Myanmar

Myanmar country profile

BACKGROUND

Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia, bordering China, Thailand, Laos, India, and Bangladesh. It has a long coastline along the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. It has a tropical and sub-tropical monsoon climate characterized by three seasons; a hot, inter-monsoonal season from mid-February to mid-May, a rainy monsoon season from mid-May through the end of October, and a cool, relatively dry northeast monsoon season from October to mid-February. The climate varies considerably across the many different ecological zones, controlled by the proximity to the coast and the altitude. The country’s southern regions in and around the Ayeyarwady Delta and along the Rakhine, Mon, and Tanintharyi coastlines experience a climate typical of Southeast Asia.

Myanmar is at risk of extreme temperatures, drought, cyclones, flooding events, storm surges, and extreme rainfall. It also experiences landslides, disease outbreaks, and mass movement of people Drought is often considered the most severe climate-related hazard, due to the impacts it has on health, assets, and livelihoods. Myanmar is vulnerable to climate changes.

Compounding its environmental vulnerability, Myanmar is experiencing political and financial instability, job losses, increasing food prices, mass displacement, and a depreciating currency. IDMC reports that there are 207,766 new displacements between 2020 and 2021 due to natural hazard impacts. Compounded with a large number of IDPs displaced due to conflict, Myanmar faces challenges in maintaining food security and people’s livelihoods.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 7.4  |  Vulnerability: 5.2  |  Lack of coping capacity: 6.4 |  Total: 6.3 (high)  |  Rank: 17

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Riverine floods | Population movement

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• In 2021 and 2022, FAO in Myanmar released early financing to support anticipatory action in preparation for the impacts of flooding and displacement, respectively.
• Myanmar Red Cross is developing anticipatory actions with the support of the Finnish Red Cross.