Caught unawares. This is the apt description of the situation as the flood rose unexpectedly due to the heavy rains brought by Cyclone Komen last month. People did not expect the flood and were confused what to do and where to go for safety. The government with its huge bureaucracy was also illprepared to respond and address the needs of the communities affected by the floods. An urgent call for international support at the height of the disaster is an acknowledgement of its helplessness. Of the 14 states, four were severely affected to include Rakhine, Chin, Magway and Sagaing.
The flood disrupted the normal activities and destroyed lives and properties as it swept across the western part of the country. Thousands of people were displaced and more than a hundred people were reported dead. Livelihood and enterprises stopped while farmers hopelessly looked at muddy waters instead of green paddies. More than 500,000 acres of paddy were covered forc- ing the Myanmar Rice Federation to declare a halt to rice exports. Other businesses also suffered as most areas in the affected states became inaccessible. Telecom towers were affected causing interruptions in communications, which further heightened the tension for families worried about their relatives in affected areas.
The recent flood pales in comparison with the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis, but it exposed the reality that the country has not learned from it. Disaster management remains one of the neglected aspects. It has to be stressed that the cost of being unprepared is high both to the government and the individuals. Each year, the occurrence of cyclones during monsoon season is a fact, but despite this, there seems to be minimal preparation to address the almost certain adverse event.
Risk is generally defined as a possibility of an adverse event occurring and its potential for negative implications. Risk management principles indicate two basic approaches in addressing risks. The first is preventing the occurrence of the adverse event which is more cost effective, but we pay first. We
have to invest in activities to ensure that the adverse event will not happen. However, there are events that cannot be prevented from happening, like a cyclone. For adverse events that cannot be avoided, the second approach is to employ mitigating activities to lessen the effects.
Effective risk mitigation is based on historical trend of the adverse event. In the case of cyclones, floods and other water-related phenomenon, the yearly onset of monsoon season should have taught us lessons on disaster preparedness. Cyclone Komen recently displayed it again, for the country to be reminded, and from that experience, we draw several lessons
1.Cyclones and floods are predictable
Monsoon brings with it water and some- times water with strong winds. The country should not be caught unaware in the future, and it means no life lost and fewer proper- ties destroyed. The government may have a national disaster preparedness plan, but to be more effective, formulating a geohazard map identifying areas prone to floods and related calamities should be given priority. Living in areas that are perennially in danger should not be allowed. Designing flood-resilient houses in areas that are occasionally affected can also be considered as a mitigating activity.
2.Preparation of relief during sunny days
It pays to be prepared before disaster strike. Government should invest in infrastructure and equipment to address disaster preparedness. Warehouses for relief sup- plies can be constructed in strategic areas, evacuation centers identified, early warning system installed and quick-response teams organized, trained and made ready for immediate deployment. Drop-off points for used items like clothes, blankets, water, canned goods, and medicines can be established so that the public can give anytime of the year. The items can be sorted out in the warehouse and packed for use when needed. Formation, training and equipping of village-level disaster teams will be an advantage in making evacuations orderly. Information campaign and drills to prepare the people in moving to evacuation centers and other safer places can be done prior to the coming of the monsoon season
3.No to fighting during relief operations
Immediate relief operations can be done by the government with its resources and personnel. Other than relief and rescue operations, the government must also assume the function of coordination. It can facilitate concentration of resources in highly affected areas and distribute relief goods in inaccessible communities cut-off by disaster and areas where other private relief initiatives cannot venture. Coordinating to ensure that there will be no overlapping and over concentration of assistance in some areas can also be done by the government with its network at the township and village level.
It was lamentable that at the height of the flooding, some organizations raise them- selves as gatekeepers and prevented others from entering areas they declare as their turf. Fighting over the opportunity to help is lamentable and should not happen again. 4.Relief is important but rehabilitation is indispensable
The flood galvanized the country to help affected people. Donations for relief operations poured in and were distributed by volunteers filled with passion to help those affected. While relief is crucial for survival, those affected needed more time and re- sources to get back on their feet and start all over again. In most cases, assistance ends after relief operations. The tendency is to think that everything will be back to normal after the relief operations.
For the affected people, the hardest part is to restart livelihood activities. This is where help is most needed, and this is also the time when they are vulnerable to man-made calamities like informal moneylenders. 5.Prevent activities that con- tribute to disaster
Although cyclones and floods are forces of nature, there are activities that may con- tribute to the worsening of these disasters. Unregulated logging for example may deplete the forest cover that absorbs water and hasten flooding. The recent amnesty granted to Chinese illegal loggers are actions that do not discourage illegal logging. It is the same with mining activities particularly those that are not regulated and therefore not monitored if they are following safety regulations. The environmental impact of the dams planned in several rivers of the country may also contribute to the problem. There is a need for a closer look at these activities and determine if it contributes to the occurrence of disasters. The income from taxes and other fees collected from extractive industries may not be enough to pay for the cost of mitigating disasters resulting from these industries.
Each individual can also contribute in re turf. Fighting over the opportunity to help is lamentable and should not happen again.
4.Relief is important but rehabilitation is indispensable.
The flood galvanized the country to help affected people. Donations for relief operations poured in and were distributed by volunteers filled with passion to help those affected. While relief is crucial for survival, those affected needed more time and re- sources to get back on their feet and start all over again. In most cases, assistance ends after relief operations. The tendency is to think that everything will be back to normal after the relief operations.
For the affected people, the hardest part is to restart livelihood activities. This is where help is most needed, and this is also the time when they are vulnerable to man-made calamities like informal moneylenders.
5.Prevent activities that contribute to disaster.
Although cyclones and floods are forces of nature, there are activities that may con- tribute to the worsening of these disasters. Unregulated logging for example may deplete the forest cover that absorbs water and hasten flooding. The recent amnesty granted to Chinese illegal loggers are actions that do not discourage illegal logging. It is the same with mining activities particularly those that are not regulated and therefore not monitored if they are following safety regulations. The environmental impact of the dams planned in several rivers of the country may also contribute to the problem. There is a need for a closer look at these activities and determine if it contributes to the occurrence of disasters. The income from taxes and other fees collected from extractive industries may not be enough to pay for the cost of mitigating disasters resulting from these industries.
Each individual can also contribute in reducing the possibilities of man-made calamities. The best example is how we treat our garbage. Many people have a NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) attitude and wantonly throw garbage anywhere, thinking that thrash particularly plastic will just disappear. Accumulation of garbage will clog canals, waterways and rivers and will be flushed back during floods. The habit of minding where we throw our trash is a small step that will have big effects in preventing floods. Clearly, there is a need for changing the mindset and gaining the posture of a prepared and disaster-resilient country. Climate change will further increase the intensity of cyclones and floods and its destructive effects. Educating the people about the impact of human activities on the environment can be part of a long-term initiative.
