An

Audit course Report on

“DISASTER MANAGMENT”
By
BANWARI LAL
Roll No.-22/708
Submitted to
Rajasthan Technical University
In partial fulfillment of the requirement
for
The award of the degree of
Master of Business Administration
Under the guidance of
Dr. ANAMIKA SHARMA.
Faculty of M.B.A. Program

University Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Rajasthan Technical University, Kota
Session: 2022 - 2024
 INDEX

S.NO.
TOPIC PAGE NO.

UNIT-I
1. 3-6
INTRODUCTION

UNIT-2
2. 7-16
REPERCUSSIONS OF DISASTERS AND HAZARDS

UNIT-3
3. 17-20
DISASTER PRONE AREAS IN INDIA

UNIT-4
4. 21-23
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT

UNIT-5
5. 24-27
RISK ASSESSMENT

UNIT-6
6. 28-32
DISASTER MITIGATION

UNIT-7
7. 33
PROGRAMS OF DISASTER MITIGATION IN INDIA

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 Unit:1
INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION:

A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human,
material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to
cope/handle using its own resources.

FACTORS:

1.Poverty
2.Population Growth
3.Rapid Urbanization
4.Transitions in Cultural Practices
5. Economic condition.
6.Geographical conditions.

HAZARD DISASTER

A dangerous situation needing to be. A dangerous situation that has become out of
heeded because it can lead to a disaster. control and is a disaster

Disasters are the outcomes of hazards when

Hazards are known to have specific warnings usually
warning signs were ignored.
man-made to prevent disastrous events.

A disaster is the result of a hazard but at the

Hazards can lead to disasters. same time is also a hazardous event.

DIFFERENCE B/W HAZARD & DISASTER

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 NATURAL
DISASTER
MAN-
MADE

Natural disaster
A natural disaster is described as a major event caused by Earth’s natural processes that result in significant
environmental harm and loss of life. The term natural has consequently been disputed because the events
simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement.

Different types of natural disasters can be:

 Tsunamis

 Earthquakes

 Avalanches

 Volcanoes

 Landslides

 Floods

 Droughts

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Man-made disasters

Human-induced disasters are very dangerous destruction caused by humans. Chemical spills, hazardous
material spills, explosives, chemical or biological attacks, nuclear blasts, rail accidents, airline crashes, or
groundwater poisoning are all instances of man-made disasters.

DIFFERENCE

Parameters of
Natural Disaster Man-Made Disaster
Comparison

Medium Natural Forces Human Error

Intensity Uncontrollable Can be deterred

Interference Can be influenced by human actions Can be boosted by natural forces

Examples of major Flood, volcanic eruptions, drought, Nuclear explosion, war, chemical
disaster cyclones, avalanches, etc. spills, etc.

Examples of minor Thunderstorms, mud slides, heat Accidents in factories, industrial

disaster waves, cold waves, etc. crisis, road accidents, etc.

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 NATURA
L MAN-MADE

Geological Industrial
Disasters Accidents

Transporta
tion
Hydrological Accidents
Disasters

Terrorism
Meteorological
Disasters Nuclear &
Chemical
Disasters

Biological Sports
Disasters Disasters

MAGNITUDE

Natural disasters cause destruction of property, loss of financial resources, and personal injury or illness.
The loss of resources, security and access to shelter can lead to massive population migrations in lesser-
developed countries.

Man -made disasters provoke a serious disruption of the economy, agriculture, and health-care sectors of a
society, typically producing long-lasting effects that perpetuate underdevelopment.

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 UNIT:2
Economic damage

The economic damage caused by disasters varies. Capital assets and infrastructure such as housing, schools,
factories and equipment, roads, dams, and bridges are lost. Human capital is depleted due to the loss of life,
the loss of skilled workers and the destruction of education infrastructure that disrupts schooling.

Loss of human and animal life:

When natural disasters hit, whether forest fires, earthquakes, or hurricanes, they leave behind a trail of
destruction. But, while we report human loss in the news, we often forget about the animals. And the loss
can be huge. Read on to find out more about how animals fared in some of the best-known natural disasters.
We do sometimes see news images of wildlife in dire situations, such as kangaroos stranded on a small
piece of land above the surrounding floodwaters. But even here, many people consider their plight as a
natural occurrence.
Without food, these animals will starve to death or succumb to other conditions they may have, such as
injuries. Many animals are washed away or become so exhausted by always struggling in water that they die
from hypothermia, shock, or exhaustion.

