Internally Displaced People, Natural Disaster Risk Management, and Livelihood Changes: Case Study in Kawa Township, Bago Region

The main problem for internally displaced people after natural disasteris livelihoodinsecurity which contributes to other serious life sufficiency and health risks. The study investigates the socioeconomic, disaster risk and livelihood changes, disaster risk management and potential mitigation in the selected villages in Kawa Township, Bago Regionof Myanmar. Snowball sampling technique was adopted in the collection of 68 rural households using a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion. Both descriptive and qualitative analysis wasemployed to verify the objectives of the study. The result ofthe analysis showed that the majority of sampled households have a mean age of 43 years with an average family size of 3 people. The majority of sampled households completed primary school education (65%) and 72% of the income-earning member is from internal (US$41 per month) and international migration (US$97 per month). The study revealed that land erosion in these studied areas directly destroyed not only the farmlands, fish ponds and livestock and housing but also the residents’ place leading to internally displaced people. The findings showed that casual workersare the main recipients of opportunities for almost all of the respondents from STS village, with 27% from TDO and 33 % from MM village. Aquaculture is the highest potential in MM village with 33%,and 27% of the highest potential with livestock rearing in TDO village. The study revealed that the majority of respondents found in the less-poor group as above 90% in STS and TDO village and more than 50% in MM village. According to the seasonal calendar, the opportunity of livelihood activities found more activities in MM village than TDO and STS village. Agricultural crop production is a major livelihood activity before disaster risk situation and fishery and livestock arethe major livelihood activities after disaster-prone situation. According to the results, the constraints in newly identified areas, the opportunity of livelihood activities and investments, drinking water access and health servicesarestaggered out in each village. Consequently,the study summarized that the severeimpact of land erosion in GoM directlychanged the livelihood opportunity, income generation, living standard and education of youth for internally displaced people in these prone areas.It was recommended that livelihood opportunity and disaster risk reduction plan should be adequately improved with a skill development plan and loan access for investmentsand implementation training for risk management of climate change in these areas.