number of Employees at UPD
No Senior Junior Total
of Deputy Division Section Computer Sub Land Asst. Upper
Secti Head/ Head Head, Program Assistan Surveyo Computer Clerk
on Assistan (Engineer, mer t r Program
Computer mer
t Head Accountant Engineer
)
Deputy Head/ 1 - - - - - - - 1*
Urban Planning (1) (1)**
Division -
Zoning & Land 1 4 6 1 10 5 2 2 31
Use Planning 4 (1) (4) (6) (1) (4) (-) (1) (1) (16)
Branch (4)
Urban Design & 1 4 7 2 16 0 1 2 33
District Planning 4 (1) (4) (7) (1) (5) (0) (1) (0) (19)
Branch (4)
Urban Socio- 1 3 6 2 1 0 3 13 29
economic Studies 4 (1) (3) (4) (1) (5) (0) (1) (1) (16)
Branch (4)
Infrastructure & 1 3 7 1 16 0 1 0 29
Urban Amenities 4 (1) (3) (6) (1) (6) (0) (1) (0) (18)
Planning Branch (4)
Urban Transport- 1 3 7 2 12 0 3 1 29
ation & Road (1) (3) (6) (0) (5) (0) (2) (0) (17)
Network 4
Planning Branch (4)
Administration 4 1 3 5 2 0 0 6 11 28
Branch (4) (-) (1) (5) (1) (0) (0) (1) (5) (13)
Total 24 7 20 38 10 55 5 16 29 180
(24) (6) (18) (32) (5) (25) (0) (7) (7) (100)
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from YCDC Document
Note: * 1 or without (): Revised Constituted Official Number of Employees in 2016
** (1) or with (): Previous Constituted Official Number of Employees before 2016
The above figures are based on a revised version of the constituted official numbers of UPD that has
been recently updated. Compared with the previous version, it can observe UPD’s strategy in urban
planning through human resource allocation (See Table 3.2.1). The total constituted official numbers
of UPD has increased from 100 (55 senior officials and 45 junior officials/55-45) to 180 employees
(65-115). It indicates that UPD is seeking more junior workforces, including sub-assistant engineers,
assistant/computer programmers, upper clerks and land surveyors (as a new post), to meet surging
amounts of urban planning works in Yangon. On the other hand, it is found that UPD allocates around
30 officials to each branch equally. It indicates UPD considers all existing branches are equally
important although the Deputy Head of Department has indicated that the two branches, such as the
Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch and the Urban Design and District Planning Branch would be
more important in the future.

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Figure 3.2.6: Revised Organization Structure 2016 of UPD

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Deputy Head of Department 1 Current Number
Assistant Head 5 (including on-
Division Head 17 leave employees)
Section Head 32 (Computer-2,Account-1,Engineer-20,Others-9) Official Staff
Computer Operator (Perman (Tempor
6 ent) ary)
Junior Engineer2 25
Assistant Computer Operator 6 Deputy Head of
Senior Clerk 8 Urban Planning Division Department (1) 1 0
Total 100
55+45
9+7 Offici Staff 12+7 Offici Staff 8+8 Offici Staff 10+8 Offici Staff 10+7 Offici Staff 5+8 Offici Staff
Branch (4) Branch (5)
Branch (1) Branch (2)
Branch (3) - Urban Branch (6)
- Zoning - Urban
Assistant Head Assistant Head - Urban Assistant Head Infrastructu Assistant Head Transportat Assistant Head - Head of Division
and Land (1) 0 0 Design and (1) 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 1 0 (1) 1 0
Socioecono re & Urban ion & Road Administrat
Use District
mic Studies Amenities Network ion
Planning Planning
Planning Planning
Division head Division head Division head Section (1) Division head Division head
(1), 1 0 (1), 1 0 (1), 1 0 (1), 1 0 Section (1) (1), 1 0 Section Head(1) 0 0
Section (1) - Water Section (1)
Section (1) Section head
0 0 Section (1) Section head
0 0
Section head
0 0
Section head
0 0 - Urban Section head
0 0 1 0
(1), (2), - Urban (1), Supply (3), (2), - Senior Clerk(3)
- Urban - Urban Transportat
0 2 3 2 Sociology 0 2 Seweage & 2 2 0 2 Administrat
Survey Engineer2 (3) Design Engineer2 (3) Engineer2 (1), Engineer2 (2), ion Engineer2 (2)
Studies Drainage ion
Others 1 1 Senior Clerk (1) 0 0
Ass.Computer
0 0 Planning Others 1 1
Planning Operator (1)
Division head Division head Section (2) Division head Branch Head Division Head Section Head
(1), 1 0 Section (2) (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 Section (2) (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 (Acc) (1), 0 0
Section (2) - Urban Section (2)
Section head
1 0 - Urban Section head
0 0
Section head
0 0 - Energy & Computer
0 0
Section Head
1 0 1 1
- Land (1), (1), Economics, (2), Operator (1), - Road (1) Section (2) Senior Clerk (1)
Heritage Telecommu
Managemen Senior Clerk (1) 0 0 Engineer2 (1), 2 0 Employer & Engineer2 (1), 1 1 Engineer 2 (1) 0 1 Network Ass. Computer
0 0 - Accounts
Conservatio nication Operator (1),
t Studies Menpower Planning
n Computer
0 0 Planning Engineer 2 (1) 0 0
Studies Operator (1)
Division head Division head Section Head Division head Division Head Section Head
(1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 Section (3) (1), 0 0 (1), 1 0 (Computer) (1), 0 0
Section (3) Section (3) Section (3) Section (3)
Section head
0 0
Section head
0 0 Engineer2 (2) 0 0 - Urban Section head
1 0 Section (3) Section Head
0 0
Computer
0 0
- Zoning & (1), - Housing (1), - Industrial (1), (2) - Data Operator (1),
Recording - Traffic
Land Use Computer
1 2 Sector Ass.Computer
0 0 Sector Engineer2 (1), 1 0
Ass. Computer
0 0 Managemen 0 0
Operator (1) Operator (1) & Facilities Planning Operator (1), Senior Clerk (1)
Studies Planning Studies t
Others 0 2 Planning Engineer 2 (1) 1 1 Others 1 1
Division head Division head Division Head Division head Section head Section Head
(1), 1 0 (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 (1), 0 0 (Computer), 1 0
Section (4) Section (4) Section (4) Section (4)
Section head
0 0 Section (4) Section head
0 0
Ass. Computer
0 0
Section head
1 0 Engineer2 (1), 1 1 Section (4) Ass.Computer
0 0
- Mapping (1), (3), - Operator (1), - (1), - Port & Operator (1)
- District - Public
& Engineer2 (1), 0 0 Engineer2 (1), 1 3 Population Engineer 2 (1) 0 0 Environmen Engineer2 (2), 1 0 Logistics 0 2
Planning Relation Senior Clerk(1)
Recording Ass. Computer Computer
Studies tal Planning Planning
Operator (1) 1 0 Operator (1) 0 0
Sub-Total 7 5 7 7 2 3 7 3 6 4 6 5
Total 12 14 5 10 10 11
35 27
Ground
Total 62
Figure 3.2.7: Revised Organization Structure 2016 of UPD

