JOSHUA MQABUKO NKOMO POLYTECHNIC

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE
INTAKE 6 GEOGRAPHY

MODULE: DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

LECTURER: MUREKWA D – murekwadudzirai@[Link]
0778151601/0715356151

Disaster Risk Management

Disaster risk management, in this context, are the measures to mitigate

hazards. It is important for you to note that it is impossible to completely

eradicate the hazards but we can only reduce their impact.

What are hazards

A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health

effects on something or someone. Because of the suffering they bring

upon people, they are called hazards.

Types of disaster risks

1. Geophysical

a) Volcanoes as hazards

Volcanoes are violent by nature and when they erupt, they affect human

activities negatively.
 Lava flows sometimes burn up people and cause great loss of lives.

 Some eruptions cause great damage to property and infrastructure

such as buildings, roads, railways and communication lines.

 Volcanoes can leave people homeless after their villages are

destroyed or buried under ashes.

 They also cause disruption of service provision such as electricity,

water and transport.

 Volcanoes often cause air pollution as they are associated with

gases, dust and ash which may affect the respiratory system of

humans and cause diseases.

 Some volcanic eruptions may cause tsunamis if they occur in seas

or oceans. Tsunami refers to the giant sea waves that result from

both volcanic and earthquake activities which cause rising of the sea

floor. Tsunami results in floods, loss of lives, destruction of property,

food shortages, disruption of service provision and diseases.

 Small hot rock particles called cinder can be thrown into air and

destroy people and vegetation; and bury farmlands, roads and

settlements.

 Volcanoes can also trigger landslides which destroy settlements

and cause loss of life.

MITIGATING THE PROBLEMS OF VOLCANOES

•Although volcanic eruptions cannot be prevented their effects can be

mitigated to some extent.

•This can be achieved through:

•Quick well trained rescue operations to affected areas.

•Effective media operations to quickly disseminate information

whenever volcanic activity is predicted or expected.

•Diverting lava flows using barriers and explosives although these tend

to be highly ineffective.

•Install gas detectors near volcanoes to detect non-violent eruptions

that might lead to poisonous gases being dispersed to populated areas.

•Clearing tephra(ash) from roofs so that it will not accumulate and

cause houses/ buildings to collapse

•Evacuation from affected areas prior to the eruptions and lava flows

and tsunamis.

•Monitoring volcanoes using the latest seismic technology so as to

predict likely eruptions and changes in cycles and activity.

b) Tsunamis and their effects

  A tsunami is most often formed by an earthquake, but it can also

be formed by an underwater landslide, volcano eruption or even

meteorite.

 The vast majority of tsunamis form due to earthquakes,

specifically tectonic tsunamis.

 As an earthquake happens, the ground beneath the water is

moved up and/or down abruptly and as this movement happens,

a mass of water is displaced and starts moving in all directions.

 This marks the start of a tsunami. The displaced water starts to

move as a wave.

Effects of tsunamis

• destruction of onshore infrastructure

• destruction of boats and fishing facilities

• death of people, animals and vegetation

• soil erosion

c) Earthquakes as hazards

•An earthquake is a shaking, vibration, trembling or movement in the

earth's crust.
•They are caused by one tectonic plate sliding past or over another

plate along a fault line.

•They may also be caused by volcanic eruptions when molten rock

(magma) moves below or onto the earth’s crust a phenomenon that

also typically results from movement of plates.

•They happen when the earth reacts to intense pressure built up and

is suddenly released forming shockwaves in the earth’s crust which are

transmitted to the surface resulting at times in intense shaking.

Earthquakes can cause displacement of rocks laterally or vertically

which can destroy property and communication lines. They also cause

landslides and opening up of deep cracks on the earth’s surface which

may destroy infrastructure.

•Buildings, dams and lakes can also be affected by minor

earthquakes/shakings that are known as tremors.

•Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique have all experienced earth

tremors due to the enormous weight of water building up in lake Kariba

and lake Kabora Bassa.

EFFECTS

 Loss of life as people can be killed by collapsing buildings or in

accidents and stampedes.

 Homes may be destroyed leaving people homeless and exposed

to the elements.

 Ground shaking might lead to landslides and mudslides in wet

areas and rock falls.

 Transport and other communication links such as roads can be

destroyed severing vital links with the outside world and

preventing aid from coming into the affected areas.

 Can lead to nuclear disasters such for example Fukushima in

Japan

 Power failure which may lead to blackouts.

 Water pipes can burst leading to shortages and contamination of

water supply.

 Shops and important business buildings may be destroyed.

 Lawlessness usually comes in the aftermath of earthquakes with

widespread looting, robberies and muggings especially if the

police are engaged in rescue and aid operations.

 Trade, commerce and industry are disrupted.

 Fires can result from gas pipe explosions.

 Tsunamis can result especially in coastal areas and when

earthquakes occur in the sea. Tsunamis can have waves as big

as 90 meters in height, travel at speed well in excess of

 400km/hour and have waves as long as 160 km that inundate

entire coastal towns causing further damage. They are generated

by shock waves that displace water in seas during earthquakes.

LONG TERM EFFECTS

•Diseases like dysentery and cholera can spread rapidly in the resulting

unsanitary conditions and due to shortages of clean water leading to

further loss of life.

•Expensive rebuilding exercises.

•A lot of investment is diverted to go towards repairs instead of

development these may severely impede country’s development take for

instance the case of Nepal whose economy has been eviscerated by

repeated devastating earthquakes

•Loss of income and livelihood leading to a fall in the standards of living

and an increase in the general poverty

•Important landmarks and cultural landmarks can be lost.

MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES

•Disaster preparedness practice drills so that people will know the dos and

don'ts of earthquakes when an earthquake does occur

•Homes in affected areas should have first aid kits

•Constructing seismic activity maps so that people will be aware of risky

area.

•Disaster relief operations must be carried out as soon as an earthquake

occurs these should include:

•The provision of clean water, medicines, water purification

chemicals9tablets),

•Air dropping food suppliers to inaccessible areas.

•Provision of tents for shelter.

•Turn off the gas main supplies to reduce the risk of fires

•Rescue operations using earth moving equipment to rescue those

trapped in collapsed buildings.

•Donation towards reconstruction funds.

•Building stronger and more earthquake resistant buildings can reduce the

more likelihood of their collapsing although no building can withstand the

most devastating earthquakes.

•Alternative communication methods such as shortwave radios can be

used to disseminate information

•Set up disaster centres in advance.

d) Landslides
  A landslide is whereby large quantities of loosened surface rocks

and soil suddenly slide down a steep slope such as a cliff face or

a valley side.

 This is as a result of the lubricating effect of water and the pull of

gravity.

 Human activities such as quarrying and deforestation on steep

slopes can cause landslides.

 Landslides can also be triggered by an earthquake or prolonged

heavy rains. During in 2019, when Cyclone Idai struck Zimbabwe

landslides are common in the Eastern Highlands.

2. Hydrological Disasters

Flooding

 Floods occur when heavy rains fall and rivers overflow their banks

into the surrounding plains.

 In Zimbabwe floods are very common in areas like Muzarabani, Beit

bridge as well as the Save Valley.

 Tropical cyclones also trigger massive flooding as they are

associated with heavy rainfall.

 The recent Cyclone Idai that occurred in Manicaland during the

2018/2019 rain season caused massive flooding particularly in

Chipinge and Chimanimani.

FLOODS CAN BE CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF REASONS:

[Link] high rainfall aver shorts periods of time. For example, in the

Tokwe-Mukosi case the whole country and the area in particular received

incessant rainfall for days on end with barely any breaks in the downpour.

