Notes by Dr.

Fiaz Khan

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

Disaster:
A sudden, calamitous event that disrupts the functioning of a community or society & causes
human, material and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s ability to
cope up using its bown resources.

Disaster Risk Equation:

Disaster = Hazards X Vulnerability

Capacity

Vulnerability :

Vulnerability describes the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset

that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. There are many aspects of
vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and environmental factors.
Vulnerability increases with

i. Poverty
ii. Poor Infrastructure
iii. Lake of natural resources

Capacity:

The combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within an organization,
community or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience.

Hazards Type:

Disaster subgroup Definition Disaster main type

Geophysical Event originating on solid earth Earthquake, Volcano, Mass
movement(dry)
Meteorological Event caused by atmospheric change Storm
Hydrological Event caused by deviation of normal Flood, mass movement
water flow (wet)
Climatological Event caused by change of climate Extreme Temperature,
Drought, wild fire
Biological Disaster caused by exposure of living Epidemic, Insect infestation
organisms

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 Notes by Dr. Fiaz Khan

ELEMENTS AT RISK:

➢ People
➢ Livestock
➢ Rural Housing
➢ Houses
➢ Crops, Tress, Forests
➢ Telephone, Electric poles, Sewerage system
➢ Boats, shipping infrastructure, Costal side buildings
➢ Personal property
➢ Universities, Hospitals
➢ Infrastructure Support

Goals of Disaster Management:

➢ Preparing of disaster before it occurs

➢ Reduce the losses from Hazards
➢ Achieve rapid and effective recovery
i. Mitigation

Mitigation activities actually eliminate or reduce the probability of disaster occurrence, or

reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters. Mitigation measures include:

➢ Building codes;
➢ Vulnerability analyses updates:
➢ Building use regulations and safety codes;
➢ Preventive health care; and
➢ Public education
ii. Preparedness

During the preparedness phase, governments, organizations, and individuals develop plans to save lives,
minimize disaster damage, and enhance disaster response operation. Preparedness measures include

➢ Emergency exercises/training;

➢ Warning systems;

➢ Emergency communication systems;

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 Notes by Dr. Fiaz Khan

➢ Evacuations plans and training;

➢ Emergency personnel/contact lists

➢ Mutual aid agreements and

➢ Public information/ education

iii. Response

➢ Evacuation/Mitigation

➢ Search and Rescue

➢ Assessment

➢ Emergency Relief

➢ Logistics and Supply

➢ Communication and information Management

➢ Survivor Response and coping

➢ Security

➢ Expedite rehabilitation and reconstruction

iv. Recovery

Recovery activities continue until all systems return to normal or better. Recovery measures,
both short and long term, include returning vital life-support systems to minimum operating
standards;

➢ Temporary housing

➢ Public information

➢ Health and safety education

➢ Reconstruction

➢ Counseling programs

➢ Economic impact studies

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Disaster Management Cycle:

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 Notes by Dr. Fiaz Khan

EARTHQUAKE
“An earthquake happen when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip apart one another and
earth releases its energy in the form of seismic waves.”

Earthquake usually occur on the edges of large section of the earth’s crust called tectonics
plates. Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth. The
movement releases stored-up 'elastic strain' energy in the form of seismic waves, which
propagate through the Earth and cause the ground surface to shake and cause earthquake.

 The surface where they slip is

called FAULT.

 The surface where the earth

quake starts is known as
HYPOCENTER.

 The Surface directly above

the hypocenter is called as
EPICENTER

Types of Earthquake waves:

There are tree types of seismic waves

• P-waves or primary waves

• S-waves or Secondary waves
• Surface waves
1. P-waves/Primary waves:

Primary waves moves faster as speed of light

moves. These waves compress or dilates the

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 Notes by Dr. Fiaz Khan

rock within the body. These waves can travel through solid(granite)or liquid rock(Magma)

2. S-wave/ Secondary waves:

These waves are slower than p-waves.

Travel along the solid [Link] are the
waves that shake only surface sideways
to the direction of propagation

3. Surface waves:
These are the third kind of the waves.
These are restricted to the ground surface.
surface waves further be divided into two types.
• Love waves
• Rayleigh waves

i. Love-waves:
Have no vertical movement.
Movements in them are horizontal
and damage the foundations of
structures.

ii. Rayleigh waves:

These waves are present in ocean
waves these waves moves vertically
and horizontally.

Causes of occurrence of Earthquake:

Earthquake may be due to following reasons

• Volcanic Activity
• Plate Tectonics

Effects of Earthquakes:

The primary effects of earthquakes are ground shaking, ground rupture, landslides, tsunamis,
and liquefaction. However possible effects are enlisted below.

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i. Ground Shaking:

Ground shaking is the most familiar effect of earthquakes. It is a result of the passage
of seismic waves through the ground, and ranges from quite gentle in small
earthquakes to incredibly violent in large earthquakes.

ii. Ground Rupture:

Ground rupture is another important effect of earthquakes which occurs when

the earthquake movement along a fault actually breaks the Earth's surface.

iii. Landslides:

Landslides are caused by earthquakes both by direct rupture and by sustained

shaking of unstable slopes. They can easily destroy buildings in their path, or
block roads and railroad lines, or take hilltop homes with them as they tumble.
They even can dam rivers on occasion.

iv. Tsunamis:

Tsunamis, which are popularly -- and incorrectly -- known as ``tidal waves,'' are a
grave hazard to many parts of the world, particularly around the Pacific Ocean
basin. Tsunamis are a series of water waves caused when the seafloor moves
vertically in an earthquake.

v. Liquefaction, Subsidence, and Related Effects:

Liquefaction and subsidence of the ground are important effects which often are
the cause of much destruction in earthquakes, particularly in unconsolidated
ground. Liquefaction is when sediment grains are literally made to float in
groundwater, which causes the soil to lose all its solidity. Subsidence can then
follow as the soil recompacts. Sand blows, or sand volcanoes, form when
pressurized jets of groundwater break through the surface. They can spray mud
and sand over an area a few meters across. All of these effects pose a grave
danger to buildings, roads, train lines, airport runways, gas lines, etc.