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In terms of real number of official/staff, UPD is currently hiring only 62 officials and staff, including
on-leave officials/staff, which account for only 34.4% against the constitute numbers of 180 officials
(See Figure 3.2.7). They include 35 officials and 27 contract staff (35-27). They are allocated to the
following six branches: 12 officials (7-5) in the Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch, 14 officials
(7-7) in the Urban Design and District Planning Branch, 5 officials (2-3) in the Socioeconomic
Studies Branch, 10 officials (7-3) in the Infrastructure and Urban Amenity Branch, 10 officials (6-4)
in the Urban Transportation and Road Network Planning Branch, and 11 officials (6-5) in the
Administration Branch. Nonetheless, there are some numbers of on-leave officials/staff mostly each
branch, and nearly half of the officials/staff are contract staff who might be less motivated to work
for UPD in the long-term due to less financial and non-financial incentives.
(2) Current Capacities of UPD
1) General
Since its establishment, UPD has accumulated some experiences as a planning division through
dealing with emerging works on urban development in the Greater Yangon since 2011. UPD
currently has only 60 officials/staff to provide technical advices and services in urban planning.
Nevertheless, there is large room for UPD to strengthen their capacities in urban planning.
Firstly, they have few experiences to formulate and operate a land use regulation, a zoning
regulation and a planning permission system while a building permission has been undertaken
by another department, the Engineering (Building) Department of YCDC. Secondly, their
capacities are still in transition for conducting urban survey, such as collecting the primary and
secondary data, verifying, processing and storing the data, data mapping and the use of the data
for land use, zoning and planning regulations. Thirdly, they have limited coordination capacities
as a planning division with YCDC implementation departments, such as the Engineering
Departments (Buildings, Roads and Bridges, and Water and Sanitation), the Pollution Control
and Cleansing Department etc., due to partially their constitutional status. They have great
limitations to coordinate with other Union Ministries, such as the Myanmar Port Authority
(MPA), the Myanmar Railways (MR), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), the Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MALI), other line ministries/agencies for urban planning,
land use regulations, urban facilities and urban development projects in planning consistency in
the Yangon municipality territory. Furthermore, UPD is expected to enhance inclusive
ownership and strategic capacity through strengthening effective networking with YRG, the
MOC and professional societies, such as The Committee for Quality Control of High Rise
Building Construction Projects (CQHP), the Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT), the Myanmar
Engineering Society (MES), the Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA), the Yangon
Technological University (YTU) and the Yangon University (YU). They are also required to
improve transparency in guidelines and procedures for planning and building controls and
services to attract foreign and domestic direct investments by the private sector. Finally, the UN
Habitat, the EU, the ADB, Japan, South Korea and France are the major development partners
to support UPD’s capacity development for sustainable urban development in Yangon.
2) Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch

The Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch is responsible for urban survey, land management
studies, zoning and land use studies, and mapping and recording. The zoning and land use maps
were produced with the Ministry of Construction and other professional societies for drafting
the Zoning and Land Use Bill, which proposes to divide Yangon into 10 zones and to define 30
to 35 percent of the city’s total land area for new high-rise buildings and apartments and 20
percent for recreation open space for the public. Urban survey was also conducted for the

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Dagon City Project and the Kan Thar Yar Project. They are currently building the data map
system while collecting more comprehensive data from urban survey.
To some extent they are now able to create a new data map with coordinate information based
on satellite image and survey data although they have parallel versions which need to be
harmonized. In addition, they have not yet built any system to update data regularly. They are
expected to establish the urban information management system, which consists of data map
and various kinds of information, such as information of real estate registrations, buildings,
statistics etc.
3) Urban Design and District Planning Branch

The Urban Design and District Planning Branch is responsible for urban design, urban heritage
conservation, housing sector planning and district planning. Pilot township development plans
were produced with the Ministry of Construction and other professional entities. The Yangon
Urban Heritage Conservation Bill was drafted with the Yangon Heritage Trust and others. While
the Department of Urban and Housing Development, the Ministry of Construction takes
responsibility for land use planning and urban design at country level as well as on the MOC
own lands in Yangon, they take charge of the Yangon municipality area. However, their scope
for land use planning and urban design are often limited to YCDC own land in Yangon.
A limited number of the officials have capacities to conduct basic urban survey through
quantitatively identifying the current situation of the city by a field survey, but not as the branch.
They are currently collecting data for the Central Business District through a field survey to
build the data map for district planning, and need to further expand for the other districts of the
Yangon municipality. In the medium and long term, they need to strengthen capacities for the
city planning area, including urbanization control area and urbanization promotion area, urban
land readjustment and urban redevelopment.
4) Urban Socioeconomic Studies Branch

The Urban Socioeconomic Studies Branch takes charge of urban sociology studies, urban
economies, employment and manpower studies, industrial studies and population studies. They
mainly rely on the secondary data of socio-economy, employment, industry and population to
analyze trends and projections for framing urban structure in the medium and long term. They
also provide basic inputs for land use planning, urban planning, urban design and other planning.
Nevertheless, they have a limited analytical capacity with five officials/staff appointed,
including two on-leave officials.
5) Infrastructure and Urban Amenities Planning Branch

The Infrastructure and Urban Amenities Planning Branch takes charge of water supply,
sewerage and drainage planning, energy and telecommunication planning, urban recreation
facilities planning, and environmental planning. They collect data of urban infrastructure and
utilities from the first responsible departments and public entities, like the Engineering
Departments (Water and Sanitation), the Playgrounds, Parks and Gardens Department, and the
Pollution Control and Cleansing Department under YCDC, and the Department of Meteorology
and Hydrology, the Department of Irrigation, the Yangon Electricity Supply Cooperation etc.
They analyze these data for trends and needs for urban facilities, such as the public space, water,
sanitation and sewerage, from urban planning perspectives. Like the other branches, however,
they have faced limitation to collect data from those responsible department and public
organizations timely.

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6) Urban Transportation and Road Network Planning Branch

The Urban Transportation and Road Network Planning Branch has responsible for urban
transportation planning, road network planning, traffic planning, and port and logistics planning.
They collect data from the Engineering Department (Roads and Bridges), the Myanmar
Railways, the Myanmar Port Authority, and the Inland Water Transport while they provide GIS
mapping data to them. They also collect data of time and speed of buses using GPS loggers.
Similarly, they have also faced some difficulties to collect date from these responsible
departments and authorities timely. In addition, the Yangon Region Transport Authority has
taken over the first responsibility for overall transportation planning in Yangon Region since
2016. It has created another challenge in redefining the branch’s roles and the division of labors.
7) Administration Branch
The Administration Branch takes charge of administration, accounts, data management and
public relations. They manage staff administration and accountings, and submit the attendance
and daily reports to the Director for review and record. There is still room for improvement on
efficient administration capacities.
3.2.7 Capacity Challenges of UPD