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The impact of ecosystem destruction is the following:

 Increased flooding due to the erosion of soil and lack of trees.

 Climate change causes the sea levels rising due to the melting of the glaciers.

 More a likelihood that natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, droughts will be
commonplace.

 Disruption of the food chain when the apex predators become extinct.

 Water shortage – the supply of fresh drinking water is limited with only a few water bodies being fit
for human consumption.

 Food shortage as the lands become barren and the oceans become devoid of fish and other marine
life.

 Loss of biodiversity as a whole species of living things disappear due to deforestation.

 Pollution will eventually become unmanageable and affect the health of the human population.
Rising temperatures may be too much to bear for every living organism on the planet.

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 SOME OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS

EARTHQUAKE:
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor, or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth
resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes
can range in size from those that are so weak that they cannot be felt to those violent enough to propel
objects and people into the air, and wreak destruction across entire cities. The seismicity, or seismic activity,
of an area is the frequency, type, and size of earthquakes experienced over a particular time period.

VOLCANISM:
Volcanism is the eruption of molten rock from inside the Earth to the surface. Volcanism occurs because of
Earth's internal heat and is associated with tectonic processes and a part of the rock cycle. Volcanic
eruptions occur when molten lava reaches the surface of the Earth.

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CYCLONES:

In meteorology, a cyclone is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure,
counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from
above. Cyclones are characterized by inward-spiraling winds that rotate about a zone of low pressure.

TSUNAMI:
A tsunami is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water,
generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other underwater explosions
above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

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FLOOD:
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the
word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrology
and are of significant concern in agriculture, civil engineering, and public health.

DROUGHTS:
A drought is an event of prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether surface water or ground water.
A drought can last for months or years or may be declared after as few as 15 days.
1). It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region.
2). harm to the local economy.
3). Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and
subsequent bush fires.
Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapors.

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FAMINE:
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop
failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe, or government policies. This
phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and
increased mortality. Every inhabited continent in the world has experienced a period of famine throughout
history. In the 19th and 20th century, generally characterized Southeast and South Asia, as well as Eastern
and Central Europe, in terms of having suffered most number of deaths from famine. The numbers dying
from famine began to fall sharply from the 2000s. Since 2010, Africa has been the most affected continent
in the world.

LANDSLIDE:
A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a
type of "mass wasting," which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct
influence of gravity.

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AVALANCHE:
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a hill or mountainside. Although avalanches can occur on any
slope given the right conditions, certain times of the year and certain locations are naturally more dangerous
than others. Wintertime, particularly from December to April, is when most avalanches tend to happen.

SOME OF THE MAN-MADE DISASTERS

NUCLEAR REACTOR MELTDOWN:

A nuclear meltdown (core meltdown, core melt accident, meltdown, or partial core melt) is a severe nuclear
reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term nuclear meltdown is not officially
defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

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INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS:
An industrial accident is a serious event that involves hazardous materials and that can have consequences
for the surrounding population and environment. Depending on the nature of the products involved, the
accident can take the form of a fire, an explosion, or the emission of toxic or radioactive material.

OIL SPILL:
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine
ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills,
where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.

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OIL SLICK:
A mass of floating oil covering an area of water, esp. oil that has leaked or been discharged from a ship.

OUTBREAK OF DISEASES AND EPIDEMICS

A disease outbreak is the occurrence of disease cases more than normal expectancy. The number of cases
varies according to the disease-causing agent, and the size and type of previous and existing exposure to the
agent.
Disease outbreaks are usually caused by an infection, transmitted through person-to-person contact, animal-
to-person contact, or from the environment or other media. Outbreaks may also occur following exposure to
chemicals or to radioactive materials.
while
An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to many hosts in each population within a short period of time.
For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two
consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic.

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 CONFLICT AND WAR

The conflict must be widespread, intentional, and declared. It requires mobilization of personnel and fighter
or soldiers moving to front positions to defend territories. Conflict arises from disagreement between two
parties where parties perceive a threat to their needs and interests.

While War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such
as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, aggression,
destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces.