[Link] which increase the amount of surface runoff

[Link] and sand deposition which reduces river depth and width.

[Link] water flow resulting from many tributaries.

[Link] lying areas especially along coastal areas where tsunamis and tidal

wave flooding can occur.

[Link] of ice especially exacerbated by global warming

[Link] bank cultivation resulting in increased surface runoff and

siltation especially in urban areas.

[Link] creation of concrete pavements as in cities like Harare

greatly increases the amount of surface runoff.

MITIGATION OF THE EFFECTS

 Widening and deepening river channels using earth moving

machinery so that they can hold more water.

 Straightening the river course so as to reduce friction and thus

accelerating river flow.

  Building wider bridges with higher arches to prevent bridges from

becoming de facto weirs during the summer months.

 Planting trees / vegetation along valley sides to encourage seepage

and reduce surface runoff.

 Building embankments alongside rivers to restrict water into the

channel

 Diverting river courses away from human settlements.

 Building dams across rivers to hold excess water. This is the usual

preferred method as it solves problems at once that is the water can

be used in the dry months for domestic and agricultural uses as well

as hydroelectric generation. For example, the construction of Kariba

dam and Carbora Basso reduced the flooding downstream and

provide employment in the form of fish industries, produce hydro-

electricity and water for agriculture activities.

 Use early warning flood systems so that people can be quickly

evacuated.

 Discourage settlements in low lying flood prone areas.

 Provide relief and rescue to affected victims.

Climatological Disasters

DROUGHT
•In general terms drought is caused by a general shortage of precipitation

over an extended period of time usually the rain season resulting in water

shortages for both human and natural activities

•A more formal definition defines drought as a protracted period of

deficient precipitation resulting in extensive damage to crops, resulting in

loss of yield.

•Droughts are often associated, but should not be confused with, famine

which is an extreme shortage of food for part or most of the population.

•Droughts are naturally occurring phenomena.

•Zimbabwe and southern Africa often experience cyclical droughts for

example 1800-1830s, 1844-49, 1881-2, 1992 and in some parts during

2002. Generally, a drought occurs at least once every decade although

they may become more frequent due to global warming.

•Areas in Matabeleland which often receive less rain as they are further

inland often suffer the severest droughts and more frequently even in

times when the rest of the country receives normal rains.

•Countries in northern Africa especially western African countries like

Somalia and Ethiopia have more frequent droughts some of which last for

five years.

•Droughts have also been attributed to climate change.

CAUSES

•Although many theories have been put forth to explain the causes of

droughts not much is known.

•The most dominant theory is the el Niño effect with some experts even

linking droughts to volcanic eruptions.

•El Niño is a band of water whose temperature hardly changes for long

periods of time that is found on the western coast of the south American

continent.

•The warming up of these waters is known in the local Spanish language

as el Niño (the child in reference to baby Jesus as it tend to occur around

Christmas).

•The cooling of these waters is known as la Nina (the little girl)

•Both these phases are known as the el Niño southern oscillation cycle

(ENSO)

•During an ENSO, the waters in the Pacific Ocean gets warmer.

•Normal air flow moves westward from the pacific to the Indian ocean, but

during the el Niño this movement is weakened or altered. This results in

high rainfall in some parts of Latin America but low rainfall and even

drought in southern Africa.

•During the 1991-2 drought el Niño lasted until the end of February 1992.

•During la Nina Zimbabwe receives extremely large amounts of rainfall.

EFFECTS

•Crops wilt and there may be a significant reduction in yields.

