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Myanmar is highly vulnerable to various disasters, including extreme temperatures, drought, cyclones, flooding, storm surges, and heavy rainfall events. In 2023, widespread flooding and heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Mocha led to the country’s highest number of new disaster displacements since 2015, with approximately 912,000 new displacements recorded (AHA Centre, 2023). Annual flooding, often monsoon-induced, continues to be the main driver of displacement in the context of climate change and disasters, with an estimated 28 million people residing in districts with a high risk of flood exposure in at least part of the district ( IDMC, n.d.; MIMU, 2022). In addition, Myanmar’s population is mainly concentrated in disaster risk-prone areas which are highly exposed to hazards. For example, in the coastal deltaic areas and the dry zone central area, people and their assets are highly exposed to potential disasters triggered by hazards such as rising sea levels and increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns (ADB, 2019).
The effects of intersecting conflict and climate issues threaten the health, livelihoods and security of millions in Myanmar, with conflict-induced displacement eroding climate resilience, compounding vulnerabilities and pushing households into precarious situations (OHCHR, 2023; Sturridge and Holloway, 2022). At present, there is no publicy available data on how long people are displaced by these events. Nor is there available information on how many are displaced, or migrate, across borders in the context of climate change and disasters.