RESILIENCE

•“Resilire” (Latin word) - to bounce back

•Engineering resilience - The time taken by a system to bounce-back from shocks
•Disaster resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, organisations and states to adapt
to and recover from hazards, shocks or stresses without compromising long-term prospects for
development.
•Disaster resilience is determined by the degree to which individuals, communities and public
and private organizations are capable of organizing themselves to learn from past disasters and
reduce their risks to future ones, at international, regional, national and local levels.
•Disaster resilience is part of the broader concept of resilience – ‘the ability of individuals,
communities and states and their institutions to absorb and recover from shocks, whilst
positively adapting and transforming their structures and means for living in the face of
long-term changes and uncertainty’
• Context: Whose resilience is being built – such as a social group, socio-economic
or political system, environmental context or institution
• Disturbance: What shocks (sudden events like conflict or disasters) and/or stresses
(long-term trends like resource degradation, urbanization, or climate change) the group aims to
be resilient to.
• Capacity to respond: The ability of a system or process to deal with a shock or
stress depends on exposure,sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

• Reaction: A range of responses are possible, including:

✴ Bounce back better, where capacities are enhanced, exposures are reduced, and the system
is more able to deal with future shocks and stresses;
✴ Bounce back, where pre-existing conditions prevail;
✴ Recover, but worse than before, meaning capacities are reduced.
✴ Worst-case scenario, the system collapses, leading to a catastrophic
reduction in capacity to cope with the future.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE
Disaster Risk Management includes sum total of all activities, programmes and measures which
can be taken up before, during and after a disaster with the purpose to avoid a disaster, reduce
its impact or recover from its losses. The three key stages of activities that are taken up within
disaster risk management are:
1. Before a disaster (pre-disaster).
Activities taken to reduce human and property losses caused by a potential hazard. For
example carrying out awareness campaigns, strengthening the existing weak structures,
preparation of the disaster management plans at household and community level etc. Such risk
reduction measures taken under this stage are termed as mitigation and preparedness
activities.
2. During a disaster(disaster occurrence).
Initiatives taken to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met and suffering is
minimized. Activities taken under this stage are called emergency response activities.
3. After a disaster (post-disaster)
Initiatives taken in response to a disaster with a purpose to achieve early recovery and
rehabilitation of affected communities, immediately after a disaster strikes.These are called as
response and recovery activities.In the subsequent chapters we would discuss in detail some of
the major hazards prevalent in our country it causes, impact, preparedness and mitigation
measures that need to be taken up.
Disaster Preparedness
Preparedness measures include
• preparedness plans;
• emergency exercises/training;
• warning systems;
• emergency communications systems;
• evacuations plans and training;
• resource inventories;
• emergency personnel/contact lists;
• mutual aid agreements;
• public information/education.
Disaster Prevention
Disaster prevention is the outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related
disasters prevention expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse
impacts through action taken in advance.
Disaster Mitigation
• Disaster Mitigation refers to measures taken to reduce the negative impacts of a
crisis or disaster.
• Mitigation does not completely prevent a disaster necessarily, but it does lessen the
severity of the disaster both before it starts and during the ordeal.
• Mitigation is defined as “sustained action that reduces or eliminates long-term risk
to people and property from natural hazards and their effects.”
• It describes the ongoing effort at the federal, state, local and individual levels to
lessen the impact of disasters upon our families, homes, communities and
economy.
Mitigation measures include:
• Hazard mapping
• Adoption and enforcement of land use and zoning practices
• Implementing and enforcing building codes
• Flood plain mapping
• Reinforced tornado safe rooms
• Raising of homes in flood-prone areas
• Disaster mitigation public awareness programs
• Insurance programs
Disaster Response
• Disaster responses are the set of activities taken during a disaster or immediately following a
disaster, directed towards saving life and protecting property.
• It includes medical care, evacuation, search and rescue, provision of emergency water, food
and shelter, debris removal and stabilisation of unsafe buildings and landforms
• Disaster response is aimed at providing immediate assistance to maintain life,
improve health and support the morale of the affected population.
Factors that Determine the Nature of Disaster Response
• The type of disaster
• The ability to take pre-impact actions
• The severity and magnitude of disaster
• The capability of sustained operations
• Identification of likely response requirements
Disaster responses include actions that embrace the following:
• Search and rescue
• First aid and emergency medical care
• Evacuation
• Evacuation centre management
• Development of Standard Operation Procedure (SOPs)
• Immediate repair of community facilities and services
• Relief delivery
• Coordination and Communication
• Psycho-social counselling and stress debriefing
• Medical services

