Let us start with some

Questions!!!
• In which branch are you studying?
• Are all fundamentals of your branch applicable in
your day to day life?
• Studying only your branch subjects will cover all
the topics which you’ll require in your lifetime. Is
it true?

• That’s why, the syllabus includes some subjects

or topics which are not directly related to your
branch but they may be applicable in your day to
day life.
Why Disaster Management?
 Imagine!!
A child has failed in his exams!

What will happen when he’ll reach at his

home???

Will he plan anything before reaching

home?
Management
 “Disaster”
• Originated from Greek word;

• Dus = Bad
• Aster = star

• Calamity due to position of a planet or a star.

 Define “Disaster”
• The United Nations (UN) defines
disaster as,
“The occurrence of a sudden or a major
misfortune which disrupts the basic
fabric and normal functioning of the
society or community.”
 Define “Disaster”
• According to WHO-
“A disaster can be defined as any
occurrence that cause 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”.
 Define “Disaster”
• According to American Red Cross-

A disaster can be defined as an

occurrence either nature or man made
that causes human suffering and
creates human needs that victim cannot
alleviate without assistance.
A “Disaster”
• Can occur anytime and anywhere, not
confined to any part of the world.

• Some of them can be predicted where

some cannot be predicted.

• Warfare is a special category , because it

is well planned and damage is the intended
goal of the action.
 When does a disaster occur?
• The disaster occurs when hazards and
vulnerability meets.

Hazards Vulnerability

• Let us understand what do we mean by

hazard and vulnerability…
 Hazard
• Any phenomenon that has the potential to
cause disruption or damage to people and
their environment.

• As said by John Whittow;

“A hazard is natural event while the disaster
is its consequence. A hazard is perceived
natural event which threatens both life and
property……
A disaster is a realization of this hazard.”
 Hazard (Cont.)
• When hazard involves elements of risks,
vulnerabilities and capacities, they can turn
into disasters.

• Hazards may be inevitable but disasters can

be prevented.
 Classification of Hazards
Natural Manmade

• Earthquake • Fire
• Landslides • Firearms
• Volcano • Industrial hazard
• Fires • Terrorism
• Avalanche • Epidemic
• Tornado • Explosive devices
• Hurricanes • Structural Collapse
• Meteors
• Flood
• Drought
Now the question is that how much
affective a hazard is or how much
damage can occur due to a hazard?
 Vulnerability

• Easy to hurt (emotionally or physically).

• “ The extent to which a community, structure,

services or geographic area is likely to be
damaged or disrupted by the impact of a
particular hazard, on account of their nature,
construction and proximity to hazardous
terrains or a disaster prone area.”
 Vulnerability

• There are many aspects of vulnerability

arising from various physical, social,
economical & environmental factors.

• For e.g.:
Poor design and construction of buildings
Lack of public information and awareness
Disregard for wise environmental management
Limited official preparedness measures
 Vulnerability can be of two types
Physical Vulnerability Socio-economic Vulnerability

• It is based on physical • It depends on the socio-

condition of people and economic conditions.
elements at risk, such as • The socio-economic
buildings, infrastructure condition of the people
etc. and their proximity, determines the intensity of
location and nature of the the impact.
hazard. • For e.g.: people who are poor
• It also relates to the and living in the sea coast
technical capability of don’t have money to
building and structures to construct strong concrete
resist the forces acting houses. Thus they are at
upon them during a hazard risk and loose their shelters
event. whenever there is strong
wing or cyclone.
 India’s Vulnerability to Disasters
• 57% land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of these, 12%
is vulnerable to severe earthquakes.
• 68% land is vulnerable to drought.
• 12% land is vulnerable to floods.
• 8% land is vulnerable to cyclones.
• Apart from natural disasters, some cities in India are
also vulnerable to chemical and industrial disasters
and man-made disasters.

• Northern mountain region prone to land slides, snow–

storms , earthquakes
• Eastern coastal area prone to severe floods ,cyclones
• Western desert prone to draughts
India’s Vulnerability to Disasters
 So now, if an area is more
vulnerable to hazard, does it mean
that it is at more risk???
 Risk
• The probability of harmful consequences, or expected
losses (deaths, injuries, property, livelihoods, economic
activity disrupted or environment damaged) resulting
from interactions between natural or human-induced
hazards and vulnerable conditions is known as risk.

Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability

• It is a measure of the expected loss due to a hazard

event occurring in a given area over a specific period of
time
 Risk
The level of risk depends upon:

• Nature of the hazard

• Vulnerability of the elements which are affected
• Economic value of those elements.

• Here, risk puts an emphasis on the consequences , in

terms of “potential losses” for some particular cause,
place and period.
 So now, if an area is highly
vulnerable and thus it will be at
risk…so what about coping up from
that condition??
 Capacity
It is defined as “resources, means and strengths which
exist in households and which enable them to cope with,
withstand, prepare for, prevent or quickly recover from
a disaster.”
 Capacity depends upon…
• The physical condition of the people.
• Their socio-economic conditions.
• It may also depend on the aid provided by the
government.
Revise!!
 Types of Disasters
• Which are the two types of disasters?

