Taiwanese water expert reflects on work in post-earthquake Myanmar

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) While most Taiwanese people may have forgotten about Myanmar's devastating earthquake, Wayne Chang (張暉寗) has toiled for months to rebuild the Southeast Asian nation's water system.

"I am not trying to be a hero, I am just trying to help a fallen neighbor in need," the Taiwanese-American water expert told CNA in a recent interview.

On March 28, Myanmar was hit by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, the largest for the country in more than a century, leaving locals homeless and water facilities destroyed.

Chang has been working in Yangon, Myanmar, since April as a water hygiene and sanitation coordinator of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders in English.

He said that when he first saw the affected areas, people struggled to fulfill basic needs such as drinking, showering, or washing dishes.

Relying on "dirty, unprocessed" water from rivers could cause further hygienic crises such as skin disease outbreaks, he added.

Within a month and a half, Chang and his team had secured drinking water for the locals by fixing 70 to 80 percent of the damaged wells, building new wells, and installing filtering devices.

"It is tiring, but seeing people drinking clean water from new facilities makes it worthwhile," he said.

Chang's experience as an MSF worker in the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake made him realize that restoring the water supply in an emergency is an urgent task.

Monsoon season looming

When asked about the biggest challenge of rebuilding in Myanmar, he told CNA the upcoming monsoon season was the primary concern.

"We are racing against the clock," he said.

According to Chang, the current rebuild is set to continue until June, during which the rain may cause floods and landslides and make their job more difficult, especially in rural areas.

"The floods can get so bad that muddy water starts spilling out from toilets," he said.

Chang began his journey with the MSF at age 28, repairing water facilities in war-torn South Sudan, and he has since worked in Ethiopia, Puerto Rico, Tanzania, among other places.

The 38-year-old told CNA that his friends and relatives support his work despite their worries, and that gives him the strength to carry on.

Local resilience

Remarking on the resilience shown by the MSF workers from Myanmar, Chang noted that they had worked with him during the day and fixed their houses by night.

"People on my team are all victims of the earthquake," he said, adding that some of them never miss a day despite them fighting psychological traumas from the earthquake.

He was also impressed by the locals, who never hesitate to help one another by sharing clothes or food.

He recounts an instance where an old woman brought meals for everyone when they were repairing a water well.

"It was like having a meal in a big warm family gathering," he said.

He told CNA that "long-term planning and commitment" is required to ensure a continuous clean water supply.

He said an example of a short-term solution would be donating a bottle of water, which is helpful but not a long-term fix.

"Our goal is to provide flexible and resilient long-term solutions," he said.