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 Unit – 3

Disaster prone areas in India

Seismic Zoning can be defined as a process by which areas are subdivided into seismic zones based on
expected of ground motion, which is expressed in terms of peak horizontal ground acceleration (PGA) or
peak ground velocity (PGV). On the other way, seismic Zonation demarcates equal hazard with respect to a
characteristic of strong ground shaking and of site or structural response. A seismic zoning map differs from
seismicity map by the fact that it specifies the levels of force or ground motions for earthquake resistance
design, whereas seismicity map provides location and characteristics of earthquakes.

In seismology, a seismic zone or seismic belt is an area of seismicity potentially sharing a common cause. It

may also be a region on a map for which a common areal rate of seismicity is assumed for the purpose of
calculating probabilistic ground motions. An obsolete definition is a region on a map in which a common
level of seismic design is required.

Areas Prone to Floods and Droughts Flood

In India, flood prone areas cover 12.5% of the country.

The flood prone areas include West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Bihar, Gujrat, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.

Drought prone areas Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh.

Drought prone districts in India comprise nearly 1/6th of this country in terms of area. These areas receive
an annual rainfall of around 60 cm or less.

The Western Ghats are highly erratic and receive rainfall lower than 750mm. Since this area is highly
populated, the suffering or damage caused by drought is high. The area extending from Ahmedabad to
Kanpur and from Kanpur to Jullundur receives less than 750mm or even less than 400 mm rainfall.

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Besides these areas, there are many pockets of drought in India. They are:

1.Coimbatore in Kerala

2. Kalahandi in Orissa

3. Palam region and Mirzapur plateau in Uttar Pradesh

4. Purulia in West Bengal

5. Kutch and Saurashtra regions in Gujarat

6. Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.

Areas Prone to Landslides and Avalanches

Landslide: -
Studies show that more than 12 per cent of the land area in the country is susceptible to landslides and more
than 300 die every year, worldwide, due to landslides.
The major landslide prone areas in India include the Western Ghats and Konkan Hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra), Eastern Ghats (Araki region in Andhra Pradesh), North-East Himalayas
(Darjeeling and Sikkim) and North West Himalayas (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir).
Avalanche: - The higher reaches of the Himalayan region are prone to attack by avalanches. The snowy
region of the Western Himalayas is particularly prone to avalanches. It includes higher areas in Jammu and
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttaranchal. The details are as under:

1. Jammu and Kashmir – Higher reaches of Kashmir and Gurez valleys, Kargil and Ladakh and some of the
major roads.

2. Himachal Pradesh – Chambal, Callosity and Kinnaur are vulnerable areas.

3. Uttaranchal – Parts of Tehri Garhwal and Chamoli districts are vulnerable areas.

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 Areas Prone to Cyclonic and Coastal Hazards

In India, eastern coastal region between West Bengal and Tamil Nadu has been affected tremendous coastal
hazards, such as storm surge, cyclone, tsunami, etc.

In the state of Andhra Pradesh, tremendous population living in the coastal region, especially Krishna
Godavari deltaic Plain, and also the region is prone to various hazards.

Post-Disaster Diseases and Epidemics

The relationship between natural disasters and communicable diseases is frequently misconstrued. When
death is directly due to a natural disaster, human remains do not pose a risk for outbreaks. Dead bodies only
pose health risks in select situations that require specific precautions, such as death from cholera,
shigellosis, or hemorrhagic fevers. Risk for communicable disease transmission after disasters is associated
primarily with the size and characteristics of the population displaced, proximity of safe water and
functioning latrines, nutritional status of the displaced population, level of immunity to vaccine preventable
diseases such as measles, and access to health care services.

Several types of communicable diseases have been associated with populations displaced by natural
disasters. Diarrheal disease outbreaks can occur after drinking water that has been contaminated and have
been reported after flooding and related displacement. Etiologic agents include Vibrio cholerae,
enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli, Salmonella enterica and Cryptosporidium parvum. Although the risk for
diarrheal disease outbreaks following natural disasters is higher in developing countries than in
industrialized countries, norovirus, Salmonella, and toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae were confirmed
among Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the United States.

