UNIT-2

What is Disaster Management?

One of the biggest challenges of disaster, or emergency, management is the need to be prepared for a
wide range of contingencies. A good place to begin a discussion of disaster management is by
considering what constitutes a disaster.
Defining Disaster
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: “More people are
becoming vulnerable to disasters or are forced to cope with acts of violence, financial crises and growing
uncertainty, often without adequate support from their governments.” Disasters can be either natural or
human-made events and can include pandemics, technological disasters or environmental cataclysms.
Disaster types include the following:
 Earthquakes
 Tornadoes
 Hurricanes
 Pandemics
 Volcano eruptions
 Wildfires
 Floods
 Mass shootings
 Acts of terror
 Nuclear explosions
 Chemical emergencies
There were 10 weather and climate-related disasters each exceeding $1 billion in losses in the U.S. within
the first half of 2020, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The number of
disasters resulting in billion-dollar loses has been steadily rising, from 29 disasters in the 1980s to 119
disasters in the 2010s. In addition to this increase, cascading disasters, such as a hurricane during the
COVID-19 pandemic, reinforce the need for effective and ethical leadership across all sectors and levels
of government.
Managing Disasters
Specifically, disaster management is about organizing and directing resources to cope with a disaster and
coordinating the roles and responsibilities of responders, private sector organizations, public sector
agencies, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, volunteers, donations, etc. The ultimate goal of the
disaster-management leader is to minimize the event’s impact, something that involves preparedness,
response, recovery and mitigation.
The 5 Stages of the Disaster-Management Cycle
When properly implemented, the disaster-management cycle can lessen the impact of a catastrophic
event. It can also incorporate the policies and emergency responses needed for a full, expedited
recovery. The cycle involves the following five stages:
1. Prevention
The best way to address a disaster is by being proactive. This means identifying potential hazards and
devising safeguards to mitigate their impact. Although this stage in the cycle involves putting permanent
measures into place that can help minimize disaster risk, it’s important to acknowledge that disasters
can’t always be prevented.
Prevention involves scenarios such as the following:
 Implementing an evacuation plan in a school, for example, showing teachers how to lead
students to safety in the event of a tornado or fire
 Planning and designing a city in a way that minimizes the risk of flooding, for example, with the
use of locks, dams or channels to divert water away from populous areas
2. Mitigation
Mitigation aims to minimize the loss of human life that would result from a disaster. Both structural and
nonstructural measures may be taken.
 A structural measure means changing the physical characteristics of a building or an environment
to curb the effects of a disaster. For example, clearing trees away from a house can ensure that
dangerous storms don’t knock down the trees and send them crashing into homes and public
buildings.
  Nonstructural measures involve adopting or amending building codes to optimize safety for all
future building construction.
3. Preparedness
Preparedness is an ongoing process in which individuals, communities, businesses and organizations
can plan and train for what they’ll do in the event of a disaster. Preparedness is defined by ongoing
training, evaluating and corrective action, ensuring the highest level of readiness.
Fire drills, active-shooter drills and evacuation rehearsals are all good examples of the preparedness
stage.
4. Response
Response is what happens after the disaster occurs. It involves both short- and long-term responses.
Ideally, the disaster-management leader will coordinate the use of resources (including personnel,
supplies and equipment) to help restore personal and environmental safety, as well as to minimize the
risk of any additional property damage.
During the response stage, any ongoing hazards are removed from the area; for example, in the
aftermath of a wildfire, any lingering fires will be put out, and areas that pose a high flammability risk will
be stabilized.
5. Recovery
The fifth stage in the disaster-management cycle is recovery. This can take a long time, sometimes years
or decades. For example, some areas in New Orleans have yet to fully recover from Hurricane Katrina in
2005. It involves stabilizing the area and restoring all essential community functions. Recovery requires
prioritization: first, essential services like food, clean water, utilities, transportation and healthcare will be
restored, with less-essential services being prioritized later.
Ultimately, this stage is about helping individuals, communities, businesses and organizations return to
normal or a new normal depending on the impact of the disaster.
Evolution of NDMA
Emergence of an organization is always through an evolutionary process. NDMA has also gone
through the same stages. The Government of India (GOI), in recognition of the importance of
Disaster Management as a national priority, set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in August 1999
and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for making recommendations on the
preparation of Disaster Management plans and suggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The
Tenth Five-Year Plan document also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster
Management. The Twelfth Finance Commission was also mandated to review the financial
arrangements for Disaster Management.
On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which
envisaged the creation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime
Minister, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers,
to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the
apex body for Disaster Management in India. Setting up of NDMA and the creation of an enabling
environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the
Disaster Management Act, 2005.
