GEOIDC-554: DISASTER MANAGEMENT
(IDC - Interdisciplinary course)
UNIT II
Causes and immediate effects of Disasters - Preparedness of disasters –
Precautions – Dissemination of information - Nature and concepts - Role of
National Disaster Management Authority and Role of Government and
non-governmental organizations in protecting human livestock and natural
resources. Use of technology - Role of Citizens and Youth in the
prevention.
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Causes and immediate effects of Disasters
Each type of disaster has its own cause. Here is a brief description of
natural phenomena which may lead to disasters.
✓ Earthquakes may arise either due to the release of energy from
strained rocks inside the Earth, or tectonic movements or volcanic
activity. The sudden release of accumulated energy or stresses
inside the earth or sudden movement of massive land areas on the
earth's surface cause tremors, commonly called earthquakes.
✓ Tsunami could be the after effect of undersea earthquake due to
which the abrupt movement of ocean floor generates waves which
travel at high speed in the ocean. As approach land, their speed
decreases while their height increases. It can be highly destructive
to coastal areas.
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Tropical cyclones, typhoons or hurricanes are the names given to the
same phenomenon in the different parts of the world. They are
weather systems with strong winds that circulate anti-clockwise
around a low pressure area in the northern hemisphere and clockwise
in the southern hemisphere. Tropical cyclones form in certain tropical
areas over the open seas where the sea surface temperature is around
26°C.
Volcanic eruptions are vents in the crust of the earth through which
the molten' rock is extruded as lava or ejected as ash, sometimes
accompanied by steam or hot gases.
Landslide can be caused by heavy rainfall earthquakes or
undercutting of the base of slopes by rivers. They are common
i,nmountaneous areas where they frequently destroy the
infrastructure, agriculture and buildings.
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✓ Floods are excessive accumulations or flow of water which
results from heavy rainfall, snow melt or high tides and other
causes such as dam burst, embankment failure etc. They
.include flash floods which are rapidly rising and falling river and
overland 'flows resulting from the rapid run off of rainfall from
upland areas; river floods in which river water spills over
adjoining: areas, tidal flooding usually saline from the backflow
of sea waters into coastal rivers at high tides, and storm surge
floods associated with the landfall of tropical cyclones.
✓ Drought or scarcity of water to satisfy the normal needs of
agriculture, livestock or human population is generally.
associated with semi-arid or desert climates, but drought can
also occur in areas that normally enjoy adequate rainfall and
moisture levels.
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Effects of Disaster
Disasters vary in terms of their severity, disruptive potential,
frequency, predictability and duration. In turn, remedial needs differ
according to the nature of the disaster and the magnitude of the
resultant destruction. The effects of disaster depends upon the types
of disasters.
Disasters may be categorized as sudden or cataclysmic, with
immediate destruction. Natural phenomena like earthquake, floods,
wind storms, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, landslides and
avalanches can suddenly destroy important parts of the housing
stock, physical and social infrastructure, production. Facilities and
crops. Disasters may disrupt the productive base of the economy by
impugning on its capital stock. Its timely repair and replacement, of
course, diverts the national savings which otherwise might have been
allocated to the infrastructure and productive capital stock.
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Some disasters may be slow in materializing and showing their
effects. These may be categorized as continuing disasters. As time
passes, the situation may further deteriorate. For instance,
continuing disasters include prolonged droughts and crop failure ..
While in cataclysmic disasters the affected area is relatively small, it
may be very large in a continuing disaster situation. For example,
droughts may compound long standing problems of deforestation,
encroaching desertification and soil erosion over vast stretches of
land for many years. Agriculture may suffer severe setback and large
groups of affected population may have to migrate. In turn, it may
cause pressure on urban centers, creating new demands and
infrastructure.
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Man made disasters like wars, civil strife, population explosion,
environmental degradation and major industrial accidents. The
direct destruction caused by war and civil strife is similar to that of a
sudden natural disaster. A period of war and civil strife results in
diversion’ of resources, affecting infrastructure as well as production
facilities.
