DISASTER MANAGEMENT

MCN 301

AKHIL CHACKO
Asst. Professor
Dept. of EEE
GCE Kannur
 Module 1
• Systems of earth
Lithosphere- composition, rocks, soils; Atmosphere-
layers, ozone layer, greenhouse effect, weather,
cyclones, atmospheric circulations, Indian Monsoon;
hydrosphere- Oceans, inland water bodies; biosphere

• Definition and meaning of key terms in Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management- disaster, hazard, exposure,
vulnerability, risk, risk assessment, risk mapping,
capacity, resilience, disaster risk reduction, disaster risk
management, early warning systems, disaster
preparedness, disaster prevention, disaster mitigation,
disaster response, damage assessment, crisis
counseling, needs assessment.
 Importance of Disaster Management

Figure 1: Number of natural disasters reported from 1900 to 2011

Source: EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database (www.emdat.be),
Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
Figure 2: Number of global disaster events by hazard, from 1980-2015
Source: NaTCaTSERVICE
Figure 3: Global disaster events in 2015
Source: NatCatSERVICE
 Adopting common definitions of these terms and concepts
would ensure common understanding, ease communication
and help in coherent policy and operational actions for
effective disaster management.
 This introductory module presents key terminologies
compiled from the United Nations International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) (2009) and the relief community.

 Learning Objectives
After completing this module, you can
1. define basic terms in disaster risk reduction and management;
and
2. organize each of these terms in relation to the disaster
management cycle.
Disaster: The UNISDR (2009) defines disaster as:
a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental
losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected
community or society to cope using its own resources.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC) define disaster as a calamitous event resulting in
loss of life, great human suffering and distress, and large-scale
material damage.

Is there a substantial difference between the two definitions? Which one do you
prefer and why? Based on the definition you choose, would you consider a
house burnt by fire as a disaster event?

Are there any differences between disaster and accident?

 Four characteristics of disasters that can be deduced from the
definitions are:
 Disaster is an outcome of a hazard event

 The disaster event has spatial boundaries (such as a community)

 The event results in large human and material losses and damages
 The affected community is unable to cope with its own resources

Does this suggest that if the affected community is able to cope,

disaster cannot be considered to have occurred?
 Disasters can happen on a large scale (such as mega-disasters or
catastrophic disasters) and on a small scale. Whatever the situation, it
can be deduced from the definitions that disasters result from the
interaction between the coping capacity of a given community and a
given hazard.
 Capacity refers to the combination of all the strengths, attributes and
resources available within a community, society or organization that can
be used to achieve agreed goals.
 Coping capacity is the ability of people, communities or
organizations, using available resources and skills, to face and manage
adverse conditions that potentially could lead to a disaster
 That is, coping capacity is the ability of a given
community to contain a given hazard event such that
the normal functioning of the community is not
disrupted.
 Hazard: is a phenomenon, condition, situation, event, human activity
or substance that has the potential to cause injury to life or health,
damage to property or the environment, or disruption of livelihoods and
social services.

 Example????

The potential to cause harm is the hazard.

Hazards can be natural or human-induced.

Hazards can originate from diverse sources, including geological, hydro

meteorological, biological, technological or anthropogenic sources.
 Biological hazards arise from organic materials, living organisms (such
as disease vectors), toxins and other bioactive substances. An example is
epidemic diseases.
 Geological hazards originate from processes or phenomena internal
to the Earth, such as volcanic eruption and earthquake.

 Hydro meteorological hazards result from atmospheric, hydrological

and oceanic processes. Examples include hurricanes, drought, tornado,
and floods.

 Technological hazards arise from technical or structural failures,

industrial conditions and dangerous procedures.
 Vulnerability: is the degree to which a system, such as a community,
is susceptible and exposed to the adverse effects of a given hazard.

 It is a condition that predisposes individuals, groups, communities or

systems to hazard event.

Vulnerability depends on the physical, socio-economic and

environmental characteristics and circumstances that make the target
system or community susceptible.

