Disaster Management

1. Disaster Management

2. What is disaster management ??? • “A disaster can be defined as any occurrence that cause damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health and health services on a scale, sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area”. (W.H.O.) • “A disaster can be defined as an occurrence either nature or manmade that causes human suffering and creates human needs that victims cannot alleviate without assistance”. American Red Cross (ARC) ’

3. What is Disaster Management

4. What does disaster management involve ?? • Dealing with and avoiding both natural and man made disasters.  • Preparedness before disaster. • Rebuilding and supporting society after natural disasters.

5. BACKGROUND • Enormous population pressures and urbanization • A flood, a drought or an earthquake millions of peoples are affected each time a disaster occurs • Large-scale displacement and the loss of life, loss of property and agricultural crops

6. BACKGROUND • The reasons for this are varied including: • an increasing population pressures in urban areas • an increase in the extent of encroachment into lands, e.g., river beds or drainage courses, low lying areas etc. • poor or ignored zoning laws and policies • lack of proper risk management (insurance)

7. TYPES OF DISASTER

8. CHARACTERISTIC OF DISASTER • Predictability – can machines predict when and where it might occur? • Controllability – can it’s impact be controlled/ managed/ diverted? • Speed of onset – how fast or slow does it occur? • Length of forewarning – can people be prepared? • Duration of impact – how long does it last? • Scope and intensity of impact – how much area/ how many people will it affect? how strong/ weak will it’s impact be?

9. PHASES OF DISASTER

10. PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT • Disaster management is the responsibility of all spheres of government • Disaster management should use resources that exist for a day-to-day purpose. • Organizations should function as an extension of their core business • Individuals are responsible for their own safety. • Disaster management planning should focus on large-scale events.

11. Contd…. • Disaster Management (DM) planning should recognize the difference between incidents and disasters. • DM planning must take account of the type of physical environment and the structure of the population. • DM arrangements must recognise the involvement and potential role of non- government agencies.

12. PHASES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

13. Disaster preparedness Preparedness should be in the form of money, manpower and materials • Evaluation from past experiences about risk • Location of disaster prone areas • Organization of communication, information and warning system • Ensuring co-ordination and response mechanisms

14. Contd…. • Development of public education programme • Co-ordination with media • National & international relations • Keeping stock of foods, water, medicines and other essential commodities.

15. E.g.: Indian Meteorological department (IMD)plays a key role in forewarning the disaster of cyclone-storms by detection tracing. It has 5 centres in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Vishakapatanam, Chennai & Mumbai. In addition there are 31 special observation posts setup a long the east coast of India. The International Agencies which provides humanitarian assistance to the disaster strike areas are United Nation agencies. • Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affair (OCHA) • World Health Organization (WHO) • UNICEF • World Food Programme (WFP) • Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAD) E.g.: Non Governmental Organizations • Co-Operative American Relief Every where (CARE) • International committee of Red cross • International committee of Red cross

16. Disaster impact

17. Disaster response • Epidemiologic surveillance (the ongoing systematic collection, recording, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data reflecting the current health status of a community or population.) and disease control. • Vaccination • Nutrition

18. Rehabilitation phase • Water supply • Food safety • Basic sanitation and personal hygiene • Vector control - is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other arthropods (here collectively called "vectors") which transmit disease pathogens.

19. Disaster mitigation • This involves lessening the likely effects of emergencies. • These include depending upon the disaster, protection of vulnerable population and structure. Eg. improving structural qualities of schools, houses and such other buildings so that medical causalities can be minimized. • Similarly ensuring the safety of health facilities and public health services including water supply and sewerage system to reduce the cost of rehabilitation and reconstruction. This mitigation compliments the disaster preparedness and disaster response activities.

20. DISASTER-EFFECTS • Deaths • Disability • Increase in communicable disease • Psychological problems • Food shortage • Socioeconomic losses • Shortage of drugs and medical supplies. • Environmental disruption

21. DISASTER RECOVERY • Successful Recovery Preparation • Be vigilant in Health teaching • Psychological support • Referrals to hospital as needed • Remain alert for environmental health

22. Major Disasters in India • 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy • 2001 Gujarat earthquake • 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami • 2008 Mumbai attacks 

23. India’s Vulnerability to Disasters • 57% land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of these, 12% is vulnerable to severe earthquakes. • 68% land is vulnerable to drought. • 12% land is vulnerable to floods. • 8% land is vulnerable to cyclones. • Apart from natural disasters, some cities in India are also vulnerable to chemical and industrial disasters and man-made disasters.

