Disaster risk reduction support and health and hygiene awareness improvement project in Thandwe Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar

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Disaster risk reduction support and health and hygiene awareness improvement project in Thandwe Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar

2024.4.23 Tue 9:06

Project funded by FY 2023 Grant Assistant for Japanese NGO Project (Note-1): ”Disaster risk reduction support and health and hygiene awareness improvement Projects in school and villages in Thandwe township, Rakhine State” commenced on February, 2024. (Project period: 20th of February, 2024 – 19th of February, 2025)

Learning and Communication Assist system for students and residents (LCA system) and hazard maps are installed at schools and villages in Thandwe Township, Rakhine states. They are used to improve the disaster prevention ability of students and residents and to raise awareness of health and hygiene.

Note-1 ; Grant Assistant for Japanese NGO project is a fund which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan provides for economic and social development projects conducted in developing countries and regions by Japanese international NGO.

To start the project, the following project outline and schedule have first been explained to the relevant ministries of the project (Ministry of Social Welfare & Relief and Resettlement, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Rakhine State Government), and permission to start the project is awaited (see ‘Additional information’ at the end of this document on the current status of the project site).

Profile of project activities are as follows;

(1) Introduction of LCA system：15 LCA systems at 15 schools.

(2) Creating and installing hazard maps: 15 schools.

(3) Development of Disaster Management Centres in DDM Thandwe Branch: An LCA system will be installed in the Disaster Prevention Center of DDM(Note-2) and training facilities will be provided to help improve the disaster risk reduction of the local residents.

Note-2: Department of Disaster Management (DDM), which belongs to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement of Central Government.

(4) Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop for Teachers and Residents.

(5) Raise awareness of health and hygiene: Collaboration with People Health Foundation (PHF), non-profit, public-private partnership, non-governmental organization (NGO) in Myanmar. Kick-off meeting, baseline survey of health hygiene situation, etc., preparation of reports, health and hygiene classes, health and hygiene training sessions, preparation of health and hygiene message book.

(6) Review meetings to invite government officials, disaster management officials, health and hygiene sector officials, etc.

The LCA system is a system for transmitting information by means of loudspeakers and for providing education and training by means of audiovisual equipment, the system configuration is shown in Figure-1 and the image of the use of the LCA system and hazard maps is shown in Figure-2.

Figure-1 　Structure of LCA system (Learning and Communication Assist System)(PDF)

Figure-2 　Diagram of the use of LCA system and hazard map(PDF)

Rakhine State is located in the westernmost part of Myanmar, and the project site, Thandwe District, Thandwe Region, is in the southern part of Rakhine State. (see Figure-3) and, along with the neighboring Ayeyarwady region in the southern delta, is an area that is frequently hit by cyclones and flooding disasters. In May 2023, a major cyclone Mocha hit Rakhine State, but the preceding project The LCA system was installed in schools and villages in Gwa District in the southernmost part of Rakhine State through a prior project, and the schools and villages were able to provide disaster management information when the cyclone hit and residents were able to evacuate voluntarily.

Figure-3　Location of the project site (Thandwe District, Rakhine State) (PDF)

In addition, the project will equip the Disaster Management Centre (Photo 1) of the DDM Thandwe Branch (see Note-3) with an LCA system, PCs, projectors, screens, etc., so that training can be conducted for dozens of people. At the centre, representatives from each village, school teachers and other staff will be invited to participate in disaster management training, enabling students and residents to gain knowledge on disaster risk reduction and health and hygiene using the latest teaching materials, which is expected to significantly reduce the number of victims of disasters and illnesses.

Photo-1 　Disaster Management Centre Building, DDM Thandwe Division.

Note-3: Department of Disaster Management　(DDM), which belongs to the Ministry of Social Welfare & Relief and Resettlement of the federal government.

‘Postscript’ on the security situation in Rakhine State

The project site in Thandwe District (photos 2 and 3) is a peaceful and safe area in Rakhine State, due to the current situation, travel to the project site by land requires permission from the relevant authorities of Rakhaing State Government, only air travel from Yangon to the state capital, Sittway, or to the project site in Thandwe is still possible. The project is awaiting permission from the relevant ministries of Union Government of Myanmar and Rakhaing State to commence the project in earnest.

Photo-2　Project site Thandwe District　(Source： Google Map).

Photo-3 Public information vehicles in the project site in Thandwe District.

At review meeting, the results of the activities and challenges will be presented and utilized for the development of Rakhine State.

Photo-4 Commemorative photo by participants in review meeting debriefing session (Gwa Township).

Counselor

Eiichi Watanabe