The current structure and capacities of UPD described in the above have entailed the capacity
limitations of UPD. In fact, UPD is currently facing great difficulties to respond to rapid urbanization
that has generated growing demand for the legal and administrative processes that underpin urban
development. The quality of urban planning and regulatory services largely depends on administrative
capacities. There is a summary of the capacity constraints at UPD which might possibly prioritize
areas for capacity development to enhance sustainable urban development in the short and medium
term.
・ Despite strong demands for controlling and encouraging the private investment inflows to Yangon,
YCDC is unable to undertake effective urban planning mainly due to weakness of the legal and
administrative frameworks and capacities.
・ YCDC has less experiences to enact regulations through undertaking coordination at the council
and public hearing to formulate legal consensus. For instance, YCDC has been unable to enact the
draft zoning regulation through conducting this process.
・ The organizational structure and staffing of UPD don’t reflect the actual needs. The arrangement
of staffing doesn’t take into account the actual amounts of works required at UPD. For example,
the Infrastructure & Urban Amenities Planning Branch and the Urban Transportation & Road
Network Planning Branch under UPD rarely carry out designation and planning of urban planning
roads and urban facility planning that may be ones of the main duties and responsibilities.
Brown (2015)22 has similarly identified a number of challenges and opportunities associated with
urban planning and regulation as municipal capacity as follows:
・ Strategy planning is often based on national development objectives that do not take into account
local issues. While metropolitan plans may channel directions for urban growth, housing
development and major infrastructure, local plans can identify potential development sites and
protected areas.
22 Brown, A. (2015). ‘Planning for Sustainable and Inclusive Cities in the Global South: Topic Guide’. Birmingham: GSDRC,
University of Birmingham.
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・ Development regulation often assumes that development should be authorized centrally, through
transparent and accountable decisions. These assumptions are unrealistic when most urban
building is informal. In these contexts, development control should focus on priority areas (e.g. to
identify land for housing or ensure environmental protection).
・ Action planning has led to a number of innovations that are redefining the potential for urban
intervention. These include urban design and new spatial forms, participatory planning, and land
regularization and upgrading.
・ Planning for megacities poses challenges for vertical and horizontal policy coordination. Strategy
should focus on key metropolitan functions such as transport infrastructure, solid waste disposal
and trunk sewerage and water provision.
Moreover, UPD has faced some limitations on institutional arrangements and human resource
management in urban planning as follows:
・ YCDC is a service delivery administrative body rather than a municipality without authority for
policy decision making for which YRG takes responsible.
・ UPD is one of the Divisions under the City Planning and Land Administration Department. The
Head of Department and many of the officials or staff has executive professional background in
land administration rather than urban planning.
・ There are a limited number of permanent officials at UPD.
・ There are not enough numbers of officials/staff who have tertiary educational background
especially in the field of urban planning and civil engineering.
・ Officials/staff have shown much interests in learning urban design skills and analytical works
which must generally be outsourced to the private sector in the future.
Avis (2016)23 has also pointed out the common challenges on institutional and human resource
management in urban governance in the below:
・ complex and unclear organizational structures;
・ unclear delegation of tasks between managing authorities and intermediate bodies;
・ insufficient capacity and power within coordinating bodies to fulfil their role;
・ weak governance arrangements for holding managers accountable for performance, controlling
corruption and avoiding undue political influence over project selection and staff appointments;
・ high staff turnover rates and lack of appropriately qualified and experienced staff − often as a
result of patronage systems;
・ poor administrative capacity of municipal governments, especially smaller local authorities;
・ lack of expertise leading to issues of compliance with complex national and international
regulations e.g. public procurement, aid and environmental legislation;
・ limited analytical and programming capacity, including insufficient capacity (and political
backing) to deliver result-oriented strategies.
23 Avis, W. R. (2016). ‘Urban Governance: Topic Guide’. Birmingham: GSDRC, University of Birmingham.
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The effectiveness of municipal government in urban planning depends on resources, skills, structures
and management processes. However, UPD under YCDC has faced the capacity challenges in all
dimensions. Hence, it is important to prioritize areas for capacity development in the short, medium
and long term, respectively. In this regard, it is recommended to focus on development controls, such
as zoning and planning regulations, as the prioritized area for capacity development in the short and
medium term. This is because of its urgent needs for urban development in Yangon context. Once the
legal and regulatory frameworks are endorsed by the union and regional governments, the capacity
development of law enforcement may require relatively less time (in the short and medium time),
compared with the other areas of capacity development, such as urban planning that requires the
longer time (in the medium and long time), including the revision of the existing urban plan and
making a new urban plan. Capacity development for urban design may be also less prioritized because
it can be outsourced to the private sector.
Furthermore, it is important to enhance institutional reform and human resource arrangements at UPD
and YCDC in order to meet changes in public needs. It ensures performance accountability,
transparent decision-making and inclusive ownership in urban development. Nonetheless, institutional
reforms largely depend on strong political will and require the long-term efforts. Therefore, it is
important to support the reforms, but it may limit the scope of support in the reforms which are related
to the regulatory services.
3.2.8 Empirical Framework
(1) Functions of Urban Planning at Municipality

Urban governance is the process by which governments, including local, regional and national
governments, and stakeholders collectively decide how to plan, finance and manage urban areas. Its
elements include: city-national interface; municipal capacity; role of the private sector; and political
systems and institutions24. In developing countries, municipal governments are often facing challenges
in urban planning due to a lack of up-to-date mapping; weak development control and enforcement
powers; out-of-date planning processes; and limited compliance with land-use regulation. In fact,
where governance and oversight are weak, much urban development takes place outside formal
frameworks.
24 Avis, W. R. (2016). ‘Urban Governance: Topic Guide’. Birmingham: GSDRC, University of Birmingham.
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Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. (2003). ‘Introduction of Urban Land Use Planning System in Japan’.
Figure 3.2.8: Structure of Urban Planning System
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. (2003). ‘Introduction of Urban Land Use Planning System in Japan’.
Figure 3.2.9: Concept of Land Use Planning System

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Figure 3.2.10: Work Flow Image of Zoning Regulation
In this context, there are variously different measures for urban planning which are applied to each
area by municipal governments that depend on local circumstances under urban planning law. Land
use system includes a wide range of measures on different dimensions and the rules of land use are
usually decided by a combination of individual measures. For example, structure of urban planning
system and a concept of land use planning system in Japan are presented as follows (See Figure 3.2.8
and Figure 3.2.9)25. In the zoning regulation, there are three steps in the work flows, consisting of
macro-scale analysis, zoning strategy setting and detailed zoning setting. The macro-scale analysis
includes CBD and sub-centers, SEZ & Industrial zones, key transport axis and node, key view points,
and low-rise housing areas. The zoning strategy setting includes setting of a definition and framework
for zoning regulation, its time framework, and categorizing area group. The detailed zoning setting
consists of review of the existing zoning regulation, reflecting new facts and data, and introducing the
new zoning regulation.
(2) Model of Urban Planning: Case of Kobe City, Japan

It might be useful to define the model of the urban planning for a concerned department at the
municipality to identify what are desired capacities and its capacity gaps for pursuing urban
development. This section provides some reference, like scopes of the selected duties and
responsibilities and manpower, at the Housing and Urban Bureau of the Kobe City Municipality that
serves a city population of 1.54 million people and may be one of the best performers in urban
planning in Japan.
Regarding to the number of the employees at the Housing and Urban Bureau, the Kobe City
Municipality, there are 474 officials in total (See Table 3.2.2). Out of the total, there are 321 skilled
officials, including 180 architects and 83 civil engineers while 153 officials support administration.
25Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan. (2003). ‘Introduction of Urban Land Use Planning System in
Japan’. Tokyo: MLIT.
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Table 3.2.2: Organization Structure and Human Resources at Housing and Urban Bureau, Kobe City
Municipality
No of Admin Civil Architect Electrical Machinery Others Total
Section Engineer
16 1 - - - - 17
Administration Office -
11 32 32 1 0 3 79
Planning Department 4
4 12 0 0 0 0 16
Transport Policy Department 1
49 29 18 1 0 0 97
Urban District Department 4
55 2 33 5 7 0 102
Housing Department 4
13 2 48 1 2 2 68
Building Guidance Department 4
5 3 47 19 13 2 89
Architectural Technology Department 3
153 83 180 28 23 7 474
Total 20
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from Kobe City Municipality’s documents
There are six departments and the Administration Office in the Bureau: the Planning Department, the
Transport Policy Department, the Urbanization Promotion Department, the Housing Department, the
Building Guidance Department, and the Architectural Technology Department. The selected duties and
responsibilities of each department are presented as a reference in the following Table 3.2.3.
1) Urban Planning, Planning Regulation, Zoning Regulation, and

