Disaster Management

Disaster management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. It is a discipline that involves preparing, supporting, and including-society when natural or human-made disasters occur. In general, any Disaster management is the continuous process by which: all individuals, groups, and commutates manage hazards in an effort to avoidor ameliorate the impact of disasters resulting front the hazards. Actions taken depend in part on perceptions of risk of those exposed. Effective disaster management relies on thorough integration of disaster plans at all levels of government and non-government involvement. Activities at each level (individual, group community) affect the other levels. It is common on to place the responsibility for governmental disaster- management with the institutions for civil defence or within the conventional structure of the disaster services. In the private sector, disaster management is sometimes referred to as business contimtity planning.

Disaster Management is one of, a number of terms which, since the end of the Cold War, have largely replaced Civil defence, whose original focus was protecting civilians from military attack. Modern thinking focuses on a more general intent to protect the civilian population in times of peace as well in times of war.

Phases and professional activities

The nature of disaster management is highly dependent on economic and social conditions local to the disaster, or disaster. This is, true to the extent that some disaster relief experts such as Fred Cuny have noted that in a sense the only real disasters are economic. Experts, such as Curly, have long noted that the cycle of disaster management must include long-term-work on infrastructure, public awareness, and even human justice issues. This is particularly important in developing nations. The process of disaster management involves four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Mitigation

Mitigation efforts attempt to pi vent hazards from developing into disasters altogether, or to reduce the effects of disaster, when they occur. The mitigation phase differs from the other phases because it focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk. The impleirmitation of mitigation can- he considered a part of the recovery process if applied after a disaster occurs. However even if applied as part of recovery efforts, actions that reduce or eliminate risk over time are still considered mitigation efforts.

Imitative measures can be structural or non-structural. Structural measures use technological solution, like flood levees. Non-structural measures include legislation, land-use planning (e.g, the designation of, nonessential hind like parks to be used as flood zones),-and insurance. Mitigation is the most cost-efficient method for reducing the impact of hazards. However, mitigation is not always suitable and structural mitigation in particular may have adverse effects on the ecosystem.
A precursor activity to the mitigation is the identification of risks. Physical risk assessment, refers to the process of identifying and evaluating hazards. In risk assessment, various hazards (e.g. earthquakes, floods, riots) within a certain area are identified. Each hazard poses a risk to the population within the area assessed. The hazard-specific risk combines both the probability and the level of impact of a specific hazard. The equation below gives that the hazard times the populations' vulnerability, to that hazard produce; a risk. Catastrophe modeling tools are used to support the calculation. The higher the risk, the more urgent that the hazard specific vulnerabilities are targeted by mitigation and preparedness efforts. However, if there is no vulnerability there will he no risk, e.g. an earthquake occurring in a desert where nobody lives.

Preparedness

In the preparedness phase, disaster managers develop plans of action for when the disaster strikes. Common preparedness measures include the communication plans with easily understandable terminology and chain of command development and practice of multi-agency coordination and incident command proper maintenance and training of disaster services development and exercise of disaster-population warning methods combined with disaster shelters and evacuation plans stockpiling, inventory, and maintenance of supplies and equipment
An efficient' preparedness measure is an disaster operations center (EOM) combined with a practiced region-wide doctrine for managing emergencies. Another preparedness measure is to develop -a volunteer response capability among civilian populations. Since, volunteer response is - not as predictable and planable as professional response, volunteers are most effectively deployed on the periphery of an disaster.

Response

The response phase includes the mobilization of the necessary disaster services and first respouders in the disaster area. This is likely to include a first wave ofcore disaster services, such as firefighters, police and ambulance crews. They may be supported by a number of secondary disaster services, such as specialist rescue teams.

A well rehearsed disaster plan developed as part of the preparedness phase enables efficient coordination of rescue efforts. Disaster plan rehearsal is essential to achieve optimal output with limited resources. In the response phase, medical assets will be used in accordance with the appropriate triage of the affected victims.

Where requited, search and rescue efforts commence at an early stage. Depending on injuries sustained by the victim, outside temp Sine, and victim access to air and water, the vast majority of those affected by a disaster will die within 72 hours after impact.

Individuals are often compelled to volunteer directly after a disaster. Volunteers can be both a help and a hindrance to disaster management and other relief agencies.

Recovery

The aim of the recovery phase is to restore the affected area to its previous state. It differs from the response phase in its focus; recovery efforts are concerned with issues and decisions that nail he made, after immediate needs air addressed. Recovery efforts are primarily concerned with action:; that involve rebuilding destroyed propriety, re-employment, and the repair of other essential infrastructure. An important aspect of effective recovery efforts is taking advantage of a 'windmv of opportunity' for the-implemeutation of mitigative measures that might otherwise be unpopular. Citizens of the affected ares are more likely to accept more mitigative changes when a recent disaster is in fresh memory

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been a recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical.

At the global level, there has been considerable concern over natural disasters. Even as substantial scientific and material progress is made, the loss of lives and property due to disasters has not decreased. in fact, the human toll and economic losses have mounted. It was in this background that the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, declared the decade 1990¬2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through concerted international action, specially in developing countries. The super cyclone in Orissa in October, 1999 and the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat in January, 2001 underscored the need to adopt a multi dimensional endeavour involving diverse scientific, engineering, financial and social processes; the need to adopt multi disciplinary and multi sectoral approach and incorporation of risk reduction in the developmental plans and strategies.

