CE 315: HAZARDS & DISASTER

MANAGEMENT
Dr ZAHIRUDDIN KHAN
• CE-315 HAZARDS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT (2)
• Introduction to Hazards and Disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides, cyclones,
etc.),
• Social & Economic Aspects of Natural and human induced hazards, Hazard and Disaster
Investigation,
• Disaster Management, Pre-Disaster Phase (Prevention, Mitigation & Preparedness),
Disaster Phase (Response, relief and recovery), Post-Disaster Phase (Rehabilitation,
Development), Damage assessment, Disaster management policies and institutional
infrastructure from national to local level
• Monitoring of Infra-structure facilities; strategies for protection against possible damages;
maintenance for different infrastructure facilities. Rehabilitation and repair strategies,
Predictions and preparedness strategies for natural disasters such as Earthquakes etc.;
Emergency management; Awareness Programs; Follow-on Disasters; Recovery plans;
Strategies for protection, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis; Disaster Mitigation

Course Outline
• Introduction
• Definition
• Classification & Types of Disasters
• Disaster Management
• Disaster Preparedness
• Medical and Public Health Response
• Public Health Impact of Disaster
• Disaster Mitigation
• Recent Disasters in Pakistan
• Disaster Management in Pakistan
• Areas of Concerns and Future
• References

SCOPE OF THE COURSE

Sr No Date Week # Topic

1 30/01/20 1 Introduction to Hazards and Disasters, Terminology

2 01/02/20 2 Classification & Types of Disasters
3 08/02/20 3 Natural Disasters: Earthquakes
4 15/02/20 4 Natural Disasters: Droughts
5 22/02/20 5 Natural Disasters: Floods
6 01/03/20 6 Natural Disasters: Windstorms
7 08/03/20 7 Social & Economic Aspects of Natural and human induced hazards
8 8 Mid Term Exam
9 22/03/20 9 Phases of Disaster Management
10 29/03/20 10 Damage assessment, Disaster management policies and institutional infrastructure from national to local level
11 05/04/20 11 Monitoring of Infra-structure facilities; strategies for protection against possible damages; maintenance for different infrastructure
facilities.
12 12/04/20 12 Predictions and preparedness strategies for natural disasters such as Earthquakes etc.;
13 19/04/20 13 Emergency management; Awareness Programs;
14 26/04/20 14 Awareness Programs; Follow-on Disasters; Recovery plans; Strategies for protection, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis; Disaster
Mitigation
15 03/05/20 15 National Disaster Management Policy
16 10/05/20 16 Recent Disasters in Pakistan, Disaster Management in Pakistan, Areas of Concerns and Future
•Hazard
• Any phenomenon that has the potential to cause disruption or
damage to people and their environment.
• “A hazard is a natural event while the disaster is its
consequence.
• A disaster is a realization of its hazard.”-John Whittow
• When hazard involves elements of risks, vulnerabilities and
capacities, they can turn into disasters.
• Hazards may be inevitable but disasters can be prevented.
 HAZARD
Is a dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or
condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts,
property damage, loss of livelihood & services, social & economic
disruption or environmental damage...
• Could be a potentially damaging phenomenon
• It could be natural or human-induced.
EXPOSURE
• The degree to which the community / organization at risk are likely to
experience “hazardous events” of different magnitude.
• Exposure can be:
• Temporal
• Acute / Chronic
• Spatial
• Is the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset
that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.
• This may arise from various physical, social, economic & environmental
factors.

VULNERABILITY
VULNERABILITY HAS BEEN RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
• Psychological & Physiological
• Social Integration
• Loss of control
• Ethnicity
• Disability
• Age
• Coping-style
• Gender
• Individual’s perception
• Location
• Lifestyle
• Status
• Agility
• Wealth
• Mobility
• Income
• Experience
• Education
• Family type
Disaster occurs when hazards meet vulnerability
 CAPACITY
• Is the combination of all
strengths and resources
available within the
Community, society or
organization that can
reduce the level of risk or
effects of a disaster.
 RISK
• Is the combination of Probability of an event to happen and its negative
consequences...
• Likelihood and frequency of occurrence

R = HAZARD x VULNERABILITY (exposure)

CAPACITY
Vulnerability
• The propensity of things to be damaged by a hazard.
 DISASTER
• Disasters are as old as Mankind.
• The first description of Disaster and its management comes from “Noah PBUH” and his
ark.
• Similar Flood tales are widespread in- Greek Mythology, Puranas, Mesopotamian
stories, and many cultures.
 DISASTER
• Etymology
• Originated from Greek
• Dus = bad aster = star
• Calamity due to position of a planet or a star.
• Then evolved in Italian as disastro,
• To become French désastre (de.zastʁ) & then disaster .
Disaster?
• Any occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption,
loss of human life, deterioration of health and health services
on a scale, sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected
community or area.(WHO)
• A disaster can be defined as an occurrence either natural or man made that causes
human suffering and creates human needs that victim cannot alleviate without
assistance. (American Red Cross)

DISASTER
 DISASTER?

• A disaster is a natural or man-made (or technological) hazard resulting in an event of

substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic
change to the environment. A disaster can be defined as any tragic event stemming from
events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires, or explosions. It is a
phenomenon that can cause damage to life and property and destroy the economic, social
and cultural life of people.

• In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately

managed risk. These risks are the product of a combination of both hazard/s and
vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability will never become disasters,
as is the case of lightening striking the uninhabited regions.
• Natural Disaster
• A natural disaster is a consequence when a natural hazard affects humans and/or the built
environment. Human vulnerability and lack of appropriate emergency preparedness, leads to
financial, environmental, or human impact. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the
population to support or resist the disaster: their resilience. This understanding is concentrated
in the formulation:
"disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability".
• A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability.
Man-made or Human Induced Disaster
• Man-made disasters are the consequence of technological or human hazards.
Examples include stampedes, fires, transport accidents, industrial accidents, oil
spills and nuclear explosions/radiation. War and deliberate attacks may also be
put in this category.
• As with natural hazards, man-made hazards are events that have not happened,
for instance terrorism. Man-made disasters are examples of specific cases where
man-made hazards have become reality in an event
• WHEN IS AN EVENT A DISASTER?
1. At least 20% of the population are affected & in need of emergency assistance or those
dwelling units have been destroyed.
2. A great number or at least 40% of the means of livelihood such as Businesses, fishing
boats, vehicles and the like are destroyed.
3. Major roads and bridges are destroyed or impassable for at least a week, thus
disrupting the flow of transport and commerce.
4. Widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock, and other
agricultural products, and
5. Epidemics
• WHY ARE DISASTER IMPACTS INCREASING?
• 1. Increased population
• 2. Climate change
• 3. Increased vulnerability due to:
• Demographic changes
• Increased concentration of assets
• Environmental degradation
• Poverty
• Rapid urbanization and unplanned development