Editorial: Manifold faces of crisis in Myanmar

It was bound to be tragic news when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, causing innumerable deaths and widespread devastation. The situation is fluid, and it will take time for authorities to come up with credible estimates of the toll. The disruption of telecommunication and transport networks is not the only reason for the lack of credible information coming out of the country that is being ruled by a military-led government, which had isolated itself from the global community during the internal strife. The official numbers will be looked at suspiciously as the regime probably will downplay it. The earthquake has forced the hands of an otherwise unrelenting military leadership into issuing an “open invitation” to countries and organisations willing to help. The global community responded positively. Myanmar’s neighbours, including India, China, some European countries and the UN agencies, are rushing aid in the form of relief supplies and rescue professionals.

The developing country is clearly neither equipped nor prepared to cope with a disaster of this scale.

In every earthquake, there will be a golden period for rescuing people trapped under rubble. That window is beginning to close in Myanmar. Two things are reportedly hampering the rescue and relief operations. One is the near-collapse of communication and healthcare infrastructure, which was already in bad shape due to underdevelopment. Two, there has been a festering civil war-like situation wherein rebels have been fighting against the military junta which captured power in the 2021 coup d’état. A natural disaster underlines the importance of a development - and growth-oriented economic system and a functioning democracy in responding to a humanitarian crisis.

Myanmar is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world as it lies between two tectonic plates, but it has been fortunate not to be rocked by frequent seismic activity. But this time around, it has not been lucky. The fact that it is vulnerable to earthquakes should have made the country build cities and towns that could withstand earthquakes. But building earthquake-resistant cities is not only an expensive proposition but also needs a robust city administration to ensure its rigorous implementation. Often, developing countries which suffer from poor governance and are plagued by corruption fail to implement measures including seismic-resistant building designs, the use of special materials, and strict adherence to building laws and regulations. Resource-scarce countries find it

prohibitively expensive and, therefore, simply turn a blind eye, hoping they will not be hit by a severe earthquake. Many cities in economically advanced countries, however, have built earthquake-resistant high-rise buildings.

Disaster preparedness is the other daunting challenge faced by most developing countries; some of them are relatively less affluent than their wealthy counterparts, and others are more impoverished than some third-world countries themselves. Disaster preparedness and management also require financial and other resources and an effective enabling civic infrastructure and governance system.

An extensive and efficient transport, communication and healthcare infrastructure, which is backed by committed and efficient local bodies, empowered by law and elected by people, will be able to support a disaster management machinery that will rise to the occasion when needed. An active and aware civil society will be able to complement the efforts of the official machinery. This was, to some extent, evident during cyclones in Chennai and the cities of Kerala, where the government and the civil society worked in tandem in conducting rescue and relief operations. This model needs to be replicated elsewhere.