Unimproved water sources in Myanmar compromise hygiene, sanitation and drinking water availability. Unfiltered rivers and swamps are contaminated by human and animal waste, chemical pollutants and heavy metals which can quite often be fixed by simple low-technology solutions.
As humanitarian crises have lifted in Sri Lanka, national development has shifted its focus toward building a strong economic core in the private sector and diversifying rural livelihoods. Positive demographic transition has accompanied the drive toward middle-income country status but now poses some challenges regarding aged dependency.