Disasters disrupt economic activities. Physical damage after
cataclysmic disasters temporarily halts developmental activities.
Continuing disasters require changes to the infrastructure. In either
case, repair and .response take time and require' additional'
resources. These resources may not be. immediately available
without dislocating ongoing development activities in priority
sectors.
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The impact of disasters on the physically weak and
socioeconomically disadvantaged sectors of the society is
tremendous, e.g., on subsistence farmers, small shopkeepers,
casual laborer's and marginal fishermen. Their capital stock or
savings may be completely wiped out by disasters, pushing them
into the poverty group. Migration to urban centers in search of work
as a result of disasters, in turn tends to increase the urban plight
and the demand for remedial action. They may even halt or slow the
chances of the poor coming out of the poverty net. The physically
weak, such as children, pregnant and lactating mothers, the aged
and infirm bear the brunt of the adverse impacts of disasters
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Preparedness of disasters
Disaster preparedness involves proactive measures to reduce the
impact of potential disasters, including planning, training, and having
necessary resources readily available to respond effectively.
Key Aspects of Disaster Preparedness:
Planning and Risk Assessment:
Identifying potential hazards, vulnerabilities, and developing plans to
mitigate risks and respond effectively.
Training and Education:
Providing individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills
needed to respond to disasters, including first aid, evacuation
procedures, and emergency communication.
Resource Mobilization:
Ensuring access to essential resources like emergency kits, shelter,
food, water, and medical supplies.
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Communication and Early Warning:
Establishing effective communication systems to disseminate
warnings and information during a disaster.
Evacuation Planning:
Developing clear evacuation routes and procedures for different
types of disasters.
Psychosocial Support:
Recognizing the psychological impact of disasters and providing
support to affected individuals and communities.
Financial Preparedness:
Having financial resources available to cover unexpected expenses
during and after a disaster.
Community Engagement:
Involving communities in disaster preparedness planning and
training to foster resilience and ownership.
Mitigation: Taking proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of a
disaster or its potential impact.
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Safety precautions after a Disaster
After a disaster, damage to property may cause unusual and
additional safety hazards. Many disaster-related injuries and deaths
occur due to injuries resulting from clean up in the aftermath of a
disaster.
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Dissemination of information
Effective information dissemination is crucial during
disasters, ensuring timely and accurate warnings reach the public
and authorities, enabling swift and appropriate responses to
minimize harm.
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Role of National Disaster Management Authority
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Role of Government organizations
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While the primary responsibility of disaster management rests with the
States, the Central Government supports the efforts of State Governments by
providing logistical and financial support.
On behalf of the Central Government, DM Division in the Ministry of Home
Affairs co-ordinates with disaster affected State Government(s), concerned
line ministries/departments, National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute of
Disaster Management (NIDM) and the Directorate General of Fire Services,
Home Guards and Civil Defense, and Armed Forces for effective disaster risk
reduction. The Division is responsible for legislation, policy, capacity
building, prevention, mitigation, response and long term rehabilitation.
Major responsibilities of the Disaster Management Division, MHA are as
follows:
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✓ Resource mobilization for relief and response to natural disasters except
drought, hail storms, cold and frost waves and pest attack.
✓ Operation of control room and situation reports.
✓ Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems.
✓ Matters related to State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster
Response Fund.
✓ Matters related to State Disaster Mitigation Fund and National Disaster
Mitigation Fund.
✓ All matters related to disaster response, preparedness, prevention,
mitigation and capacity building.
✓ International cooperation in disaster management.
✓ Post-disaster/long term rehabilitation and reconstruction.
✓ All administrative and budget matters related to NDMA, NDRF, NIDM and
NDRF Academy.
✓ Strengthening of fire and emergency services.
✓ All matters related to Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards
including Director General of (Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards)
and National Fire Service College (NFSC).
✓ Administration of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
✓ Matters related to International Organisation like CDRI.
