As temperatures rise, drought has taken hold in much of central Burma, with residents in several villages saying they fear for their health and livelihoods.

“It’s very difficult to fetch water. The village’s lakes have dried up, so we have to go to the streams and a river, which are quite far away,” a resident from Ta Gunn Dine village in Magwe Division’s Natmauk Township told The Irrawaddy. “Not only the people, but also our cattle will suffer if we do not get rain in the next few days.”

In some parts of Magwe and Mandalay divisions, rain and heavy winds in recent days have improved the situation. “As rain poured down in the last two days, our village’s lake filled up again,” sai Aung Khin Win. more…