Rakhine State / Myanmar / Myanmar
Community-oriented disaster preparedness in areas prone to floods and cyclones
- Disaster risk reduction: the reforestation of the mangroves is one way to prepare the coast line for cyclones.
Rakhine state in Myanmar is deemed to be the region at greatest risk from natural disasters. Cyclones and floods regularly cause severe destruction in the coastal towns.
Smaller disasters and seasonal fluctuations add to the plight of the local population. The local residents, who live in simple bamboo huts, are often helpless and unprepared in the face of severe cyclones, storms and flooding.
The dramatic impact of cyclone Nargis from May 2008 illustrates the big vulnerability of Myanmars rural and urban population in the face of such catastrophes. An effective disaster preparedness and early warning systems are lacking a systematic contingency plan. Only a basic system of first aid helpers is installed, and remote villages cannot be informed early enough in the case of an emergency. In addition to this, the rural and urban populations access to clean drinking water and health care is severely limited. Moreover, sanitation facilities are lacking almost everywhere, and there are not enough storage facilities available for clean drinking water. So there is a great danger that communicable diseases will cost many people their lives in the wake of a disaster.
For these reasons, Malteser International has been involved since 2005 in disaster preparedness projects in the most vulnerable townships of Rathidaung and Sittwe. Past experience has shown that the population take a keen interest in the analysis, planning, implementation and risk minimisation measures. Even on the part of the state, as well as from other organisations, the project has been viewed with great interest ever since the damage caused by cyclone Nargis.
- The population of the selected cyclone and flood-prone communities will be made aware of the dangers facing them and capable of adequately responding to the threat of extreme natural phenomena
- implementation of a community-based analysis to determine threat to and vulnerability of the target group (risk assessment).
- simulation of external threat scenarios in schools, health centres, and in villages, involving needs building and joint planning and design of measures with the target group selection of schools and health centre as evacuation centres
- securing existing evacuation centres through simple protective measures and rehabilitation and construction of additional health centres
- afforestation of mangrove forests
- set-up and networking of local disaster risk management committees, elaboration of emergency plans and provision of communication facilities and communication material
- first aid trainings for the members of the disaster risk management committees as well as for community health volunteers
- awareness raising campaigns in schools and villages as to the threats from cyclones and floods as well as hygiene and preventative measures
- improvement of the basic sanitation and drinking water situation through the renovation of ponds, provision of locally produced water filters and materials for the construction of simple household latrines
| Project data | |||
| Duration: | since June 2005 | ||
| Financing: | Federal Foreign Office of Germany (AA), ADH (Action Campaign Germany helps), private donations | ||
| Partner: |
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| Personal: | 1 international and 29 local staffs | ||
Contact | |||
| Malteser International: | Sandra Harlass | ||
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Survivor village residents also receive counseling and nutritional support. Photo: Eitan Simanor
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Esther Suchanek in Myanmar
