Myanmar is experiencing ongoing drought conditions as part of a broader Southeast Asian water crisis affecting multiple countries in the region. The drought presents significant challenges to agriculture, water supply, and livelihoods across the affected areas.
Myanmar occupies a strategic position in mainland Southeast Asia, bordering China, India, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh, and is a member of ASEAN. Since a February 2021 coup, the military (Tatmadaw) under Min Aung Hlaing has held power, ousting the elected civilian government and triggering widespread armed resistance, a deepening civil war, and a sprawling humanitarian crisis. The principal fault lines a reader should track are the conflict between the junta and a constellation of ethnic armed organizations and pro-democracy forces, the contested legitimacy of the government, and the influence of major neighbors—especially China—amid Western sanctions. ASEAN's largely stalled mediation efforts and the displacement of Rohingya and other populations remain enduring features of the crisis.