Myanmar’s Lessons for Advancing the Nexus Approach

The world is increasingly confronted by overlapping crises in which conflict, disasters, climate change, displacement and economic instability reinforce one another. In such contexts, the traditional separation between humanitarian assistance and development cooperation has become less effective. Humanitarian crises are increasingly protracted, while development gains are frequently disrupted by shocks. As a result, nexus approaches that connect humanitarian action with development and, where relevant, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, have become essential for building resilience and reducing vulnerability.

Myanmar represents a compelling example of this reality. Over the past decade, the country has faced recurring disasters, climate-related shocks, protracted conflict, large-scale displacement, economic disruptions and rising humanitarian needs. The 2025 earthquake further exposed the vulnerability of communities already living under multiple pressures. At the same time, Myanmar has demonstrated remarkable resilience, local leadership and community-driven responses.

While the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus is often associated with fragile settings, the underlying principle is universal: Immediate needs must be addressed in ways that also strengthen long-term resilience and development. In relatively stable environments, this may take the form of a Humanitarian-Development continuum. In fragile contexts such as Myanmar, investments in social cohesion, inclusion and community resilience become additional priorities. Myanmar therefore offers valuable lessons for understanding why the nexus matters, what it can achieve and how it can be operationalized.

Why the nexus matters

Myanmar demonstrates that humanitarian, development and social challenges rarely occur separately. Communities affected by conflict may also be exposed to floods, droughts, earthquakes, loss of livelihoods and limited access to services. Similarly, internally displaced families often require humanitarian assistance while simultaneously seeking education, livelihoods, skills training, social protection and opportunities to rebuild their lives.

The 2025 earthquake illustrated this reality clearly. Emergency assistance was essential for saving lives and meeting urgent needs. However, affected communities also needed support to rebuild homes, restore livelihoods, repair infrastructure, reopen schools and strengthen local institutions. Recovery and development could not wait until humanitarian needs disappeared.

Myanmar's experience shows that the nexus should not be understood as a linear progression from humanitarian response to development and then to social cohesion. In practice, these dimensions operate simultaneously. Communities often require lifesaving assistance while strengthening resilience to future disasters, supporting displaced populations, rebuilding local economies and fostering social cohesion. The value of the nexus lies not in sequencing interventions but in aligning them around shared outcomes.

Humanitarian action is therefore most effective when viewed as the starting point of a broader process that helps people recover, adapt and thrive. Likewise, development investments are most effective when they reduce future humanitarian needs and strengthen resilience to shocks.

Learnings from Myanmar

Shifting perspectives

Perhaps Myanmar's most important lesson is the need to move beyond a purely needs-based perspective. Humanitarian interventions often focus on vulnerabilities and gaps, yet communities also possess capacities, skills, knowledge, social networks and leadership that can support recovery and development.

Across Myanmar, women, youth groups, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and informal networks have repeatedly mobilized to support affected populations. These actors are not simply recipients of assistance; they are agents of change.

This perspective is particularly relevant for internally displaced populations. While they continue to require humanitarian support, displaced communities also possess experience, skills, entrepreneurial capacity and aspirations that can contribute to rebuilding livelihoods and strengthening resilience. A nexus approach therefore asks not only, “What do people need?” but also, “What capacities can be strengthened?”

Climate and disaster resilience

Myanmar's exposure to earthquakes, cyclones, floods, droughts and climate-related hazards demonstrates that resilience must be a core component of development and recovery efforts. Recovery should not focus solely on replacing damaged assets. Rather, it should seek to reduce future risks through disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and community preparedness. These investments help communities withstand future shocks while protecting development gains.

Skills and human capital

Human capital is one of the most important resilience assets in fragile contexts. Crises often disrupt education, employment and opportunities for economic participation. At the same time, investments in vocational skills, technical training, entrepreneurship and digital literacy can help people rebuild their lives and become more self-reliant.

For internally displaced populations, skills development is particularly important because displacement often disrupts traditional livelihoods. Skills are portable assets that enable individuals to adapt to changing circumstances and participate in local economies. Investing in people therefore contributes both to development and to resilience.

