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The Grassroots Mobilisation After a Large-Scale Disaster: Examining the Effects of Savings Groups in Myanmar

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Social Transformations in India, Myanmar, and Thailand: Volume II

Abstract

This chapter examines the grassroots mobilisation in recovering from a major disaster in Myanmar, after Cyclone Nargis. It highlights socioeconomic vulnerabilities at a collective level and argues that identifying these vulnerabilities and strengthening the capabilities of the rural residents is an important tool to maintain the well-being in a time of disasters. The study explores how different coping strategies improve the recovery of well-being after disasters. The increasing number of natural disasters and global climate change challenge the rural people in Myanmar. During the past decades, the country faces changes, institutionally, and noninstitutionalised social transformation. The recent democratisation process initiated may create opportunities for the mobilisation of grassroots organisations in responding to the needs of rural people and enhance their capabilities to cope with changes in the natural environment. The findings provide policy recommendations towards democratic reforms in strengthening the resilience of rural people in Myanmar.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The country is home to a large number of ethnic groups and it is divided into seven states and seven divisions. States are former feudal states where seven main ethnic groups belonged to and divisions are formed by the geographical position.

  2. 2.

    Operated by its own members and decision-making on how to use the money is decided by the members.

  3. 3.

    Liner regression results also found correlation between outcome variable healthy household member ratio and months of membership to saving group, implying that the longer the membership the better health condition.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Ciència I Tecnología Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain

    Naw Thiri May Aye

Authors
  1. Naw Thiri May Aye
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Policy Studies, Aichi Gakuin University, Nisshin, Aichi, Japan

    Chosein Yamahata

Appendix

Appendix

See Figs. 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, and 11.6 and Tables 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, and 11.5.

Fig. 11.1
figure 1

(Source Constructed by the author using Google Maps Based on MIMU* [2008])

Tropical cyclone Nargis damage assessment map Myanmar

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Fig. 11.2
figure 2

(Note Samples who are under 15 years of age are excluded. Source Author [2020])

Level of Education of working-age population (61 Households)

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Fig. 11.3
figure 3

(Source Author [2020])

Satellite picture of the location of drinking water ponds

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Fig. 11.4
figure 4

(Note: N = number of individual. Source Author [2020])

Health condition in 2013 (61 households)

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Fig. 11.5
figure 5

(Source Author [2020])

Financial security to deal with Health Problems (61 households)

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Fig. 11.6
figure 6

(Source Author [2020])

The distribution of propensity scores: A before and A after

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Table 11.1 Population before and after the disaster (disaster affected area)
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Table 11.2 Description of data collected
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Table 11.3 Determinants of participation
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Table 11.4 Sample before and after the disaster
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Table 11.5 The average effect of savings groups
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Aye, N.T.M. (2022). The Grassroots Mobilisation After a Large-Scale Disaster: Examining the Effects of Savings Groups in Myanmar. In: Yamahata, C. (eds) Social Transformations in India, Myanmar, and Thailand: Volume II. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7110-4_11

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