What is disaster ?

Disaster Management Policy

Why do the managers of disaster need to know, what is disaster? Key / central concept in disaster management Any study of disaster management starts from a very fair and comprehensive understanding of the concept of disaster So what is disaster, what do we understand by disaster, what image does the word disaster generate in our mind???

Presentation by
Anuj Kumar Vaksha

Anuj Kumar Vaksha CDMS GGS Indraprastha University Delhi

Anuj Kumar Vaksha

CDMS

What is disaster? UNDRO Definition of Disaster

Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources. Disasters are often classified according to their speed of onset (sudden or slow), or according to their cause (natural or man-made). (UNDRO 1992)
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Scope of human intervention to control disasters

Disasters may be manmade, caused by human activity or human agency It may be forecasted and contemplated If not all, some disasters can be avoided Vulnerabilities to the disasters can be minimized Losses of disasters may be mitigated, compensated and repaired Communitys capability to withstand disasters can be build up and enhanced.
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Scope of human intervention to control disasters

All this create tremendous scope for the society to positively and proactively intervene to control disasters and its impacts. The human endeavours made to this end is the disaster management.

Disaster Management - the fundamental assumption

Disasters and effects of disasters can be tremendously minimized by human intervention, better say appropriate human intervention. The systematic study of such appropriate human interventions to control the disasters and its impacts is called Disaster Management. Disaster management is not just about avoiding disasters, it is also about minimizing the impacts of disasters through appropriate human intervention. To assess the appropriate human intervention it is necessary to understand thoroughly the functional elements of disasters from the perspective of disaster management.

Anuj Kumar Vaksha

CDMS

Anuj Kumar Vaksha

CDMS

Functional/Operational elements of disaster from the perspective of disaster management

Impact of Disaster (Disaster) = Hazard x Vulnerability Manageability

Disaster
Natural Disasters Geophysical Ecological Environmental Epidemic Manmade Disasters Technological Chemical / Biochemical Riot/Anarchy Accidents Stampede Fire
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Anuj Kumar Vaksha

CDMS

Hazard
What is hazard? Does every hazard cause disaster? Hazard : It is a rare or extreme event in the natural or man-made environment which adversely affects human life, property of activity to the extent of causing a disaster.

The hazard and disaster

Whenever there is disaster, there has to be a hazard. Disaster is necessarily caused because of one or other hazard, but all hazards do not necessarily cause disaster. Disasters indicate hazards for severe impact, particularly high magnitude. What are the indicators for such high impact, severe hazards which may be called disaster?
e.g. Severe earthquake in Sahara desert

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CDMS

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What are the indicators for such high impact, severe hazards which may be called disaster?

Vulnerability and disaster

Besides hazard, there has to be a vulnerable population, object or entity which may suffer the losses/damages. Higher the vulnerability higher would be the impact of the disaster. Lower the vulnerability, lower would be the impact of disaster.
e.g. If an earthquake of similar intensity hits Delhi and Tokyo, Delhi would have far more causality than Tokyo, primarily because of higher vulnerable buildings in Delhi than Tokyo

Better describable than quantifiable parameters/ indicators. UNDRO indicators Legal provisions

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Manageability and disaster

Better manageability of the disaster situation ( disaster phases) reduces the impact of disaster.
e.g. torrential floods of similar scale in London and Mumbai, would cause far grave impacts of disasters in Mumbai than in London, because of its relatively much poor manageability in Mumbai.

Fundamental propositions of disaster management

Impact of disaster is proportional to the intensity and regularity of the hazards.

Hazards can be forecasted, and even prevented

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Fundamental propositions of disaster management

Fundamental propositions of disaster management

Impact of disaster is inversely proportional to effectiveness of human intervention to control disasters and its effects (manageability).

Impact of disaster is proportional to vulnerability of the community.

Vulnerability can be minimized to reduce impacts of disasters

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Ability to manage can be enhanced to reduce the impacts of disasters

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Disaster Management involves

Disaster management essentially involves one or more of the following measures either separately or simultaneously,
Measures to forecast disasters and prevent them to the extent possibly Measures to reduce the vulnerability ( which necessarily involves risk assessment and vulnerability assessment ) of the populace or measures to build capacities of the community to withstand disasters Measures to enhance the ability of the community to manage the affairs relating to reducing the impacts of disasters.
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About DM as a subject of study

It aims to systematically establish a comprehensive understanding of disasters of all types, natural, manmade, ecological, technological It explores the ways, means, methods and manners to minimize disasters, withstand disasters, mitigate losses from disasters and enhance societys capability to these ends,

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About DM as a subject of study

It enunciates concepts, approaches, institutions and processes for systematic study of human intervention to control the disasters and its effects. Disaster management is the body of policy and administrative decisions and operational activities which pertain to the various stages of a disaster at all levels. (UNDRO 1992)

Disaster Management Policy

Disaster management is essentially an endeavour to find appropriate human intervention to manage the disasters in a specified disaster constituency.

What is this appropriate human intervention for that particular disaster constituency?
The appropriate human intervention by its very nature varies from country to country, community to community, agency to agency, depending upon so many local and disaster related factors
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Anuj Kumar Vaksha

CDMS

Disaster Management Policy

So every disaster management agency particularly the national and the local governments have its unique disaster management policy for its disaster management constituency which lays down most effective, comprehensive, coordinated action plan to manage disasters within the existing vulnerabilities, restraints and available resources.
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What is disaster management policy?