Local enterprise and economic recovery

Recovery cannot be sustained without functioning local economies. Across Myanmar, small businesses, farmers, cooperatives and local market actors play a central role in supporting households and communities.

Nexus approaches therefore need to support local enterprise, livelihood restoration, access to finance, entrepreneurship and market recovery. Economic recovery not only creates jobs and income; it also strengthens resilience and reduces long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance.

Beyond supporting individual livelihoods, investments should strengthen the systems that underpin local economies, including market systems, financial services, social protection mechanisms and local governance structures. Such investments create a more resilient foundation for future development.

Youth and women's leadership

Myanmar's experience highlights the important role of young people and women in driving resilience and recovery. Youth have demonstrated leadership, innovation, volunteerism and community engagement during crises. Women have led community support mechanisms, organized humanitarian responses, supported livelihoods and strengthened social cohesion.

A meaningful nexus approach should therefore invest in youth participation, women's leadership, economic empowerment and inclusive decision-making. These groups are key contributors to resilience and transformation.

Social cohesion and inclusion

One of Myanmar's most significant lessons is the importance of social cohesion. Community-led recovery initiatives create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to work together around shared priorities. These processes strengthen trust, promote inclusion and foster collective ownership.

For displaced populations, sustainable solutions require more than humanitarian assistance. They require access to livelihoods, services, participation and opportunities for meaningful engagement in community life. Supporting inclusion and social cohesion contributes to stronger community resilience and more peaceful coexistence.

Localization

Myanmar's experience consistently demonstrates the importance of local actors. Community-based organizations, local NGOs, faith groups, women's networks, youth groups and local leaders are often the first responders and the last actors to remain engaged during crises.

These organizations possess contextual knowledge, trusted relationships and a long-term commitment to their communities. Unlike external actors, they often address humanitarian, development and social challenges simultaneously because communities experience them as interconnected realities.

Localization is therefore not simply an aid-effectiveness principle; it is a practical foundation for implementing nexus approaches.

How to operationalize the nexus

Myanmar's experience suggests several practical principles for implementing the nexus approach.

First, stakeholders should focus on collective outcomes rather than separate humanitarian, development or social cohesion projects. Shared objectives may include reducing vulnerability, strengthening resilience, expanding livelihood opportunities, building stronger local institutions and increasing self-reliance.

Second, programs should be based on a joint analysis that examines needs, risks, capacities, institutions, and opportunities. Moving beyond traditional needs assessments toward "needs-and-potential" assessments helps identify pathways for transformation.

Third, resilience should be embedded from the outset. Humanitarian assistance should contribute to disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, livelihood recovery and capacity strengthening wherever possible.

Fourth, interventions should strengthen local systems rather than create parallel structures. Investments in community organizations, local governments, market systems, social protection, education and health systems help create sustainable foundations for recovery and development.

Fifth, effective nexus programming requires flexible and multi-year financing. Short-term project cycles often make it difficult to connect humanitarian response with recovery and development. Longer-term funding allows for continuity, local capacity development and investments in resilience.

Sixth, communities themselves must be placed at the center of decision-making. Women, youth, displaced populations and marginalized groups should actively participate in program design, implementation and monitoring.

Finally, success should be measured through outcomes rather than outputs alone. While the number of people reached remains important, greater attention should be given to whether interventions reduce vulnerability, strengthen resilience, improve livelihoods, build stronger institutions, promote social cohesion and increase community participation.

A framework for transformation

Myanmar's experience demonstrates that the nexus is not merely a framework for coordination; it is a framework for transformation. Humanitarian needs, development challenges, climate risks, displacement and social cohesion concerns often coexist within the same communities and households. Because vulnerabilities are interconnected, solutions must also be interconnected.

The central lesson is that people should not be viewed only through the lens of need and vulnerability. Communities possess capacities, skills, leadership, enterprise and social capital that can become powerful drivers of recovery and development. This is particularly true for internally displaced populations whose aspirations extend beyond survival and toward dignity, self-reliance and opportunity.

For the global community, Myanmar offers a powerful reminder that sustainable recovery is achieved not only by responding to need, but by investing in potential.

About the Author

Dr. Prabin Manandhar is the Country Director at Helvetas Myanmar and the former Country Director of Helvetas Nepal.