THE THA BAR WA PROJECT Helping Industries create a more sustainable future for Myanmar
80%
60%
5%
of companies in Myanmar are food and beverages producers.
of those companies are small and medium sized.
have functioning waste water treatment.
These companies produce vast amounts of waste water containing chemicals and bacteria that are often pumped into the country’s freshwater systems - posing a serious risk to human health and ecosystems. It is crucial to ensure that Myanmar’s rapidly growing food and beverages sector can develop without damaging the ecosystems its people and wildlife depend upon. Since 2018 Tha Bar Wa has been promoting cleaner production practices in the food and beverage (F&B) sector in Myanmar and contributing to sustainable economic growth using sustainable energy and water management through investments supporting policies and business structures, increased capacity and improved access to 48| ANNUAL REPORT 2020
finance. Focusing on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), Tha Bar Wa aims to demonstrate at least 30 concrete business cases for sustainable production which could be used for upscaling and replication. It has also trained partner banks in Green Finance, SMEs and cashflow based lending to ensure that selected banks are able to provide loans to SMEs for cleaner investments. With financial support from the European Union’s SWITCH-Asia programme Tha Bar Wa is being implemented by WWF together with Myanmar Food Processors and Exporters Association (MFPEA) and Sparkassenstiftung für internationale Kooperation (SBFIC).
KEY MOMENTS July 2019 - November 2019
10 NATIONAL CONSULTANTS TRAINED to be energy auditors and to provide their consultancy services to the companies