Crowding is common in populations displaced by natural disasters and can facilitate the transmission of
communicable diseases, e.g., measles and meningococcal meningitis. Acute respiratory infections are a
major cause of illness and death among displaced populations, particularly in children less than 5 years of
age. Acute respiratory infections accounted for the highest number of cases and deaths among those
displaced by the tsunami in Aceh in 2004 and by the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

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Natural disasters, particularly meteorological events such as cyclones, hurricanes and flooding can affect
vector-breeding sites and vector borne disease transmission. Malaria outbreaks in the wake of flooding are a
well-known phenomenon. Although not directly associated with flooding, the risk for dengue outbreaks can
be influenced by other complicating factors, such as changes in human behavior, movement to endemic
areas, interruption in disease control activities and changes in habitat.

Other diseases associated with natural disasters include tetanus and coccidioidomycosis. A cluster of 106
cases of tetanus, including 20 deaths, occurred in Aceh, and peaked 2 1/2 weeks after the tsunami. An
outbreak of coccidioidomycosis was associated with exposure to increased levels of airborne dust after
landslides in the aftermath of the 1994 Southern California earthquake.

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 Unit-4

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT

Preparedness: - (Monitoring of Phenomenon Triggering a Disaster or a Hazard)

Preparedness
Are the measures that ensure the organized mobilization of personnel, funds, equipment’s, and supplies
within a safe environment for effective relief. Disaster preparedness is building up of capacities before a
disaster situation prevails in order to reduce impacts. Its measures include inter alia, availability of food
reserve, emergency reserve fund, seed reserve, health facilities, warning systems, logistical infrastructure,
relief manual, and shelves of projects.
Hazard is a rare or extreme event in the natural or human made environment that adversely affects human
life, property or activity to the extent of causing a disaster. It is essential to make a distinction between
hazards and disasters, and to recognize that the effect of the former upon the latter is essentially a measure
of the society’s vulnerability.

Evaluation of Risk: (Application of Remote Sensing)

During the disaster prevention stage, GIS is used in managing the huge levels of data required for
vulnerability and hazard assessment. In the disaster preparedness stage, it is a tool for planning evacuation
routes, designing centers for emergency operations, and for the integration of satellite data with other
relevant data in the design of disaster warning systems. In the disaster relief phase, GIS, in combination
with GPS, is extremely useful in search and rescue operations in areas that have been devastated and where
it is difficult to find one’s bearings. In the disaster rehabilitation stage, GIS is used to organize the damage
information and post-disaster census information and in the evaluation of sites for reconstruction. Natural
hazard information should be included routinely in developmental planning and investment projects
preparation. They should include cost/benefit analysis of investing in hazard mitigation measures and weigh
them against the losses that are likely to occur if these measures are not taken. GIS can play a role at the
following levels:
 National level
 State level
 District level
 Block level
 Ward or village level

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 Site investigation scale.
1. Land Use Mapping
Remote sensing data is useful in obtaining up-to-date land use pattern of large areas at any given time and
monitor changes that occur from time to time. It can be used for updating road maps, asphalt conditions, and
wetland delineation. This information is used by regional planners and administrators to frame policy
matters for all-round development of the region.

2. Weather Forecasting
Remote sensing is extensively used in India for weather forecasting. It is also used to warn people about
impending cyclones.

3. Environmental Study
It can be used to study deforestation, degradation of fertile lands, pollution in atmosphere, desertification,
eutrophication of large water bodies and oil spillage from oil tankers.

4. Study of Natural hazards

Remote sensing can be used to study damages caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and floods and
melting of ice in Polar Regions. Many times, remote sensing will be helpful to predict the occurrence of
natural hazards.

5. Resource exploration
Remote sensing data is helpful for updating existing geological maps, rapid preparation of lineament and
tectonic maps, identifying the sites for quarrying the minerals and helpful in locating fossil fuel deposits.

