Solving the Right Problems: Sustainability and Virtual Engagement
SRIc Insights By Tin Shine Aung
In our interconnected world, solving the right problem is just as important as solving it effectively. Whether addressing global sustainability challenges or navigating crises like those in Myanmar, the ability to prioritize and adapt is key.
Global Sustainability Challenges: Balancing Priorities
Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and social inequities form an intricate web of global sustainability challenges. These issues are interconnected, with climate change exacerbating poverty and environmental degradation impacting health. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a collective roadmap to tackle these issues, but solutions must be context-specific.
Sustainability concerns vary across regions due to geography, culture, and socio-economic factors. For example, lower-income communities often face greater exposure to pollution and climate-related disasters. Addressing these issues requires understanding local governance, empowering local authorities, and leveraging available resources.
Instead of attempting to solve all problems simultaneously, prioritizing is crucial. Some regions may focus on healthcare infrastructure over biodiversity conservation, while coastal communities may prioritize renewable energy due to rising sea levels. Urban centers might emphasize waste reduction and circular economies. The key lies in balancing trade-offs and developing adaptive strategies.
Myanmar’s Unique Challenges: The Role of Virtual Engagement
While many countries have returned to pre-pandemic norms, virtual engagement remains essential in Myanmar due to ongoing political turmoil and natural disasters. Since the political crisis 2021, Myanmar has faced deep uncertainty, with its citizens grappling with economic instability, governance issues, and environmental risks.
Myanmar is also one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, frequently experiencing floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, and landslides. The country’s geography, poverty levels, and inadequate infrastructure further exacerbate its vulnerability. The June 2024 floods, which spread across politically fragmented regions, underscored the urgency of disaster risk reduction measures.
In this context, virtual engagement provides a critical platform for disseminating information, raising awareness, and coordinating disaster responses. It also supports sustainability efforts, helping communities remain resilient amid political instability and environmental crises.
A Unified Approach to Problem-Solving
The challenges of sustainability and crisis management are interconnected. Prioritizing the right problems, whether addressing climate action or enhancing virtual engagement, requires flexibility and local awareness. By integrating adaptive strategies at both global and local levels, we can create more effective, sustainable solutions that empower communities and foster resilience in an ever-changing world.
Tin Shine Aung is the Consulting Director at the Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc). In addition to his professional roles, Tin Shine Aung is pursuing a PhD in Sustainability Science at the University of Lisbon, Portugal.
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