Stories of impact: Roads to recovery in Myanmar

This document provides a brief overview of the efforts of the Government of Myanmar, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the World Bank, and more than 17 partner organizations to rapidly assess the damages and priority interventions across 14 sectors after the intense flooding and landslides from July to September 2015. This paper adds to an in-depth dialogue on disaster risk management (DRM) with the Government, thereby leveraging multiple projects and focusing on recovery and reconstruction in the agriculture and transport sectors, strengthening DRM. 

The results of this initiative include the following: 

• A rapid floods and landslides post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) provided a comprehensive overview of the damages, losses, and recovery priorities, informing national and sectoral recovery and reconstruction strategies.
• Identifying priority needs in critical sectors, the PDNA was instrumental for mobilizing substantial resources for recovery and reconstruction, including $32 million for the agriculture sector through the first-ever activation of the World Bank’s Immediate Response Mechanism.
• The PDNA helped secure a $200 million Emergency Recovery Credit, with $100 million from the IDA Crisis Response Window, for improved road infrastructure.

In addition, the document outlines the following lessons learned:

• Time and data constraints pose challenges for post disaster assessments. 
• Coordination with partners facilitates a common, strategic approach to disaster recovery. 
• Inclusion of “building back better” principles in PDNAs can help open a new dialogue on resilience. 

This document is part of a series highlighting achievements in disaster risk management.