Data From Meteorological and Other Agencies

Modernized meteorological observations and research in India was initiated more than 200 years ago, since
1793, when the first Indian Meteorological observatory was set up at Madras (now Chennai). IMD was
formally established in 1875 with a network of about 90 weather observatories for systematic observation
and research.
India Meteorological Department’s tradition of monitoring weather and climate spans more than 135 years
giving it a sound and useful dataset to fall back upon for environmental assessment. Ozone monitoring
network was started as a globally pioneering effort as early as in 1954 realizing that this trace gas plays a
very important role in atmospheric chemical mechanisms. It also started radiation measurements about 50
years back and currently maintaining 45 stations in the country for providing exclusive countrywide dataset
for assessment of solar energy resources.
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A network of 10 Global Atmosphere Watch Stations (GAW, formerly Background Air Pollution Monitoring
Network or Balmond) consisting of Allahabad, Jodhpur, Katakana, Minicoy, Mohan Bari, Port Blair, Pune,
Nagpur, Srinagar and Vishakhapatnam, is maintained by IMD as per WMO protocols and standards since
1974 to generate data and information on the exchange of trace materials between the atmosphere and the
earth’s surface, making atmospheric turbidity and air quality measurements to quantify trends and acid rain
threats.
Atmospheric monitoring: There are 25 types of atmospheric monitoring networks that are operated and
coordinated by the IMD. This includes meteorological, climatologically, environment, air pollution and
other specialized observation of atmospheric trace constituents. It maintains 559 surface meteorological
observatories, about 35 radio-stations and 64 pilot balloon stations for monitoring the upper atmosphere.
Specialized observations are made for ago meteorological purposes at 219 stations and radiation parameters
are monitored at 45 stations. There are about 70 observatories that monitor current weather conditions for
aviation. The IMD collects meteorological data over oceans by an establishment of cooperation fleet of
Voluntary Observing Ships (VOF) comprising merchant ships of Indian registry, some foreign merchant
vessels, and a few ships of the Indian Navy. These ships, while sailing on the high seas, function as floating
observatories. Records of observations are passed on to the IMD for analysis and archival.

Media Reports: Governmental and Community Preparedness

The media forges a direct link between the public and the emergency organizations and play a very
important role in disseminating vital information to the public before, during and after the disasters. The
media assists in the management of disasters by educating the public about the disasters; warning of
hazards; gathering and transmitting information about the affected areas; alerting govt. officials, relief
organizations and the public to specific needs; and the facilitating discussions about the disaster
preparedness and the response for the continuous improvement. To help the disaster management
organizations should be established and maintains. 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 aftermaths of a disasters

Community preparedness: Being prepared is the key to a community's ability to respond to and
recover from an incident. It requires engagement and coordination with a cross-section of state, local, and
tribal partners as well as other stakeholders.

Community preparedness is the ability of communities to prepare for, withstand, and recover from public
health incidents in both the short and long term.

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 Unit-5

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a process to identify potential hazards and analyze what could happen if a hazard
occurs. A business impact analysis (BIA) is the process for determining the potential impacts resulting from
the interruption of time sensitive or critical business processes.

There are numerous hazards to consider. For each hazard there are many possible scenarios that could
unfold depending on timing, magnitude, and location of the hazard. Consider hurricanes:

A Hurricane forecast to make landfall near your business could change direction and go out to sea.

The storm could intensify into a major hurricane and make landfall.

There are many “assets” at risk from hazards. First and foremost, injuries to people should be the first
consideration of the risk assessment. Hazard scenarios that could cause significant injuries should be
highlighted to ensure that appropriate emergency plans are in place. Many other physical assets may be at
risk. These include buildings, information technology, utility systems, machinery, raw materials and
finished goods. The potential for environmental impact should also be considered. Consider the impact an
incident could have on your relationships with customers, the surrounding community, and other
stakeholders. Consider situations that would cause customers to lose confidence in your organization and its
products or services.

Hazard – A potentially destructive physical phenomenon (e.g., an earthquake, a windstorm, a flood).

Common natural hazards include floods, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, drought, tsunami, landslides, and
more.

Exposure – The location, attributes, and value of assets that are important to communities (people,
buildings, factories, farmland, etc.) and that could be affected by a hazard.

Vulnerability -The likelihood that assets will be damaged/destroyed/affected when exposed to a hazard.
For example, a building with multiple floors may be more vulnerable to shaking from an earthquake and
more likely to collapse than a one-story building. Another example, an elderly person may be more
vulnerable to the impacts of flooding because s/he has a harder time evacuating or moving quickly.

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Disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction is aimed at preventing new and reducing existing disaster risk and managing residual
risk, all of which contribute to strengthening resilience and therefore to the achievement of sustainable
development.

Annotation: Disaster risk reduction is the policy objective of disaster risk management, and its goals and
objectives are defined in disaster risk reduction strategies and plans.

