Unit 4

• Importance of public awareness

The key to reducing loss of life, personal injuries, and damage from natural disasters is
widespread public awareness and education. People must be made aware of what natural
hazards they are likely to face in their own communities. They should know in advance what
specific preparations to make before an event, what to do during a hurricane, earthquake, flood,
fire, or other likely event, and what actions to take in its aftermath.

Equally important, public officials and the media — television, radio, and newspapers — must be
fully prepared to respond effectively, responsibly, and speedily to large-scale natural
emergencies. They need to be aware, in advance, of procedures to follow in a crisis that
threatens to paralyze the entire community they serve, and they need to know how to
communicate accurate information to the public during a natural disaster.

Special efforts must also be made to reach and plan for the care of particularly vulnerable
segments of the population — latch-key children, the elderly, individuals in health care and
correctional facilities, people with disabilities, and those who do not speak English — with
information about possible disasters and what to do in an emergency.

• Preparation and execution of emergency management. Programme

5 Steps To Emergency Preparedness For Any Disaster
1. Know your risks

Listing potential emergencies and ranking them in regards to importance and likelihood is
essential to knowing what to do and what resources to invest. There is no need to invest
dollars in hurricane planning if your facility is not near a coastal area, nor should you spend a
lot of time for earthquake planning if your facility is not near any area normally susceptible to
earthquakes or with a history of seismic activity. That doesn’t mean that you totally ignore
these risks, just that you don’t dwell on detailed response tasks.

2. Build a team

Many emergency response plans are created in a vacuum, with no input from the end users.
That’s the wrong approach to take. In today’s environment, every individual in the
organization may have a role as a kind of first responder, who is expected to follow the rule,
“see something, say something.” Emergency plans should be the product of an inclusive
team instead of a single individual or group.

Putting together a team of subject matter experts from different departments helps in
determining the overall span of the plan, including a cycle of the four phases of emergency
management:

• Mitigation. Preventing emergencies and minimizing the effects if an event occurs.

• Preparedness. Identified efforts to prepare for the event.

• Response. Plans and efforts to respond safely to the event.

 • Recovery. Actions needed to return the facility to normal operations.

3. Make critical information quickly accessible

So many times, if you ask to see an emergency plan, someone goes to a file cabinet or shelf
and pulls out a three ring binder, at least two inches thick, and hands the weighty document
to you for reading. A plan like that certainly reflects a lot of work, but does anyone really
know what’s in it and does it really describe the methods to respond during the emergency
event?

When it comes time to write a plan, the thinking is sometimes that, the bigger the document,
the better. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Plans need to be concise as to the threat,
the risk, and then what to do.

4. Update your alert and response procedures

Before the days of active shooters, terrorism, and lone offenders and the advent of
social media dominating our daily lives, it used to be that an emergency plan
consisted of calling 911 and waiting for the police or fire department to arrive, or
pulling the fire alarm, evacuating, and waiting for the first responders to arrive. This
is no longer the case. Just pulling the fire alarm and evacuating is not the proper
response to an active shooter scenario. In fact, it can be dangerous to pull the
alarms in case the shooter or shooters are nearby; a better course is to take shelter
in an office or other secure area if you are unaware of the shooter(s) whereabouts.

5. Test the plan

Once the plan has been created, the next question is, will it work? How do you
know? The answer is a series of tests or tabletops, drills, and exercises designed to
go through procedures that you are expected to know — in fact, that you need to
know to save your own life and the lives of others.

• Scope and responsibilities of National Institute of

Disaster Management (NIDM)
Functions and Responsibilities
NDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster
Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. Towards this, it has the
following responsibilities:-

▪ Lay down policies on disaster management.

▪ Approve the National Plan.
▪ Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in
accordance with the National Plan.
▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan.
▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government
of India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of
its effects in their development plans and projects.
▪ Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for disaster
management.
▪ Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.
▪ Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the
Central Government.
▪ Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and
capacity building for dealing with threatening disaster situations or disasters as it may consider
necessary.
▪ Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster
Management

• National disaster management authority (NDMA)

Functions and Responsibilities
NDMA, as the apex body, is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster
Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. Towards this, it has the
following responsibilities:-

▪ Lay down policies on disaster management.

