High and Dry

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A fierce heat wave combined with a drought to create serious water shortages in many parts of Burma in May.

Temperatures in Rangoon, Pegu and Irrawaddy divisions and in central Burma and Arakan State reached three-decade record highs of up to 45 degrees Celsius, according to official reports.

The excessive heat dried up ponds in many villages, leading to a shortage of water for drinking and sanitation. Many communities in need received emergency water supplies from volunteer workers—and the government.

State-run newspapers reported that “Under the arrangements of the state, the local authorities, departments concerned, nongovernmental organizations and local people collaborate to supply adequate drinking water to the regions facing a shortage of water.”

Sources, however, said that the regime-backed civic group, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), ordered some individuals and organizations that provided water relief to mark their vehicles with a USDA flag.

In areas of the Irrawaddy delta still struggling to recover from the impact of Cyclone Nargis, tens of thousands of people were living with little or no access to water. An official from the United Nations Development Program in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy that the situation in some villages in the delta reached emergency levels.

Due to the extreme temperatures, many people suffered dehydration and heat stroke. Social workers reported an increased number of deaths among children and the elderly in Rangoon and Mandalay townships.

Adding to the misery was Burma’s perennial lack of electricity. “I bought an air conditioner for my father who suffers from the heat, but power shortages prevent us from using it regularly,” said a Rangoon resident.

Photographer Myat Moe Maung visited some of the areas affected by the drought for The Irrawaddy and brought back images of the crisis.