India envisions the development of an ethos of Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness. The Indian
government strives to promote a national resolve to mitigate the damage and destruction caused by
natural and man-made disasters, through sustained and collective efforts of all Government
agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and People’s participation. This is planned to be
accomplished by adopting a Technology-Driven, Pro-Active, Multi-Hazard and Multi-Sectoral strategy
for building a Safer, Disaster Resilient and Dynamic India.
Disaster Management Act, 2005
 Short title, extent and commencement.—
(1) This Act may be called the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette
appoint; and different dates 1 may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and for different States, and any
reference to commencement in any provision of this Act in relation to any State shall be construed as a reference to
the commencement of that provision in that State.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “affected area” means an area or part of the country affected by a disaster;
(b) “capacity-building” includes—
(i) identification of existing resources and resources to be acquired or created;
(ii) acquiring or creating resources identified under sub-clause (i);
(iii) organisation and training of personnel and coordination of such training for effective management of disasters;
(c) “Central Government” means the Ministry or Department of the Government of India having administrative
control of disaster management;
(d) “disaster” means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man
made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to,
and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as
to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area;
(e) “disaster management” means a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising, coordinating and
implementing measures which are necessary or expedient for—
(i) prevention of danger or threat of any disaster;
(ii) mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences;
(iii) capacity-building;
(iv) preparedness to deal with any disaster;
(v) prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster;
(vi) assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster;
(vii) evacuation, rescue and relief;
(viii) rehabilitation and reconstruction;
(f) “District Authority” means the District Disaster Management Authority constituted under sub-section (1) of
section 25;
The 5 Stages of the Disaster-Management Cycle
When properly implemented, the disaster-management cycle can lessen the impact of a catastrophic
event. It can also incorporate the policies and emergency responses needed for a full, expedited
recovery. The cycle involves the following five stages:
1. Prevention
The best way to address a disaster is by being proactive. This means identifying potential hazards and
devising safeguards to mitigate their impact. Although this stage in the cycle involves putting permanent
measures into place that can help minimize disaster risk, it’s important to acknowledge that disasters
can’t always be prevented.
Prevention involves scenarios such as the following:
 Implementing an evacuation plan in a school, for example, showing teachers how to lead
students to safety in the event of a tornado or fire
 Planning and designing a city in a way that minimizes the risk of flooding, for example, with the
use of locks, dams or channels to divert water away from populous areas
2. Mitigation
Mitigation aims to minimize the loss of human life that would result from a disaster. Both structural and
nonstructural measures may be taken.
 A structural measure means changing the physical characteristics of a building or an environment
to curb the effects of a disaster. For example, clearing trees away from a house can ensure that
dangerous storms don’t knock down the trees and send them crashing into homes and public
buildings.
 Nonstructural measures involve adopting or amending building codes to optimize safety for all
future building construction.
3. Preparedness
Preparedness is an ongoing process in which individuals, communities, businesses and organizations
can plan and train for what they’ll do in the event of a disaster. Preparedness is defined by ongoing
training, evaluating and corrective action, ensuring the highest level of readiness.
Fire drills, active-shooter drills and evacuation rehearsals are all good examples of the preparedness
stage.
4. Response
Response is what happens after the disaster occurs. It involves both short- and long-term responses.
Ideally, the disaster-management leader will coordinate the use of resources (including personnel,
supplies and equipment) to help restore personal and environmental safety, as well as to minimize the
risk of any additional property damage.
During the response stage, any ongoing hazards are removed from the area; for example, in the
aftermath of a wildfire, any lingering fires will be put out, and areas that pose a high flammability risk will
be stabilized.
5. Recovery
The fifth stage in the disaster-management cycle is recovery. This can take a long time, sometimes years
or decades. For example, some areas in New Orleans have yet to fully recover from Hurricane Katrina in
2005. It involves stabilizing the area and restoring all essential community functions. Recovery requires
prioritization: first, essential services like food, clean water, utilities, transportation and healthcare will be
restored, with less-essential services being prioritized later.
Ultimately, this stage is about helping individuals, communities, businesses and organizations return to
normal or a new normal depending on the impact of the disaster.
National Disaster Management Authority, abbreviated as NDMA, is an apex Body of Government of
India, with a mandate to lay down policies for disaster management. NDMA was established through
the Disaster Management Act enacted by the Government of India on 23 December 2005.[2] NDMA is
responsible for framing policies, laying down guidelines and best-practices for coordinating with the State
Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) to ensure a holistic and distributed approach to disaster
management.[3]
Vision[edit]
NDMA has a vision to "build a safer and disaster resilient India by a holistic, pro-active, technology-driven
and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention,
preparedness and mitigation".[7]
Functions and responsibilities[edit]
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:[3]
 Lay down policies on disaster management;
 Approves 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;
Role of Central and State Govts
 Basic responsibility for rescue, relief and rehabilitation with the State Governments.