Over the past couple of years, the Government of India has brought about a-paradigm shift in the approach to disaster management. The new approach proceeds from the conviction that development cannot he sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process. Another corner stone of the approach is that mitigation has td be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development. The new policy also emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation.

Disaster management occupies an important place in this country's policy framework as it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters.

The approach has been translated into a National Disaster Framework {a roadmap] covering institutional mechanisms, disaster prevention strategy, early warning system, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response and human resource development. The expected inputs, areas of intervention and agencies to be involved at the National, State and district levels have been identified and listed in the roadmap. This roadmap has been shared with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Ministries and Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking the national roadmap as a broad guideline. There is, therefore,' now a common strategy - underpinning the action being taken by all the participating organisations/stakeholders.

The changed approach is being put into effect through:

1. Institutional changes

2. Enunciation of policy

3. Legal and techno-legal framework

4. Mainstreaming Mitigation into Development process

5. Funding mechanism

6. Specific schemes addressing mitigation

7. Preparedness measures

8. Capacity building

9. Human Resource Development

Institutional and Policy Framework

The institutional and policy mechanisms for carrying out response, relief and rehabilitation have been well-established since Independence. These mechanisms have proved to be robust and effective insofar as response, relief and rehabilitation are concerned. The changed policy/approach, however, mandates a priority to pre-disaster aspects of mitigation, prevention and preparedness and new institutional mechanisms are being put in place to address the policy change. Mitigation, preparedness and response are multi-disciplinary functions, involving a number of Ministries/Departments. Institutional mechanisms which would facilitate this inter¬disciplinary approach are being put in place. It is proposed to create Disaster Management Authorities, both at the National and State levels, with representatives from the relevant Ministries/Departments to bring about this coordinated and multi-disciplinary with experts covering a large number of branches. The National Emergency Management Authority is proposed to be constituted. The organization will be multi-disciplinary with experts covering a large number of branches. The National Emergency Management Authority is proposed as a combined Secretariat/Directorate structure - a structure which will be an integral pad of the Government while, at the same time, retaining the flexibility of a filed organization. The Authority will be headed by an officer of the rank of Secretary/ Special Secretary to the Government in the Ministry of Home Affairs with representatives from the Ministries/Departments of Health, Water Resources, Environment & Forest, Agriculture, Railways, Atomic Energy, Defence, Chemicals, Science & Technology, Telecommunication, Urban Employment and Poverty alleviation, Rural Development and Indian Meteorological Department as Members. The authority would meet as often as required and review the Status of warning systems, mitigation measure and disaster preparedness. When a disaster strikes, the Authority will coordinate disaster management activities. The Authority will be responsible for:—

• Providing necessary support and assistance to State Governments by way of resource data, macro-management of emergency response, specialized emergency response teams, sharing of disaster related data base etc.

• Coordinating/mandating Government's policies for disaster reduction/mitigation

• Ensuring adequate preparedness at all levels

• Coordinating response to a disaster when it strikes

• Assisting the Provincial Government in coordinating post disaster relief and rehabilitation Coordinating resources of all National Government Department/agencies involved.

• Monitor and introduce a culture of building requisite features of disaster mitigation in all development plans and programmes.

• Any other issues of work, which may be entrusted to it by the Government.

The States have also been asked to set up Disaster Management Authorities under the Chief Minister with Ministers of relevant Departments Water Resources, Agriculture, Drinking Water Supply, Environment & Forests, Urban Development, Home, Rural Development etc

What should be done?

For addressing natural calamities such as floods and drought, there already exist a number of plan schemes under which a lot is being done and can be done. State Governments need to make full use of the existing plan schemes and give priority to implementation of such schemes that will help in overcoming the conditions created by the calamity. In some cases this implies possible diversion of the funds from other schemes to those schemes the implementation of which will help meeting the situation. There may also be need in a crisis situation for certain reappropriations / reallocations among the different departments.

The Planning Commission will aim at responding quickly to the needs of the Central Ministries/Departments/States in matters relating to the Plan for meeting situations arising out of natural disasters, by enabling adjustment of schemes to meet the requirements as. far as possible. A mechanism will be evolved to take expeditious decisions on proposals which involve transfer of funds from one scheme to another, or any other change which involves departure from the existing schemes/ pattern of assistance, new schemes and relaxation in procedures, etc. in the case of naturai disasters.

As the first responder in any disaster situation, however, each State needs to build a team, skilled personnel, make provision for specialised equipments, efficient communication network, and relevant, intelligent and easily accessible database. There is also a need to consider creation of a plan scheme in each state basically to meet the minimum requirements for strengthening communications and emergency control rooms, thereby improving coordination and response to disasters. No new institutional structures need be created in such a scheme.

In particular, with regard to major disasters, it is also necessary for disaster mitigation components to be built into all development projects. In order to save larger outlays on reconstruction and rehabilitation subsequently, a mechanism would need to be worked out for allowing components that specifically help projects coining up in highly disaster prone areas withstand the impact of natural disasters as part of approved project cost for projects financed under the Plan.

The message for the Tenth Plan is that in order to move towards safer national development, development projects should be sensitive towards disaster mitigation. With the kind of economic losses and developmental setbacks that the country has been suffering year after year, it makes good economic sense to spend a little extra today in a planned way on steps and components that can help in prevention and mitigation of disasters, than be forced to spend many multiples more later on restoration and rehabilitation. The design of development projects and the process of development, should take the aspect of disaster reduction and mitigation within its ambit; otherwise, the development ceases to be sustainable and eventually causes more hardship and loss to the nation.

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