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Role of non-governmental organizations:
NGOs are organizations registered under various Indian laws such as the
Societies Registration Act, 1860, Section 25(1) of Companies Act, 1956
meant for non-profit companies, or State-specific Public Charitable Trust
Acts. NGOs work on a variety of areas like humanitarian assistance,
sectorial development interventions and sustainable development. NGOs
play important roles in different stages of the Disaster Management Cycle.
Volunteerism and social service has deep roots in India, since time
immemorial, even though it received special significance during the freedom
struggle through the Gandhian concept of Shramdaan, implying the offering
of free labor for some noble cause like rural development, construction of
social assets and public infrastructure and amenities, etc.
In post-Independent India, the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
have been providing support in critical sectors like health, education, water
supply and sanitation, shelter and infrastructure, restoration of livelihoods,
food security and nutrition, environment, etc.
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Given India’s multi-hazard risk and vulnerability to natural and man-made
disasters, NGOs have been playing a significant role in providing humanitarian
assistance to disaster-affected people in most of the severe disasters like the
Latur earthquake in 1993, Orissa super cyclone in 1999, Bhuj earthquake in
2001, Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Kashmir earthquake in 2005, Barmer
floods in 2006, Kosi floods in 2008,cyclones Aila and Laila and the more recent
cloud burst in Leh in August 2010, apart from participating in providing relief
to disaster affected communities in various other localized disasters.
In the recent past, the role of NGOs in disaster management (DM) has started
changing from providing post-disaster relief to strengthening pre-disaster
preparedness and mitigation through capacity building, public awareness
campaigns, mock exercises, workshops and conferences, etc.
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NGOs have also started to collaborate with corporate entities in Public-
Private Partnership (PPP) projects and Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) initiatives in the field of DM at State, District and Sub-district
levels. Till recently, the work of NGOs in the field of DM has been
mostly sporadic, reactive, responsive and driven by local level
compulsions in the geographic areas where they are implementing
development projects and very often they faced enormous challenges in
coordinating with the government machinery and even among NGOs
themselves.
In line with its mandate as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act
2005 (DM Act 2005), the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA) has circulated National Disaster Management Guidelines on
Role of NGOs in Disaster Management defining the role of NGOs in
disaster management.
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Numerous opportunities that are provided by the NGOs,
as given below, which need to be optimally utilized.
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The Role of Technology in Disaster Management
Technology is an integral part of our daily lives. We hardly live without
tapping into its benefits. This gave birth to the field of technological
advancement, which has seen steady progress over a long period of
time and is continuously developing to keep pace with the ever-
evolving needs of the people. The digital era has witnessed immense
technological developments and rapid growth in terms of applications
and platforms that streamline our day-to-day schedules in many
aspects of life.
The Role of Technology in the Disaster Management Cycle
The role of technology in the disaster management cycle is often
under-appreciated. It can be used at every stage of the cycle, from
preparedness to response to recovery.
Preparedness: Technology can be used to help create and
implement emergency plans. It can also be used to monitor potential
threats, such as weather patterns that could lead to a natural
disaster.
Response: In an emergency, technology can be used to coordinate
and manage the response effort. It can also be used to provide
information and assistance to those affected by the disaster.
Recovery: Technology can help with the rebuilding process after a
disaster. It can be used to assess damage, create reconstruction
plans, and coordinate relief efforts.
Mitigation: The cycle’s end points out the value of a well-rounded
approach. Mitigation, like preparedness, entails doing something to
lessen the chances of a disaster happening again. These measures
are important at any time, but especially in the wake of a disaster
when a community or organization may still be fragile.
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Technology can Detect Earthquakes and Deliver Quick Updates
Technology can help monitor earthquakes and provide rapid
updates about changing conditions. Earthquakes can have a
huge impact on structures, so it’s important to be ready with
the right tools and equipment.
A hurricane has the potential to have a devastating impact on
any community. Commercial buildings should be designed to
withstand hurricanes, and you are encouraged to review
material safety data sheets before covering your business with
tarps.
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Role of Citizen and Youth in the Prevention
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