Handout -1 Glossary of Terms (Disaster Management)

Hazard A hazard, natural or man-made, is a phenomenon that has the

potential to cause injury to life, property, livelihoods and habitats.
Vulnerability Conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and
environmental factors that increase community susceptibility to hazard
impact
Exposure The total of human life, assets, and/or physical infrastructure
threatened or potentially threatened with loss in the case of a particular
hazard or peril
Risk The probability of harmful consequences, such as personal injury,
loss of life, damage to or loss of property, loss of livelihood, and
disruptions in economic activity, or environmental damage. These
consequences can result from an interaction between natural or human-
induced hazards and vulnerable conditions. [Risk = function (Exposure +
Hazard + Vulnerability)]
Disaster An event natural or man-made, sudden or progressive, which
impacts with such severity that the affected community has to respond by
taking exceptional measures.
Disaster Management A collective term of all disaster related activities,
encompassing all aspects of planning for and responding to disasters. It
refers to the management of both the risks and consequences of disasters.
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) A systematic process of using
resources to manage the risk of disasters. The comprehensive approach to
reduce the adverse impacts of a disaster. DRM encompasses all actions
taken before, during, and after the disasters. It includes activities on
mitigation, preparedness, emergency response, recovery, rehabilitation,
and reconstruction.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) A conceptual framework to reduce
vulnerabilities in the context of sustainable development. The conceptual
framework to: minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a
society; to avoid or limit the adverse impacts of hazards; done within the
broad context of sustainable development.
Mitigation The lessening or minimizing of the adverse impacts of
hazards and related disasters.
Preparedness Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure
effective response to the impact of hazards, including the issuance of
timely and effective early warnings and the temporary evacuation of
people and property from threatened locations.
Public awareness the processes of informing the general population,
increasing levels of consciousness about risks and how people can reduce
their exposure to hazards. This is particularly important for public
officials in fulfilling their responsibilities to save lives and property in the
event of a disaster.
Early warning the provision of timely and effective information,
through identified institutions, to communities and individuals so that
they could take action to reduce their risks and prepare for effective
response.
Resilience The capacity of a community, society or organization
potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing in order
to maintain an acceptable level of functioning. Resilience can be
increased by learning from past disasters for better future protection and
to improve risk reduction measures.
Structural/non-structural measures Structural measures refer to any
physical construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards,
which include engineering measures and construction of hazard-resistant
and protective structures and infrastructure.
Non-structural measures refer to policies, awareness, knowledge
development, public commitment, and methods and operating practices,
including participatory mechanisms and the provision of information,
which can reduce risk and related impacts.
 Types of Disasters and National Risk Profile

A. Natural Disasters

These types of disasters naturally occur in proximity to, and pose a

threat to, people, structures or economic assets. They are caused by
biological, geological, seismic, hydrologic, or meteorological conditions or
processes in the natural environment (e.g. cyclones, earthquakes, tsunami,
floods, landslides and volcanic eruptions).

1. Cyclones, Hurricanes or Typhoons

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by

a low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of
thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. Cyclones develop when a warm
ocean gives rise to hot air, which in turn creates convectional air currents.
Cyclones occur when these conventional air currents are being displaced.
The term hurricane/ typhoon is a regionally specific name for “tropical
cyclone”. In Asia they are called ‘typhoons’; in the Indian and Pacific Oceans
they are called ‘cyclones’; and over the North Atlantic and Caribbean Basin,
they are called ‘hurricanes’.
2. Earthquakes

An earthquake is a trembling or shaking movement of the earth’s

surface, resulting from plate movements along a fault-plane or as a result of
volcanic activity. Earthquakes can strike suddenly, violently, and without
warning at any time of the day or night. The terminologies associated with
earthquakes are epicenter, fault, magnitude and seismic waves.

