Disaster management
Cover page
Index
The Meaning of disaster
Credits:(IFRC and Oxford dictionary for this specific page)
According to the oxford dictionary, disaster refers to a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes
great damage or loss of life that has unfortunate damage
Disasters can be caused by many different kinds of hazards and can have devastating impacts on people and
communities.
The frequency, complexity and severity of their impacts are likely to increase in the future due to factors such as
climate change, displacement, conflict, rapid and unplanned urbanization, technological hazards and public health
emergencies.
Disasters normally have an irreversible impact on the environment(or else, depending on the specific disaster)
What Are Natural And Man-Made disasters?
Natural Disasters
NATURAL DISASTERS, also referred to as natural hazards are extreme, sudden events caused by environmental
factors such as storms, floods, droughts, fires, and heatwaves. Natural disasters are now occurring with
increasing severity, scope and impact.
Man-made Disasters
Man-made disasters have an element of human intent, negligence, or error involving a failure of a
man-made system, as opposed to natural disasters resulting from natural hazards. Such man-made
disasters are crime, arson, civil disorder, terrorism, war, biological/chemical threat, cyber-attacks, etc.
Type of disasters
Natural disasters
-tsunamis-
Hurricanes
-earthquakes
-tornadoes
-wildfires
-volcanic eruptions
- blizzards
- hailstorms,
-mudslides
-floods.
Man made Disasters
-crime,
-Arson,
-Civil disorder,
-Terrorism,
-War
-Biological/Chemical threat
-cyber-attacks
2 PITCTURES OF NAT AND MM
Disaster Management
Disaster Management (AKA Emergency Management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework
within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.
THERE ARE 4 TYPES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
● Mitigation / Measures to be taken before and after an event.
● Preparedness / Measures to be taken before and after an event.
● Response / Measures to be taken during and immediately after an event.
● Recovery / Post disaster measures (long term after the disaster).
Mitigation strategies:
A mitigation strategy in the context of Computer Science refers to the process of identifying and
implementing measures to reduce the impact of risks on a company's critical data and operations.
If a risk presents an unwanted negative consequence, you may be able to completely avoid those consequences. By
stepping away from the business activities involved or designing out the causes of the risk you can successfully avoid
the occurrence of the undesired events.
One way to avoid risk is to exit the business, cancel the project, close the factory, etc. Although this has
consequences, it can be used as an option.
Another approach is to establish policies and procedures that assist the organization to foresee and avoid high-risk
situations.
Preparedness:
The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, response and recovery organizations, communities and
individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current disasters.
Response:
Disaster recovery (DR) is an organization’s ability to restore access and functionality to IT infrastructure after a
disaster event, whether natural or caused by human action (or error). DR is considered a subset of business
continuity, explicitly focusing on ensuring that the IT systems that support critical business functions are operational
as soon as possible after a disruptive event occurs.
NATURAL DISASTERS- TSUNAMI
Credists: national ocean service, wikipedia
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of
the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to
higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean [Link] principal generation mechanism of a tsunami is the
displacement of a substantial volume of water or perturbation of the sea. This displacement of water is usually caused
by earthquakes, but can also be attributed to landslides, volcanic eruptions, glacier calvings or more rarely by
meteorites and nuclear tests. However, the possibility of a meteorite causing a tsunami is debated. The word tsunami
is japanese, meaning harbor wave.
MAN-MADE DISASTERS- TERRORISM
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non combat to achieve political or ideological aimsThe
term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war against
non-combatants (mostly civilians and neutral military personnel).There are various different definitions of terrorism
with no universal agreement about it. Different definitions of terrorism emphasize its randomness, its aim to instill
fear, and its broader impact beyond its immediate victims. Modern terrorism, evolving from earlier iterations, employs
various tactics to pursue political goals, often leveraging fear as a strategic tool to influence decision [Link]
organizations have used terrorism to achieve their objectives including political leaders,religious
leaders,revolutionaries,ets
Case Study: Indian Ocean Tsunami 200
Under a decade ago one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the
coast of Indonesia, triggering a deadly tsunami.
“We were staying in an idyllic beach village called Unawatuna in Galle district. It took a matter of
seconds for a wall of water of about 5ft in height to start coming in. It was a kind of surge which
reached the first floor of our hotel. It flattened walls, trees, and the buildings around us, before
rising higher and higher.”Louis Cryer
The Earthquake-TSUNAMI
It began at 7:59am local time on December 26, 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Sumatra in
[Link] earthquake was the third-biggest ever recorded at the time and lasted around 10 minutes. It displaced
30 cubic kilometres of water, unleashing a massive tsunami across the Indian [Link] 15 minutes of the
earthquake, waves struck the coasts of northern Sumatra and Nicobar...scaring and threatening both locals
and several Nicobar pigeons.
26th Dec 2004
A major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra,
Indonesia. A massive tsunami with waves up to 30 m (100 ft) high devastates communities along the surrounding
coasts of the Indian Ocean.
27th Dec 2004
Known death toll sits at 12,000. Efforts continue to locate missing residents and families continue to search for
relatives.
30th Dec 2004
Known death toll sits at 77,000. Disaster appeals continue across the world to raise assistance funds.
1st Jan 2005
Monsoon rains further worsen disaster effects. Flash floods prevent aid workers reaching some parts of the island and
local health officials warn of a possible outbreak of disease in refugee centres. Thai Prime Minister warns the
remaining 6,000 missing are likely dead.
2nd Jan 2005
UN warns death toll is likely to top 150,000. In Indonesia, where whole communities were wiped out, officials stop
counting the number of corpses found.
6th Jan 2005
World leaders meet in Indonesia to aid those affected by the disaster. Promising to work together to rebuild shattered
communities they agree to build an early warning system in the Indian Ocean to guard against any future disasters.
Number of deaths occured
Epicenter of the tsunami
CASE STUDY- TERRORISM
Oklahoma City Bombing
On the morning of April 19, 1995, an ex-Army soldier and security guard named Timothy McVeigh parked a rented
Ryder truck in front of a Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma [Link] was about to commit mass [Link] the
vehicle was a powerful bomb made out of a deadly cocktail of agricultural fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other chemicals.
McVeigh got out, locked the door, and headed towards his getaway car. He ignited one timed fuse, then [Link]
precisely 9:02 a.m., the bomb [Link] moments, the surrounding area looked like a war zone. A third of the
building had been reduced to rubble, with many floors flattened. Dozens of cars were incinerated and more than 300
nearby buildings were damaged or [Link] human toll was still more devastating: 168 souls lost, including 19
children, with several hundred more [Link] FBI, meanwhile, quickly arrived at the scene and began supporting
rescue efforts and investigating the facts. Beneath the pile of concrete and twisted steel were clues. And the FBI was
determined to find [Link] April 20, the rear axle of the Ryder truck was located, which yielded a vehicle
identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, [Link] at the shop helped the FBI
quickly put together a composite drawing of the man who had rented the van. Agents showed the drawing around
town, and local hotel employees supplied a name: Tim [Link]’d been pulled over about 80 miles north of
Oklahoma City by an observant Oklahoma State Trooper who noticed a missing license plate on his yellow Mercury
Marquis. McVeigh had a concealed weapon and was arrested. It was just 90 minutes after the bombing.