Development and Town Planning
The duties and responsibilities in the Planning Department, the Kobe City Municipality, are
highly relevant to UPD, YCDC to function as a planning division. They include city planning;
planning regulation and development planning; zoning regulation; detailed development plan;
and town planning. In fact, UPD is required to revise the SUDP every five years so that capacity
for city planning needs to be fostered. UPD is also expected to play a central role to enforce
planning and zoning regulations once approved by parliament. In order to provide seamless
service deliveries from zoning and planning permission to building permission, it is important to
ensure effective coordination with the Engineering Department (Buildings) that is currently
responsible for building controls and services. UPD is also requested to make basic
development plan for sub-center development, new town development and CBD development.
2) Land Readjustment and Urban Redevelopment

The Urbanization Promotion Department, the Kobe City Municipality, takes charge of the
implementation of urban development projects through land readjustment and urban
redevelopment. They are relevant to the duties and responsibilities of UPD, YCDC, in the
medium and long term once the legal framework is introduced in Myanmar. In this case, it is
necessary for UPD to strengthen capacities in these areas through conducting research in order
to prepare for meeting the forthcoming public needs.
3) Transport, Housing and Building

Transport policy, housing policy and support, and building confirmation are handled by the
Transport Policy Department, the Housing Department and the Building Guidance Department,
respectively, at the Kobe City Municipality. Although these fields are not the first
responsibilities for UPD under YCDC, it is crucial that UPD undertakes monitoring and
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administering in the progress of the implementation of the urban development projects as a

planning division through coordination with other public entities or department, such as the
Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA), the Ministry of Construction (MOC), the
Engineering Department (Buildings), and the other entities or departments.
Table 3.2.3: Duty and Responsibility of Housing and Urban Bureau, Kobe City Municipality
Selected Duties and Responsibilities
Department
City Planning
・ Survey and basic planning on urban planning
・ Decision on urban planning and approval of urban planning project
Planning ・ Public hearing, briefing sessions, awareness raising and public relations in urban planning
Department ・ Implementation of environmental impact assessment related to urban planning, and decisions on
contact and adjustment with related organizations
Planning Regulation and Development Planning

・ Permit and guidance on construction activities, etc. in line with the urban planning law
・ Examination of land use purpose based on the land use planning act
・ Examination and guidance of development activities based on the provision of urban planning law
・ Reception, guidance and adjustment concerning proposals based on the urban planning law and
urban regeneration law
・ Contact and adjustment concerning the development plan with the independent administrative
agency Urban Regeneration Organization and other related organizations
・ Examination and guidance of notification of action concerning district plan
・ Guidance and adjustment concerning urban revitalization
Zoning Regulation
・ Area classification prescribed in urban planning law
・ Regional districts prescribed in urban planning law
・ District plan prescribed in city planning law
Detailed Development Plan

・ Survey of city facilities and basic plan
・ Survey of urban development and redevelopment and basic plan
・ Survey of streets etc. and basic plan
・ Survey of planned development park and survey on basic plan and other town planning and basic
plan
Town Planning
・ Awareness raising, support and training of town development in the region
・ Survey and planning on town development in the region
・ Survey and research on urban landscape
・ Awareness raising and promotion of landscape formation in the region
・ Coordination of urban landscape improvement project
・ Urban center planning and adjustment on revitalization of waterfront and landscape formation
・ Survey, research, dissemination and enlightenment of universal design related to building and town
planning
Transport Policy
Transport ・ Survey of urban transportation system and basic plan
Policy ・ Comprehensive adjustment concerning the improvement of public transportation system
Department ・ Investigation and basic planning of railways etc.
・ Investigation possibility of new transportation method
Redevelopment Projects
Urbanization ・ Business enlightenment and public relations
Promotion ・ Examination of compensation for business
Development ・ Authorization and oversight by regulation of law
・ Project survey, planning and adjustment
・ Permission for building acts etc. under the provisions of law
・ Design of buildings, etc. accompanying business, implementation and inspection of construction
・ Management and disposal of construction facilities etc. related to business and collection of usage

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fee etc.
・ Attracting and coordinating enterprises, etc. related to business plan and disposition of holding floor
・ Management of land acquired etc. in accordance with business etc.
・ Study of streets accompanying business, planning of construction, consultation on design, inspection
and transfer
Land Readjustment Projects

・ Business enlightenment and investigation
・ Compensation fee and direct examination review
・ Compensation for loss accompanying acquisition of real estate related to business
・ Project survey, planning and adjustment
・ Overall management of project progress management, guidance
・ Permit and guidance on building acts etc. according to the provisions of law
・ Adjustment and dispute with right holder concerning residential land etc. after disposal of
substitution related to business
・ Management and disposal of municipal buildings related to business
・ Project and roadway improvement Survey of streets etc. according to street business, planning of
construction, design and inspection
・ Survey and adjustment of construction related work and management and handover of public
facilities
・ Conversion plans involved in the project and design of interchange
Housing Policy and Support

Housing ・ Research on housing policy
Department ・ Adjustment on municipal housing
・ Administrative procedures pertaining to assistance applications for municipal housing construction,
large-scale repair etc.
・ Subsidies for private rental houses
・ Loan redemption of housing new construction funds, housing renovation funds and housing
acquisition funds
・ Planning and implementation of support measures for private housing
・ Housing consultation service
・ Kobe City Housing Financing System
Municipal Housing
・ Administrative procedures pertaining to enforcement of construction and facility construction of
municipal housing etc.
・ Acquisition, management and disposal of real estate
・ Survey and plan for management of municipal housing etc.
・ Communication and coordination with related organizations related to the construction of municipal
housing etc. and surrounding residents
・ Examination of construction and facility construction of municipal housing etc.
・ Survey, estimate, design, supervision, inspection and evaluation of construction work, maintenance
and repair of municipal housing etc
・ Technology development, investigation and research of construction work of municipal housing etc.
・ Survey, estimate, design, supervision, inspection and evaluation of electric equipment, machinery,
water supply and sanitation facilities construction, maintenance and repair of municipal housing etc.
・ Survey and plan concerning management of municipal housing
・ Recruitment and selection of residents of municipal housing
・ Management of buildings of municipal housing, maintenance and transfer of premises, collection and
storage of usage fees etc.
Building Confirmation
Building ・ Reception of Building Confirmation Application Form, Building License Application Form etc
Guidance ・ Planning and investigation related to building administration
Department ・ Contact and adjustment with related organizations concerning building administration
・ Contact, coordinate, and guidance to Designated Confirmation Inspection Body
・ Examination and inspection of compliance with Building Standards Relation Regulations for
Building Confirmation and Plan Notification
・ Review of the safety of the premises of the building
・ Examination of the structure and proof stress of buildings and on-site inspection
・ Regular report of building equipment, guidance and safety review
・ Enlightenment concerning prevention of breach of building standards law and communication and

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adjustment with related organizations

・ Investigation of buildings in violation of Building Standard Law and monitoring of buildings
・ Popularization and enlightenment of quake resistance etc
Architectural Confirmation
Architectural ・ Contact and adjustment concerning building technology
Technology ・ Development, research, improvement and diffusion of building technology
Department
Architectural Technology Development
・ Planning, survey, advice and estimate of city-owned buildings
・ Survey, planning, advice and collection of materials concerning maintenance and preservation of
municipal buildings
・ Examination of construction work of the city-owned building
・ Management, operation and improvement of municipal building information system
Municipal Building
・ Planning, survey, advice and estimate of city-owned buildings
・ Survey, planning, advice and collection of materials concerning maintenance and preservation of
municipal buildings
・ Examination of construction work of the city-owned building
・ Management, operation and improvement of municipal building information system
Source: JICA Study Team Modified from Kobe City Municipality’s documents.
3.2.9 Desired Capacities for Urban Development

