First Edition

Disaster and Emergency Management

Mathiang Majok Deng, RM, DipIR, BPH, MPH-Epidemiology,

 Affiliated to Team University, Kampala, Uganda

Contents
Course Description.......................................................................................3
Objectives....................................................................................................3
Chapter one: Introduction to Disaster Management........................................4
Disaster definition.....................................................................................4
Key Terminologies used in Disaster Management and Response...................4
Types of disasters......................................................................................5
Disasters in History....................................................................................5
Disaster trends..........................................................................................5
Modern disaster management....................................................................5
Chapter two: Hazards...................................................................................5
Hazards identification and profiling.............................................................5
Hazard analysis.........................................................................................5
Chapter three: Risk.......................................................................................5
Risks and vulnerability...............................................................................5
Components of risks...................................................................................5
Risk perception and evaluation...................................................................5
Chapter four: Mitigation................................................................................5
Definition of mitigation..............................................................................5
Types of mitigation; structural and non-structural.......................................5
Obstacles to Mitigation..............................................................................5
Assessing and selecting mitigation options.................................................5
Emergency response and risk mitigation.....................................................5
Chapter five: Preparedness...........................................................................5
Overview of disaster preparedness.............................................................5
Government preparedness.........................................................................5
Public preparedness...................................................................................5
Media........................................................................................................5
Obstacles to Preparedness.........................................................................5
Chapter six: Response..................................................................................5
Definition of response in disaster management...........................................5
Response to emergency.............................................................................5
Recognition pre-disaster actions.................................................................5
Recognition – post-disaster.........................................................................5

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Provision of water, food, shelter, and healthcare to disaster stuck
population.................................................................................................5
Water management....................................................................................5
Media response.........................................................................................5
Effects of disaster on society......................................................................5

Course Description
This course introduces students to the process and practice of emergency disaster planning and
management. The goal is to create broad experience that includes the many elements of planning
as the primary path to preparedness. Students will learn the relationship of emergency planning
to the field of disaster management.

Objectives
At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to:
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 Describe the history and context of emergency and disaster planning.
 Identify steps in the emergency planning process.
 Recognize structures for managing emergency response.

1. Chapter one: Introduction to Disaster Management

Disaster definition.
Disasters are defined “as serious disruptions to the functioning of a community that
exceeds its capacity to cope using its own resources. Disasters can be caused by
natural, man-made and technological hazards, as well as various factors that influence
the exposure and vulnerability of a community”.

Disasters can be caused by many kinds of hazards that can have devastating impacts on people
and communities. The frequency, complexity, severity of their impacts is likely to increase in the
future due to factors such as climate change, displacement, conflict, rapid and unplanned
urbanization, technological hazards, and public health emergencies. A disaster is a function of the
risk process.

But disasters can and should be prevented. We can prevent hazards from becoming disasters by
helping communities to be prepared, reduce their risks, and become more resilient.

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1.1Key Terminologies used in Disaster Management and Response.
a) Disaster:
This is defined as “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economics, or environmental losses and impacts,
which exceeds the ability of the affected communities or societies to cope using its own
resources”.
b) Disaster risk:
It is defined as “the potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and
services, which could occur to a particular community or a society over some specified
future time period.
c) Disaster Risk Management:
This is defined as the systematic process of using administrative directives, organizations,
and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies, and improved
coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of
disaster.
d) Vulnerability:
Vulnerability is defined as “the relative lack of capacity of a person or community to
anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impact of a hazard. Vulnerability has two
components: Physical and Economic Vulnerability.
e) Disaster Risk Reduction:
This is the concepts and practices of reducing disaster risks through a systematic effort to
analyses and manage the causal factors of the disasters, including through reduced
exposures to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and properties, wise management
of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events.
f) Disaster Risk Reduction Plan:
It is a document prepared by an authority, sector, organization, or enterprise that sets out
goals and specific objectives for reducing disaster risk together with related actions to
accomplish these objectives.
g) Hazard:
A process, phenomenon, or human activity where that may cause loss pf life, injury, or
other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental.
h) Acceptable Risk:
The level of potential losses that a society or community considers acceptable given
existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical, and environmental conditions.
i) Risk
This refers to the expected or anticipated losses (lives lost, people injured, properties
damage, and economic activities or livelihood disrupted from the impact of a given
hazards on a given element at risk over specific period of time.
j) Capacity:
The combination of all the strengths, attributes, and resources available within a
community, society, or an organization that can be used to achieve agreed goals.
k) Capacity development:
The process by which people, organizations and society systematically stimulate and
develop their capacities over time to achieve social and economic goals, including through
improvement of knowledge, skills, systems, and institutions.
l) Climate Change:
The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as: “a
change in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the mean and or
the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades
or longer. Climate change may be due to natural or internal processes or external forcings,
or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land
use”.