It is a formulated strategy or plan of action of government or its agencies or such other disaster management agencies to manage disasters in most effective, comprehensive, coordinated manner within the existing vulnerabilities, restraints and available resources. It also involves action plan to build communitys capability and enhance it to withstand all kinds of disasters.

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Formulating DMP
DMP is necessarily unique to the disaster management agency and its disaster management constituency. It depends on many local factors, like vulnerabilities, resources, socio-political and administrative restraints, nature of agencys intervention etc. Functionally, Disaster management policy is a formulated scheme to make appropriate institutional intervention at various stages of disaster management cycle to avoid disasters or as and when disaster hits, to minimize the impact of such disaster. Identifying and understanding the phases of disaster management cycle helps to describe disaster related needs and to conceptualize appropriate disaster management policy and activities.

Disaster Management cycle

Disaster management can be viewed as a cyclic series of phases on a time continuum, divided into following phases,
Pre-disaster phase Disaster / Impact Phase Post-disaster phase

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Disaster Management Cycle

Pre, Impact and post disaster phases
Immediate Emergency Response

Pre-disaster phase : Risk Identification

Risk assessment (a function of hazard and vulnerability) Hazard assessment (frequency, magnitude, and location)
Rehabilitation
&

Disaster/ Impact Phase

Preparedness

Relief and Response

Reconstruction

Vulnerability assessment (population and assets exposed)

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Risk Transfer
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Risk identification Mitigation

Pre-disaster phase : Risk Identification

Hazard monitoring and forecasting (GIS, mapping, and scenario building) Vulnerability monitoring ( Vulnerability itself may be a function of several socio-economic factors and so very dynamic.)

Pre-disaster phase : Mitigation

Prevent hazard to the extent it can be and minimize vulnerabilities of the people and their assets or resources. Physical/structural mitigation works Land-use planning and building codes

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Pre-disaster phase : Mitigation

Economic incentives for pro-mitigation behavior Inclusion of disaster mitigation practices into planning activities for development. Education, training and awareness about risks and prevention
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Pre-disaster phase : Risk Transfer / Distribution

Insurance and re- insurance of public infrastructure and private assets Financial market instruments (catastrophe bonds and weather-indexed hedge funds)

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Pre-disaster phase : Risk Transfer / Distribution

Privatization of public services with safety regulation (energy, water, and transportation) Calamity Funds (national or local level) Other effective and innovative risk transfer or risk distribution instruments and strategies
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Pre-disaster phase : Preparedness

Capacity building Develop disaster management plans and strategies Early warning systems and communication systems
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Pre-disaster phase : Preparedness

Contingency planning (utility companies and public services) Networks of emergency responders (local and national) Shelter facilities and evacuation plans Funding mechanism and planning
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Disaster / Impact Phase

Most immediate emergency services, like
Search and rescue operations Immediate medical care and attention to the victims Subsistence, shelter, health and sanitation Maintenance of law and order

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Post-disaster phase : Relief and response

Setting up Critical Infrastructure ( Hospitals, water and electricity installations, schools, colleges) Restoration of essential services ( water supply, electricity, transport, communication networks)

Post-disaster phase : Relief and response

Mobilization of recovery resources (public, multilateral and insurance) Clean-up and temporary repairs.

Humanitarian assistance (Capitalizing the sentimental/emotional support from the non-affected distant communities ) Damage assessment
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Socio-psychological support to the affected persons.

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Post-disaster phase : Rehabilitation & Reconstruction

Rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged critical infrastructure Budgeting, planning, fund generation and management Macroeconomic and budget management (stabilization and protection of social expenditures)
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Post-disaster phase : Rehabilitation & Reconstruction

Revitalization for affected sectors of the economy (exports, tourism, and agriculture) Incorporation of disaster mitigation components in reconstruction activities Exploring opportunities for better development prospects than what it was prior to disaster.
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Life gets to normal with eyes of optimism on the future

Why disaster management policy?

It studies various approaches to disaster and identifies the best approach for disaster management It creates/identifies functional framework for most effective, comprehensive and coordinated institutional/communitys intervention for disaster management at its various phases. It enunciates guidelines for proper and adequate decision making in situations of disaster which are usually marked by extreme chaos, confusion, suffering, damage and scarcity It lays down long term action plan to build communitys capability to manage disasters and enhance it.

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Components of DMP
A disaster management policy may consist of
Statement of policy objectives Policy statement on disaster management approach and principles A cross sector, integrated and functional framework for
1. Risk identification 3. Risk transfer 5. Emergency response 2. Mitigation 4. Preparedness 6. Rehabilitation and reconstruction

Components of DMP
Authoritative disaster profile of the disaster management constituency A legal-administrative chain of command, coordination and evaluation system. Policy statement on manpower planning and resource generation for disaster management Policy statement on international cooperation and coordination in disaster management Policy statement of fund and resource mobilisation.
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Gujarat State Disaster Management Policy : Case study

States the need for disaster management policy Identifies the authority for formulation of DMP Lays down the aims and objectives of the disaster management policy Lays down the key elements of the policy

Gujarat State Disaster Management Policy : Case study

Very clearly lays down the principles of disaster management States the approach and the strategy for the disaster management Identifies the phase wise key activities for the disaster management Allocates responsibilities for the key activities to various agencies of the government. Acknowledges the role of other stakeholders/agencies in disaster management.

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