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vi. Fires:

Fires are a major source of damage after earthquakes. Ground rupture and
liquefaction can easily rupture natural gas mains and water mains, both
contributing to the ignition of fires and hindering the efforts to control them.

vii. Environmental Impacts:

The built landscape may be destroyed. Fires can damage areas of woodland. Important
natural and human landmarks may be lost.

viii. Economic impacts:

Shops and business may be destroyed. The damage to transport and communication
links can make trade difficult. The cost rebuilding a settlement is high.

Management of Earthquakes:

Here are some tactics that might be applied for managing earthquakes and reduces losses
against earthquake.

➢ Risk Assessment
➢ Planning
➢ Research and Development
➢ Public Awareness
➢ Building Codes

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 Notes by Dr. Fiaz Khan

TSUNAMI
Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning “harbour wave,” and used as the scientific term for a class
of abnormal sea wave that can cause catastrophic damage when it hits a coastline. Most
tsunami are caused by large earthquakes at the seafloor, when large slabs of rock are forced to
move past each other suddenly causing the overlying water to move. The resulting wave moves
outwards and away from this event. Almost 80 percent of tsunamis occur within the Pacific
Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire’. This is due to the amount of earthquake and volcanic activity in the area.
Which occur due to the tectonic shifts in the earth’s plates.

Causes:

Tsunamis can be generated by

➢ an undersea earthquake,
➢ An undersea landslide,
➢ the eruption of an undersea volcano, or
➢ by the force of an asteroid crashing into the ocean.

Formation of Tsunami:

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1. Earthquake causes the ocean floor to collapse in places and rise elsewhere, displacing
water and generating waves.
2. Initial waves largely underwater travel very fast towards the shore.
3. In the shallow water near the shore the waves decrease in speed while in height above
the surface.
4. The Tsunami reaches the shore, causing severe flooding and extreme current.

Tsunamis arise from the sudden displacement of water masses. About 86% of all Tsunamis
result from so-called seaquakes. In order for a tsunami caused by a seaquakes to occur, three
things have to be happen:

• The Earthquake must measure at least 7.0 0n the Richter scale.

• The sea bed must be lifted or lowered by the earthquake.

• The epicenter of the earthquake must be near to the earth’s surface.

Tsunami Locations:

Large subduction zones produce the most tsunamis. The Pacific, rimmed with subduction zones,
has the most tsunamis.

 Pacific ~ 80%

 Atlantic ~ 10%

 Elsewhere ~ 10%

Effects of Tsunami:

i. Primary effect
➢ Death and Injuries
➢ Destruction of social infrastructure
➢ Environmental effect
➢ Coastal erosion
➢ Damage of ecosystem
➢ Disturb and destroyed communication transport system
ii. Secondary effect:
➢ Diseases like Malaria, Typhoid, Hepatitis etc.
➢ Psychological trauma and mental disorders
➢ Internally displaced refugees
➢ Homelessness

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➢ Food Shortage
➢ Decrease in the GDP of the affected countries

Management of Tsunami:

➢ Tsunami are rare and different to predicted.

➢ As soon as earthquake magnitude >6.5 is located the alarm started.

➢ Undersea earthquake detected by Seismograph.

➢ The early warning system some countries are installed.

➢ Tsunami warning are issued via radio, television, telephone, messages etc.

AVALANCHE
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a hill or mountainside.

Types of Avalanche

1. Slab Avalanche

2. Point Release Avalanche

Avalanche Hazards Triangle:

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Causes of Avalanches :

 Weather: wind direction and speed, temperature snowfall

 Terrain: Slope angle, slope, vegetation

 Snowpack: Stability of snow layers

 Human Factors

 Earthquakes or tremors

 Heavy snowfall if the first, since it deposits snow in u stable areas and puts pressure on
the snow-pack.

 Heavy snowstorms are more likely to cause avalanches. The 24 hours after a storm are
considered to be the most critical.

 Precipitation: Precipitation have contributed to the start of many avalanches in recent

years. Winter sports that require steeps slopes often put pressure on the snow-pack
which it cannot deal.

 Deforestation :The heavy deforestation and soil erosion in mountain regions, gives the
snow little stability in the winter months.

 Heavy Vehicles Vibration: The use of vehicles and snowmobiles creates vibrations
within the snow that it cannot withstand.

 Explosion: The other is construction work done with explosives, which tend to weaken
the entire surrounding area.

The major of avalanches occur on slopes between 30 -45:

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Effects of Avalanche:

 Loss of Life

 Lose of Property

 Traffic blockage and road damage

 Floods

 Impact on Tourism

 Loss of Flora and Fauna:

Management of Avalanche:

 Land use planning

 Forestation (Dense tress can act as “anchors”and points of safety)

 Landslide hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment

 Research and development, monitoring and early warning

 Knowledge network and management

 Capacity building and training

 Public awareness and education

 Emergency preparedness and response

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