▪ Approve the National Plan.
▪ Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in
accordance with the National Plan.
▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan.
▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government
of India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of
its effects in their development plans and projects.
▪ Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for disaster
management.
▪ Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation.
▪ Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the
Central Government.
▪ Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and
capacity building for dealing with threatening disaster situations or disasters as it may consider
necessary.
▪ Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster
Management.
 • Remote sensing and GPS in this regard
Remote sensing technology has become an important tool in environmental
management. In disaster management, remote sensing has various applications:
1. Tracking wind patterns

The wind is one of the causes of disaster in the environment. Hurricane disasters
can be sensed and be predicted by the use of remote sensors. These sensors pass
the early warning to people living in the affected area, and they can relocate to avoid
damages.

2. Detecting earthquake

Remote sensors can detect the onset of an earthquake. Thus they provide useful
information that can be used to predict areas to be affected. This promotes
relocation of the vulnerable groups hence saving life and valuable things.
3. Relief operations

After any natural disaster, many areas are inaccessible, which poses a great
challenge in assessing and managing the damage. However, the remote sensing
technique got the operation covered. It assists in disaster assessment and
monitoring as it is sky-based, thus providing important information in relief
monitoring operations.

3. Wildfires

Forest fire is a type of disaster that may result in a great loss if not controlled. Thus
proper protection needs to be laid down to avoid fire attacks. Remote sensors are
used as a warning tool for early warning systems and provide information on the
areas affected by the fire. The early warning enables people to have suitable plans
to extinguish the fire and thus hindering its spread.

4. Floods management

During rainy seasons, many places get flooded, and immediate action is needed to
rescue the vulnerable group. On-site observation of the affected area may be
possible as all the land has water, and therefore an alternative method is required.
The remote Sensing technique fits best in such a s ituation; since it is sky-based, it
may take an image on the earth and hence initiate rescue missions.

5. Drought prediction

The rise in the earth’s temperature may result in drought and other high
temperature-related defects. However, sensors may be used to predict the
temperature rise. Since they are sky-based, they are able to measure the
temperature of the reflected radiation from the earth’s surface; the information
obtained may be compared with the previous ones. In case of an increase in
temperature, a warning is passed to the vulnerable group, and relevant activities are
taken to reverse the temperature rise.
6. Identification of hazards zones

Not all areas are likely to experience natural defects, while others experience natural
disasters more frequently than other zones. Therefore, in identifying areas that are
vulnerable to natural disasters, the remote sensing technique is widely used. It
provides information such as intervals between one occurrence of the disaster and
the other, the type of disaster commonly affecting the area, and the vulnerable
areas. The information provided by the sensors is of great importance as it is used to
relocate people during disaster periods.

7. Reconstruction of areas affected

Many areas are affected during or after natural calamities, and there’s a need to
reconstruct them. However, on-site locating these areas may pose a great challenge
as only a limited area is covered. Remote sensing technique helps in easing the
process has it able to cover a wider area at the same time.

8. Disaster management study

In the study on how to control and manage natural calamities, various methods are
implemented. Remote sensing is one of the powerful tools in this study. It provides
researchers with the required information and data concerning the environment used
in their decision-making.

9. Glacial lakes assessment

Glacial lakes, found on top of mountains, may be a good tourist attraction and a
threat to the nearby areas. Since they are found on the top of the mountain, it is
impossible to assess them from the ground easily; a view from above is required to
assess them. Thankfully to remote sensors as most of them are sky -based. They
assess the glacial lakes and predict any dangers related to these lakes, thus
enabling the people living nearby to relocate early in case of any danger.

10. Emergency mapping

Remote sensing technique has a vital role in emergency mapping to promote an

easy and quick disaster response. The sensors provide large, widely, and timely
data used by the emergency team to plan how they will carry out the rescue mission.

11. Risk mapping and management

In many cases, human activities contribute to initiating natural disasters. However, to

control this, the remote sensor may be used to map human risks that are likely to
bring a calamity. Risk mapping provides a report and information that can be used to
warn people on their disaster-causing activities and be used to prepare and prevent
the disaster.

12. Data analysis

Data analysis is essential in all fields. In the disaster management field, data
analysis is necessary as it can be used to predict the future occurrence and extent of
any given calamity that occurs naturally. However, obtaining these data and
information relies on the various data collection methods; remote sensing technique
is the best and primary source of disaster assessment. Unlike other methods,
remotes sensors can record the extent and strength of the calamity, making data
comparison simpler.

