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Disaster Risk Reduction in Myanmar: A Need for Focus on Community Preparedness and Improved Evaluation of Initiatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

Andrew D. Smith  and
Emily Y. Y. Chan
Andrew D. Smith*
Affiliation:
Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School, Oxford, UK
Emily Y. Y. Chan
Affiliation:
Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster & Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), Hong Kong
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Andrew D. Smith, Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School, 12 Dove Street, Bristol BS2 8LU, UK (e-mail: andrewdarbysmith@gmail.com).
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Abstract

Myanmar is a country in political and economic transition. Facing a wide-variety of natural hazards and ongoing conflict, the country’s under-developed infrastructure has resulted in high disaster risk. Following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and increased global focus on disaster management and risk reduction, Myanmar has begun development of national disaster policies. Myanmar’s Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction addressed multiple stages of disaster development and has made progress towards national projects, however, has struggled to implement community-based preparedness and response initiatives. This article analyses Myanmar’s disaster strategy, though the use of a disaster development framework and suggests areas for possible improvement. In particular, the article aims to generate discussion regarding methods of supporting objective evaluation of risk reduction initiatives in developing countries. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:422–426)

Keywords

disaster risk reductionDRR evaluationdisaster frameworks
Type
Policy Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , August 2018 , pp. 422 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2017 

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