24. GOI – NGO Disaster preparation and Response Committee • Members • World Vision of India • SOS Children's Village India • Ramakrishna Mission • Plan international • OXFAM India Trust • Lutheran World Service India • Red Cross • Catholic Relief Services • CASA • CARITAS India • Voluntary Health association Of India • Action Aid • Action for Food Production-AFPRO • Indo German Social Services Society

25. Areas of Concern • Activating an Early Warning System network and its close monitoring • Mechanisms for integrating the scientific, technological and administrative agencies for effective disaster management • Terrestrial communication links which collapse in the event of a rapid onset disaster • Vulnerability of critical infrastructures (power supply, communication, water supply, transport, etc.) to disaster events

26. Contd… • Funding : Primacy of relief as disaster response. • Preparedness and Mitigation very often ignored. • Lack of integrated efforts to collect and compile data, information and local knowledge on disaster history and traditional response patterns. • Need for standardized efforts in compiling and interpreting geo-spatial data, satellite imagery and early warning signals. • Weak areas continue to be forecasting, modeling, risk prediction, simulation and scenario analysis, etc.

27. Contd… • Absence of a national level, state level, and district level directory of experts and inventory of resources. • Absence of a National Disaster Management Plan, and State level and district level disaster management plans. • Sustainability of efforts • Effective Inter Agency Co-ordination and Standard Operating Procedures for stakeholder groups, especially critical first responder agencies. • Emergency medicine, critical care medicine, triage, first aid

28. Nodal Agencies for Disaster Management • Floods : Ministry of Water Resources, CWC • Cyclones : Indian Meteorological Department • Earthquakes : Indian Meteorological Department • Epidemics : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare • Avian Flu: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, • Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

29. Nodal Agencies for Disaster Management • Chemical Disasters : Ministry of Environment and Forests • Industrial Disasters : Ministry of Labour • Rail Accidents : Ministry of Railways • Air Accidents : Ministry of Civil Aviation • Fire : Ministry of Home Affairs • Nuclear Incidents : Department of Atomic Energy • Mine Disasters : Department of Mines

30. Dynamics of Disasters • There is a high probability or a low probability for an event happening somewhere sometime soon… • The unpredictability of disaster events and the high risk and vulnerability profiles make it imperative to strengthen disaster preparedness, mitigation and enforcement of guidelines, building codes and restrictions on construction of buildings in flood-prone areas and storm surge prone coastal areas.

31. Future Directions • Encourage and consolidate knowledge networks • Mobilise and train disaster volunteers for more effective preparedness, mitigation and response (NSS, NCC, Scouts and Guides, NYK, Civil Defence, Homeguards) • Increased capacity building leads to faster vulnerability reduction. • Learn from best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and disaster response

32. Invest in Preparedness • Investments in Preparedness and Prevention (Mitigation) will yield sustainable results, rather than spending money on relief after a disaster. • Most disasters are predictable, especially in their seasonality and the disaster-prone areas which are vulnerable. • Communities must be involved in disaster preparedness.

33. Best Practices • On 12 November, 1970 a major cyclone hit the coastal belt of Bangladesh at 223 km/hr. with a storm surge of six to nine meters height, killing an estimated 500,000 people. • Due to the Cyclone Preparedness Program, the April 1991 cyclone with wind speed of 225 km/hr. killed only 138,000 people even though the coastal population had doubled by that time. • In May 1994, in a similar cyclone with a wind speed of 250 km/hr. only 127 people lost their lives. • In May 1997, in a cyclone with wind speed of 200 km/hr. only 111 people lost their lives.

34. Disaster Reduction Day - India • NIDM observed "Disaster Reduction Day" on the 12th October • Rallies and special lectures were organized in the universities and colleges to mark the initiatives of awareness for disaster reduction amongst youth & children • Children's Colour Activity Book for Disaster Preparedness

35. Fin.