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m) Contingency planning:
This is defined as “a management process that analyses specific potential events or
emerging situations that might threaten society or the environment and establishes
arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective and appropriate responses to such
events and situations”.
n) Coping Capacity:
This is defined as “the ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills
and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters”.

1.2 Types of disasters.

Disaster can take many different forms, and the duration can range from an hourly
disruption to days or weeks of ongoing destruction. When disasters affect cities or urban
areas, they are referred to as urban disasters. These disasters are broadly divided into
two categories: natural and man-made.

Natural Disasters: A natural disaster is a any calamitous occurrence generated by the

effects of natural, rather than human-driven, phenomena that produces great loss of
human life or destruction of the natural environment, private properties, or public
infrastructure.

Natural Disasters refers to the extreme, sudden events caused by environmental factors
such as storms, floods, droughts, fires, and heatwaves.

Examples of Natural disasters:

a) Heavy rains
b) Floods
c) Droughts
d) Earthquake
e) Volcanic Eruption
f) Avalanche
g) Landslide
h) Cyclone
i) Epidemic
j) Heat Waves and Cold Waves.

Man-made Disasters:

Man-made Disaster is defined as an element of human intent, negligence or errors

involving a failure of a man-made system, as opposed to natural disasters resulting from
natural hazards.

Examples of Man-Made Disasters:

a) Droughts
b) Violent Conflicts
c) Accidents
d) Biological Hazards
e) Sabotages
f) Mischief
g) Revenge

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h) Riots
i) Mob Furry
j) Enemy attack
k) Nuclear Radiations
l) Gas Leak
m) Explosion
n) Wildfire

Classification of Disaster Events

Slow-Onset Disaster Rapid-Onset Disaster Cyclical /Chronic

Disaster
Natural Disaster Drought Earthquake Drought
Flooding Flooding
Cyclone Cyclone
Volcanic Eruption Hurricane
Hurricane
Snowstorms
Landslides
Avalanche
Dust Storms
Human-made Drought Accidents Violent Conflict
Disaster Violent Conflict Biological Hazards
Violent Conflict

Table: 1.2

Disasters in History
Deadliest Disasters in Africa:

Ethiopia in 1983:

A Drought in Ethiopia in 1983 caused 300 thousand deaths, the deadliest natural
disaster recorded in Africa Between 1970 and 2019. Drought was the natural disaster
that caused the largest number of deaths in Africa, much more than floods and
Landslides. Some of the deadliest droughts occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, especially
in the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa. The Horn of Africa has been largely affected by
floods, Landslides, and tropical cyclones. For instance, thousands of people, mainly in
South Sudan, Sudan, and Somalia were displaced due to various hazards and climate-
induced disasters.

Natural Disasters in Sub-Saharan Africa:

Mozambique Cyclone (March 11th2019)

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Cyclone Freddy, which made landfall in Mozambique as a categories 2 storm with 110
mph winds, caused floods that killed 1434 people. Freddy was reported the deadliest
tropical cyclone on record of Africa, Surpassing Cyclone Idai of 2019. It left 679 dead,
and 537 people missing in Malawi, with additional fatalities in Madagascar (17),
Mozambique (198), Zimbabwe (2), And Mauritius (1). Freddy is now the second-deadliest
tropical cyclone in the entire Southern Hemisphere, after unnamed 1973 Cyclone in
Indonesia which records indicate killed 1650 people.

