Norway’s Environmental Aid to Myanmar: Driven by Donor Interests or Recipient Needs?

Abstract

Norway is among the most generous providers of official development aid (ODA), with its annual aid allocation reaching 1 percent of its gross national income (GNI) since 1974. As one of Norway's partner countries in Asia, Myanmar received NOK 292 million in development aid in 2020, covering two main areas; (1) peace, democratization, and reform process, and (2) sustainable management of natural resources, energy, and environment/climate change. As one of the most vulnerable countries at risk of climate crisis and a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2013, Myanmar is also aware of climate change's causes and potential impacts. This study investigates to what extent donor interest or recipient need drive Norway's environmental aid to Myanmar. The study applies an analytical framework of donor interest vs. recipient need model and the six-steps qualitative case study approach as a research methodology. Out of approximately 50 Norway-funded environmental projects, two cases, Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation (multilateral) and Norway-Myanmar Environmental Cooperation Program 2015-2019 (bilateral), were selected. The research findings mainly depend on secondary data; documents analysis (reports, articles, and news media), but it also draws from primary data; qualitative interviews with experts and ordinary people who know the subject both from Myanmar and abroad. The discussion of the research questions is focused on the motivations and justifications of Norway's development aid in general and environmental aid in particular. It also outlined Myanmar's developmental challenges, including environmental challenges as the recipient's need for assistance. The research found that Norway's aid to Myanmar is driven by altruistic and egoistic interests (national self-interests and the recipient's need). However, Norway's national self-interests, such as maintaining its relevancy in international fora and its reputation (global peacemaker and an altruistic example) and promoting its commercial interests, were found to weigh more than the recipient's environmental needs. The thesis concludes that for Norway, providing environmental aid to Myanmar is; both to do good and to look good. For Myanmar, one of the world's least developed nations in environmental management and regulation, Norway's environmental aid that comes with the Norwegian know-how and expertise is essential to improving institutional capacity-building in a much-needed development sector.

Norway is among the most generous providers of official development aid (ODA), with its annual aid allocation reaching 1 percent of its gross national income (GNI) since 1974. As one of Norway's partner countries in Asia, Myanmar received NOK 292 million in development aid in 2020, covering two main areas; (1) peace, democratization, and reform process, and (2) sustainable management of natural resources, energy, and environment/climate change. As one of the most vulnerable countries at risk of the climate crisis and a signatory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2013, Myanmar is also aware of climate change's causes and potential impacts. This study investigates to what extent donor interest or recipient need drive Norway's environmental aid to Myanmar. The study applies an analytical framework of donor interest vs. recipient need model and the six-steps qualitative case study approach as a research methodology. Out of approximately 50 Norway-funded environmental projects, two cases, Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation (multilateral) and Norway-Myanmar Environmental Cooperation Program 2015-2019 (bilateral), were selected. The research findings mainly depend on secondary data; documents analysis (reports, articles, and news media), but it also draws from primary data; qualitative interviews with experts and ordinary people who know the subject both from Myanmar and abroad. The discussion of the research questions is focused on the motivations and justifications of Norway's development aid in general and environmental aid in particular. It also outlined Myanmar's developmental challenges, including environmental challenges as the recipient's need for assistance. The research found that Norway's aid to Myanmar is driven by altruistic and egoistic interests (national self-interests and the recipient's need). However, Norway's national self-interests, such as maintaining its relevancy in international fora and its reputation (global peacemaker and an altruistic example) and promoting its commercial interests, were found to weigh more than the recipient's environmental needs. The thesis concludes that for Norway, providing environmental aid to Myanmar is; both to do good and to look good. For Myanmar, one of the world's least developed nations in environmental management and regulation, Norway's environmental aid that comes with the Norwegian know-how and expertise is essential to improving institutional capacity-building in a much-needed development sector.