Flash flood swept away 575 people's farms, at least 1,000 acres of farmland in Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw District, Karen State

23 November 2011

Saw Pla Shae

On September 12th 2011,  heavy flooding swept away 575 people’s farms, and at least 1,000 acres of farm lands were flooded in 10 villages in Kaw Lu Der and Naw Yo Hta village,  Lu Thaw Township,  Mu Traw/Pa-pu District, Karen State in Eastern Burma. The flood left 4 people dead or missing.

Reports claim that it will be possible to continue growing on about half of the farmland that was destroyed by the flash flood. The flash flood swept away farmlands, vegetable gardens, and plantation farms located by the rivers. Fortunately, villagers' houses were far enough from the rivers that no one’s house was affected by heavy floods. 112 channels that carried water to the farms were destroyed and damaged by the flood.

Local staff of the Karen Environmental and Social Network report that "nowadays, the villagers take the best they can care of every single food product they save, for the rest of the year.  Some villagers share food with their relatives, and some farmers hire flood victims by giving them 1 tin of dry rice per day working in their farms. Some villages struggled to clean off the rice plants that were covered in mud in the hope that they could continue to survive. Villagers are now hurrying to rebuild the water channels that were damaged by the flood, and the repairs cost about 30,000 baht. "

A local villager name Saw Doe Doe, age 45, said, "In the hot season,  these small rivers don't even have enough water to drink or use, but this year it was too much water; the water swept away all the farmlands and everything it could reach.  ."

The Karen villagers living in Lu Thaw Township, Mu Traw District/Pa-pu District depend on the forests, and traditionally growing rice often relies on rotational farming, which provides enough for the family for each year. This year, 2011, the villagers were struggling very hard for the survival of their livelihoods, but when the rice had budded and had nearly been harvested, the flood swept away the crops, killed people, and damaged farmlands in many places in Karen State.

Climate change has left the farmers in Karen State and elsewhere in Burma facing serious food security and livelihood problems, which still continue. Thuleikawwei