MITIGATION & PREPAREDNESS- decreases losses from hazards by reducing vulnerability

1. SustainableEngineering@Edinburgh Impact of Disaster By: Jordan Ciciliano (0880439); Cath Inglesfield (0673963); Conor McInerney (0840339) IMS3 Sustainability Module, 26 March 2009 Introduction: A disaster is broadly defined as a dramatic unscheduled event that is often accompanied by damage and loss of human life. Disasters can be either natural or manmade, but in both cases the impacts on a community are comparable. How the community deals with the disaster is largely a function of how sustainable it is. A vicious cycle arises as unsustainable communities are more vulnerable to natural disasters and natural disasters impede sustainable development. • There is an increasing trend for occurrence of natural disasters due to climate change. By the year 2050, it is predicted that 100,000 lives will be lost to natural disaster each year. • The effects of natural disasters have become more devastating due to rapid urbanisation, economic specialisation and development in high risks zones. • Disasters occur more often in less developed countries--this begs the question: are nations poor because they face recurring disasters? • Disasters intensify poverty and food insecurity, and often impede efforts to achieve sustainable development objectives A basic disaster cycle is below. From the completion of each cycle, new lessons must be learnt in order to create/maintain sustainable communities. RESPONSE & RECOVERY- all the ways in which a society may act to reduce effects or increase benefits of a hazard MITIGATION & PREPAREDNESS-decreases losses from hazards by reducing vulnerability • EXAMPLE: The relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina backfired when the credit cards given to families were used for luxury hotels and new cars. DISASTER • There are technical responses (esp in developed countries) but no social, economic, political, or environmental influences are considered. Thus people have a false sense of security. • Immediate actions include warning systems, evacuation, sand bags for floods, etc • In Bangladesh, 7500 km of embankment was constructed along rivers; this has in turn obstructed fish migration and spawing • Governmental control of response and recovery can cause budgets to be skewed toward the recovery of specific social groups. • Managua, Nicaragua- 4 major disastrous earthquakes in history have repeatedly destroyed the economy but preparedness measures are almost nonexistent • International politics may hinder disaster relief. For example, Burma refused to receive aid from outside countries for its cyclone victims • Many countries simply hope that disasters won’t happen Effective mitigation saves money! ASSESSMENT & PREVENTION • EXAMPLE: In the 1800s fire was the main hazard in Antigua causing people to turn from wooden houses to brick houses as a preventative measure; however, the new houses were more susceptible to earthquakes and tremors. • The World Conference on Disaster Reductions recommends improving the scientific and technical methods for risk assessment. Every action taken on account of one disaster must be designed and managed also to reduce vulnerability in the future. Governments should shift funds from emergency relief to more sustainable long-term solutions. • Bangladesh: ongoing studies extracting local knowledge and developing sanitation technology in flood prone areas • A means of maintaining resources is needed during and after a disaster as is training of appropriate personnel. • 25% of insured losses in Hurricane Andrew (Florida) could have been prevented through better building code compliance and enforcement. • People must be educated to promote an informed, alert, self reliant and sustainable community– eg. Australian residents are provided with CD ROMs to help teach them about bushfires • References: Bouabid, J., Dash. Benefit-Cost Analysis of FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants. • Burton, I, Kates, R, White, G. 1993. The Environment As Hazard • Lews, J. 1999. Development in Disaster-prone Places: Studies of Vulnerability. • Shah Alam Khan, M. Disaster preparedness for sustainable development in Bangladesh. Assessment and prevention requires the education of residents as well as scientific, economic, environmental, and social studies to determine a communities vulnerability to possible natural disasters.