{"id":6506,"date":"2025-06-17T03:04:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T20:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=6506"},"modified":"2025-06-17T03:04:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T20:34:23","slug":"regions-likely-to-face-flood-risks-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/06\/regions-likely-to-face-flood-risks-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Regions Likely to Face Flood Risks Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 June 14 View<\/strong><\/p>\n

(MoeMaKa, June 15, 2025):<\/p>\n

\n

Regions Likely to Face Flood Risks Again<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Amid ongoing civil war, with deadly violence, displacement, and destruction, and following the devastating March earthquake (the strongest in 80\u2013100 years), people in Myanmar now face another recurring annual danger: natural disasters<\/strong>, specifically floods.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s still uncertain which regions will be hit hardest, flood risk is currently most visible in southern Shan State\u2019s Inle Lake region near Nyaungshwe<\/strong>, where unseasonably high water levels<\/strong> have already been observed. In towns like Taunggyi, Kalaw, and Inle<\/strong>, heavy rainfall<\/strong> in recent days has raised the lake\u2019s water level by nearly five feet<\/strong>\u2014causing concern among locals still recovering from earthquake damage.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of the March 28 earthquake<\/strong>, Inle was among the affected areas, with damaged homes and religious buildings<\/strong> still under repair\u2014or not yet rebuilt. The unexpected early rise in water levels has raised fresh worries about flooding.<\/p>\n

Normally, Inle Lake floods in September or early October<\/strong>, during the late monsoon. This year, however, June\u2014technically early monsoon season\u2014has already brought flood conditions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Globally, climate change<\/strong> is causing more extreme weather events, and Myanmar is no exception. Heavy rains, stronger cyclones<\/strong>, and excessive resource extraction<\/strong>, especially deforestation and mining, are worsening flood risk. River sedimentation, changing watercourses, and loss of forest cover have all become major contributing factors.<\/p>\n

Flooding has already been reported this monsoon season in Kachin State\u2019s Myitkyina and upstream Hpakant and Chipwe areas<\/strong>. These may not be the last such incidents this year.<\/p>\n

In parts of Kachin, Shan, Sagaing, and Mandalay<\/strong>, mining activities (especially gold extraction) have altered river flows<\/strong> and increased siltation<\/strong>, making downstream villages more vulnerable to floods during heavy rainfall.<\/p>\n

Residents in conflict-affected areas now face the dual threat<\/strong> of civil war and natural disasters. Some must make impossible decisions\u2014which danger to flee from first: armed conflict or rising water?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In war zones, responding effectively to natural disasters is extremely difficult. Financial and human resources are largely consumed by the conflict, making rescue and relief operations harder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has suffered multiple natural disasters. Yet the military junta<\/strong>, which controls much of the country’s natural and financial resources, has failed to provide effective disaster response<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n