For practical purposes, earthquakes are usually defined by their

magnitude (or quantitative energy released) which is measured using a
logarithm scale of 1 – 10. This logarithm scale is referred to as the Richter
scale. The magnitude is determined by analyzing seismic data obtained
from seismometers. The intensity of an earthquake is measured using the
Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale, which is determined qualitatively
by physical observations of the impact of the earthquake.

3. Tsunami

A tsunami is an ocean wave generated by a submarine earthquake,

volcano or landslide. It is also known as a seismic sea wave, and incorrectly
as tidal wave. Storm surges are waves caused by strong winds blowing over
the sea surface.
4. Floods

The phenomenon occurs when water covers previously dry areas, i.e.
when large amounts of water flow from a source such as a river onto a
previously dry area, or when water overflows banks or barriers. Flash Floods
are sudden episodes with a shorter duration in hilly as well as urban areas.

Floods can be environmentally important to local ecosystems. For

example, some river floods bring nutrients to soil such as in Egypt where
the annual flooding of the Nile River carries nutrients to otherwise dry land.
Floods can also have an economic and emotional impact on people,
particularly if their property is directly affected. Having a better
understanding of what causes flooding can help people to be better
prepared and to perhaps minimize or prevent flood damage.

5. Landslides

The term landslide refers to the downward movement of masses of

rock and soil. Landslides are caused by one or a combination of the
following factors; change in slope gradient, increasing the load the land
must bear, shocks and vibrations, change in water content, ground water
movement, and frost action, weathering of rocks, removal or, changing the
type of vegetation covering slopes.

Landslide hazard occurs where the land has certain characteristics which
contribute to the risk of the downhill movement of material. These
characteristics include:
 i. A slope greater than 15 percent.

ii. Landslide activity or movement occurred during the last 10,000

years.

iii. Stream or wave activity which has caused erosion undercut a

bank or cut into a bank to cause the surrounding land to be
unstable.

iv. The presence or potential for snow avalanches.

v. The presence of an alluvial fan which indicates vulnerability to

the flow of debris or sediments.

vi. The presence of impermeable soils, such as silt or clay, which

are mixed with granular soils such as sand and gravel.

Landslides can also be triggered by other natural hazards such as

rains, floods, earthquakes, as well as human-made causes, such as grading
terrain, cutting and filling, excessive development, etc. Because the factors
affecting landslides can be geophysical or human-made, they can occur in
developed areas, undeveloped areas, or any area where the terrain has
been altered for roads, houses, utilities, buildings, etc.
B. Human-Made Disasters

These are disasters or emergency situations of which the principal,

direct causes are identifiable human actions, deliberate or otherwise. Apart
from “technological disasters” this mainly involves situations in which
civilian populations suffer casualties losses of property, basic services and
means of livelihood as a result of war, civil strife or other conflicts, or policy
implementation. In many cases, people are forced to leave their homes,
giving rise to congregations of refugees or extremely and/ or internally
displaced persons as a result of civil strife etc. Other man-made disasters
include an airplane crash, a rail/road accident, a building collapse, a major
fire, oil spill, epidemic, terrorism etc.

C. National Risk Profile

The October 2005 earthquake highlighted the risk exposure and

vulnerability of Pakistan. The decision makers, politicians, development
works, international donors and the general populace have become aware
for the first time of the major catastrophic risk facing Pakistan. Pakistan’s
exposure to natural hazards and disasters could be ranked between
moderate to severe. A range of natural hazards including earthquakes,
droughts, floods, landslides, avalanches, cyclones/ storms, tsunami, glacial
lake outbursts and river erosion threaten Pakistan. In addition a variety of
human induced hazards also threaten the society economy and
environment in the country. They include industrial, nuclear and transport
accidents, oil spills, urban fires, civil conflicts and terrorism. The high
priority hazards from the perspective of disaster risk reduction include
earthquakes, droughts, flooding and transport accidents that can cause
widespread damage and losses when they occur. The following is an
overview of the key hazards that threaten Pakistan.
(a) Earthquakes

