WASHINGTON, June 30, 2015—More health centers, schools, roads and drinking water systems will be repaired and constructed for rural communities in Myanmar with an additional $400 million in financing approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors for the ongoing Myanmar National Community Driven Development Project (NCDDP).
The additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for low-income countries—together with financing from the Myanmar government and with co-financing from the Government of Italy—will scale up the program to improve access to basic services and essential infrastructure for an estimated 7 million people across 62 Myanmar townships.
Community Driven Development is an important element of Myanmar’s rural poverty reduction strategy. The NCDDP project supports Myanmar’s “people-centered” approach to rural development, focused on engagement with communities in poor and historically underserved rural areas.
Since 2012, the NCDDP has delivered results by putting communities in charge of planning and managing development resources. Villagers have a say in choosing the rural infrastructure and services that the project offers for communities, such as rehabilitating and expanding school buildings, health centers, water supply systems, roads, footpaths, jetties and bridges. Now in its second cycle, over 1,000 sub-projects will be identified, designed and implemented by communities over the next several months.
“We are pleased to be able to expand access to services for poor people in Myanmar. These additional funds will help to transform the way rural development works. They will empower and motivate communities, by putting people in charge of how to manage community development resources,” said U Ohn Myint, Union Minister for the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Rural Development.
Myanmar’s experience with the NCDDP to date and experiences in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Afghanistan have shown the potential to advance community-grounded development on a national scale, including in conflict-affected areas.
“Myanmar’s Community Driven Development Project has financed more than 350 subprojects to improve people’s lives in often remote rural communities,” said Ulrich Zachau, Country Director for the World Bank for South East Asia. “This new financing will help Myanmar expand the program, bringing clean water, better schools and safer access to markets to 1,700 villages across nine townships, and ultimately, to communities across 62 townships.”
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