 The Central Government supplements the efforts of State Governments. by providing
financial and logistic support in case of major disasters.
 The logistic support includes deployment of aircrafts and boats, specialist teams of Armed
Forces, Central Para Military Forces and personnel of National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF), arrangements for relief materials & essential commodities including medical stores,
restoration of critical infrastructure facilities including communication network and such
other assistance as may be required by the affected States to meet the situation effectively.
Disaster management at the district level
 Government plans for disaster management are implemented by the district administration.
  The actual ground work for relief is the responsibility of the district magistrate, the district
collector and the deputy commissioner; they coordinate and supervise the relief work.
 The district disaster management committee is headed by the district magistrate.
 Officers from the health; irrigation; veterinary; police; fire services and the water and
sanitation departments are members of this committee
 The district disaster management committee takes decisions on the relief measure and
those decisions are carried out by the disaster management committee.
 Trained persons from all the departments carried out the relief measures.
Prevention
Mitigation and prevention efforts aim to reduce the potential damage and suffering that disasters can
cause. While disaster management cannot prevent disasters, it can prevent them from becoming
compounded as a result of neglecting causal factors and manageable risks. Mitigation specifically refers
to actions taken that can lessen the severity of a disaster’s impact. Investing in measures that limit
hazards can greatly reduce the burden of disasters.
Strategies that disaster management professionals implement to protect vulnerable communities and
limit hazards include the following:
 Raising awareness about potential hazards and how to address them
 Educating the public about how to properly prepare for different types of disaster
 Installing and strengthening prediction and warning systems
Managing hazards and risks means planning to minimize a community’s vulnerability to disasters. This
can involve:
 Encouraging community members to buy appropriate insurance to protect their properties and
belongings
 Educating families and businesses on how to create effective disaster plans
 Promoting the use of fire-retardant materials in construction
 Advocating for capital works initiatives, such as the construction and maintenance of levees
 Building partnerships between sectors and agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to
collaborate on mitigation projects
Preparedness
Well-coordinated responses to disasters require prior planning. This helps ensure fast, effective response
efforts and limits duplicated efforts.
Disaster preparedness plans:
 Identify organizational resources
 Designate roles and responsibilities
 Create procedures and policies
 Organize activities that improve disaster readiness
Anticipating the needs of communities that disasters affect improves the quality of the response efforts.
Building the capacities of volunteers, personnel, and disaster management teams to respond to disasters
also makes the response efforts more effective.
Plans may include the following:
 Emergency shelter sites
 Evacuation routes
 Emergency energy and water sources
They may also address:
 Chains of command
 Training programs
 Communication procedures
 Emergency supply distribution
  Stockpile needs
Response and Recovery/ Disaster Preparedness
During and immediately after an emergency, disaster management focuses on delivering help and
interventions that can save lives, safeguard health, and protect buildings, animals, and community
property. Following an initial response, efforts shift toward supporting communities as they rebuild
emotionally, economically, and physically.
Disaster Relief
Disaster relief addresses the immediate and short-term needs of disaster-affected communities. It can
include evacuations, search and rescue missions, and emergency medical assistance.
Examples of disaster relief are:
 Setting up temporary shelters that provide a safe place to sleep, food, and emotional support
from trained personnel
 Delivering meals and water
 Distributing emergency supplies and necessities, such as toiletries for hygiene and tarps, shovels,
trash bags for cleanup efforts
 Providing emergency health services, such as first aid for injuries and prescription medication
replacements
Rebuilding
Emergency management helps communities rebuild their lives after trauma. This involves longer-term
efforts to restore:
 Housing
 Economies
 Infrastructure systems
 Individual and community health
Federal agencies and supporting organizations help communities with problem-solving and finding
resources as they redevelop and revitalize.
Recovery assistance may include the following:
 Unemployment assistance
 Housing assistance
 Legal services
 Mental health counseling
 Disaster case management
What is rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation is defined as “a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce
disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment”.  
Put simply, rehabilitation helps a child, adult or older person to be as independent as possible in everyday
activities and enables participation in education, work, recreation and meaningful life roles such as taking
care of family. It does so by addressing underlying conditions (such as pain) and improving the way an
individual functions in everyday life, supporting them to overcome difficulties with thinking, seeing,
hearing, communicating, eating or moving around.
