AIRBM stands for Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management Project.
The AIRBM Project Myanmar Government has received a US$100 million credit from the Word Bank for the Ayeyarwady Integrated River Basin Management (AIRBM) Project. (The objective of the AIRBM Project is to help Myanmar develop the institutions and tools needed to enable informed decision making in the management of Myanmar’s water resources and to implement integrated river basin management of the Ayeyarwady Basin. The AIRBM Project includes three components: i) Water Resources Management Institutions, Decision Support System, and Capacity Building; ii) Hydro-Meteorological Observation and Information Systems Modernization; and iii) Navigation Enhancement of the Ayeyarwady.
AIRBM implementation arrangements The implementing agency of the AIRBM Project is the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWIR) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC). The Director General (DG) of DWIR also serves as the Secretary of the NWRC Secretariat. The AIRBM Project Steering Committee (PSC) provides overall strategic guidance for the Project, including approval of work plans, procurement plans and budgets. The PSC is headed by a Deputy Vice Minister of the MoTC and includes officials and experts from the NWRC and its Advisory Group.
The Project Management Unit (PMU) of the AIRBM Project has been established under the DWIR to manage the implementation of the project. The PMU is headed by a Project Director and Deputy Director and comprises 3 Component Management Units, headed by a Component Director, as well as units for procurement, financial management and safeguards. Each unit has engaged an international advisor. The PMU is staffed by approximately 50 staff, including staff of DWIR and consultants. It is located on the grounds of DWIR in Yangon under the overall management of the DG of DWIR.
