Cyclone Nargis Case Study

• cyclone hit Myanmar 3rd May 2008
• Myanmar ruled by military

Primary:

• flooding
• torrential rain
• storm surge 6.3m

Secondary:

• 45% of buildings on the Irrawaddy delta destroyed
• 65% of crops destroyed
• Price of rice up 65%
• blocked roads meant no aid
• 2.4million people affected

First aid took 5 days to arrive

after one wek, only 1 in 10 had access to aid

Italy, the UAE and the UN sent aid but it was stuck at depots

83% of mangroves (natural storm surge barriers) destroyed by humans