 Exposure: is the nearness of people, properties or communities to a

hazard zone in space and time to suffer potential impacts.
 Houses and people close to an earthquake zone or at the epicenter
are more exposed than those far away. However, a person living at the
epicenter, but was away when an earthquake happened, would avoid
personal injuries or death as opposed to a visitor who was at the
premises.
 Risk: is the probability that a hazard event will occur and cause
damages or losses at a given place and time.
 It is a combination of the possibility of a hazard happening, the
vulnerability of the target system to the hazard and the scale of damage
that can occur.
 Disaster occurs when a hazardous event results in large scale or
widespread damages or disruptions
 Since risk is a probability, it can be calculated from past events

 The relationship between hazard, vulnerability, risk and disaster is

conceptualized in Figure below
Figure 4: Conceptual relationships between hazard, vulnerability, risk and disaster
 We can infer from Figure 4 that disaster management will involve

Identification and prioritization of hazards,

Reduction of vulnerability and

Management of risks in order to reduce or avoid the occurrence and

or the effects of disasters
Remember that
 a disaster is the outcome of poorly managed risks arising from the
interaction of hazards and vulnerability.

 Thus, by properly managing risks, disasters can be prevented or

reduced.

Hazards are bound to exist, but vulnerability and risks can be reduced
and managed.
 Disaster risk refers to the scale of potential losses or damages that
can affect a target community in the event of a disaster at a given time
in the future.

 This can be quantified as the losses or damages in terms of lives,

livelihoods, health, properties, facilities and services, among others.

 Disaster risks can be intensive or extensive.

Intensive risk affects large concentration of people, property and

activities exposed to intense hazard events as in cities.

Extensive disaster risk is related to sparsely distributed people,

properties or activities exposed to hazard events of low intensity but
high frequency.
 Risk assessment is a systematic approach to identify, quantify or
simulate risks associated with hazards and existing conditions of
vulnerability in order to reduce uncertainty.

 Risks can be identified and quantified as the product of hazard and

vulnerability in a given context.

 Risks can be simulated by developing different scenarios of hazard-

vulnerability interactions to assess potential damages.
Risk map identifies the places and structures in a community or
geographical zone that might be adversely affected in the event of a
hazard.

 Risk mapping is the process that leads to the production of a risk

map.
Disaster risk reduction is a systematic and continuous analysis and
redressing of the causal factors of disasters.
 It is the first step and key component of disaster (risk) management.
 It should be deliberate and proactive; not episodic (occasional or
conveniently) and reactionary.
Disaster risk reduction efforts and activities are normally specified in a
formal document called disaster risk reduction plan prepared by an
appropriate entity or authority.
Disaster risk reduction involves structural and non-structural
measures.
Structural measures include the use of physical or engineering
solutions (such as ocean wave barriers or earthquake resistant buildings)
to avoid disaster or reduce its impacts.
Non-structural measures involve the use of policies, laws, education
and awareness creation, and practices to avoid or reduce the impacts of
disaster.
Disaster risk management is a structured approach to manage
uncertainty and potential adverse impacts from a natural hazard event,
through a process of risk assessment and the development of strategies
and specific actions to control and reduce risks.
 It is systematic, institutionalized, and covers both strategic and
operational issues related to reducing vulnerability and exposure to
hazards while increasing coping and response capacity.
Risk management is about dealing with uncertainty.
 The process of disaster risk management can be continuous, dynamic
and responsive.
The purpose of disaster risk management is to prevent, reduce or
transfer the adverse effects of hazards.
 It comprises prevention, mitigation and preparedness.
That is, disaster risk management comprises all measures and
preparations done ahead of a hazardous event (or disaster).
It addresses both current and future risks (corrective and prospective
risk management, respectively).
Acceptable risk is the level of loss a society or community considers
acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural and
technical conditions.

Residual risk is the fraction of risk that remains unmanaged even after
installing effective disaster risk reduction measures and for which
emergency response and recovery capacities should be maintained.