DR Congo and Rwanda Floods:

Severe flooding killed at least 574 people and displaced thousands as heavy rains
pounded the two neighboring nations. It is presumed that thousands went missing and
dead.

East Africa Flooding and Cyclones in 2024

Months of heavy rains due to seasonal monsoons and rainy seasons led to riverine and
flash flooding, deaths, and displacements in several East African countries, including
Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Somalia. At least 1.6 million people
were affected, 473 died and more than 410000, were displaced.

Cyclones Hadiya and IALY hit the region in May, worsening the flooding and causing
increased death and destruction in Tanzania and Kenya. Cyclones rarely reach these
areas, yet twice in a month, record-breaking Indian Ocean Cyclones formed and affected
the region.

The flooding, coming after years of drought, has increased overall displacement in
Eastern Africa and exacerbated acute food insecurity, disease outbreaks and damage to
infrastructures. In May 2024, UN OCHA indicated that more than 48.1 million people
mainly in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, were projected to face
acute food insecurity by July 2024.

Mauritius Cyclone Belal 15th January 2024

Cyclone Belal has struck Mauritius on 15 th January 2024, bringing torrential rains and
heavy winds, and triggering severe flooding. Thousands of people were left without
electricity, while several cars were damaged.

Local police authorities reported that a motorcyclist lost his life in a road accident
because of the disaster. The insurers’ Association of Mauritius pointed out that insurance
companies only cover vehicle owners with a compressive motor insurance policy that
includes the cyclones and flood risks.

Disaster trends.
Facts About Natural Disasters at a Glance.

a) In 2022, the U.S. experienced 18 climate disasters that caused over $1 billion in
damage. These 18 weather disasters cost the country $175.2 billion in damage
and resulted in 474 fatalities.
b) Over the past five years, the U.S. has experienced an average of 18 billion-dollar
natural disasters per year.

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c) Between 2012 and 2022, tropical cyclones were the costliest natural disasters
among billion-dollar weather disasters ($744.3 billion), followed by severe storms
($218 billion) and droughts ($112.9 billion).
d) Over the past decade, severe storms have caused the highest number of billion-
dollar climate disasters (99), followed by tropical cyclones (24), flooding (17),
droughts (10), and wildfires (9).
e) Over 40% of homeowners (42%) are concerned that weather events such as wind,
rain, ice, hail, or minor flooding will damage their homes in the next three months.
f) Between January 2013 and January 2023, 88.5% of all U.S. counties declared a
natural disaster, including 95% of the 200 most populated counties.
g) Los Angeles County, California, tops the list of counties most at risk for natural
disasters, followed by East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Orleans Parish,
Louisiana; Riverside County, California; and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

Modern disaster management.

Chapter two: Hazards

Definition of Hazard:

The term Hazard is defined as “a source or a situation with the potential for harm
in terms of human injury or ill-health, damage to properties, damage to the
environment, or a combination of these”. Unwanted event is a situation or
condition where there is a loss of control of the hazard that leads to harm.

Hazards at work may include noisy machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals, electricity,
working at heights, a repetitive job, or inappropriate behavior that adversely affects a
worker’s safety and health.

According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR),
A hazard is a natural process or phenomenon that may pose negative impacts
on the economy, society, and ecology, including both natural factors and
human factors that are associated with the natural ones. Hazards are the origins

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of disasters. Hazards are detrimental to the Development of human societies and hinder
the sustainability of the world.

The Classification of Hazards:

Hazards classification is the process of evaluating the full range of available scientific
evidence to determine if a chemical is hazardous, as well as to identify the level of
severity of the hazardous effects. When complete, the evaluation identifies the hazard
class (es) and associated hazard category of the chemical.

