Towards integrated flood management: Vulnerability and flood risk in the Ayeyarwady Delta of Myanmar

In this study, the authors apply the Global Delta Risk Index in the Ayeyarwady Delta of Myanmar in which they combine 55 indicators of social- and ecosystem vulnerability with 100-year, 500-year, and 1,000-year scenarios of pluvial, fluvial, and coastal flood hazards and exposure at the sub-delta scale. Using townships as units of analysis allows for bridging the gap between global and local case studies, providing insights that are meaningful for risk-informed development of the delta as a whole system.

The reseachers also examine the distinctive characteristics that define the delta systems that are particularly prone to flooding. Their results reveal patterns and drivers of flood risk and vulnerability that affect at least 65 % of the delta's population and 60 % of its ecosystem, with self-reinforcing dynamics, but also those that contribute to the mutual resilience of both systems. The authors argue that the principles of integrated flood management should be applied to leverage scarce resources to simultaneously reduce risk, secure livelihoods and preserve ecosystem services.