Risk transfer is the process of formally or informally shifting the

financial consequences of particular risks from one party to another so
that the former will obtain resources from the other party after a
disaster occurs, in exchange for on-going or compensatory social or
financial benefits provided to that other party.
Early warning system is a socio-technical system designed to generate
and circulate meaningful warning information in a timely manner to
enable a target system take a proactive response to a hazardous threat
in order to avoid disaster or reduce its impacts.

“socio-technical” - because an early warning system comprises all the

steps from detection of the threat, through communication to target
community or people, to the ability of the target to understand and
respond appropriately to the warning.
Emergency (crisis) management (or disaster management) is a
comprehensive approach to mobilizing and managing resources,
institutions and responsibilities in response to active emergencies (or
disaster) to reduce impacts.
It covers all the phases of preparations for response, the response
and initial recovery. Effective crisis management can prevent a
hazardous event from becoming a disaster or can stop further damages.
Disaster preparedness consists of the knowledge and capacities of
institutions, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate,
respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or active
hazard events or conditions.
 Thus, preparedness is incomplete if potentially affected people are
not aware of the threat of a hazard.
 Preparedness is embedded in disaster risk management.

Disaster prevention is the elimination or reduction of the likelihood of

occurrence of natural hazard event, or their adverse impacts.

Do you think this is really feasible in all cases?

Examples of disaster prevention actions include flood protection

embankments.
Disaster mitigation refers to a set of measures to reduce or neutralize
the impact of natural hazards by reducing social, functional, or physical
vulnerability.
Disaster response (relief) is the provision of assistance or intervention
through the emergency services during or immediately after a crisis in
order to save lives, reduce further impacts on health and public safety
and to meet the basic subsistence needs of affected populations.
Recovery refers to the decisions and actions taken to restore and or
improve the pre disaster functioning and living conditions of disaster-
affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors.
It is the ‘building back’ that starts just at the end of the emergency or
crisis phase. It focuses not only on physical reconstruction, but also on
the revitalization of the economy, and the restoration of social and
cultural.
Reconstruction focuses primarily on the construction or replacement
of damaged physical structures, and the restoration of local services and
infrastructure.
Resilience is the ability of a community or system to resist, absorb, or
recover from the effects of hazards in a timely and efficient manner,
preserving or restoring its essential basic structures, functions and
identity.
It is the ability of the community to bounce back to normal
functioning after suffering a distress from a hazard event.
Damage assessment is the procedure for determining the magnitude
of damage caused by a disaster or emergency event.
 Damages are normally classified as:
1. Severe: the target facility or object cannot be used for its intended
purpose. Complete reconstruction is required.
2. Moderate: the target facility or object cannot be used effectively for
its intended purpose unless major repairs are made.
3. Light: the target facility or object can be used for intended purpose
but minor repairs would be necessary.
Crisis counseling is the process of alleviating the emotional and
psychological disturbances of persons affected by disaster in order to
restore a sense of control and mastery and to aid the process of
recovery and reconstruction.

Normally, disasters overwhelm the physical and psychological capacity

of people to cope. This can lead to emotional and psychological
disturbances which can affect a person’s ability to make right decisions
or adopt reasonable responsive actions.

Crisis counseling addresses these problems and is a crucial part of

recovery and reconstruction.
Early recovery is a process which seeks to catalyze sustainable
development opportunities by generating self-sustaining processes for
post-crisis recovery.

It encompasses livelihoods, shelter, governance, environment, and

social dimensions, including the reintegration of displaced populations,
and addresses underlying risks that contributed to the crisis.
Needs assessment is a process of estimating (usually based on a
damage assessment) the financial, technical, and human resources
needed to implement the agreed-upon programmes of recovery,
reconstruction, and risk management.
Post-damage needs assessment is normally a rapid, multi-sectoral
assessment that measures the impact of disasters on the society,
economy, and environment of the disaster-affected areas.
 Activity:
 Identify five hazards and their sources in and around your homes.
Identify early warning system you know in Kerala
Describe its structure and how it works.
Using a conceptual or flow diagram, describe how the early warning
system you described would mitigate or prevent a named disaster.

THANK YOU