Urban planning can be described as a technical and political process concerned with the welfare of
people, control of land use, design of the urban networks and lifelines and protection of the
environments. In this line, the Urban Planning Division (UPD) is expected to play a crucial role in
facilitating effective urban planning through encouraging inclusive ownership with the public sectors
and the non-state actors, including civil society, the private sector, professional society, and the others.
UPD is responsible for undertaking two major planning tasks, including delivering regulatory services
and administering the effective implementation of the urban development plan, the SUDP, towards the
attainment of the goals of the Yangon Future Vision 2040. UPD and other relevant departments in
YCDC will follow the policy guidance made by YRG.
(1) Desired Structure of UPD

To enhance realization of urban planning, UPD under YCDC needs to be upgraded to an independent
department through being endorsed by the Yangon Region Government (YRG) and the Ministry of
Planning and Finance (MOPF). At the same time, UPD also needs to be appointed as a top of the
hierarchy of YCDC’s planning under the Committee members. It will provide an enable environment
for UPD to function as an urban planning department to enforce the land use, zoning and planning
regulations and to coordinate YCDC’s sector departments, other public sectors and non-state actors in
the implementation of the SUDP. At the same time, YCDC is likely to need to undertake restructuring
of administrative bodies through reducing the number of departments and entities and reallocating
human and financial resources to the prioritized activities, including urban planning, land use
regulations, urban infrastructure facilities and services, and urban development projects.
For the desired structure of the division, UPD also needs to undertake organizational reforms. It is
anticipated that the duties and responsibilities under the Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch and
the Urban Design and District Planning Branch will increasingly become important for meeting
growing urbanization issues in the Yangon municipality. On the other hand, the rest of branches, such
as the Infrastructure and Urban Amenities Planning Branch and Urban Transportation and Road
Network Planning Branch, is likely to be less significant because they are not the first responsible
authorities in urban facilities and transportation. Rather, they are expected to enhance coordination
between urban planning and urban facilities with the Engineering Departments (Roads and Bridges,
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Water and Sanitation, and Buildings), the Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) and other
entities. In this regard, both branches could be meagered into one branch as one of the options.
(2) Desired Duty and Responsibility of UPD

YCDC is a municipality that delivers regulatory services in urban planning, entailing zoning
restrictions, planning permission, floor space indices, and construction standards in Yangon. While the
Engineering Department (Buildings) remains the responsibility of building controls and services, UPD
is expected to take charge of the forthcoming regulatory services, such as zoning regulation and
planning permission, through controlling them from professional views of urban planning.
The Zoning and Land Use Planning Branch can make responsible for zoning regulation, planning
regulation in the short and medium term and city planning area regulation in the medium and long
term. The zoning regulation divides YCDC municipality’s territory into residential, commercial,
industrial, mixed, and other districts that are separate from one another for the most part with the use
of property. The planning regulation controls the use of land and buildings, the appearance of
buildings, landscaping considerations, highway access and the impact that the development will have
on the general environment. City planning areas, such as urbanization promotion area and urbanization
control area, are necessarily classified, and land use regulation is conducted. Other regulations and
guidelines in urban planning also need to be developed and enforced by UPD to realize sustainable
urban development.
The Urban Design and District Planning Branch can take responsible for town and district planning
and urban development project planning in the short and medium term. They include planning, basic
design and management for Central Business District (CBD) development, new town development,
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), sub-center development and other development projects. The
Branch can also seek additional responsibilities for urban land readjustment and redevelopment in the
medium and long term. The urban land readjustment and redevelopment will be one of the most
critical issues to expand streets, create public places and build a for the realization of sustainable urban
development through the consolidation of fragmented plots, ownerships and interests by YCDC for
their unified planning, servicing and subdivision with the sale of some of the new plots for cost
recovery and the redistribution of other plots to the landowners.
The proposed new branch meagered between the Infrastructure and Urban Amenities Planning Branch
and the Urban Transportation and Road Network Planning Branch can take charge of administering
the implementation of urban transportation, facilities and infrastructure projects through effective
coordination with the Engineering Departments (Roads and Bridges, Water and Sanitation, and
Buildings) and other departments of YCDC, YRG, and central ministries and agencies as well as
non-state actors.
It is suggested that the Urban Socioeconomic Studies Branch can act more than conducting
socioeconomic survey and research, but also adding two main tasks, including urban planning,
monitoring and evaluation and revision of the SUDP, and urban information system management.
There are more details of expected duties and responsibilities for each branch of UPD in line with
proposed restructuring with given tentative branch names in the below (See Table 3.2.4).
Table 3.2.4: Duties and Responsibilities under Proposed UPD Reforms, YCDC
Duties and Responsibilities
Branch
Land Use and Zoning Regulation
Zoning and ・Research, planning and enforcement for city planning area division (urbanization promotion area
Planning and urbanization control areas)
Permission ・Research, planning and enforcement for zoning regulation
Branch ・Coordination with relevant organizations concerning land use and zoning regulation
(←Zoning and
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Land Use ・Public hearings, briefing sessions, awareness raising and public relations
Planning
Branch) Planning Permission
・Inspection, guidance and enforcement for planning permission
・Coordination with related organizations concerning planning permission
・Inspection, guidance and enforcement for district planning
Development Project Planning and Management

Urban Design ・Survey, planning and management for development projects
and District ・Basic planning, design management, permission and guidance for municipal properties
Planning ・Coordination and negotiation with proprietors pertaining to the projects
Branch ・Management and disposal of municipal properties
Town Development Promotion

・Survey, planning and basic design for district planning and township planning
・Survey, awareness raising and promotion of landscape protection
・Planning, basic design and management for Central Business District (CBD), waterfront
development and landscape protection
・Planning for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Sub-center development
・Research for land readjustment and urban redevelopment
Urban Planning (SUDP)

Planning and ・Survey, planning, monitoring and evaluation, and revision of the SUDP
Survey Branch ・Coordination with related organizations concerning the SUDP
(←Urban ・Public hearings, briefing sessions, awareness raising and public relations about the SUDP
Socioeconomic ・Coordination with housing policy
Studies Branch)
Urban Planning Survey and Urban Information System Management
・Planning, implementation and update of urban basic survey
・Establishment, management and update for urban information system (GIS mainstreaming)
Development Projects Planning

Infrastructure, ・Survey, planning and coordination for infrastructure projects and social services
Transportation ・Project monitoring, guidance and inspection
and Utilities
Planning Support for Urban Planning (SUDP)
Branch ・Comprehensive coordination concerning infrastructure development and social services in line with
(← SUDP planning
Infrastructure
and Urban ・Merger with Urban Transportation & Road Network Planning
Amenities
Planning Development Project Planning
Branch ・Survey, planning, and coordination for road and transportation projects
(←Urban ・Project monitoring, guidance and inspection
Transportation
and Road Support for Urban Planning (SUDP)
Network ・Comprehensive coordination concerning transportation system in line with SUDP planning
Planning ・Examination of possibility of new transportation system
Branch)
・Merger with Infrastructure & Urban Amenities Planning
・General affairs of UDP, administrative contact, coordination, improvement, budget management,

Administration safety and health etc.
Branch

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3.2.10 Capacity Development Response
(1) Action-Oriented Capacity Development