• Define them!!
 Types of Disasters
• Resulting from natural processes of
Natural earth
• Triggered by natural phenomenon
Disasters • Characterized by abnormal intensity
of a natural agent

Manmade
• Have an element of human intent,
negligence or error involving a failure

Disasters
of a man-made system
• Disaster caused by man-made hazard
Classification of Disasters
Natural Manmade
Disaster Disasters

Geophysical Technological

Meteorological Industrial

Hydrological Warfare

Climatological

Biological
 Hazard Classification Definition Example
Geophysical A hazard originating from solid earth. Earthquake, mass
/Geological movement, volcanic
activity
Meteorological A hazard caused by short-lived, Extreme temperature,
micro-miso scale extreme weather fog, storm
and atmospheric conditions that last
from minutes to days
Hydrological A hazard caused by the occurrence, Flood, landslide, wave
movement and distribution of surface action
and subsurface freshwater and
saltwater
Natural Hazard
Types Climatological A hazard caused by long-lived, meso Drought, extreme
to macro scale atmospheric processes temperature, glacial
ranging from intra-seasonal to multi- lake outburst, wildfire
decadal climate variability

Biological A hazard caused by the exposure to Epidemic, insect

living organisms and their toxic infestation, animal
substances or vector-borne diseases accident
that they may carry. Examples are
venomous wildlife and insects,
poisonous plants, and mosquitoes
carrying disease-causing agents such
as parasites, bacteria, or viruses
 Natural Disasters
Meteorological Topographical Environmental

• Flood • Earthquake • Global

• Tsunami • Volcanic Warming
• Cyclone Eruptions • Ozone
• Hurricane • Landslides depletion
• Typhoon • Avalanches • Solar flare
• Snow Storm • Asteroids
• Blizzard • Limnic
• Hail Storm Eruptions
Hazard Classification Definition Example

Technological Occurring due to failure in public Transport Failure,

utilities Public Failure, Fire

Industrial Occurring due to negligence or Chemical Spills,

error which leads to failure of Radioactive Spills
Manmade
any part/system of industry
Hazard
Types

Warfare Done with the intention of War. Terrorism,

destruction by humans Internal Conflicts
 Manmade Disasters

Technological Industrial Warfare

• Transport • Chemical • War

Failure Spills • Terrorism
• Public Place • Radioactive • Internal
Failure Spills Conflicts
• Fire • Civil unrest
CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability  It is influenced by the type of

2) Controllability disaster.
3) Speed of  hurricane = high degree of
predictability
Onset
 earthquakes = less foreseeable than
4) Length of floods.
forewarning
5) Duration
of impact
6) Scope and
intensity
of impact
CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability
2) Controllability  interventions used to
3) Speed of control the disaster,
Onset such as using
4) Length of  dams for flood control;
forewarning
5) Duration  Earthquakes → less
of impact controllability.
6) Scope and
intensity
of impact
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability
2) Controllability
3) Speed of Onset  Speed of onset is quick with floods
whereas hurricanes are generally slow
4) Length of to develop.
forewarning
5) Duration of
impact
6) Scope and
intensity of
impact
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability
2) Controllability
3) Speed of Onset
4) Length of  It is the period between warning
and impact communities in the path
forewarning of a
5) Duration of  Hurricane = may have 24 hour
impact warning, where as a
 Tornado = warning may provide only
6) Scope and a few minutes of preparation.
intensity of
impact
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability
2) Controllability
3) Speed of Onset
4) Length of
forewarning
5) Duration of  Duration of impact also varies,
impact  tornado may be on the ground
for few minutes, where as
6) Scope and
 floods impact usually lasts for
intensity of days.
impact
 CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISASTER

1) Predictability  It refers to geographic and social

space dimension.
2) Controllability
 A disaster such as:
3) Speed of Onset  tornado may be limited to a mile
4) Length of or two, but
forewarning  flood may involve hundreds of
miles.
5) Duration of
 The population density of an area
impact influences this variable that can
6) Scope and lead to widespread consequences.
intensity of
impact
 GOAL OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• The goal of disaster management is the
safety and sustainability of human lives.

• SAFETY is related to avoiding death and

injuries to human lives during a disaster

• SUSTAINABILITY is related to livelihood,

socioeconomic, cultural, environmental and
psychological aspects
So, what do you think we’ll study
further in this subject?
 Topics we’ll see in the upcoming sessions

• Details of different disasters

• How they affect human life
• Phases before and after a disaster
• Disaster management in India
 What is Disaster Management
• The body of policy and administrative decisions and
operational activities that pertain to various stages of a
disaster at all levels.
• An applied science which seeks, by systemic
observation and analysis of disasters, to improve
measures relating to prevention, emergency response,
recovery and mitigation.
• Encompasses all aspects of planning for, and
responding to disasters, including both pre and post
disaster activities.
 What is Disaster Management
A continuous and integrated process of planning,
organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which
are necessary for-

● Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster

● Reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or
consequences
● Capacity-building
● Preparedness to deal with any disaster
● Prompt response to any threatening disaster situation
● Assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any
disaster
● Evacuation, rescue and relief
● Rehabilitation and reconstruction
If you are asked to manage a
disaster, then which type of
steps will you take?
Stages/Phases of Disaster
Management
• The three key stages of activities that are
taken up within disaster risk management are:
1. Before a disaster (Pre-disaster)
2. During a disaster (Disaster Occurrence)
3. After a disaster (Post-disaster)

What steps will you take during a particular

stage???? Think!!
Activities that Activities prior
reduce effects of to a disaster.
disasters • Preparedness plans
• Building codes & • Emergency
zoning Prepared- exercises
• Vulnerability
analyses
ness • Training,
• Public education • Warning systems

Phases of
Mitigation Disaster Response
Management

Activities during a
Activities following disaster.
a disaster. • Public warning
•Temporary Recovery systems
housing • Emergency
• Claims processing operations
• Grants • Search and rescue
• Medical care
 Now, we’ll see in detail the
Disaster Management for some
of the Disasters!!!!