The Indo-Australian plate upon which Pakistan, India and Nepal lie, is
continuously moving northward, colliding with and sub-ducting under the
Eurasian plate, thus forming the Himalayan mountains, and triggering
earthquakes in the process. Within the Suleiman, Hindu Kush and
Karakuram mountain ranges, the Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral district in KPK,
Kashmir including Muzaffarabad, and Quetta, Chaman, Sibi Zoab, Khuzar,
Dalbandin, the Markran coast including Gwadar and Pasni in Balochistan are
located within high hazard and very high hazard risk areas. The cities of
Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar are located on the edges of the high
hazard areas.

The areas comprising Pakistan have suffered from major earthquakes in the
20th century including the great Quetta earthquake of 1935, the 1945
earthquake off the coast of Makran, the 1976 earthquake in Gilgit-Baltistan
and the October 2005 Kashmir and KPK earthquake. In between these
major events, the Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir have experienced many small
quakes with localized impact.

The 7.6 Kashmir earthquake of October 2005 occurred in a region where a

major plate-boundary earthquake was considered long overdue. Although
the earthquake resulted in widespread devastation, the scientists believe
that it may not have released more than one tenth of the cumulative elastic
energy that has developed since the previous great earthquake in the
region in 1555 or earlier. The seismologists are also concerned out the
absence of earthquakes in Baluchistan in the recent history, which may
mean the occurrence of major seismic activities in future.
Seismologists believe that one or more great earthquakes may be overdue
in a large fraction of the Himalaya, threatening millions of people in the
region. They also don’t rule out the chances of occurrence of ruptures of
magnitudes in the Balochistan area.

(b) Droughts

The incidence of drought in Pakistan is becoming increasingly common with

substantial consequences on food security, livestock production,
environment and natural resources. Low rainfall and extreme variations in
temperature characterize the climate in Pakistan. About 50 per cent of the
total land area in country is classified as arid, which receives less than 200
mm annual rainfall. The main arid rangelands include Cholistan, Dera Ghazi
Khan, D.I. Khan, Kohistan, Tharparkear and Western Balochistan. The
average annual precipitation in Balochistan and Sindh provices is about 160
mm as compared with 400 mm in Punjab province and about 630 mm in
KPK province. Within Balochistan, the average precipitation varies from less
than 50 mm in the southwest to about 400 mm in the northeast. Rainfall
variability during different seasons is also considerably high. The climate of
the country in lower southern half is arid and hyper-arid. Some regions of
the country in each season remain drastically dry and are always vulnerable
to drought. Even a small negative deviation from the low mean rainfall
creates additional water scarcity in southern provinces of Balochistan and
Sindh and makes them more vulnerable to droughts. In this way drought
has become a typical feature in Pakistan. These areas experience two-three
drought years in every decade.
All provinces of Pakistan have a history of facing major droughts in the past.
In recent years, drought has brought extensive damages to Balochistan,
Sindh and Southern Punjab. Severe drought episodes from 1977-2002
affected livelihoods, resulted in human deaths, forced tens of thousands of
people to migrate, and killed large number of cattle. This drought led to 120
deaths and affected 2.2 million people, while 2.5 million livestock died and
another 7.2 million livestock were affected. Twenty-three (23) out of the 26
districts in Balochistan and about 6 districts in Sindh were severely affected.
The drought of year 2001 was termed as worst in the history of the country,
which reduced the economic growth rate to 2.6 per cent as compared to an
average growth rate of over 6 per cent. Furthermore the drought reduced
the country’s ability to produce hydro-electricity.

In general, per capita water availability is declining in Pakistan over time

due to the combined impact of rising population and reduction in the
storage capacity. The country’s per capita water availability of 950 cubic
meters is now well below the threshold level of water scarcity i.e. 1000
cubic meters. Experts predict that with prevailing consumption rates and a
population growth of 4 million people per year, one out of three people in
Pakistan will face critical shortage of water. The Government has started
National Water Resources Development Programme (NWRDP) 2000-2025.
The program has formulated a strategy for water resources development
and identified possible sites for dam construction with a total storage
capacity of 35.66 MAF (Million Acre Feet).

