Disaster Management
Introduction to Disaster Manage…
A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that causes significant disruption, destruction, and distress
community
to a or society. It results in widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses
Defining Disaster exceed the affected community's ability to cope using its own resources. Examples include natural
that
events (e.g., earthquakes, floods) and man-made events (e.g., industrial accidents, terrorism).
Suddenness: Disasters often occur unexpect…
Severity: The impact is severe enough to disrupt normal…
Key Characteristics of Disasters
Scale: Affects a large number of people or a wide geographical area.
Need for External Assistance: The affected community cannot cope alone and requires external…
Types of Disasters
These are caused by natural forces and are beyond human control. Examples…
Earthquakes: Sudden shaking of the Earth's surface due to tectonic plate move…
Floods: Overflow of water onto normally dry land, often caused by heavy rainfall or river…
Natural Disasters Cyclones: Intense low-pressure systems over water that create strong winds and heavy…
Tsunamis: Large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or land…
Landslides: Downward movement of soil or rock debris at a…
Droughts: Prolonged periods of inadequate rainfall leading to water…
These are caused by human activities, either intentionally or unintentionally. Examples…
Industrial Accidents: Chemical spills, explosions, or fire disas…
Terrorism: Deliberate acts of violence to create fear and disrup…
Man-Made Disasters
Nuclear Accidents: Accidents at nuclear power plants (e.g., Cher…
Wars: Armed conflicts causing widespread destruc…
Environmental Degradation: Deforestation, pollution, and climate…
Key Concepts in Disaster Management
A hazard is a dangerous phenomenon (natural or human-induced) that may cause loss of life, injury
Hazard damage to property and the environment. Examples include earthquakes, floods, and chemical
or
spills.
Vulnerability refers to the conditions that increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact
hazards.
of These conditions can be:
Physical: Poorly constructed buildings, lack of infrastruc…
Vulnerability Social: Poverty, lack of education, inequality.
Economic: Limited financial resources, unemploy…
Environmental: Degradation of natural resources, climate…
Risk is the probability of harmful consequences resulting from the interaction between hazards
vulnerable
and conditions. It is calculated as:
Risk Risk = Hazard * Vulnerability
For example: an earthquake (hazard) in a densely populated city with poorly constructed build-
(vulnerability)
ings presents a high risk.
Phases of Disaster Management
Mitigation involves taking measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life
property
and from disasters. It focuses on preventing disasters or minimizing their impact.
Examples of Mitigation Measures:
Constructing earthquake-resistant struc…
Mitigation Structural Measures:
Building dams and levees to control floods.
Land-use planning to avoid construction in
hazard-prone areas.
Non-Structural Measures:
Public awareness campaigns to educate
communities about disaster risks.
Preparedness involves planning and training to ensure an effective response to disasters. It
enhance
aims to the capacity of communities and organizations to respond effectively.
Examples of Preparedness Measures:
Developing Emergency Plans: Creating detailed response plans for different types of disas…
Preparedness Conducting Mock Drills: Simulating disaster scenarios to train responders and the…
Stockpiling Supplies: Storing food, medicines, and other essentials for emergen…
Early Warning Systems: Installing systems to provide timely alerts about impending…
Response involves immediate actions taken to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human
during
needs a disaster. It’s the most critical phase; it deals with the actual occurrence of a disaster.
Examples of Response Measures:
Search and Rescue Operations: Locating and rescuing people trapped in debris or floodwa…
Response Providing Emergency Medical Care: Treating injured individuals and preventing the spread of…
Setting up Relief Camps: Providing shelter, food, water, and communication net…
Restoring Critical Infrastructure: Repairing roads, bridges, and damaged peo…
Recovery involves long-term efforts to restore normalcy and rebuild communities after a disaster.
focuses
It on restoring physical, social, and economic conditions.
Examples of Recovery Measures:
Reconstructing Infrastructure: Rebuilding homes, schools, hospitals, and…
Recovery Providing Financial Assistance: Offering compensation and loans to affected individuals and busi…
Psychological Counseling: Helping survivors cope with trauma and…
Implementing Sustainable Practice: Rebuilding with a focus on resilience and sustain…
Disaster Management Cycle
The disaster management cycle is a framework that outlines the ongoing process of planning, organizing, and implementing disaster management
involves:
activities. It
Prepare for emergencies.
Prevent disasters.
Respond effectively.
Recover and rebuild.
The cycle emphasizes that disaster management is not a one-time activity but a continuous process that requires constant monitoring and…
Role of Engineers in Disaster Manage…
Engineers play a critical role in all phases of disaster manage…
Designing earthquake-resistant buildings and…
Mitigation Developing flood control systems like dams and lev…
Implementing landslide prevention measures, such as slope stabiliza…
Designing early warning systems for cyclones, tsunamis, and…
Preparedness
Creating emergency communication networks for disaster re…
Response Assessing structural damage to buildings and infrastruc…
Restoring critical infrastructure like water, electricity, and transporta…
Recovery Rebuilding resilient services that can withstand future disas…
Implementing sustainable development practices to reduce future…
Types of Disasters and Their Management
Causes: Tectonic plate movements, volcanic activity, or human activities like min…
Mitigation: Building earthquake-resistant structures, retrofitting old build…
Earthquakes Preparedness: Conducting earthquake drills, public awareness cam…
Response: Search and rescue operations, providing emergency medical…
Recovery: Reconstructing infrastructure, providing financial assis…
Causes: Heavy rainfall, river overflow, dam fail…
Mitigation: Floodplain zoning, constructing dams and lev…
Floods Preparedness: Early warning systems, evacuation…
Response: Rescue operations, providing relief materi…
Recovery: Cleaning and rebuilding, financial…
Disaster Management in In…
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): Apex body for disaster management in…
Institutional Frame… State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA): Responsible for state-level disaster manage…
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA): Implements disaster management plans at the
level.
district
Legal Framework Disaster Management Act, 2005: Provides a legal framework for disaster management in…
Technologies in Disaster Manage…
Geographic Information System (GIS): Used for hazard mapping and risk assess…
Remote Sensing: Monitors natural disasters like floods and cy…
Early Warning Systems: Provides alerts for tsunamis, cyclones, and earth…
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Predicts disaster patterns and optimizes resource alloca…
Drones: Used for damage assessment and search and rescue opera…
Case Studies
2001 Gujarat Earthquake: Highlighted the need for earthquake-resistant infrastruc…
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Emphasized the importance of early warning sys…
2013 Uttarakhand Floods: Demonstrated the importance of sustainable development in ecologically sensitive…
Important Terms
Resilience: The ability of a community to recover quickly from disas…
Capacity Building: Strengthening the skills and resources of communities to manage dis…
Risk Assessment: Identifying and analyzing potential hazards and vulnerabil…
Sustainable Development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising future gen…