•Sometimes crops fail

•Animals die because of dehydration and lake of pastures

•Shortage of drinking water

•Dust storms

•Death of people due to dehydration and starvation

•Malnutrition and associated conditions such as kwashiorkor which are

more pronounced in children

•Poverty due to loss of livelihood

•Famine

•Crops may become toxic due an increase in aflatoxins especially to

animals

•Can lead to nitrate poisoning ianimals which are fed through drought

affected crops such as maize

•Wild fires becomes more frequent

MITIGATION

•Farmers can make use of insurance schemes

•Stockpiling essential food crops in years of high yields using for example

GMB silo storage

•Practising irrigation using river and ground water

•Cloud seeding

•Grow drought resistant crops and keeping drought resistant animals like

donkeys

•Grow early maturity crops

•Appeal for aid from international organisations such as the UN, USAID,

OXFAM, save the child etc.

•Find alternative uses for drought damaged crops for example drought

affected soya beans can be used to feed cattle.

Disaster risk management of volcanoes, earthquakes, flooding and

mass wasting.

Early warning system (EWS): This is when the authorities monitor all

signs of volcanic eruption and warn the local people of the upcoming

disaster. Such signs include rock cracks, hot patches on rock surfaces
and abnormal animal behaviour. People should also be warned of the

rising water levels in rivers and be prepared for a possible danger of

floods. This can be done through radios, television or social media.

Evacuation: Despite the hazards posed by volcanoes, earthquakes

and floods, many people are still attracted to settle in volcanic areas,

coastal areas and flood plains because of the rich agricultural soils,

minerals and other opportunities offered by such areas. In the event of

an earthquake, volcano or floods, the people must be moved from

these densely populated areas to safer places. This is called

evacuation.

Resettlement: This involves moving the affected people from their

original homes to the newly allocated areas on a more permanent

basis.

Rescue operations: These are done to minimise the number of deaths

when a volcano, flooding or an earthquake occurs. Upon occurrence

of such disasters some people will be trapped in collapsed buildings,

roof tops or trees and they need to be rescued. In Zimbabwe, rescue

operations are often done by the military using their helicopters, boats

and other rescue equipment. When Cyclone Idai disaster hit Zimbabwe

in 2019, the military, volunteers and other disaster management teams

played a crucial part in rescuing the people in trouble.

 Building disaster resilient structures: People must be encouraged

to build structures that are resistant to these disasters. For example,

putting rubber shock absorbers on foundations and using light weight

material when building to reduce the effects of earthquakes. In areas

that are prone to floods they must use strong materials for building.

Education and awareness: People in areas that are prone to the

hazards must be taught what to do before, during and after the disaster.

Aid: The government or local, authorities, well-wishers and non-

governmental organisations (NGOs) can provide aid to the affected

people in the form of coffins to bury the dead, ambulances and

medicine for the injured, clothes, blankets, food, clean water and tents

for the homeless.

3. Biological Disasters

 Biological disasters or hazards are natural scenarios involving

disease, disability or death on a large scale among humans,

animals and plants.

 Biological disasters can also include diseases caused by

pathogens or biological vectors including viruses, e.g. COVID 19,

Swine flu (H1N1) and Ebola, Monkey Pox.

Agricultural pests
Common pests in Zimbabwe include pest such as:

• army worm

• red locusts

• qualia birds

• tsetse fly

Armyworms

 These pests destroy crops through chewing of plant tissues. There

has been an increase of these pest in recent years due to climate

change.

 Pesticides only work when the larvae are very small and before they

have begun to cause visible damage to the crop. After that, there

are no quick fixes.

 These pests cause extensive damage to crops and pasture. The

pest can cause crop losses of more than 70 percent.

 Communal farmers feel the greatest damage because they lack

enough resources and knowledge to combat these outbreaks.

 The solution to the outbreak of armyworm is the use of chemicals

such as carbaryl, malathion and trichloforton.

Red locusts
  These locusts feed on grain crops and cause extensive damage in

areas where they pass through.

 The red locusts feed on flowers, leaves of plants and on the fruits.

 They can cause extensive damage when they attack an area in

large numbers.

 You should know that locusts are not only red, there are many types

of locust but the red are the most common ones that attack crops

through chewing of the plant tissues.

 The best way of reducing the effects of locusts is spraying

chemicals.

