"The Ayeyarwady Delta fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The delta region is densely populated, and plays a dominant role in the cultivation of rice in rich alluvial soil as low as just 3 meters above sea level, although it also includes fishing communities in a vast area full of rivers and streams. It is mainly populated by farming and fishing communities in several villages besides market towns, mostly located along the main rivers. On 2 May 2008, the delta suffered a major disaster, devastated by Cyclone Nargis, which reportedly killed 84,537 people with 53,836 people missing, and left about 2.4 million affected. Total damage and loss is approximately 11.7 trillion Kyats, i.e. 4.1 billion US$ (Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, 2012)..."