Bamboo scarcity adds to rebuilding challenges in Arakan State

By Admin 13 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
13 June 2023, Rathedaung

With the rainy season setting in, people affected by Cyclone Mocha in Arakan State are having difficulties rebuilding their damaged homes due to a scarcity of bamboo.

Bamboo and nipa palm leaves are being heavily relied upon for reconstruction works due to increases in the price of timber, concrete and roofing sheets.

“We cannot buy bamboo even if we have money. Bamboo is very rare,” said Ko David, a local man from Pyainetaw Village in Rathedaung Township.

Hundreds of thousands of homes in Arakan State were damaged or destroyed by Cyclone Mocha, which made landfall near Sittwe on May 14, and storm victims are struggling to pick up the pieces one month later. 

“I can’t afford to rebuild my home with timber. I used bamboo to repair my home to be ready for the rainy season. I can’t buy bamboo as much as I need. The bamboo is expensive, but its quality is not good,” said U Saw Myat, a resident of Setyonesu Ward in Sittwe.

A bundle of 100 pieces of bamboo were sold for around K30,000 in the past, but the price has risen to K50,000 in recent weeks.

Arakan State’s bamboo industry is centred on the Lay Myo Chaung area in Mrauk-U Township, the Phaung Thar Chaung area in Minbya Township, the upper reaches of Sai Tin in Buthidaung Township, and the Dar Let Chaung area in Ann Township.

Bamboo merchants say that because it is not bamboo cutting season, the quality of the bamboo is not up to par, but merchants are buying and selling according to local needs.

“We can’t buy bamboo as much as we need. We buy 100 pieces of bamboo at around K40,000 from the Phaung That Chaung area and sell them at K50,000 in Sittwe and Rathedaung Township,” said U Maung Lu Gyi, a bamboo merchant in Lay Hnyin Taung Village, Mrauk-U Township.

More than 1.2 million people were affected by Cyclone Mocha in Arakan State, many of whom continue to have pressing humanitarian needs more than four weeks after the storm hit.