Disclaimer
This report was compiled by an ADRC visiting researcher (VR) from ADRC
member countries.
The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADRC.
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the maps in thereport also do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the ADRC.

2018
Country Report of Myanmar
Ms. Ei Shwe Sin Win
Staff Officer
Department of Disaster management
Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement
Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Introduction
1.
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, located between 90°32' N & 28°31' N
latitude and 92°10' E & 101°11'E longitude with total area of 676,578 sq. km is the second largest
country in South-east Asia. Its north-south length is 2,200 km while east-west breadth is 925 km.
It is surrounded by China in north and north east, Lao PDR and Thailand in east and southeast,
India, Bangladesh in west while Bay of Bengal & Andaman sea in west and south.
Demography
2.
The estimated population of Myanmar (2011) is 54 million which accounts for
0.74% of world population. The population density is 79 per km2 and 70 percent of the population
reside in rural areas. Sex ratio of total population is 0.989 male per female.
Climate3.
Myanmar has tropical climate with three seasons, namely Rainy, Winter andSummer. The rainy season comes with the southwest monsoon, lasting from mid-May to midOctober, followed by the Winter from mid-October to mid-February while Summer is from midFebruary to mid-May.
4.
The average annual rainfall in the coastal regions of the Rakhine and Tanintharyi isin the range of 4,000 to 5,600 mm, while in Ayeyarwady delta it is approx. 3,300 mm. The
extreme north receives rain between 1,800 mm and 2,400 mm while hills of the east between
1,200 mm and 1,400 mm. The central dry zone has rain between 600 and 1,400 mm. The averagetemperature experienced in the delta ranges from 22°C to 32°C, while in the central region is
between 20°C and 34°C. The temperature in hilly region is between 16°C and 29°C.
Disasters Profile
5.
Myanmar is exposed to multiple natural hazards which include cyclone, storm
surge, floods, fire, forest fire, earthquake, tsunami, drought and landslide. According to 10-yearrecord from 1998-99 to 2008-09, the outbreak of fire is about 71 % and it is the most frequent andhighly loss among others. It is found that flood 11 %, storm 10 % and other type of disaster 8 %.
The causes of fire are hot weather, use of unsafe electrical materials and flammable construction
materials, and negligence of people. In the central dry zone and upper regions of Myanmar, fires
breakout the year round and only in winter and summer in other parts of the country. On average,
120 cases of urban fire occurred annually during the 10 years period with average losses of 1,212
million Kyats a year.
6.
Myanmar is a heavy rainfall country. The monsoon period, called the rainy season,
is from June to September. The heaviest rainfall is in the mid season (July and August). Duringthis period floods occur almost every year along the Chindwin river at Hkamtee and environs,
Ayeyarwady river at Hinthada District and Letpadan, Thanlwin river at Paan District, andSittaung river at Shwekyin, Madauk area.
7.
Myanmar is located to the east of the Bay of Bengal with a long coastline. Tropical
cyclones usually form in the Bay of Bengal in pre-monsoon (April-May) and post-monsoon(October-November). Annually, about 10 tropical cyclones and depressions form in the Bay of
Bengal and out of them almost five become severe cyclones and cross the coasts of India,
Bangladesh and Myanmar. Of these cyclones, 90 percent crossed the Rakhine coast, 7 percent the
Ayeyarwady delta coast and the remaining 3 percent crossed the Tanintharyi and Mon coasts.
8.
Myanmar lies in a major earthquake zone known as the Alpine Himalayan Belt.
This zone accounts for about 15 percent of world earthquakes and Myanmar is a country indanger of earthquake.
9.
Landslides occasionally occur in the northern part of Myanmar such as Chin State,
Kachin State and Shan State. These localities are sparsely populated or non- populated hilly
regions. Therefore the effect of landslides is negligible. The main causes of landslides are heavy
rainfall and earthquake. Tsunami disaster is very rare in Myanmar and Sumatra earthquake andIndian Ocean Tsunami 2004 was the first tsunami experience of the modern time.
10.
Myanmar is also severely impacted by the effects of global climate change with the
Climate Risk Index (CRI) of 8.25 being the second after Bangladesh with CRI of 8.0. Major
disasters are listed below:- Cyclone Mala April 2006
- Cyclone Nargis May 2008
- Cyclone Giri October 2010
- Tarley earthquake March 2011(RS 6.8)
- Pakkoku Flash Flood October 2011
- Thabeikgyin earthquake November 2012 (RS 6.8)

National Mechanism in Disaster Management
11.
After 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the National Disaster Preparedness Central
Committee, the policy formulating body, was formed with the Chairmanship of the Prime
Minister. After the new government took over its responsibility in March 2011, the National
Disaster Management Agency which was chaired by the Union Minister for Social Welfare,
Relief and Resettlement was formed in April 2011. Then, according to changing political structureand demanding disaster situations, the 23-membered National Disaster Preparedness Central
Committee has been reformed in May 2013 with the chairmanship of Vice President.