Hazards Identification process and steps:

a) Identify the chemical.

b) Identifying the relevant data regarding the hazards of a chemical.
c) Reviewing the relevant data to ascertain the hazard associated with chemical.
d) Determining whether the chemical will be classified as hazardous according to the
definition of hazardous chemical in the standard.
e) Determining the degree of hazards, where appropriate, by comparing the data
with the criteria for health and physical hazards.

The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program of the International Council for
Science (ICSU) classified hazards into 6 families, 20 main events and 47 perils (UN-ICSU,
2012).

a) Geophysical Hazards
b) Hydrological Hazards
c) Meteorological Hazard
d) Climatological hazards
e) Biological Hazards
f) Extraterrestrial hazard
1. Geophysical Hazard (Geological):
Geological Hazards originates from internal earth processes. It is an adverse geologic
condition capable of causing damage or loss of properties or life. These geologic
processes only become hazards when humans get in the way; if there were no people
affected, we would find these natural phenomena interesting, but not concerning.
It is caused by the movement of the plates in the Earth’s crust or the arising magma
from underneath. And they can be prevented through structural measures such as
earthquake-resistant design, building codes, and retrofitting are effective.
2. Hydrological Hazards:
Hydrological Hazards refers to a type of natural disaster that involves water-related
events such as inland flooding, coastal surges wet mass movements like landslides,
avalanches, and subsidence. Hydrological hazards are caused by the occurrence,
movement, and distribution of the surface and sub-surface freshwater and saltwater.
The examples include Floods, Limnic eruptions, and Tsunami.
3. Meteorological Hazards:
Hydrological Hazards refers to a type of natural disaster that involves water-related
events such as inland flooding, coastal surges wet mass movements like landslides,
avalanches, and subsidence. Hydrological hazards are caused by the occurrence,
movement, and distribution of the surface and sub-surface, freshwater and saltwater.

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The examples include Floods, Limnic eruptions, Storms, and Tsunami. A hazard cause
by long-lived, meso-to mesoscale extreme weather and atmospherics conditions that
last from minutes to days.
There are seven different types of floods that widely recognized. They include the
following:
a) Riverine (main stem): this flooding occurs when surface runoff gradually rises
to flood stage and overflows its banks.
b) Flash Flooding: it is defined by runoff reaching its peak in less than six hours.
This usually occurs in hilly areas with steep slopes and sparse vegetation, but
also occurs in urbanized areas with rapid runoff from impermeable surfaces
such as streets, parking lots, and building roofs.
c) Alluvial Fan: it is flooding occurs in deposits of soil and rock found at the foot
of the steep valley walls in arid Western regions.
d) Ice/Debris dam failure: failures result when an accumulation of downstream
material raises the water surface above the stream banks.
e) Surface Ponding/local drainage: this occurs when water accumulates in
areas so flat that runoff cannot carry away the precipitation fast enough.
f) Fluctuating Lakes level: this occurs when over short-time, seasonal, or
multiyear periods, especially in Lakes that have limited outlets or are entirely
landlocked.
g) Control structure (Dam) Failure: this is also known as Levee failure. A dam
is a barrier built across a waterway to control flow or raise the water level. Its
failure occurs when there is a barrier.
4. Climatological Hazard:
A hazard caused by long-lived, meso-to macro-scale atmospheric processes ranging
from intra-seasonal to multi-decadal climate variability. Such hazards are sub-
classified as: Drought, glacial lake outburst, wildfire.

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Hazards identification and profiling
Hazard analysis

Chapter three: Risk

Risks and vulnerability.
Components of risks.
Risk perception and evaluation.

Chapter four: Mitigation.

Definition of mitigation.
Types of mitigation; structural and non-structural.
Obstacles to Mitigation.
Assessing and selecting mitigation options.
Emergency response and risk mitigation.

Chapter five: Preparedness.

Overview of disaster preparedness.
Government preparedness
Public preparedness
Media.
Obstacles to Preparedness.

Chapter six: Response.

Definition of response in disaster management.
Response to emergency.
Recognition pre-disaster actions.
Recognition – post-disaster.
Provision of water, food, shelter, and healthcare to disaster stuck population.
Water management
Media response
Effects of disaster on society.

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