How Early Warnings and Rescue Boats Are Saving Lives in Myanmar

Kayin Region, Myanmar – For Daw Myint Khaing, an active community member, the flood season in South-East Myanmar is more than rising waters – it’s a race against time. Every year, floods sweep through the fields and sometimes into people’s homes.

“The hardest moments are when we see vulnerable people trying to get to safety,” she says. “We do everything we can to help, but sometimes the water rises faster than we can move.”

Every monsoon season, flooding devastates Kayin, Mon, and Bago regions, displacing thousands of people and destroying homes and livelihoods. In 2025 alone, more than 90,000 people were affected across South-East Myanmar.

“In the past, we didn’t have proper tools,” Myint Khaing recalls. “We lost our crops, our livestock, and some even lost their lives and loved ones.”

Small wooden boats were once the only means of escape, but they were too slow and fragile to move people to safety quickly. Older people, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and children were especially at risk.

That is beginning to change. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners have been helping communities in flood-prone areas prepare more effectively for disasters by distributing rescue boats, conducting preparedness training, and raising awareness about how to stay safe before, during, and after floods.

“Now we can move people to safety much faster,” Myint Khaing explains, pointing to the new boat in her village. “If someone gets hurt, we can take them to the hospital quickly. When the roads are flooded, the boat even helps children get to school. It makes life easier and gives us peace of mind.”

People with disabilities and their caregivers have also been actively involved in these efforts, ensuring that everyone in the community is included and supported when disasters strike.

To date, IOM has helped more than 46,000 households across Myanmar strengthen their disaster preparedness and response efforts, providing relief items, cash assistance, training, and tools that help communities stay safe and recover faster.

But resilience is more than just equipment. It’s a mindset – one that grows through shared knowledge, coordination, and planning. Following IOM’s Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) approach, flood-prone villages across South-East Myanmar have come together to form Local Disaster Preparedness Committees. These committees identify risks, map evacuation routes, and organize simulation exercises and first aid training.

“Resilience means more than having a boat – it’s about being prepared,” shares Myint Khaing. “We teach each other how to act in an emergency – how to protect the elderly, how to care for pregnant women, how to carry people with disabilities.”

Still, Myint Khaing thinks there is more work to be done. “We need temporary shelters, better ways to protect our livestock, and knowledge on how to store food so it doesn’t spoil,” she explains.

In a country facing multiple crises – from climate shocks to ongoing displacement – these community-led preparedness efforts are essential. They not only save lives but also help people protect what matters most and plan for the future.

With early warning systems, evacuation drills, and improved access to essential resources, families are now better equipped to face floods. Children can continue attending school, farmers can protect their seeds and livestock, and older people and persons with disabilities have a greater chance of reaching safety in time.

“This is what real resilience looks like,” says Myint Khaing. “We are stronger now because we’re prepared together.”

Across Myanmar and throughout the Asia–Pacific region, climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. Yet time and again, communities like Myint Khaing’s show that true resilience can grow from the ground up.

Building resilience means investing before disaster strikes – equipping communities with the skills, tools, and support they need to protect themselves and one another. It also helps reduce the human and economic toll of future emergencies.

For families across South-East Myanmar, preparedness is not an abstract concept. It’s a matter of life and death – and their clearest path toward a safer, more secure future.

With support provided by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), IOM and its partners have been helping communities in flood-prone areas of Myanmar prepare more effectively for disasters.

*This story was originally published on the IOM Myanmar website.