12.
Under the Central Committee, the National Disaster Preparedness Management
Working Committee has been formed. The Union Minister for Social Welfare is chairman in the
management working committee. The Management Working Committee comprises 9 members.
To implement preventive measure, relief and reconstruction tasks sector-wise, ten Subcommittees led by ministers concerned were formed under the Working Committee:
Sub-committee for Information and Education
Sub-committee for Emergency Communication
Sub-committee for Search and Rescue
Sub-committee for Information of Losses andEmergency AssistanceSub-committee for Clearing Ways and Transportation
Sub-committee for Mitigation and Establishing of
Emergency Shelter
Sub-committee for HealthSub-committee for Assessment of Losses
Sub-committee for Rehabilitation
Sub-committee for Security
13.
The State/Region Working Committees and District, Townships, Wards/VillageTracts Working Committees for Disaster Prevention are also organized. National plan for nine
potential hazards in Myanmar is in place. Disaster prevention and preparedness plans aredeveloped in all states/region (Provincial) level. Township level plans are developed in high risk
townships.
Legal Framework on Disaster Management
14.
National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee issued Standing Orders on
Natural Disaster Management in 2009. It can be applied as the Standard Operation Procedure fordisaster response. The Natural Disaster Management Law was enacted on 31 July 2013. The law
is developed to be in line with Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) and to comply with theASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). The Law
includes the provisions for formation of disaster management bodies and their duties andresponsibilities for all phases of disaster, establishment of disaster management fund at nationaland region/state level. The Law also provides the guidance to carry out the measures of disasterrisk reduction along with the development plans in the country. Drafting process for the rules andregulations under this law was accomplished and the approval of the parliament is under way.
Focal Point for Disaster Management
15.
In Myanmar, focal ministry for disaster management is the Ministry of Social
Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. It also serves as the secretariat of NDPCC. Under the Ministry,
there are two Departments:

Social Welfare Department (DSW) and Relief and Resettlement Department (RRD). While DSW
is taking the responsibilities to fulfill the social needs of Myanmar citizens, RRD is responsible
for conducting Disaster Management activities in accordance with the international norms andstandards. RRD is a focal point of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).

Objectives of Relief and Resettlement Department
16.

The objectives of Relief and Resettlement Department are:(a)
Provide emergency assistance for the victims of natural disasters for
ensuring immediate relief(b)Conduct preventive measures to reduce the loss of lives and properties due
to disasters

Main Tasks
17.
To be able to implement above objectives of the social protection, five tasks are
adopted as follows;(a)Provides emergency assistance for the disaster victims(b)Reintegration for the drifters who stranded to oversea countries because ofvarious reasons(c)Provision of assistance for the Internally Displaced Persons due toinsurgency(d)Provision of assistance to the populations who suffer from famine as aconsequence of damage of crops due to abnormal weather or insect infections(e)
Coordinates with the Governmental Departments, UN agencies,
International Non-Governmental Organizations, Local Non-Governmental
Organizations and Social Organizations for the disaster prevention, preparedness
and disaster risk reduction measures.
Myanmar Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR)
18.
The Myanmar Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction (MAPDRR), that provides
a framework for multi-stakeholder engagement on disaster risk reduction in the country, wasprepared with substantial consultation with various stakeholders. MAPDRR’s goal is “to make
Myanmar Safer and more Resilient against Natural Hazards, thus Protecting Lives, Livelihood
and Development Gains”. MAPDRR identifies 65 projects that need to be implemented to meet
the Government’s commitments to HFA and the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Managementand Emergency Response (AADMER). MAPDRR was launched in 2012, and some projects areunder the implementation.

Cooperation with the Partners
19.
Relief and Resettlement Department has signed Memorandum of Understandings
with United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) and
UNHABITAT for cooperation of disaster response and disaster risk reduction. Up to July 2014,
there are also ten International Non-Government Organizations are cooperating with RRD through
MOU to carry out disaster risk reduction and rural development which can contribute as one ofthe poverty reduction programs. Being Chair of Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group(DRRWG), RRD is also working with UNDP, co-chair of DRRWG.

The Disaster Management Training Centre (DMTC)
20.
The government approved establishment of the Disaster Management Training
Centre (DMTC) in order to build up the capacity of people implementing disaster management
activities. The DMTC will build upon the existing pool of experts within the Relief andResettlement Department and the existing Disaster Management Course, which has supported
capacity development of officials from Government Departments and Social Organizations, since1977. DMTC will be located in Hinthada Township in Ayeyarwaddy Region. The Ministry ofSocial Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is now undertaking the three-year plan (2013-2015) for
establishment of DMTC. Under Phase 1 (2013-2014), construction of the three main buildings is
now underway. The Ministry is collaborating with international and local partners to mobilize thetechnical and financial resources for:- Human resource and institutional capacity development- Infrastructure development- Development of Curriculum and procurement of Teaching Aids
- Networking and partnership with International and Regional Training
Institutes and Centers
Emergency Operation Centre
21.
With the aim to provide the supports for emergency management, response andlogistic through information sharing on network and quick decision making, the Ministry ofSocial Welfare, Relief and Resettlement plans to set up Emergency Operation Centre (EOC). The
functions of EOC will include;-