Disaster Damage Assessment

• Damage Assessment is the process for determining the nature and extent of the
loss, suffering, and/or harm to the community resulting from a natural, accidental or
human-caused disaster.
• Damage Assessment is a preliminary onsite evaluation of damage or loss caused by an
accident or natural event.
• Damage assessments record the extent of damage, what can be replaced, restored
or salvaged.
• It may also estimate the time required for repair, replacement and recovery.
• Damage assessment is an integral part of facilitating effective and efficient
response by government agencies and other organisations.
• Good damage assessment would start the ball rolling for effective response and
relief operations such as evacuation, sheltering, search and rescue, mass casualty
management, etc.
Four types of Damage Assessment may be considered:
• Initial Situation Overview (ISO)
• Initial Damage Assessment (IDA)
• Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) and
• Damage and Loss Assessment (DALA)

Earth Systems
There are five main systems, or spheres, on Earth. The first system, the geosphere, consists of
the interior and surface of Earth, both of which are made up of rocks.
The limited part of the planet that can support living things comprises the second system; these
regions are referred to as the biosphere. In the third system are the areas of Earth that are
covered with enormous amounts of water, called the hydrosphere. The atmosphere is the fourth
system, and it is an envelope of gas that keeps the planet warm and provides oxygen for
breathing and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Finally, there is the fifth system, which
contains huge quantities of ice at the poles and elsewhere,constituting the cryosphere.All five of
these enormous and complex systems interact with one another to maintain the Earth as we
know.
Geosphere
The geosphere includes the rocks and minerals on Earth – from the molten rock and heavy
metals in the deep interior of the planet to the sand on beaches and peaks of mountains. The
geosphere also includes the abiotic (non-living) parts of soils and the skeletons of animals that
may become fossilized over geologic time.
Hydrosphere
A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is
on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air.
Biosphere
The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists. The biosphere extends from
the deepest root systems of trees to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests
and high mountaintops.
Cryosphere
The cryosphere is the frozen water part of the Earth system. Ice and snow on land are one part
of the cryosphere.This includes the largest parts of the cryosphere, the continental ice sheets
found in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as ice caps, glaciers, and areas of snow and
permafrost. When continental ice flows out from land and to the sea surface, we get shelf ice.
The other part of the cryosphere is ice that is found in water. This includes frozen parts of the
ocean, such as waters surrounding Antarctica and the Arctic. It also includes frozen rivers and
lakes, which mainly occur in polar areas.
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelope a planet, and is held in place
by the gravity of the planetary body.

