When the cyclone Nargis made a landfall in the Delta of Irrawaddy on
May 2008, the highly populated verdant area covered with paddy fields
and tributaries was seriously affected. The Delta already have a high
population density, growing population and diminishing soil fertility.
The farmers have to put up with decreasing farm size, declining yields,
as well as high costs of imports such as fertilizer and low crop
prices. In the end, most of the farming households affected by cyclone
Nargis have had little cushion before the cyclone. Non-farm jobs were
scarce and low-paying. For many families, life was already very harsh
and insecure. Such families have little resilience or resources for
recovery.

Having conducted further assessment after a quick
relief period, CWS Asia Pacific and IDE Myanmar has collaborated to
quickly provide assistance to the farmers to start up their life in
order to support further life in the future; covering rice seeds, power
tillers and fuel, fertilizers and cash support.

The thousands
of baskets of paddy seeds, as well as other farming inputs were able to
quickly got the farmers back on their feet again during the following
summer season.