Anybody may need rehabilitation at some point in their lives, following an injury, surgery, disease or
illness, or because their functioning has declined with age.
Stakeholder Capacity Building
Capacity-building is aimed at effective and informed participation in decision-making and
sustainable IFM implementation. Capacity building should go beyond raising stakeholder awareness
and aim at developing the capability of stakeholder groups to understand the different facets of the issue,
and their own role within a complex set of actors. It is crucial to acknowledge that different skill sets are
needed at different levels for different stakeholder groups depending on the roles they are expected to
play. The variety of stakeholders, their respective interests, needs and gaps with regard to skills,
knowledge and ability to adequately take part in participatory planning processes should be carefully
analyzed.
In developing stakeholder capacity three levels should be considered: institutional, community and
individual.
 Institutional capacity-building aims at improving the performance of organizations, mainly in
terms of incorporating stakeholder needs, facilitating the cooperation with other organizations and
disseminating information to its members.
Methods  for  capacity building: formal training of staff, organizational reforms, financial support,
learning through the evaluation of  activities and sharing experience with other organizations.
 Community capacity-building focuses on building awareness and knowledge of flood risks and
flood mitigation measures. The most important community skill is training in flood preparedness
planning, including local flood risk assessment, business continuity planning, flood warning and
emergency response, flood-proofing activities and organization of relief activities.
Methods  for  capacity building: dissemination of public awareness materials (especially in schools),
community meetings, sharing information on websites, TV and radio programmes, commemoration of
well-remembered flood events and sharing experiences with other communities that have successfully
initiated or implemented innovative programmes.
 Individual capacity-building focuses on creating opportunities for those individuals already
playing a key role in government departments, RBOs and CBOs and enables them to develop
their understanding, knowledge base and leadership skills.
- Institutional and Legal Mechanisms
 
institutional and legal mechanisms, state policy in the field of information security, EU, state of
the public data protection sector, awareness raising mechanisms.
The article analyzes the features of institutional and legal mechanisms for implementation  state
policy in the field of information security in the EU. It is determined that the Safer Internet Program
is a tool for implementation  the Safer Internet Centers policy, which expands the rights and
protection of children / others online by implementing awareness-raising initiatives and combating
illegal (destructive) content and behavior. It is noted that a significant element of the institutional
and legal mechanism for ensuring the state information policy of European countries is the
involvement of civil society institutions in the process of ensuring the security of Internet use. It is
noted that the fight against cybercrime in the European Union is endowed with a powerful
institutional and legal mechanism. In particular, the European Commission has developed «anti-
cyber measures», which were formulated in the Communication «Towards a common policy on
cybercrime» (May 22, 2007). The normative act defines the main elements of this policy: the
development of cooperation between law enforcement agencies, public-private partnership and
international cooperation.
It is concluded that the institutional mechanism for combating cybercrime in the European Union,
along with the institutions of the European Community, includes two main specialized agencies 
Advocacy and Public awareness –
“Advocacy” is the promotion of an idea, to influence thoughts and/or behaviors, often on behalf of another person or
group “Awareness Raising” can involve advocacy (e.g. active: advocate the use of condoms); or involve no
advocacy just ‘informative’ (e.g. non-active: police will be checking for drunk drivers during this holiday period)
First things to consider.. 1. What is your objective? 2. What is your message? 3. Who is your audience? 4. What do
you want to achieve (specific)? 5. When do you want to achieve it?
Use the ‘SMART’ approach when embarking in an advocacy campaign. Your objectives should be: S – Specific: To
influence behavior of migrants M – Measurable: Increases legal work registrations A – Achievable: Favorable
environment R – Relevant: Will this really effect the overall issue? T – Timed: You must give yourself a time-bound
limit
Role of Media in Disaster Management.
INTRODUCTION: The media forges a direct link between the public and emergency organizations and plays a very
important role in disseminating vital information to the public before, during and after disasters. The media assists
in the management of disasters by educating the public about disasters; warning of hazards; gathering and
transmitting information about affected areas; alerting government officials, relief organizations and the public to
specific needs; and facilitating discussions about disaster preparedness and response for continuous
improvement. To help the media fulfil these roles, direct and effective working relationships between the media
and disaster management organizations should be established and maintained. Experience shows that regular
interactions with the media before a disaster strikes, aids the effective flow of information and lays the
groundwork for effective working relationships in the aftermath of a disaster. MEDIA AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
– A REVIEW: In managing disaster - the necessity of “right information at right time” has not changed for centuries.
People need warnings ahead of the disaster and then, in its aftermath, data on - casualties, damage, the supplies
and skills that are needed, the best ways to bring in these resources, the help that is available and is being
provided, and so on.