Myanmar Floods: A Continuous Crisis in the East - Essay Sample

Introduction

Many countries in the east, such as Japan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, among many others, have always been recording incidents of floods. Such has always led to other related disasters like earthquakes and tremors that have continuously resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of properties, and the displacement of many. This paper will largely focus on Myanmar since the crisis has been taking place there for a long time, almost during similar times of the year. To be precise, this has been during June. Among the areas greatly affected by the floods in Myanmar are Ayeyawaddy, Magway, Mon, Rakhine, Sagaing, Kayah, Bago and Kachin. However, in Magway and Rakhine regions, the heavy storm and strong winds were reported to have caused the landslides (Cohen et al. 2018).

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Just like any natural disaster, and with a sharp focus on the Rakhine region of Myanmar, major loses were reported. Several people were reported dead, other more left with serious injuries, and approximately 200 houses were damaged. This left the Local Disaster Management Authorities, the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS), and the government-run Department of Disaster Management (DDM) with a tough job of providing humanitarian assistance consisting of food, money, healthcare, clean drinking, and cooking water, and construction materials to the affected families and persons. As such a part of this mission, evacuations were done, where the persons who were residing in the affected and flood-prone regions were taken areas considered safer due to their high altitudes (Cohen et al. 2018). In these areas, some been hosted by good Samaritan families while others with their relatives and others in the temporary settlement camps set up by the authorities. Other infrastructure such as roads, water supply systems, and schools were affected too (Win et al. 2018). This had even worsened the humanitarian situation, further complicating the entire work of the disaster management and rescue officials.

In an attempt to manage the disaster and provide suitable humanitarian assistance, frantic efforts have not only been placed in ensuring that not only the accurate cause of the floods and landslides are known but also that suitable policies and strategies are put in place to manage the disaster (Win et al. 2018). The weather forecasters relate the floods to the unprecedented heavy monsoon rains that usually fall in Myanmar, usually in June each year from the year 2015. The heavy downpours usually cause the rivers and the creeks to overflow, thereby making the low-lying areas around to flood.

Another related cause has been said to be the cyclone Komen that struck many countries, including Bangladesh and Myanmar. Komen has been described as an unusual tropical cyclone that swept across the coasts of many countries in the east, bringing with itself an unprecedented heavy downpour and highest winds moving at 124 kilometres per hour sustained for an average of three minutes. For the record, Rakhine State experienced heavy torrential rainfall that reaches 150 mm (5.9 in) per hour and caused flooding to the levels of building and treetops (Webster, 2008). This not only restricted travelling to the use of boats and helicopters but also led to the destruction of roads, schools and buildings, therefore, displacing the residents while leading to the untimely death of about 132 others (Win et al. 2018). In addition to these already devastating effects, the cyclone caused fast-moving landslides along the highlands and the related earthquakes that continuously affect the region.

In addition to the aforementioned heavy rainfall levels, the Myanmar floods have been associated with the mismanagement of the irrigation projects. According to reports, many irrigation platforms projects in Myanmar, especially in the Rakhine region, did not take into proper consideration, their impacts on the environment as well as their proper maintenance costs. As a result, irrigation and related activities have led to waterlogging and salinisation, coupled with other numerous effects of dams and reservoirs (Win et al. 2018). Due to the blockages witnessed frequently, the rainwater finds squeezed and often fewer channels, thereby causing floods.

Finally, there is a widespread issue of deforestation. There been widespread logging in many parts of Myanmar, especially in Rakhine State. This means that the water flows at a higher speed, and the rate of absorption of water into the soil becomes low. As a result, flooding is easy due to the increased stagnation of the water. Efforts are continuously being made to come up with regulatory measures that will not only ensure that the floods, earthquakes, and landslides are prevented but also well catered for in case they occur (Webster, 2008). The prevention is better than cure, and many strategies are aimed at curbing the causes than solving the aftermath. The various proposals aimed at controlling the disaster situations such as preventing deforestation, proper management of irrigation infrastructure, and facilities as well as curbing the change in global weather conditions that lead to unprecedented rainfall levels like the cyclones will form the next part of our discussions.