To promote urban development in the Greater Yangon in line with the SUDP, capacity development for
urban development and management needs to be strengthen in UPD under YCDC. In this context, the
desired capacity and the existing capacity of the UPS are identified and reviewed to formulate the
capacity development response. The organizational capacity of UPD was assessed. It was found that
lack of proper organizational structure and weak coordination capacity were the most challenging
issues that UPD had faced as a planning division, followed by less capacities to formulate and enforce
the rule and regulatory services, such as land use and zoning regulation as well as planning permission.
To foster capacity development in such fields, technical cooperation project is proposed for ensuring
effective implementation of the SUDP 2016 as follows:
a) Proposed Technical Cooperation Project
Capacity Development Project for Urban Development and Management in the Greater Yangon
b) Counterpart
 Yangon Region Government (YRG): Yangon Urban Planning Authority (YUPA)
(forthcoming)
 Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC): Urban Planning Division (UPD) under
City Planning and Land Administration Department, Engineering Department (Building),
and other relevant departments
c) Target Group & Area
5.21 million population in Greater Yangon
d) Project Period:
3 years (2017 to 2020)
e) Project Purpose
Capacity for urban development and management is strengthened in counterpart organizations
in charge of development permission and building permission system.
f) Overall Goal
Urban development in the Greater Yangon is promoted in line with the Strategic Urban
Development Plan of the Greater Yangon (SUDP).
g) Output
a) To Review Organization Structure in Urban Development and Management
b) To Enhance Enforcement of Zoning Regulation System
c) To Facilitate Planning Permission System
h) Activity
a) Output 1: To Review Organization Structure in Urban Development and Management

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 To support reviewing the organization structure in charge of urban development in

Yangon
 To support reviewing necessary duties and responsibility of each of existing
department/division in accordance with the work flow of urban development in YCDC
 To propose a desired department/division, if necessary
b) Output 2: To Enhance Enforcement of Zoning Regulation System
 To support data survey for urban development and establish GIS database system
 To support conducting macro-scale analysis
 To support formulating zoning strategy
 To support setting detailed zoning regulation
c) Output 3: To Facilitate Planning Permission System
 To support simplifying and transparent procedure such as one-stop service of planning
permission and building permission
 To support drafting development technical standards, and to brush-up through
case-study projects
 To support finalizing the development technical standards
 Traffic & Road (including Traffic Impact Assessment)
 Water, sanitation & solid waste management
 Park & public facilities
 Townscape & environment (townscape impact simulation)
 Disaster risk management & fire service
 To support enforcing the regulation through By-law of YCDC

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3.3 Building Seismic Diagnosis
3.3.1 Building Overview Targeted for Seismic Diagnosis

The following are issues regarding earthquake-resistant design in Myanmar.
a) Myanmar National Building Code: Currently there is no building standards law in place.
Myanmar National Building Code (hereinafter called ‘MNBC’) is still in process of
creation. This is going to be enacted into law in the future.
b) Committee for Quality High-rise Building Project: Currently, YCDC is examining nine
to twelve stories buildings in Yangon city with the instruction of the Committee for Quality
High-rise Building Project (hereinafter referred to as "CQHP). This institution is not based
on any laws either. Majority of the CQHP basically refers to Uniform Building Code 97
(hereinafter referred to as "UBC97"), and there is not much detailed description. However,
some items such as fixing length of slab RC are specifically stated in Burmese language,
while detailed seismic design method is not. Under the circumstances, it is assumed that
seismic design standards are not widely recognized among local designers.
c) Reference Code：Both MNBC and CQHP are created by partially revising United States’
design criteria. MNBC is based on the American Society of Civil Engineer 7 (hereinafter
referred to as ‘ASCE7’) while CQHP is based on the UBC97. Difference in design
methods adopted by ASCE7 and UBC97 may cause confusion when the MNBC is
officially legislated.
d) Problems of Application Procedures at YCDC: The building lower than eight stories
does not require seismic design.
Aiming at evaluating seismic properties of buildings currently under construction in Yangon, seismic
diagnosis was conducted for following three building as listed in Table 3.3.1. None of the buildings
adopt seismic design.

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Table 3.3.1: Building Overview Targeted for Seismic Diagnosis

Building name 4U5S Six stories building Eight stories building
Year built Under construction 2009 2009
Five stories Six stories Eight stories
Building scale
(Structurally six stories) (Structurally eight stories) (Structurally twelve stories)
Structural type RC rigid-frame structure (Brick wall) RC rigid-frame structure (Brick wall) RC rigid-frame structure (Brick wall)
Drawing
Analytical model
3.3.2 On-site Survey Result
(1) Overview
4U5S (Hlaing Tharyar Township) is a building under construction. We have performed on-site survey
on following items. On-site survey was conducted on August 11, 15 and 22.
a) Confirm construction status
b) Obtain sample of concrete and rebar
c) Hearing from contractor
Contractor’s name: U Khin Maung Myint Construction (mid-sized contractor)

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Planned construction site

（Under construction）
Source: Google Earth Pro

Figure 3.3.1: Location map of surveyed site
(2) Drawing Comparison Survey

a) According to on-site office, 27 buildings are to be constructed in 4U5S. Combined with other
plans, Hlaig Thar Yar Township will hold total 88 buildings to be constructed. Construction
status varied for each building, some have completed construction of building frame while
others have completed RF construction.
b) After comparing submitted drawing (Obtained from MOC) and drawing used on-site
(hereinafter referred to as ‘on-site drawing’), we confirmed that column section of 1st floor is
not consistent. The column size is changed from 14"x14" to 12"x14" (305-355mm). Rebar
diameter is also changed. Construction itself is performed almost in accordance with the on-site
drawing.
c) On-site drawing had supplementary information such as reinforcement arrangement that was
missing on the submitted drawing.
d) RF slab layout is same as drawing.
e) Block layout is same as drawing.
f) Aperture layout is same as drawing.

Figure 3.3.2: Building's exterior appearance

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(3) Deterioration Degree and Construction Status

a) No aged deterioration since the building is under construction.
b) Column rebar is decentered from the center of mold form and covering depth is different
between left and right.
c) Confirmed fixation length for hoop falling short.
d) Spacer is used only in some areas, and even when it’s used the concrete piece is not fixed
(might move while casting). We observed such cases where insufficient construction accuracy is
achieved for maintaining design strength.
e) Vibrator is inserted askew.
f) We observed honeycombed concrete in columns that came immediately out of mold form. This
is assumed to be due to concrete blending, grain size of coarse aggregate (quality of material
used) and inappropriate use of vibrator.
Decentered column rebar Unfixed spacer
Vibrator inserted askew Honeycombed column

Figure 3.3.3: Photo from construction site
(4) Others and Hearing Result
1) Concrete
a) Beam and slab concrete is produced in factory.
b) Concrete for column and foundation is mixed on site.
c) Mortar for brick wall is using side-mixed concrete.
d) Blending details as below.
Column, Slab, Beam;
Cement: Sand: Aggregate = 1:2:4  Water:30L (When 1 is equivalent to 1 bag (50kg))
Lean Concrete(footing);
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Cement: Sand: Aggregate =1:3:6  Water:36L (When 1 is equivalent to 1 bag (50kg))

Wall(mortar);
Cement: Sand: Aggregate =1:2:0
e) Cement for side-mixing is using Elephant (made in Thai).
As for blending of side-mixed concrete, they are using a plastic case to measure instead of
using proper scale to accurately weigh the ingredients. (See Figure 3.3.4)
f) Gravel of 0.25-2.5 inches in diameter (5-64mm) is used.
g) Well water is used for blending.
h) Specimen is created for testing strength.
i) Specimen is 6 cubic inch size. It’s removed from mold form after one day and cured in
water on site. On the 30th day it is carried to testing site for test. 2-3 specimens are used.
j) Slump test is adopted for fresh concrete.
k) Mold form is removed after one day for column, and one month for beam and slab.
l) Vibrator is used to avoid honeycombed concrete.
m) In summertime water is sprayed on the casted slab to prevent cracking. After casting, the
slab is covered with plastic sheet for 24 hours.

