Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Mocha, May 2023, Myanmar: Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) Report

Given the fragile and conflict-affected situation with limited access in Myanmar, the World Bank has adopted the Global RApid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) methodology to estimate damages arising from Cyclone Mocha. GRADE is a remote, desktop analysis to estimate damage to capital stock. This report summarizes the results of the GRADE conducted to assess damages following the impact of Extremely severe cyclonic storm Mocha in Myanmar during May 2023.

Key Findings 

• Total Damages: The median estimate of total direct damages caused by Cyclone Mocha is US$ 2.24 billion, equivalent to 3.4% of Myanmar’s GDP in 2021. This includes damages to residential and non-residential buildings and contents, agriculture, and infrastructure. 

• Output Definition: Economic impacts are reported in terms of capital damages, estimated via the GRADE methodology. 

• Affected Sectors: Based on damages estimated from reported impacts, the residential housing sector is the hardest hit, followed by non-residential buildings and infrastructure, and then agriculture. 

• Spatial Distribution: Over 80% of the damages occurred in Rakhine and Sagaing. Rakhine was the worst affected, with approximately 1.2 million people across seven districts and 17 townships impacted. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across Rakhine State, were devastated by the storm, leading to many deaths. 

• Points of Interest: (a) The cyclone caused significant damages to five States/Regions in the west and northwestern part of the country: Rakhine, Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, and Chin; (b) The primary source of damage from Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State was wind while in Magway and Sagaing regions there was also significant flooding; (c) Infrastructure across the affected regions suffered extensive damage, including health facilities, schools, communication networks, and transportation systems; (d) The ongoing conflict in several regions, particularly in Rakhine State, has exacerbated the impacts of the cyclone and is likely to impact the response and recovery process.