Houses destroyed and damaged in the Inle Lake area by the 28 March 2025 earthquake urgently need to be rebuilt before the arrival of the rainy season that normally brings flooding.

The Inle Lake area was one of the areas worst affected by the earthquake that had its epicentre under Sagaing Town to the north. Houses around the lake are built on stilts over the lake and many were damaged by the earthquake. Reconstructing such houses and recovering material from them is harder as they have collapsed into the lake.

Aid workers are racing to repair houses that are still salvageable and to construct new ones to replace those that have completely collapsed. They are working as fast as they can because every rainy season, especially in June and July, rainwater runoff from the mountains around Inle Lake cause the lakes water level to rise, which leads to flooding around the lake. Already by mid-May this year, the lake’s water level had risen by five inches.

A member of the Ivy Nway Oo relief group that is helping with rebuilding in the Inle Lake area said: “When the rains begin, the water level of Inle Lake will rise as runoff flows down from the nearby mountains. This will add to the problems already faced by earthquake-affected villages, which could also be hit by flooding. That’s why rebuilding these areas quickly is becoming increasingly urgent. Locals who haven’t yet been able to rebuild their homes are likely to face even more difficulties with accommodation.

Though nearly two months have passed since the earthquake, rebuilding work in the Inle Lake area is still ongoing with aid workers racing to repair salvageable houses and to build new houses to replace the destroyed houses. It is not known when the work will be completed and assistance is still required to help with rebuilding efforts, according to aid workers helping the affected communities.

There is also currently a shortage of skilled labour and building materials such as wood and bamboo poles, which is hampering rebuilding efforts.

The aforementioned member of the Ivy Nway Oo relief group said: “The need for rebuilding isn’t just about houses — roads, bridges, and monasteries also need repairs. Clean water remains a major concern. Right now, donors are contacting us individually to make their contributions. While donations haven’t stopped completely and are still coming in, reconstruction is progressing somewhat slowly.”

The earthquake killed about 100 people and damaged or destroyed 3,255 houses across 25 villages in the Inle Lake area, affecting between 16,000 and 20,000 people, according to a Pa'O Youth Organisation (PYO) report issued in April 2025.