Figure 3.3.4: Side-mixed concrete
2) Rebar
a) Rebar is put on wood pieces so that it does not touch the ground. (Rust was observed on
the surface of rebar stocked outside exposed to rain.)
b) Rust in rebar is removed before using.
c) Bending work is done on site.
d) Rebar is produced abroad.

Figure 3.3.5: Material storing situation
As above, on-site investigation revealed issues where submitted drawing and on-site drawing
are not consistent, and problematic construction quality regarding construction technologies and
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storage of construction material. The buildings under construction are not likely to have
sufficient building strength as described in the design documents. Improvement of such
construction qualities is one of the challenges concerning construction situations in Myanmar.
3.3.3 Investigation on Material Quality
(1) Material Strength Verification

To verify strength of materials used for the buildings, following samples were obtained at newly
constructed building (4US5) to be put to a material test in Japan. The test was conducted in Tsukuba
Architecture Test Research Center under Center of Better Living.
a) Concrete (Three types, three samples each)
1. For column (Side-mixed)
2. For beam and slab (Factory-mixed)
3. Mortar for wall (Side-mixed)
b) RC (Three samples): Column rebar φ16
c) Brick (One sample): For wall
Obtained samples Test preparation
Compression test Samples after test

Figure 3.3.6: Material Test Performed
The test result is shown in Table 3.3.2. Refer to Test Report (appendix) for more detailed test result.

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Table 3.3.2: Material Test Result

Estimated
Compression Average Value Design Standard Adopted
Standard Strength
Test Result (n) Strength (Fc) Strength
Deviation (σ) (n-σ/2)
(N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2)
26.7
1. For column
53.3 42.3 13.9 35.4 17.2 17.2
(Side-mixed)
46.9
46.9
2. For beam and slab
40.1 44.7 4.0 42.7 17.2 17.2
(Factory-mixed)
47.0
18.4
3. Mortar for wall
14.8 16.6 1.8 15.7 ― 15.7
(Side-mixed)
16.7
.
Estimated
Average Value Yield Strength Adopted
Yield Point Standard Strength
(n) (σy) Strength
Deviation (σ) (n-σ/2)
(N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2) (N/mm2)
502
RC 532 489 51 464 275 275
433
Compression
Test Result
(N/mm2)
Brick 8.2
Concrete used for building frame (1. and 2.) was confirmed to be above the design standard strength
specified in the drawing. RC too exceeded the strength level stated in the drawing. As observed above,
it was verified that the materials used for the buildings satisfy the design standard strength.
(2) Concrete Factory Visit
1) Overview
There are three major concrete factories in Yangon. Of them, the team visited and inspected two
factories including HIGH TECH CONCRETE Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as “HTC”) and
SCG Myanmar Concrete and Aggregate Co., Ltd. Since the results were similar, we hereby pick
up inspection result from HTC as follows.
a) Factory name: HIGH TECH CONCRETE Co., LTD.
b) Date of visit: 9:00-12:00, 17th August 2016

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Figure 3.3.7: Factory appearance
2) Result of Hearing
(I) Concrete
a) HTC produces G10-60 (every 5 levels) concrete (G: Grade)
b) For a size of five stories building, G25 concrete is used in general.
c) Grade conversion calculation complies with CQHP.
d) Concrete blending is decided based on ATSM. Blending ratio differs depending on grade.
e) Well water is used for mixing.
f) Daratod17 and Super20 are used as additive. Daratod17 is used for low-grade concrete,
and both are used for G35 concrete or above.
g) Another additive is added in case it needs to wait for more than 3 hours until casting or in
case of underwater concrete.
(II) Cement
a) Following 4 products are used for cement.
(1) Mountain Brand, (2) Red Lotus (3) Diamond (4) Apache
b) (1) - (3) are made in Thai and (4) is produced by STC, HTC’s group company (Mandalay).
c) Usually they use (1) - (3) products, but if they are short of supply (4) is used.
d) Quality of each product is equivalent.

Figure 3.3.8: Cement storage situation
(III) Aggregate
a) Below two products are used for sand.
(1) River Sand (Thilawa river), (2) Crashed Sand (Mow la Myaing)
Moisture testing is conducted against sand to be used. 3 times a day for each.
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b) Below two products are used for gravel.

(1) River Single (Ayeyarwaddy River), (2) Crushed Stone (Mow la Myaing)
For construction gravel of about 5-25mm is used.
c) In ASTM (2) is the standard product. As for (1), cumulative passing percentage does not
satisfy permissible value.
d) However, many of the local contractors use (1) for construction instead of (2) which is
expensive. Japanese or Chinese contractors engaged in large-scale building construction
use (2).
e) They purchase (2) product after being cleansed. (1) is used without treatments because it is
already clean at time of purchasing.

Figure 3.3.9: (Left) Aggregate storage situation, (Right) Crushed Stone

Figure 3.3.10: (Left) Blending table sample, (Left) Fine-grade testing for crushed sand
(IV) Concrete Test

a) Testing is also conducted in factory.
b) HTC conducts concrete test for three times, after 3, 7 and 28 days. (2 specimens in each
test)
c) If testing for each stage does not meet predetermined strength, the building is demolished
for repairing.
d) Testing device is calibrated twice a year.
(V) Mortar (Cement) Test

a) Test is conducted whenever they receive new cement.
b) Consistency testing and strength testing is conducted.

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c) Blending ratio is as follows; Cement: 500g, Sand: 1375g, W/C=0.485

d) Specimen for strength testing is 2 cubic inch size.
e) It’s removed from mold form on the second day and cured in water. They conduct testing
for 4 pieces on the third day, and 2 pieces on the 28th day.

Figure 3.3.11: (Left) Concrete Compression Test, (Right) Consistency Test
Material management (cement and aggregate) and various tests are adequately performed and quality
is sufficiently ensured in the concrete factory we visited. However, due to cost issue, they sometimes
use aggregate material whose quality does not satisfy ASTM standards, which needs to be improved.
3.3.4 Building Evaluation Approach

This seismic diagnosis was conducted by comparing and examining assumed seismic force in Yangon
and building’s horizontal bearing capacity (ultimate yield strength). The assumed seismic force in
Yangon was calculated based on the Myanmar National Building Code 2016 (MNBC). Two target
values were set as follows. The structure type is “Intermediate reinforced concrete moment frames”
and Ω0 is 3.0.
a) In case of medium earthquake: External force calculated by MNBC

b) In case of major earthquake: Value for medium earthquake x Member examination extra rate Ω0
Table 3.3.3: Assumed Seismic Force for Each Building (Target Value)
Natural
Base Shear Coefficient
Building Period
Height Medium Major
Ta
earthquake Cs earthquake Co2
4U5S 17.0m 0.60s 0.122 0.336
Six stories
20.9m 0.72s 0.102 0.306
building
Eight stories
34.1m 1.12s 0.066 0.198
building

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Figure 3.3.12: Design Response Spectrum and Natural Period of Eight Stories Building
3.3.5 Calculation of Building’s Horizontal Bearing Capacity
(1) Seismic Diagnosis Methods in Japan

In Japan, following methods1) are proposed for diagnosing seismic capacity of old buildings. As the
degree gets higher, the diagnosis becomes more detailed. Since old buildings in Japan tend to have
large beam cross-section and result in column/RC collapse, second level screening procedure is often
adopted as simplified diagnosis.
Table 3.3.4: Seismic Diagnosis Methods in Japan