(c) Floods

Fifty six (56%) percent of the Indus river basin, one of the largest river
basins in Asia, lies in Pakistan and covers approximately 70% of the
country’s area (IUCN, 2005). The largest river in the basin is the Indus River
with Chenab, Jhelum, Kabul, Ravi and Sutlaj rivers as its major tributaries.

Generally major floods in the Indus basin occur in late summer (July to
September) when the South Asian region is subjected to heavy monsoon
rains. In the upper to mid reaches of the Basin, it is generally the tributaries
like Jhelum and Chennab rivers, which are the cause of flooding rather than
the Indus River itself. The monsoon low depression that causes intense rain
develops either in the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. Major flooding is
generally associated with the depression from the Bay of Bengal moving
across India in West/ North-westerly direction and then turning north at the
border with Pakistan.

The mountain ranges in the extreme north of Pakistan provide perennial

source of inflow into the river. River floods particularly hit Punjab and Sindh
while hill torrents tend to affect the hilly areas of KPK, AJK, Balochistan and
northern Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). Districts of Charsadda,
Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar in KPK sre exposed to flood risks from the
flooding in river Kabul.

Since many rivers are snow-fed, they are also likely to cause flooding due to
heat wave in early summer, combined with early monsoon. Floods in
Pakistan can also occur due to the dam bursts. For example in February
2005, the floods hit Pasni in Balochistan due to the Shadi Kor dam burst,
resulting from a week of torrential rains.

Economic damages resulting from annual flooding are a major burden on

the country. Floods threaten country’s vital agricultural, communication
infrastructure and have caused 11,939 deaths and losses worth USD $ 38
billion recorded for large floods since country’s independence in 1947. The
catastrophic flood of 2010 is the worst in the history of this country.

(d) Landslides

The regions of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of the KPK province in

Pakistan are vulnerable to landslide hazard. Aside from the young geology
and the fragile soil type of the mountain ranges, accelerated deforestation
is a major cause behind increased incidences of the landslides in the region.
In the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake the steep mountains in Kashmir
and KPK came down tumbling. The landslides isolated already hard to reach
villages and cities. In some cases wide sections of the mountain, more than
a kilometer in width slid into the valleys below. Small scale isolated
landslide hazards happen frequently in the above regions, which case
significant damages and losses at the local level. The incidences of
landslides can increase in future, since due to deforestation, the forest
cover is shrinking by 3.1% and woody biomass by 5% annually (7000-9000
are taken away annually). The incident of Atta abad lake in 2010 is a major
landslide disaster in Gilgit. Baltistan creating a dam on Hunza river.

(e) Tsunami

Pakistan also has a history of tsunami disasters. A big tsunami was

experienced on 28 November 1945, due to a great earthquake of
magnitude 8.3, offshore Makran Coast south of Pasni during the early
hours. The tsunami produced sea waves of 12-15 meters height that killed
at least 4000 people in Pasni and adjoining areas. The tsunami waves
reached as far as Mumbai and Karachi, about 450 kms from the epicenter, 6
feet high sea waves were experienced which affected the harbour facilities.
Fortunately when the sea wave occurred it was not the time of high tide at
Karachi coast. The risk of the occurrence of a future tsunami from this
source exists in the region. The fact that cities like Karachi lie close to the
potential epicenters for large submarine earthquakes, demands attention
for enhancement of local capacities for disaster risk reduction, early
warning and response in order to reduce losses of life, property and
environment from future earthquake or tsunami events. Tsunami may reach
the coastal region within one hour. Therefore, a tsunami warning system
has been put in place which would ensure that the warning message
reaches the coastal inhabitants as soon as possible.

