Disasters in Myanmar

Myanmar has among the world's highest exposure to several hazards. Cyclones and storm surges are especially dangerous along Ayeyarwady, Mon, Rakhine and Tanintharyi. The main cyclone periods are approximately April to May and October to November. Monsoon floods and flash floods affect areas including Ayeyarwady, Bago, Sagaing, Chin, Kayin, Rakhine and Tanintharyi. Mountainous areas face landslides, while the Dry Zone faces drought and combined drought and flood pressure. Earthquake risk is high along the seismic corridor through central urban areas, including Mandalay and Yangon. Fires, industrial incidents, tsunamis and heatwaves can create additional emergencies. Disasters have caused large-scale losses. More than 13 million people have been affected by disasters in Myanmar since 2002. Cyclone Nargis in 2008 caused approximately 140,000 deaths and displaced about 800,000 people. Cyclone Komen in 2015 affected more than 9 million people in 12 of 14 regions and states, killed 172 people and temporarily displaced about 1.7 million. Cyclone Mocha in May 2023 affected more than 3 million people and produced wind gusts of up to 305 kilometres per hour. Severe flooding associated with Yagi in September 2024 affected nine states and regions. The earthquake of 28 March 2025 shows how quickly a disaster can affect several systems at once. More than 17 million people in Mandalay, Sagaing, Bago, Nay Pyi Taw and Magway were affected, and about 9 million experienced severe impacts. Direct damage to physical assets was estimated at approximately 11 billion US dollars, around 14 percent of gross domestic product. Homes, schools, hospitals, highways, utilities and religious sites were damaged. Aftershocks and communication outages made assessment and assistance more difficult, while recovery continued for months and years. The Department of Disaster Management, known as DDM, leads national disaster-management functions within the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The National Natural Disaster Management Committee, region and state bodies, and district, township, ward and village-tract bodies support local action. The Myanmar Police Force, Fire Brigade, Myanmar Red Cross, civil-society groups, NGOs, UN agencies and other humanitarian partners may assist. ASEAN and the AHA Centre supported DDM-led assessment and relief logistics after the 2025 earthquake. The Natural Disaster Management Law of 2013, its 2015 rules, the Myanmar Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction, the National Earthquake Preparedness and Response Plan, and DDM guidance define duties for risk reduction, early warning, search and rescue, evacuation, temporary shelter, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, or DMH, publishes daily, 10-day and farmer-oriented, monthly and regional forecasts. It issues information about cyclones, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, rainfall and water levels, including Flash Flood Guidance. DMH uses satellite information from Himawari-8 and weather radar. Public weather information is also available through the telephone numbers 067-411252 and 01-667766. The UNDP SEAD Agro-Advisory Viber service provides supplementary information for agricultural users. Coverage is not uniform, and telecommunications failures can delay warnings. Preparedness measures include local risk assessments, public awareness, drills, search-and-rescue training, community volunteers, stockpiles of food and relief materials, cyclone shelters, raised safe areas, coastal embankments and mangrove protection. Health, education and social-service providers may maintain sector plans. The availability and quality of these measures differ sharply between regions and between accessible, remote and conflict-affected areas. During an emergency, local authorities may monitor hazards, open emergency management centres, collect damage and loss information, conduct search and rescue, arrange evacuation, provide temporary shelter and distribute food and non-food items. Mobile health services and temporary clinics may support affected communities. Authorities may direct people to leave dangerous areas or buildings, and the law provides for advance warnings concerning evacuation and the movement of livestock or property. Shelters, transport, registration arrangements and evacuation instructions depend on the event and the region. No single nationwide all-hazard evacuation map or guaranteed single access arrangement has been evidenced. Assistance can include food, non-food items, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, tools, temporary shelter, water and sanitation services, and livelihood or recovery support. Delivery normally depends on the event, programme, funding and physical access. Myanmar has no evidenced universal nationwide disaster payment with a fixed amount or standard delivery deadline. Emergency response is generally financed through state, donor and humanitarian programmes, while personal costs for transport, shelter, food, communications and rebuilding vary by location and circumstances. Recovery normally moves from damage and loss assessment to relief, temporary shelter and resilient reconstruction. It may require the restoration of housing, drinking water, transport, electricity, communications, schools, hospitals, agriculture and livelihoods. The disaster-management law calls for disaster-resilient rebuilding and priority for vulnerable groups. UN-Habitat has supported local engineers and more than 25,000 building assessments through Earthquake Technical Offices. Remote and conflict-affected areas can face greater access barriers, displacement, infrastructure damage and funding gaps. The law gives priority to infants, older people, people with disabilities, women, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Among households with disabilities affected by the 2025 earthquake, 61 percent lost electricity, 54 percent had damaged or destroyed housing, and about 48 percent lacked safe drinking water. Direct private-property loss caused by disaster-risk-reduction activities may qualify for compensation under the applicable legal provisions. Imported food and relief or rehabilitation materials are tax-exempt under the law. Unauthorized entry into affected or restricted buildings or areas, or violation of official directives, can carry up to one year of imprisonment, a fine or both; current local enforcement was not verified in the available research.