Disaster risk reduction strategies and policies

Define goals and objectives across different timescales and with concrete targets, indicators, and time
frames. In line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, these should be aimed at
preventing the creation of disaster risk, the reduction of existing risk and the strengthening of economic,
social, health and environmental resilience.

Global and National Disaster Risk Situation

At the global level, there has been considerable concern over natural disasters. Even as substantial scientific
and material progress is made, the loss of lives and property due to disasters has not decreased. In fact, the
human toll and economic losses have mounted. It was in this background that the United Nations General
Assembly, in 1989, declared the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage
through concerted international action, especially in developing countries.

India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions.
Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, and landslides have been a recurrent phenomenon. About 60% of
the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about
8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-
2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by
disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical.

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 Techniques of Risk Assessment

1) Qualitative Risk Assessments

This type of risk assessment is based on the personal judgement and expertise of the assessor, who will
often use their own experience to decide on the risk levels involved. The assessor will also consult with
others carrying out the activity and best practice guidance to reach their decisions.
A qualitative risk assessment will look at the risk of somebody getting injured, and if that is high, medium,
or low. Just like any other type of risk assessment, any high risks will need to be addressed as a priority.
Low-level risks can be looked at later or might not need any further action to be taken.

2) Quantitative Risk Assessments

The quantitative risk assessment is used to measure risk by assigning a numerical value. So instead of high,
medium, and low, you could have 3, 2 and 1. Or the scale could be much larger than 3.
This type of risk assessment is more likely to be used with major hazards, like aircraft design, complex
chemical or nuclear plants. Sometimes, a qualitative risk assessment might become semi-quantitative, for
example when some hazards or aspects can be measured, and others are based on judgement.

3) Generic Risk Assessments

Generic risk assessments cover common hazards for a task or activity. The idea behind generic risk
assessment is to cut down on duplication of effort and paperwork. This type of risk assessment will consider
the hazards for an activity in a single assessment. And be used where that activity may be carried out across
different areas of the workplace or different sites.
It's important to remember that while the risks from an activity may be common across different sites,
changes in the environment can affect risk levels, and even introduce new hazards. It's probably best to use
generic risk assessments as a starting point for a site-specific risk assessment.

4) Site-Specific Risk Assessments

A site-specific risk assessment is a risk assessment completed for a specific item of work. It takes account of
the site location, environment, and people doing the work.
site-specific risk assessment might be qualitative or quantitative. And you might start with a generic risk
assessment template. But you should finish with a site-specific risk assessment that is suitable and sufficient
for the hazards present.
A site-specific risk assessment will do more than look at common hazards. It will also address the unusual.
Hazards that might only apply to that specific situation, on that day.
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5) Dynamic Risk Assessments
A dynamic risk assessment is a process of assessing risk in an on-the-spot situation. This type of risk
assessment is often used to cope with unknown risks and handle uncertainty. People who need to deal with
developing and changing situations will often use dynamic risk assessments.
It is not always possible to prepare for every risk or hazard. A written risk assessment should assess the
level of 'unknown' risks. Where an element of dynamic risk analysis is required, workers need to have the
skills and awareness to recognize and deal with danger.

People’s Participation in Risk Assessment

People’s participation is widely acknowledged as a necessary component of effective, efficient, and

inclusive disaster-risk reduction. However, there is little reflection on how commitments for participation in
disaster literature and policy translate into meaningful participation in practice. Participation often takes the
form of standardized, top-down approaches that have little interaction with decision-making processes. Such
approaches often perpetuate existing power relations privileging some and marginalizing others, and
resulting in misunderstandings, disillusionment, and creation or exacerbation of distrust among
stakeholders.

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 Unit-6
DISASTER MITIGATION

Disaster Mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management.

 It’s the ongoing effort to lessen the impact disasters have on people and property. Mitigation involves
keeping homes away from floodplains, engineering bridges to withstand earthquakes, creating and enforcing
effective building codes to protect property from hurricanes, and more.

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.

CONCEPT OF DISASTER MITIGATION

Disaster Mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management. It’s the ongoing effort to lessen the
impact disasters have on people and property. Mitigation involves keeping homes away from floodplains,
engineering bridges to withstand earthquakes, creating and enforcing effective building codes to protect
property from hurricanes, and more.