Rakhine Community Based Flood Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness Plan

Abstract

Owing to the devastating effects of the disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and landslides in the Rakhine State, there arises the need to develop a local community-centred plan to bolster the mitigation and preparation towards the same. The main objects of this plan are to bring the local persons living in the Rakhine State on board on disaster mitigation and preparedness, therefore, eliminating to a great extent, the overdependence of the locals on the government support. This is set to be accomplished through the following initiatives:

• Enhancing the degree of security of the local communities from natural disasters.
• The other issue is on empowering the local communities to come up with their home-grown solutions to the disasters that affect them like floods and landslides, among others.
• We are providing the appropriate training required by local volunteer groups in disaster management and preparedness techniques or concepts.
• Establishment of disaster management groups made up of the locals in the villages of Rakhine State to help in the identification and implementation of the workable solutions as far as the disaster issues are concerned.
• Mobilization of adequate funds from various sources like the government and non-governmental groups to support the refurbishment of disaster readiness set-up.

In the initial stages, the volunteers will be recruited by the local Red Cross Community in the Rakhine region and taken through the training. The training will explore various areas around disaster management and preparedness and how to impart the teachings to their fellows living in the flood-prone region such as Rakhine region (Webster, 2008). At the end of the implementation of this plan, the following lessons will be expected to have been learned:

The importance of the involvement of the grass root individuals in the efforts geared towards imparting flood preparedness practices.

Use of traditional structures and community developed methods to ensure proper participation of the locals in combating the local challenges on flood and the related disasters.

One must ensure the success of disaster management approach by fully incorporating trained persons from the local communities in the training of the local people and implementing the outlined measures at large.

The importance of developing important ties and relationships between the local communities, the disaster management authorities of the government, the non-governmental humanitarian authorities, and the donors in ensuring the success of disaster mitigation practices.

In a major way, the involvement of the local communities in the process of implementation of the strategies geared towards mitigation of disasters is likely to generate action from them hence ensuring that the entire operation succeeds. Cooperation and a sense of unity are developed among the community members hence joint efforts towards the mitigation plan in its entirety.

Background

Having been established that the major disasters are likely to occur in Rakhine are floods, earthquakes, and landslides, deliberate efforts had to be made in the direction of preventing their occurrence as well as ensuring that they are appropriately handled, in case they proceed to occur. It has been recorded that such disasters caused many deaths, injuries, displacement of persons, and destruction of property and infrastructure. The situation was further worsened by the evident social deficiencies in terms of attention, hazard monitoring, dissemination preparedness, and effective response towards disasters (Webster, 2008). Further, there was the absence of equipment, resources, understanding, technical know-how, unified synergy, an infrastructure dedicated to the mitigation of the disasters. At this point, this plan is required to not only solve the already listed problems but also ensure proper funding channels towards disaster management, preparedness, and mitigation. It will also provide a channel for the recording of reliable data as far as disaster damages, and post-disaster needs are concerned.

Objectives

This project is aimed at supporting the process of needs assessment by empowering the local communities to enable them assess the risks in Rakhine State, analyzing the impacts of the hazards and the major vulnerabilities they face, therefore, building relevant capacities and setting appropriate strategic activities to counter the effects of the disasters within their localities (Temmerman et al. 2013). The plan seeks to meet its goals through a contextualised approach that is relevant and workable in Rakhine State, and with the special input and participation of the locals. The following are the specific objects of the plan:

• To prioritise local disaster management and risk reduction activities.
• To provide a clear mechanism of knowing the risks that the locals are prone to and taking appropriate and timely actions.
• To create awareness and understanding throughout the entire locality on disaster management and mitigation.
• To help reduce the risks of the fatalities, loss of lives, displacements of persons, and destruction of property usually suffered in case of disasters.
• To sensitise the locals and make them prepared and ready to act.

Methodology

Framework for the Rakhine State Flood Disaster mitigation and preparedness plan

The plan is under the National Development Plan for Myanmar that seeks to recognise major disasters across the country and find amicable and locally developed solutions to solve them and, thereby, steer the country towards development. This document has been prepared with inputs from the global humanitarian organisation, international donors, disaster mitigation and preparedness experts, and the local volunteer groups. This in itself ensures smooth implementation as the parties concerned are aware of its contents,

Assessing the Disaster Context in Rakhine State

Here, the hazards are first organised and prioritised to suit the context of Rakhine State. The activities to be undertaken are then classified in terms of the ones to be undertaken during the normal times as part of prevention, mitigation and readiness phase, emergency or response relief efforts, and post-emergency efforts to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation in the aftermath of a disaster. These are then further grouped in terms of sub-...