Monitoring/ Watching weather related information and early warnings werereceived
Developing research on disasters occurred in Myanmar
Developing the response plans for each type of disasterExchanging weather information with local/ international organizations
Documentation of disaster information, Distribution and Coordination

-

Reporting the news acquired from affected area to the higher levels inemergency situation continuously and timely

Myanmar Disaster Loss and Damage Database
22.
The Myanmar Disaster Loss and Damage Database has now been initiated by the
Relief and Resettlement Department with the objective to develop national capacities formonitoring and analyzing risks and vulnerabilities to support disaster risk reduction, mitigation,
preparedness, response and recovery. The National framework for the database has been finalized
and the pilot data collection is now under-way. The database could be linked with the Regionaland global networks in the near future.
Improvement for Early Warning
23.
Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) generates weather forecast andearly warnings for cyclone, storm surge and flood. Color-coded cyclone warning message wasstarted to use in 2009, as an attempt to make early warning message to be user friendly. Once theearly warning on disaster is issued by DMH, it is informed to the public through media and TV. In
order to improve the quality and accuracy of the weather forecast and early warning, DMH stillneeds to upgrade the capacity of equipment and tools for weather forecast.
24.
The DMH organizes Monsoon Forum as a mechanism for fostering a closer
dialogue between forecast producers and users to enhance the uptake of weather and climate
forecasts for disaster mitigation. The broader goal of the Forum is to build the national capacity to
mitigate disaster risks by linking national hydro-meteorological agencies to sectors that arevulnerable to climate risks, notably agriculture, water resources, health, and disaster management.
25.
RRD is also implementing the End-to-End Early Warning system project incollaboration with DMH, General Administrative Department and JICA to enhance the capacityof the Government official and the community. The pilot projects for Ayeyarwaddy and Rakhine
have been implementing.
26.
UN and NGOs are likewise assisting in the production of IEC materials related toearly warning as well as on public awareness. The use mobile phone SMS for early warning is
also being explored.
Inclusion of DRR concepts and practices in School curricula and education material
27.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) revised the General Science Subject for lower secondary
school curriculum in 2006 and included the study on ‘Earth and Space’ with lessons on storms. The lower
secondary life skills subject also covers flood, emergencies, earthquake, tsunami, landslides and fire. The
revised upper secondary school curriculum includes a lesson titled ‘Earthquake’ in Grade 10 English and‘Earth Surface Process’ in Grade 11 Geography. At the primary level, a chapter on Caution in Emergencies’ isincluded.

28.
A complementary reading material that contains information on 8 disasters isavailable as a self-study booklet for Grade 5, 6 and 7 students. General Studies Textbook (Level2) with ‘Earthquake’, ‘Storms’, ‘Tsunami’, and ‘Preparedness’ topics and a story book ‘Beprepared’ are available for Non-Formal Education. Recently, RRD along with State / Regional
Government and MOE has incorporated Do’s and Don’t on various natural hazards into thestudent exercise book provided by the Government.

Youth Volunteer Network

29.
Government has embarked on DRR Youth Volunteer programme providing DRR
related Training of Trainers (TOT) for young representatives from Ayeyarwaddy Region. Those
young volunteer will be serving as a leader of community disaster management committee then to
become a change agent who can promote the necessary change in behaviors. It plans to scale up
the initiatives.
Conclusion
30.
Since the new elected government came into power in March 2011, Myanmar ispursuing a four waves reform process; the political, economic and administrative reform anddevelopment of private sector, aiming to achieve political stability and economic development.
The development partners and the international community welcome these changes and join in
hands with the government. Accordingly, there is much potential for international assistance aswell as foreign investment flowing into the development sectors. These will inevitably result toincrease investments in infrastructure and rapid urbanization that encourages rural to urban
migration. Meanwhile, if improvements in the development sectors do not integrate disaster risk
reduction, they could exacerbate existing disaster risk and create new forms of disaster risk.
Building disaster resilience in Myanmar becomes more important than ever, to safe lives ofMyanmar people, to protect investment and to ensure the sustainability of development gains.
31.
Under such circumstances, rules and regulations under the Disaster Management
Law needs to be enacted and then should be applied effectively. Other existing laws in the country
that relates to the issues of emergency management, i.e. visa approval, tax exemption,communication law, deployment procedures and data sharing system need to be amended in order
to be compatible with regional agreement AADMER. Early warning systems need to be upgradedin order to issue more accurate and area-specific warnings. Human resource development in thearea of disaster management is also an important factor while advocacy measures for local
government on disaster management and capacity building for local government staffs becomes
an important one.