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.

Strategies of Disaster Mitigation

The Mitigation Strategy: Goals, Actions, Action Plan

The mitigation strategy is made up of three main required components: mitigation goals, mitigation actions,
and an action plan for implementation. These provide the framework to identify, prioritize and implement
actions to reduce risk to hazards.

Goals are general guidelines that explain what the community wants to achieve with the plan. They are
usually broad policy-type statements that are long-term, and they represent visions for reducing or avoiding
losses from the identified hazards. Example goal: Minimize new development in hazard-prone areas.

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Actions are specific projects and activities that help achieve the goals. Example action: Amend zoning
ordinance to permit only open space land uses within floodplains.

The action plan describes how the mitigation actions will be implemented, including how those actions will
be prioritized, administered, and incorporated into the community’s existing planning mechanisms. In a
multi-jurisdictional plan, each jurisdiction must have an action plan specific to that jurisdiction and its
vulnerabilities.

Although not required, some communities choose to develop objectives to help define or organize
mitigation actions (see figure above). Objectives are broader than specific actions, but are measurable,
unlike goals. Objectives connect goals with the actual mitigation actions.

EMERGING TRENDS IN MITIGATION

 Role of Local Self Governments: What is needed is a central role for democratically-elected

local governments, to ensure greater inclusion and a sense of community.

 A top-level department for climate change adaptation is best suited to serve as a unifier, bringing
all relevant departments in a State, such as housing and urban development, transport, water supply,
energy, land use, public works and irrigation to work with elected local governments that set priorities
and become accountable.

 Holistic Engagement: Urban floods of large scale cannot be contained by the municipal authorities
alone, without concerted and focused investments of energy and resources.

 The Metropolitan Development Authorities, NDMA, State revenue and irrigation departments along

with municipal corporations should be involved in such work together.

 Better City Planning: All dimensions of a city’s growth, starting with affordable housing, play a
central role in adapting to future climate change.

 They can lower carbon emissions growth even during infrastructure creation if biophilic design and
green materials are used.

 Planned urbanization can withstand disasters, the perfect example being Japan which faces earthquakes
at regular intervals.

 The India Disaster Resource Network should be institutionalized as a repository for organized

information and equipment gathering.

 Drainage Planning: Watershed management and emergency drainage plan should be

clearly enunciated in policy and law.
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 Urban watersheds are micro ecological drainage systems, shaped by contours of terrain.

 Detailed documentation of these must be held by agencies which are not bound by municipal
jurisdictions, instead, there is a need to consider natural boundaries such as watersheds instead of
governance boundaries like electoral wards for shaping a drainage plan.

 Project on deployment of Mobile Radiation Detection Systems (MRDS) to handle Radiological

Hazards in Metros/Capital Cities/Big Cities in India: - To detect unclaimed radioactive
materials/substances and save public from its hazardous effects, NDMA has chalked out a plan to
provide States/UTs Mobile Radiation Detection Systems to be deployed in Metros/all Capital Cities and
Big Cities in India and also train personnels as ‘Trainer of Trainers’. Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme
(LRMS)

Structural Mitigation and Non-Structural Mitigation

 Structural Mitigation:
Structural mitigation measures are those that involve or dictate a necessity for some kind of construction,
engineering, or other mechanical changes or improvements aimed at reducing hazard risk likelihood or
consequence. They often are considered at “man controlling nature” when applied to natural disasters.
Structural measures are generally expensive and include a full range of regulation, compliance,
enforcement, inspection, maintenance, and renewal issues.

Structural Strategies: -

a) Flood Mitigation: - Flood mitigation measures have been in place since 1950s, in the form of
embankments, dams and barrages etc. To respond effectively to floods, the Ministry of Home Affairs
has initiated measures such as drawing up mitigation plans at the state, district, block, village levels,
training of elected representatives and officials in flood management. etc.

b) Earthquake Risk Mitigation a comprehensive programme for earthquake risk mitigation is being
taken up. This includes incorporation of Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Codes it-r building
regulations, - town and country planning Acts etc. Especially states in earthquake- prone zones have
been requested to incorporate BIS Seismic Codes for construction in the concerned zones. An Expert
Committee appointed by the National Core Group for Earthquake Risk Mitigation, has submitted its
report covering appropriate amendments to the existing Town and Country Planning Acts, Land-use
Zoning Regulation, Development Control Regulations and Building Byelaws.
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c) Constitution of Hazard Safety Cells in States The states have been advised to constitute Hazard Safety
Cells (HSC) headed by Chief Engineer, State Public Works Department with necessary engineering
staff so as to establish mechanism for proper implementation of the building codes in all future
government constructions and to ensure safety of buildings and structures from various hazards.

