Disaster Management System of the Myanmar Central Governmentafter Shifting to Civilian Rule and its Challenges

Abstract

Many countries are growing increasingly interested in Myanmar due to the transition from the military regime to a civilian government and the country's high potential for economic growth, and rapid development is expected to occur in the coming future. However, Myanmar is at a high risk from natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, and thus it is necessary to actively promote disaster management. This study recapitulates the disaster management system of the Myanmar central government, which until recently was unclear. Considering the formation of the disaster management system in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and changes which occurred following the establishment of the civil government, the relationship with relevant laws, regulations and international frameworks of the disaster management system centered in the Myanmar Disaster Preparedness Agency (MDPA) and the role of each government ministry are consolidated and systematically organized in this paper. In addition, through an analysis of the government's operations against Cyclone Mahasen, the effectiveness of the new system is evaluated and pertinent challenges identified for improving the disaster management system in the future.