(f) Cyclones/ Storms

Coastal belt of Pakistan (especially in Sindh) is highly vulnerable to cyclones

and associated storm surges. Fourteen cyclones were recorded between
1971 and [Link] can cause large scale damage to the coastal areas
of Sindh and Baluchistan. The cyclone of 1999 in Thatta and Badin districts
wiped out 73 settlements, and it killed 168 people, and 11000 cattle. Nearly
0.6 million people were affected. It destroyed 1800 small and big boats and
partially damaged 642 boats, causing a loss of Rs 380 million. The losses to
infrastructure were estimated at Rs 750 million.

The climate change is causing increase in the frequency and intensity of

storms and changes in their tracks. Although the frequency of cyclones is
low along Pakistan coast, yet they cause considerable damages in the area,
when they occur. Coastal belt is mostly low-lying therefore storm surges
extend several kilometers inland and they damage crops and convert the
agricultural land into gully lands for long time. Strong winds create havoc by
destroying human settlements, electric and communication installations
and trees. In the aftermath of cyclones the areas are left water logged
where cultivation is not possible for months due to the soil conditions.

(g) Glacial Lake Outbursts Floods

Another likely scenario that can come into play is the burst of glacial lakes in
the up streak of Indus basin due to heat waves, a phenomenon termed as
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF). A recent study found that, of the 2420
glacial lakes in the Indus basin, 52 lakes are potentially dangerous and could
result in GLOF with serious damages to life and property. The study has also
indicated that global warming can increase the potential of GLOF in future.

(h) Avalanches

The Kashmir region and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan experience avalanches

on a regular seasonal basis. Local people in the hazardous region and the
tourists are vulnerable to this hazard.

(i) Industrial, Nuclear and Transport Accidents

Transport accidents are a common phenomenon in Pakistan. Particularly

the train system in Pakistan is notorious for collisions. Hundreds of people
have been killed in such accidents. Plane crashes are not rare events and
road accidents are very common.. The growing industrialization particularly
within urban settlements in cities like Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Karachi,
Lahore, Sialkot and elsewhere can be a source of major industrial disasters,
although Pakistan has not experienced any such events in the past. The
neigh-bouring India suffered from Bhopal Gas leakage in 1985, in which
5000 people were killed and enormous health hazards were experienced by
citizens of Bhopal. Having installed various nuclear facilities and nuclear
power stations, Pakistan is also exposed to the risks of nuclear accidents.
The Chernoble disaster in Russia must serve as a reminder in this regard.

Pakistan now has two ports in Karachi and Gwadar along the coast of
Makran. These areas are at risk from marine accidents. In Karachi, in August
2003 the wreckage to Tasman Spirit a Greek old-ship caused colossal
environmental losses and health hazards for the businesses, port workers
and adjacent communities. About 28,000 ton oil spilled all over the harbour
area, which affected marine life in a major way. The residents in the area
reported headaches, nausea and respiratory problems in the weeks
following the accident. It took months for the authorities to clear the oil
affected areas.

(j) Urban Fires

Fortunately Pakistan has not experienced any major urban fire incidents so
far. However, considering the pace of urbanization, coupled with
industrialization, the chances of urban fires can’t be ignored. The CNG gas
stations are installed in all urban areas and it is also sold at small shops and
stores for household use. In small cities and towns the sale of petroleum
products at small shops located within residential areas is also common.
These practices combined with mass culture of smoking cigarettes could
pose a major fir risk. The fire services in urban centers need to be well
equipped.
(k) Civil Conflicts and Terrorism

Pakistan is a diverse society, ethnically, linguistically, religiously and

culturally. This diversity has sometimes led towards civil conflicts amongst
various social groups. For example, Pakistan has suffered sectarian conflicts
causing loss of life and damage to property, while creating insecurity for
various social groups in the affected areas. Also terrorist activities are
continuously inflicting heavy losses of life and property and creating an
insecure environment since the start of this millennium.