d) Retrofitting of Lifeline Buildings The Ministries of Civil Aviation, Railways, Telecommunications,

Power, Health and Family Welfare have been advised to take appropriate action for detailed evaluation
of retrofitting of lifeline buildings located in seismically vulnerable zones to comply with BIS norms

e) Mainstreaming Mitigation in Rural Development Schemes -Rural housing and community assets for
vulnerable sections of the population are created on a large scale by the Ministry of Rural Development
under the Indira Awasa Yojana (IAY), Sam Poorna Grameen Roger Yojana (SGRY). This includes
construction of compact housing units, community assets such as community centres, recreation centres,
angina centres etc. Efforts are being made to ensure that buildings constructed under this scheme are
disaster-resistant.

f) National Cyclone Mitigation Project - This project drawn up in consultation with the cyclone-prone
states envisages construe~~cation of cyclone shelters, coastal shelter belt plantation, strengthening of
warning systems etc.

g) Landslide Hazard Mitigation- A National Group has been constituted under the Chairmanship of
Secretary, Border Management, with the collaboration of Department of Science and Technology, Road
Transport and Highways, Geological Survey of India, National Remote Sensing Agency, to examine
several aspects of landslide mitigation, including landslide hazard zonation, early warning system etc.

Non-Structural Mitigation:

Non-structural mitigation in emergency management involves what people can do on a personal level that is
not structurally or physically evident as a protective defense such as a surge wall or a storm shelter. Non-
structural mitigation in general would involve things such as having flood insurance. In addition, another
example would be a family creating a family emergency plan.  Any mental preparedness, training,
insurance, discussion, and planning would be considered items of non-structural mitigation.

Non-structural Strategies: -

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Human Resource Development Human resource development at all levels is critical for institutionalizing
disaster mitigation strategy. The National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) at the national level
has been upgraded and designated as the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). This is
entrusted with the task of developing training modules at different levels, ~undertaking training of trainers,
organizing training programs, developing national level I information base on disaster management policies,
prevention mechanism, mitigation measures etc. Disaster management has been incorporated in the training
curricula of All India Services with effect from 2004-2005. There is a separate faculty in Disaster. I
management in 29 State level training institutes.

a) Capacity Building of Engineers and Architects in Earthquake Risk Mitigation 1: This activity is
being initiated under two national programmes for Capacity Building for Earthquake Risk
Mitigation. Around 10,000 engineers and 10,000 architects in the states, will be imparted training in
seismically safe building designs and related techno-legal requirements. Seven National Resource
Institutions have been designated as National Resource Institutions for imparting training to faculty
of select State Engineering and Architecture colleges and put in place a framework for mandatory
registration and compulsory competency assessment of the practicing architects.

PROGRAMS OF DISASTER MITIGATION IN INDIA

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A few programs have been launched by the Government to mitigate the impact of drought in the long run.
These programs include Drought Prone Area Program (DPAP), Desert Development Program (DDP), and
National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA), Watershed Development Program
for Shifting Cultivation (WDPSC), Integrated Water Development Project (IWDP), Integrated Afforestation
and Eco-development Project Scheme (IAEPS).
The programme of disaster mitigation would include the following components:

 Development of state and district disaster management plans.

 Development of disaster risk management and response plans at Village/ Ward, Gram Panchayat,
Block/Urban Local Body levels.

 Constitutions of Disaster Management Teams and Committees at all Levels with adequate
representation of women in all committees and team. (Village/ Ward, Gram Panchayat, Block/Urban
local body, District and State.)

 Capacity building of Disaster Management Teams at all levels. Special training for women in first aid,
shelter management, water and sanitation, rescue and evacuation, etc.

 Capacity building in cyclone and earthquake resistant features for houses in disaster-prone districts,
training in retrofitting, and construction of technology demonstration units.

 Integration of disaster management plans with development plans of local self-governments.

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