 They can also be controlled using physical means by hand picking

but this is less effective as it takes time to complete the task.

Quelea birds

 The quelea bird is also another pest that causes great damage to

plants and pastures.

 These birds move in large numbers destroying plants and pastures.

 The Quelea birds usually destroy wheat fields and are usually

scared away using drums.

 The best way to control these menacing pests is to spray using

chemicals although they can be trapped and eaten by farmers.

Tsetse fly
  Tsetse fly are disease-carrying pests. They pierce animals and suck

blood. In the process, they spread diseases such as sleeping

sickness.

 The tsetse fly had almost been eliminated in Zimbabwe but it has

since resurfaced in areas like Mbire and the Zambezi valley because

of the dominance of wild animals such as buffaloes from

neighbouring countries; like Mozambique and Zambia.

 Tsetse fly are also common in these areas because of high

temperatures that prevail.

 The pest causes diseases like nagana or sleeping sickness.

Meteorological Hazards

Tropical Cyclones

Effects of tropical cyclones

Social Effects

• Trauma

• Loss of life

• Destitution

• Homelessness

• Famine
• Spread of diseases like cholera

Economic Effects

• Destruction of buildings, roads, bridges, communication lines

• Cost of rescue

• Cost of famine and disease alleviation

• Loss of property

• Cost of repair work

Environmental Effects

• Destruction of trees

• Excessive soil erosion

• Creation of gulleys

• Mud slides, Land slides

• Destruction of habitats for animals.

• Death of animals

• Flooding

Note that Zimbabwe is in the pathway of tropical cyclones. The shortest

distance between Zimbabwe and the Indian Ocean where tropical

cyclones form and occur is only 220 kilometres.

Some tropical cyclones can be as large as 500 kilometres across! This

means that such systems can reach Zimbabwe with all their strength.

Mitigation against impact of tropical cyclone

(a) Before the cyclone

- Training of rescue teams so that they are ready years, months or days

before any cyclone happens.

- Setting up early warning systems. Early warning systems, you will

understand can be sent through Whatsapp, SMS messages, television

and radio messages. In some communities, loud sirens are sounded. All

these are for warning us to run away on time.

- Building safe shelters. What do you think safe houses are for? Of course,

they are for giving people temporary shelter during or after the cyclone.

Safe houses are built on high ground where people find refuge.

- Education of people on tropical cyclones. You will appreciate that people

respond better to help if they are informed about the tropical cyclones.

Education also includes giving knowledge on disaster resilient structures.

- Building artificial levees. Levees could be built out of sand bags. They

block water from flooding into people’s homes.

- Budget for rescue and famine, water shortages and repairs.

(b) During the tropical cyclone

- Remaining in shelters.

- Evacuation of those not yet evacuated.

- Tracking the cyclone and anticipation of its paths and therefore its

impact.

Note that these measures depend on the safety of the area since the

tropical cyclone will still be going on.

(b) After the cyclone

• Rescue efforts. Rescue teams consists of volunteers and the army?

• Delivery of water and food to shelters. Taking toll of the damage and

deaths.

• Repair of damaged infrastructure. You will appreciate that when people

lose their homes, there is need to mobilise resources and rebuild.

• Counselling of the bereaved and of those who lose their property and

giving psycho-social support. It is giving encouragement and emotional

and psychological help to traumatised people. Counselling provides this

psychosocial support.

• Financial and food support to affected people as they try to get their lives
back on track. After cyclone Idai in Chiredzi people were being given

US$13 per head per month. This was meant to support the livelihood of

the people until they got back to their feet.

Heritage based disaster mitigation strategies

Local communities and disaster risk reduction practitioners can benefit

from IKS.

The following are some of the Heritage based methods in disaster risk

management.

 Traditional rituals

 Traditional food storage practices, food storage houses built on

highland areas like dwalas/ruware. (tsapi), hozi.