Calculation of horizontal bearing
Diagnosis Method Assumed Collapse Type
capacity
First Level
Tabulation of column/RC wall
Screening Column, RC wall
cross-section area
Procedure Simplified
Second Level Diagnosis
Tabulation of column/RC wall
Screening Column, RC wall
bearing force
Procedure
Third Level
Detailed
Screening Incremental analysis Column, RC wall, Beam, etc.
Diagnosis
Procedure
a) First level screening procedure: Floor area/ (0.7a x Column cross-section area + 2.5a x Wall
cross-section area)
b) Second level screening procedure: Tabulation of column bearing force assuming column
collapse type
c) Third level screening procedure: Detailed examination through load incremental analysis

I 3-36
1) Standard for Seismic Evaluation of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings, 2001, Published by:
The Japan Building Disaster Prevention Association
However, buildings in Yangon (target buildings) have larger column cross-section compared to beam
cross-section and are expected to result in beam collapse type. Since it is not appropriate to adopt the
same simplified diagnosis practiced in Japan, we hereby propose a seismic diagnosis tailored for
Yangon that assumes beam collapse.
On the other hand, incremental analysis is conducted as another measure to calculate building’s
horizontal bearing capacity. Yield strength of members such as column, beam and RC wall is
calculated to detail to conduct elastoplastic incremental analysis. This can provide relatively accurate
horizontal bearing force and is widely used in Japan for designing newly constructed buildings.
However, this method requires too many calculation processes to promote in Myanmar, which implies
many challenges such as improving calculation knowledge/technologies as well as dissemination of
analysis program. For comparison with the simplified diagnosis, incremental analysis (detailed
diagnosis) result is also shown below.
(2) Seismic Diagnosis for Yangon

Assuming possibility of beam hinge, use below formula to calculate each floor’s horizontal bearing
capacity Qu.
 Beam ultimate yield flexural capacity
Mg  0.9 at  y  d
Conditions are as follows
at : Tensile RC cross-section area(mm2)
Slab RC of 1m width is to be taken into account.

This is also applicable to others including one way slab.
y : Tensile RC yield point (mm2)
d : Effective beam depth (mm) , Beam depth－50mm
 Stiffness-based balancing (With column cross-section being equal, balancing is done by

member length) *Refer to a figure on the left
H2 H1
M1  Mg M 2  Mg
H1  H 2 ,
H1  H 2
 Column shear force *Refer to a figure on the right
Qc   M1 ' M 2 ' / H
 Horizontal bearing capacity
Qu ΣQc

I 3-37
 H2 
Qu    M 1 '   M 2 '  / H  
H1
 Mg 1   Mg 2 /H
 H1  H 2 H1  H 2 
Stiffness-based Balancing Column Shear Force

Figure 3.3.13: Seismic Diagnosis for Yangon
However, if beam size on the first floor is large (e.g. building with continuous footing foundation), the
first floor might not have beam hinge. Considering that, if beam depth on the first floor is larger in size
than column height, column hinge instead of beam hinge should be assumed when calculating the
yield strength.
(3) Seismic Diagnosis Result

Figure 3.3.14 represents comparison of Qud=First floor’s seismic force in medium earthquake and
Qu=Horizontal bearing capacity.

I 3-38
400%
Simplified Diagnosis for Yangon
Incremental Analysis: 1.5%
350%
Horizontal Bearing Capacity Comparison: Qu/Qud
Incremental Analysis: Brittle Fracture
With Brick Wall
In major earthquake
300%
250%
200%
150%
In medium earthquake
100%
50%
0% 4U5S 4U5S Six‐story bldg Six‐story bldg Eight‐story bldg Eight‐story bldg

X Positive Y Positive X Positive Y Positive X Positive Y Positive

Figure 3.3.14: Seismic Diagnosis Result
a) The result shows that all the building have a risk of collapse in case of medium earthquake. It is
preferable to reinforce the buildings.
b) Brick wall might fall sideways in case of earthquake, reinforcement and countermeasures are
preferred.
c) It was confirmed that the building’s horizontal bearing capacity improves if the brick wall does
not fall sideways (if the brick wall can be considered as a load bearing wall).
d) A building with layer of short columns beneath beam on the first floor might collapse earlier
than the columns on the first floor. It is necessary to reinforce by adding RC wall or longitudinal
brace.
e) According to the calculation, it was confirmed that some beams in two buildings out of three are
already yielded by stationary load. Since there is a risk that floor crumbles when heavy load is
put on, some countermeasures need to be taken.
f) Buildings such as school, hospital, city office and fire department should be designed/reinforced
to withstand major earthquake. It is also preferable that residences are designed and reinforced
to withstand at least medium earthquake.
g) Even though the proposed seismic diagnosis for Yangon assesses the building’s horizontal
bearing capacity lower than incremental analysis, the result is similar to the one of incremental
analysis. This diagnosis is much easier to conduct than the incremental analysis, therefore is
deemed effective as a simple method for diagnosing seismic capacities of buildings in Yangon.

I 3-39

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The Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Yangon Region Government (YRG)

The Updated Strategic Urban Development Plan

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Data Collection Survey for the Project for

Part I: Survey & Planning Work

Part II: Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon

2.2 Development Vision .............................................................................................. II 2-4

Appendix 1: A Comparison Study for the Future Sea Port

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Part I: Survey & Planning Work (I x-xxx)

Table 2.4.10: Estimated Served Population................................................................... 2-50

Table 2.5.4: Type of Ownership .................................................................................. 2-122

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Table 4.1.10: Total Number of Housing Units of Provided by DUHD in Myanmar by

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Part I: Survey & Planning Work (I x-xxx)

Figure 2.4.8: Sewerage Planning Area .......................................................................... 2-54

Figure 2.4.49: Number of Passengers by Train Service .............................................. 2-114

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Figure 3.2.7: Revised Organization Structure 2016 of UPD ......................................... 3-10

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WWTP Waste Water Treatment Plant

CONVERSION RATE (AT FEBRUARY 2017)

1 MMK = 0.08576 JPY, 1 JPY = 11.66 MMK

1 USD = 115.1 JPY, 1 JPY = 0.008685 USD

1 USD = 1342 MMK, 1 MMK = 0.0007451

NIPPON KOEI CO., LTD., KISHO KUROKAWA ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES

DIFINITION OF THE STUDY AREA AND YANGON REGION

Administrative Boundary Township Group Township Name Definition

NIPPON KOEI CO., LTD., KISHO KUROKAWA ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES

DIFINITION OF THE STUDY AREA AND YANGON REGION

Source: JICA Study Team

c) Proposal of urban development management, and

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1.3 Target Area

1.4 Target Year

Source: JICA Study Team

1.5 Planning Organizations

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Source: JICA Study Team

1.6 Key Process of Planning and Study

1.6.1 Kick-off Meeting of YRG

1.6.2 1st Steering Committee

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1.6.3 1st MOTC Meeting (4th Aug)

1.6.4 1st MOC Meeting (4th Aug)

1.6.5 1st Periodical Meeting of YRG (16th Aug)

1.6.6 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG (7th Sep)

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Table 1.6.6: Summary Result of 2nd Periodical Meeting of YRG

1.6.7 3rd Periodical Meeting of YRG (30th Sep)

1.6.8 Interim Report Meeting of YRG (10th Oct)

1.6.9 2nd MOC Meeting (11th Oct)

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Table 1.6.9: Summary Result of 2nd MOC Meeting

1.6.10 2nd MOTC Meeting (12th Oct)

1.6.11 4th Periodical Meeting of YRG (9th Nov)

1.6.12 Stakeholder Meeting for a Trial Event (5th Dec)

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