Early warning system

An integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk
assessment, communication and preparedness activities systems and processes that enables
individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce
disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.
Four stages of Early Warning System,
•Risk analysis and knowledge
•Risk monitoring and warning services
•Risk discrimination and communication
•Response capability
Atmospheric Layers
Earth’s atmosphere has five major and several secondary layers. From lowest to highest, the
major layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere.
Stratosphere.
Located between approximately 12 and 50 kilometers(7.5 and 31 miles) above Earth's surface,
the stratosphere is perhaps best known as home to Earth's ozone layer, which protects us from
the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Because of that UV radiation, the higher up you go into
the stratosphere, the warmer temperatures
become. The stratosphere is nearly cloud- and weather-free, but polar stratospheric clouds are
sometimes present in its lowest, coldest altitudes. It's also the highest part of the atmosphere
that jet planes can reach.
Troposphere.
Earth’s troposphere extends from Earth's surface to, onaverage, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles)
in height, with its height lower
at Earth's poles and higher at the equator. Yet this very shallow layer is tasked with holding all
the air plants need for photosynthesis and animals need to breathe, and also contains about 99
percent of all water vapor and aerosols (minute solid or liquid particles suspended in the
atmosphere). In the troposphere, temperatures typically go down the higher you go, since most
of the heat found in the troposphere is generated by the transfer of energy from Earth's surface.
The troposphere is the densest atmospheric layer, compressed by the weight of the rest of the
atmosphere above it. Most of Earth's weather happens here, and almost all clouds that are
generated by weather are
found here, with the exception of cumulonimbus thunder clouds, whose
tops can rise into the lowest parts of the neighboring stratosphere.Most aviation takes place
here, including in the transition region between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
Mesosphere.
Located between about 50 and 80 kilometers (31 and 50 miles) above Earth's surface, the
mesosphere gets progressively colder with altitude. In fact, the top of this layer is the coldest
place
found within the Earth system, with an average temperature of about minus 85 degrees Celsius
(minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit). The very scarce water vapor present at the top of the
mesosphere forms noctilucent clouds, the highest clouds in Earth's atmosphere, which can
be seen by the naked eye under certain conditions and at certain times of day. Most meteors
burn up in this atmospheric layer. Sounding rockets and rocket-powered aircraft can reach the
mesosphere.
Thermosphere.
Located between about 80 and 700 kilometers (50 and 440 miles) above Earth's surface is the
thermosphere, whose lowest part contains the ionosphere. In this layer, temperatures
increase with altitude due to the very low density of molecules found here. It is both cloud- and
water vapor-free. The aurora borealis and aurora australis are sometimes seen here. The
International Space Station orbits in the thermosphere.
Exosphere.
Located between about 700 and 10,000 kilometers (440 and 6,200 miles) above Earth's
surface, the exosphere is the highest layer of Earth's atmosphere and, at its top, merges with
the solar wind.Molecules found here are of extremely low density, so this layer doesn't
behave like a gas, and particles here escape into space. While there's no weather at all in the
exosphere, the aurora borealis and aurora australis are sometimes seen in its lowest part. Most
Earth satellites orbit in the exosphere.

HAZARD
Hazard may be defined as “A dangerous condition or event that threat or have the potential for
causing injury to life or damage to property or the environment.”
Hazards can be grouped into two broad categories namely natural and manmade.
Natural hazards are hazards which are caused because of natural phenomena
(hazards with meteorological, geological or even biological origin). Examples of
natural hazards are cyclones, tsunamis, earthquake and volcanic eruption which are exclusively
of natural origin. Landslides, floods, drought, fires are socio-natural hazards since their causes
are both natural and manmade. For example flooding may be caused because of heavy rains,
landslide or blocking of drains with human waste.
Manmade hazards are hazards which are due to human negligence. Manmade
hazards are associated with industries or energy generation facilities and include
explosions, leakage of toxic waste, pollution, dam failure, wars or civil strife etc.
The list of hazards is very long. Many occur frequently while others take place
occasionally. However, on the basis of their genesis, they can be categorized as
follows.
Geological Hazards
1. Earthquake 2. Tsunami 3. Volcanic eruption 4. Landslide 5. Dam burst 6. Mine Fire
Water & Climatic Hazards
1. Tropical Cyclone 2. Tornado and Hurricane 3. Floods 4.Drought 5. Hailstorm 6. Cloudburst 7.
Landslide 8. Heat & Cold wave9. Snow Avalanche 10. Sea erosion
Environmental Hazards:
1. Environmental pollutions 2. Deforestation 3. Desertification 4. Pest Infection
Biological Hazards:
1. Human / Animal Epidemics 2. Pest attacks 3. Food poisoning 4. Weapons of Mass
Destruction
Chemical, Industrial and Nuclear
Accidents
1. Chemical disasters 2. Industrial disasters 3. Oil spills/Fires 4. Nuclear
Accident related:
1. Boat / Road / Train accidents / air crash Rural / Urban fires Bomb /serial bomb blasts 2.
Forest fires 3. Building collapse 4. Electric Accidents 5. Festival related disasters 6. Mine
flooding