Tropical Cyclone MOCHA recently wreaked havoc during the rainy season, causing extensive damage to the Western part of Myanmar and Southern Bangladesh. The disaster struck on May 14, 2023, profoundly affecting the coastal region of Rakhine State in Myanmar and the Chittagong Division in Bangladesh, as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
With nearly 3.2 million inhabitants directly impacted by the cyclone, the consequences have been severe. According to a report by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on May 16, 2023, more than 1200 houses were damaged across various townships in Chin.
In response to the disaster, several organizations played pivotal roles in project management. The Geoinformatics Center at Asian Institute of Technology (GIC-AIT), working in collaboration with the National Disaster Reduction center of China (NDRCC) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Operational Satellite Applications Program (UNOSAT), provided valuable information to assess the extent of the damage. By utilizing ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 and Pleiades Image, GIC was able to develop spatial information, detecting approximately 1,185 square kilometers of flooded area and identifying over 700 damaged buildings. This information will be crucial in assisting local governments and aid organizations in their relief efforts.
In response to the activation of the International Disaster Charter by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), numerous data providers promptly submitted their images to contribute to the relief efforts.
The ongoing management of the disaster response activities entails a systematic update of the activation and map product submissions. The aim is to provide accurate and up-to-date information to aid local governments in their endeavors to assist those affected by the cyclone.
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