Module 1 - Introduction to Disaster Management PDF

Module I - Introduction to Disaster & Disaster Management Concepts and definitions of disaster- hazard- vulnerability- risk-capacity; The History of Disaster; Characteristics of Disaster; Consequences of Disaster; Relationship between Disaster and Development; Disaster Management and...

Module I - Introduction to Disaster & Disaster Management Concepts and definitions of disaster- hazard- vulnerability- risk-capacity; The History of Disaster; Characteristics of Disaster; Consequences of Disaster; Relationship between Disaster and Development; Disaster Management and Disaster Management Cycle.  Etymology of Disaster Disaster comes from disastro, an Italian word formed by combining the negative prefix ‘dis’ and the noun ‘astro’, meaning star. Disaster at first meant "an unfavorable position of a star or planet."  Disaster ★ According to World Health Organization (WHO), “A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.” ★ A disaster is a result of the combination of hazard, vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential chances of risk. Vulnerability + Hazard = DISASTER Capacity  Hazard A dangerous condition or event, that threat or have the potential for causing injury to life or damage to property or the environment. Natural Manmade Socio Natural Geophysical Industrail accidents Floods Hydrological (Leakage of Toxic Droughts Climatological Wastes) Fires Metereological Pollution Biological Dam Failure Wars  Hazard ★ Majority of hazards have return periods on a human time- scale. ★ Examples are five- year flood, fifty-year flood and a hundred year flood.  DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAZARDS EARTHQUAKES LANDSLIDES TSUNAMIS FLOODS AVALANCHES / SNOWSLIDE HEAT WAVES COLD WAVES WILD FIRES DROUGHTS CYCLONES EPIDEMICS & PANDEMICS TECHNOLOGICAL & BILOGICAL HAZARDS HAIL STORMS  Hazard Disaster An event that actually harms humans Dangerous situation or event that and disrupts the operations of carries a threat to humans. society. Hazards will be considered disasters If an event does not affect humans, it once they affect humans remains to be a hazard. For example: An earthquake in For example: When a cyclone an uninhabited desert cannot be hits a coast and destroys coastal considered a disaster, no matter buildings, human lives, trees and how strong the intensities environment then it will be produced. called as ‘Disaster’.  Vulnerability ★ Degree to which people, property, resources, systems, and cultural, economic, environmental, and social activity is susceptible to harm, degradation, or destruction on being exposed to a hostile agent or factor. ★ Factors reduce the ability to prepare for and cope with the impact of hazards.  Capacity ★ The resources, means and strengths possessed by persons, communities, societies or countries which enable them to cope with, withstand, prepare for, prevent, mitigate or quickly recover from a disaster. TYPES OF CAPACITIES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT  Risk If any one of these sides increases, the area of the triangle increases, hence the amount of risk also increases. If any one of the sides reduces, the risk reduces. RISK If we can eliminate one side there is no risk. Risk is the probability that negative consequences may arise when hazards interact with vulnerable areas, people, property, environment. Risk  History of Disaster Historically earthquakes, floods and droughts could result in a large number of deaths. Over the last few decades, most years with a high death toll tend to result from large earthquake events. History of Disaster  DISASTERS THAT STRUCK INDIA IN 2020 Cyclone Nisarga Locust attack Cyclone Nivar Cyclone Burevi Kerala floods Assam floods Hyderabad floods Oil and gas leak Assam  Characteristics of Disaster ★ Predictability ★ Controllability ★ Speed of onset ★ Length of Forewarning ★ Duration of Impact ★ Scope and Intensity of the Impact ★ Frequency Consequences of Disaster Disaster & Development  Disaster & Development ★ Disasters can both destroy development initiatives and create development opportunities. ★ Development schemes can both increase and decrease vulnerability. ★ Traditional Approach - act of god, beyond human control, accepting death and damage to property was part of the costs. ★ Current Approach - much more can and needs to be done to reduce the severity of hazards and disasters.  Disaster & Development ★ A growing body of knowledge on the relationships between disasters and development indicates four basic themes as follows: · Disasters set back development programming, destroying years of development initiatives. · Rebuilding after a disaster provides significant opportunities to initiate development programmes. · Development programmes can increase an area’s susceptibility to disasters. · Development programmes can be designed to decrease the susceptibility to disasters and their negative consequences.  