Roles of civil society organizations in the flood recovery in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

Abstract

Flooding remains one of the most destructive climate-related hazards affecting Myanmar, and the severe floods triggered by Typhoon Yagi in September 2024 exposed significant limitations in formal disaster response. This thesis investigates the roles of civil society organizations (CSOs) in flood recovery in Lewe Township, Nay Pyi Taw, where community-based CSOs, normally engaged in welfare services such as funeral support and health assistance, played a central role in meeting urgent recovery needs following the flood. This research employs a qualitative case study method, using semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, 4 CSO leaders, 4 CSO members, and 4 community leaders, representing 4 out of 5 active CSOs (80%) involved in the 2024 flood response and recovery. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis using 11 indicators derived from four Essentials of the UNDRR Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient framework, with a focus on coordination, societal capacity, disaster response, and recovery. The findings show that voluntary CSOs, normally engaged in welfare services such as funeral support and health assistance, played a central role in flood recovery. They carried out search and rescue, distributed emergency assistance, supported road and infrastructure repair, rehabilitated water sources, and assisted affected households throughout the recovery period. Their effectiveness was largely driven by strong community trust, localized knowledge, and horizontal networks that enabled rapid information sharing and resource mobilization through digital platforms such as Viber. At the same time, the study found that limited coordination with government agencies, insufficient technical expertise, and shortages of specialized equipment constrained the scale and sustainability of their interventions. The study concludes that CSOs are essential actors in Myanmar’s disaster governance landscape and make significant contributions to community recovery. However, volunteer-driven efforts alone cannot adequately address large-scale disasters without stronger institutional support. Integrating local CSOs more systematically into formal disaster management frameworks would strengthen community resilience and support more effective flood recovery in the future. This requires investment in training, coordination mechanisms, and technical resources to sustain their contributions.