Stories of Impact A series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management Roads to Recovery in Myanmar REGION: EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC PROJECT DESCRIPTION: FOCUS: RESILIENT RECOVERY COUNTRY: THE REPUBLIC OF THE Heavy rains brought intense flooding and landslides UNION OF MYANMAR in Myanmar from July to September 2015. Over 1.6 million people were temporarily displaced and 132 lives lost, with vulnerable populations most severely affected. In response, the Government of Myanmar, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the World Bank, and more than 17 partner organizations worked to rapidly assess the damages RESULTS: and priority interventions across 14 sectors. • A rapid floods and landslides post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) provided a A $330,000 grant from GFDRR initiated an in-depth comprehensive overview of the damages, dialogue on disaster risk management (DRM) with the losses, and recovery priorities, informing Government, leveraging three World Bank projects national and sectoral recovery and reconstruction strategies. totaling $353 million, focusing on recovery and • Identifying priority needs in critical sectors, reconstruction in the agriculture and transport the PDNA was instrumental for mobilizing sectors, and strengthening DRM substantial resources for recovery and reconstruction, including $32 million for the agriculture sector through the first-ever activation of the World Bank’s Immediate Response Mechanism. • The PDNA helped secure a $200 million Emergency Recovery Credit, with $100 million from the IDA Crisis Response Window, for improved road infrastructure. CONTEXT: Myanmar is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, ranking 9th out of 191 countries in the INFORM Index for Risk Management. Torrential rains from July 2015 and the onset of cyclone Komen triggered severe and widespread flooding and landslides across 12 out of 14 states. Half of the most-affected 40 townships were in the two poorest states: Rakhine and Chin. Landslides severed road connectivity, making the transport sector the most-impacted public sector, with agriculture sustaining the heaviest damages and losses overall. APPROACH: Responding to Government needs, GFDRR and the World Bank supported a rapid PDNA and mobilization of disaster recovery financing. The assessment of 14 sectors and socio- “The multi-sector multi-agency economic impacts was delivered in a three-week timeframe effort was an important step in the and presented to a wide range of stakeholders. The PDNA Government’s efforts to ensure that comprised inputs from more than 20 government entities, 17 the recovery and reconstruction would partner organization, and 17 World Bank Group teams. “Build address the needs on the ground back better” principles, which were integrated throughout and help the country to increase its the PDNA’s recommendations, aim to reduce vulnerability resilience to disasters.” and improve living conditions, while promoting more effective - U Soe Aung, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social and sustainable reconstruction. The PDNA results helped to Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Republic of the Union of Myanmar leverage substantial World Bank funding for recovery and DRM efforts, totaling over $350 million. LESSONS LEARNED: NEXT STEPS: Time and data constraints pose challenges for post- disaster assessments. To tackle data constraints, the GFDRR, including its Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance PDNA drew on additional analysis of precipitation and Hydromet programs, continues to contribute to the World levels, rainfall data, and hydrologic simulation to Bank’s dialogue on resilience in Myanmar. The PDNA findings understand the causes of the disaster, a rapid social have been integrated in the design of ongoing and planned impact assessment to identify the most-affected projects. The Emergency Recovery Credit addresses resilient townships, and a survey on commercial activity to rehabilitation with community-engagement, while the first-ever assess business impacts. activation of the World Bank’s Immediate Response Mechanism Coordination with partners facilitates a common, is supporting agriculture sector recovery. A proposed future strategic approach to disaster recovery. The Bank DRM project will strengthen physical, operational and financial helped to coordinate a multi-stakeholder assessment, resilience to future disasters. synthetizing expertise across institutions, preventing inconsistent results and approaches. Inclusion of “building back better” principles in PDNAs can help open a new dialogue on resilience. Building on the PDNA, the Emergency Recovery Credit helps to mainstream risk reduction into investment Contact planning for example through improved drainage and Henrike Brecht slope/landslide protection safeguarding communities hbrecht@worldbank.org and assets. Learn more at www.gfdrr.org *ALL MONETARY VALUES IN USD