Disaster & Development ★ The field is divided into positive and negative aspects of the disaster/development relationship by the vertical axis. ★ The right half reflects the positive or optimistic side of the relationship and the left side of the diagram deals with the negative aspects of the relationship. 1. Disasters set back development programming destroying years of development initiatives. - Infrastructure improvement e.g. transport and utility systems are destroyed by a flood.  Disaster & Development 2. Rebuilding after a disaster provides significant opportunities to initiate development programs. – A self-help housing program to rebuild housing destroyed by an earthquake teaches new skills, strengthens community pride and leadership and retains development money that otherwise would be exported to large construction companies. 3. Development programs can increase an area’s susceptibility to disasters. – A major increase in livestock development leads to overgrazing, which contributes to desertification and increases vulnerability to famine.  Disaster & Development 4. Development programs can be designed to decrease the susceptibility to disasters and their negative consequences. – Housing projects constructed under building codes designed to withstand high winds result in less destruction during the next tropical storm. Disaster Management Disaster Management  Disaster Management Cycle ★ Illustrates the ongoing process by which governments, businesses, and civil society plan for and reduce the impact of disasters, react during and immediately following a disaster, and take steps to recover after a disaster has occurred. ★ It includes the shaping of public policies and plans that either modify the causes of disasters or mitigate their effects on people, property, and infrastructure. Disaster Management Cycle  Mitigation Eliminate or reduce the probability of disaster occurrence, or reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters. Mitigation measures include building codes; vulnerability analyses updates; zoning and land use management; building use regulations and safety codes; preventive health care; and public education.  Preparedness The goal of emergency preparedness programs is to achieve a satisfactory level of readiness to respond to any emergency situation. Preparedness measures include preparedness plans; emergency exercises/training; warning systems; emergency communications systems; evacuations plans and training; resource inventories; emergency personnel/contact lists; mutual aid agreements; and public information/education.  Preparedness Some disaster management cycles may divide the preparedness segment into sub segments such as Warning: The time or period when a hazard has been identified but is not yet threatening a particular area (e g notification that a cyclone exists but is far away) Threat: The time or period when a hazard has been identified and is assessed as threatening a particular area (e g a cyclone is tracking toward that area) Precaution: Action taken after receipt of warning to offset effects of disaster impact. Such action might include closing offices, schools, bringing emergency power generators to readiness, cutting crops to avoid total loss from high winds and heavy rain, making safe boats and vehicles and taking household precautions, such as storing emergency water supplies.  Disaster Impact It is a phase when a disaster occurs for instance, when a cyclone strikes a country or a particular area. However including it serves as a reminder that in disaster management terms impact can vary between different types of disaster. For instance, an earthquake may give no warning and its impact time can be short yet the result can be very severe indeed but a cyclone may provide a long warning period.  Response To provide immediate assistance to maintain life, improve health and support the morale of the affected population. The focus in the response phase is on meeting the basic needs of the people until more permanent and sustainable solutions can be found. Humanitarian organizations are often strongly present in this phase of the disaster management cycle. Assisting refugees with transport, temporary shelter, and food, to establishing semi-permanent settlement in camps and other locations.  Recovery The affected population is capable of undertaking a growing number of activities aimed at restoring their lives and the infrastructure that supports them. Recovery measures, both short and long term, include returning vital life-support systems to minimum operating standards; temporary housing; public information; health and safety education; reconstruction; counseling programs; and economic impact studies. There will be many opportunities during the recovery period to enhance prevention and increase preparedness, thus reducing vulnerability.