Cyclone Nargis, Phillipines

• Causes of Cyclone Nargis

  1. When - 2/5/2008
  2. Where - Myanmar
  3. Size of Saffir-Simpson scale - Category 4
  4. Max wind speeds - 215km/hr
  5. Storm surge - 3.7m
• Social effects of Cyclone Nargis

  • 140,000 dead
  • 800,000 homes destroyed/damaged
  • Disease - poor sanitation and water contamination
  • Malnutrition due to loss of farmland
• Economic effects of Cyclone Nargis

  • Cost of damage was around US$4billion
  • 65% paddy fields lost
  • fishing infrastructure lost
• Environmental effects of Cyclone Nargis

  • 38,000 of mangrove forest lost
  • Soil and coastal erosion
  • Salination of land
• Individual responses to Cyclone Nargis

  • Warnings were issued on TV and radio, but didn’t reach many in poor rural communities
  • Many people had to rebuild houses, boats, farms by themselves
• Charities responses to Cyclone Nargis

  • UN raised US$ 315 million for emergency aid eg food, shelter, medical staff
  • World Food Programme - distributed 70,000 tons of food, still doing so after year
• Government responses to Cyclone Nargis

  • Gvt initially refused international aid, refused access of foreign aid workers
  • delays in accepting international aid increased death toll
  • Money spent by gvt on military rather than on emergency relief or evacuation plans
  • Military seized some of the aid, delaying its delivery to those who needed it