Expert advocates for Geospatial Information Authority to enhance disaster response
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Lynn (NP News) - Sep 26
The founder of Zarmani Myanmar Pro Active Citizen Community (ZMPACC), as well as an expert who monitors the current domestic affairs, known as U Thant Zin advocated for establishing the Geospatial Information Authority (GSI) to have a quick response to the disasters.
The NP News recently conducted an interview with him regarding the ongoing flooding situation. In the interview, he highlighted key points on how the government should prepare in advance for natural disasters, during their occurrence, and in the aftermath.
In fact, the Myanmar government establishes teams that focus on disaster risk reduction through directives, especially during and after emergencies. In addition to this, the government usually makes public awareness and warnings about the upcoming and potential disasters and risks to the public.
However, he pointed out that Myanmar usually lacks a chain of command in managing the disaster responses, saying “In Myanmar, there is no permanent team for Chain of Command (CoC) to manage disaster response.
"In other countries, the Geospatial Information Authority (GSI) is established to oversee organizations involved in baseline surveys and mapping, including meteorology, disaster management, land use, river management even in the normal situations,” he added.
U Thant Zin recommended that “the Myanmar government should establish the Geospatial Information Authority of Myanmar so that continuous monitoring the flood-prone areas, particularly those with the track of flooding can be carried out. The team would analyze maps to identify high-risk zones and provide timely alerts to prevent future disasters.”
Since September 9, heavy monsoon rains and the remnants of Typhoon Yagi have resulted in severe flooding across various states and regions in Myanmar. Central Myanmar has been particularly affected, with many rivers and creeks overflowing from the hilly Shan State. The flooding has caused substantial damage to road networks, transportation, telecommunications, and electricity in the impacted areas. Various sources report that hundreds of people have died, with many others still missing.