Following the success of its recently completed project “Incorporating Environmental Sustainability and Disaster Resilience in Building Codes,” the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) showed an increased interest to support the Myanmar National Building Code (MNBC) project. Earlier, UNESCAP commissioned an analysis of the building codes of nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region and documented seven good practices for green and resilient buildings while focusing on building code enforcement.
MNBC’s next project goal is to prioritize protection against the uncertain occurrence of the two most common natural disasters in Myanmar: earthquakes and strong winds. The Ministry of Construction (MOC) and its technical partner The Myanmar Engineering Society (MES) have been working towards enforcing proper and stricter building codes through the Myanmar National Building Code (MNBC) project. The ministries are working to draft the code in accordance with ASEAN building standards to bring it in line with neighboring countries to reduce the existing structural flaws and improper spacing of buildings.
UN-HABITAT, the United Nations Human Settlements Program, an agency that promotes socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities, is leading this project and has selected various regional and international experts and institutions to review the seven different parts: 1) Planning, Environment, Administration and Legislation, 2) Architecture and Urban Design, 3) Structure, 4) Soil and Foundation, 5) Building services, 6) Materials and Construction Practices, 7) and Safety.
UNESCAP, with the help of AIT Consulting, will be implementing the third part of the project which includes the review of the structural building codes spanning Wind Design Criteria, Seismic Design Criteria, and other criteria relating to Concrete, Steel and Masonry.