13. Resource allocation

The government also relies greatly on this technique to fund and support people
affected by the disaster. Here, sensors are used to examine the affected groups and
areas for easier allocation of funds, minimizing fraud and misuse of public funds.

• Role of GIS in Disaster Management

A WA R E N E S S & P R E PA R E DN E S S

S o me cr i ti ca l qu e s t io n s th a t a ri se d u r in g a wa re n e s s a n d p re p a re d n e s s fo r
d i sa s te r ma n a g e m e n t a re : Wh a t i s t h e p o p u l a ti o n o f th e a re a , lo ca t io n o f
b u i ld in g s a n d in f ra s tru c t u re , s o c ia l a n d s t r u c t u ra l ch a ra c te ri s t i cs o f t h e
a re a , p o p u la t io n a t r i s k , e va cu a t io n t ime a n d t e c h n i qu e , lo ca t io n o f th e sa f e
s t r u c t u re s t h a t co u ld b e u se d a s s h e l t e r s a n d o t h e r s ? G I S a n d re mo te
s e n s in g t e ch n i qu e s ca n b e u se d t o b u il d d a t a b a se o f c ri t i ca l f a c il i ti e s s u c h
a s h o s p i t a l s , a mb u la n ce s , f ir e s t a tio n s , p o li ce s t a tio n s , s ch o o ls a n d o t h e r
p la ce s wh i c h c a n b e h e lp fu l fo r p l a n n in g p u rp o se s .

D i sa s te r m a p s c a n b e p r e p a re d t o s h o w th e r is k zo n e s a s w e l l a s d i sa s te r
i mp a c t zo n e s .

P L A N N IN G & M IT I G AT I O N

E a rl ie r , th e r o l e o f g o ve rn m e n t s d u r in g n a tu r a l c a la mi t ie s wa s l im i te d t o
r e sc u e , re l ie f a n d re h a b il i ta t io n . W i th c h a n g in g t i me s , mi t i ga t io n a n d ma in
s t r e a m in g o f d is a s t e r ri s k r e d u c t io n h a s b e co me a c ru ci a l a c t i vi t y re qu ir in g
g o v e rn me n t i n te r ve n ti o n . G I S i s e n a b l in g d e v e lo p me n t o f d e c i sio n su p p o r t
s y s t e m s ca p a b le o f a s se s s in g r is k f ro m n a t u ra l d i sa s te r s a n d h e l p i n g
g o v e rn me n t s in m i ti g a t io n a n d p l a n n in g . RM S I h a s d e ve lo p e d a n in n o v a ti ve
‘ De c i sio n su p p o r t s y s t e m f o r d i sa s te r ri s k re d u c tio n ’ t h a t u t il iz e s th e
o u tc o me s o f mu l t i -h a za rd r is k a s se ss me n t fo r a c t i vi t ie s p e r f o r me d f o r
m i t i ga t io n , p r e p a re d n e ss , r e s p o n se a n d r e c o ve ry . T h i s f ra me wo r k h a s b e e n
s u c ce s s fu l l y i mp le m e n te d i n s e ve r a l n a ti o n s o f t h e wo rld a n d h a s p ro ve n to
b e a n imp a c t f u l t o o l f o r ma in s t re a min g d i sa s te r ri s k r e d u c t io n . Ma th e ma t i ca l
m o d e li n g a n d G I S a n a l y t i cs f o r m th e b a ckb o n e o f t h i s f ra m e wo r k

RESPONSE & RECOVERY

R e sp o n d i n g to a d i sa s te r a d e q u a te l y r e qu ir e s c ri t i ca l i n fo r ma t io n l ik e th e
l o ca t io n wh e re th e d is a s te r h a s o c cu rre d , in t e n si t y a n d se ve ri t y o f t h e e v e n t
i n va rio u s d is a s t e r zo n e s , a re a s o f m a x imu m d a ma g e , lo ca t io n o f i mp a c te d
p o p u la t io n a n d th e kin d o f re so u rc e s n e e d e d t o e va cu a te th e t ra p p e d
p o p u la t io n . G I S a n d re m o te se n s in g t e c h n i qu e s c o u p le d wi t h te ch n o l o gi e s
l i ke s a te ll i te i ma ge r y , a e r ia l p h o to g ra p h y u s in g a ir cra f t o r d ro n e s ca n h e lp
f i n d a n swe r s to m a n y su ch qu e s tio n s .