By: Er.

Amrit Man Tuladhar, Associate Professor

ll~OJS
or En1lnurtn1 & M1n11ement
8.E.(Civil), University ofRoorkee (IIT, Roorkee), India
Post Graduate, LCHS, Lund University, Sweden
Post Graduate "Seismic Design of Building Structure" University of St.
Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Master Degree (M.E.), ITC, Enschede, The Netherlands

Date:- 2080 Mangsir

/Lecture Note : Revised

1. INTRODUCTION : DISASTER RISK MANA6EM£NT

1.1 Definition of Disaster

Disaster is an event (happening with or without warning) causing or threatening death,

injury or casualties; damage to property, infrastructure or the environment; or disruption
to the community, society and nation. An event, natural or man-made, sudden or
progressive, that seriously disrupts the functioning of a society, causing human, material,
or environmental losses of such severity that the affected community has to respond
by taking exceptional measures. The disruption, (including essential services and means
of livelihood) is on a scale that exceeds the ability of the affected society to cope with
using only its own resources.

If the event I hazard "exceeds the ability" of the affected community to handle the
consequences by making use of all their resources, then the event I hazard can be
classified as "disaster'.

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR : 2009)

defines a disaster as "A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material or environmental losses and impacts which
exceeds the ability of the affected community to cope using only its own resources"

United Nations (UN) define Disaster as below : A disaster is an event that is

concentrated in space and time and that subject a society to severe danger and such
serious losses of human life or such major material damage that the local social structure
breaks down and the society is unable to perform any or some of its key functions".

1.2 KEY Disaster Terms

Hazard
A hazard is a natural or manmade phenomenon which may cause physical damage,
economic loss or threaten human life and property.

Vulnerability
Vulnerability is defined as the degree of loss to a given element at risk resulting
from a given hazard. The :conditions determined by physical, social, economic,
and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a
community to the impact of hazards. For instance, people who live on plains are
more vulnerable to floods than people who live higher up.

© Er. Amrit Man Tuladhar, Associate Professor, NCE Page 1

Risk
s lost, persons injured, damage to property,
Risk is defined as the expected losses (live rs.
) to a community when a hazard event occu
economic activities or livelihoods disrupted

1.3 Types /Classification of Disasters

□ Natural

Earthquake
Floods/ Tsunami
Landslides / Debris Flow
Volcano
hoon
Windstorms, Hailstotms, Thunderbolts, Typ
Avalanche I Snow Storm
Glacier Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOF)
Drought
Forest Fire
Epidemics (COVID 19) Etc ..

□ Human-induced
Fire
Landslides
Industrial accidents
Road accidents
Bomb Blast I Explosion
Nuclear Accident
Food poisoning
Epidemics (COVID 19) Etc .. .

Disaster Risk : s, livelihood, assets and service which coul

d
It refer to potential loses in lives, health statu
over some particular specified future time
occur in a particular community or society
damage caused by a hazard due to the
period. Disaster is the product of possible
t of a hazard (of a particular magnitude )
vulnerability. It should be noted that the effec e
Kotze 1999). Poor community are therefor
would affect communities differently (Von
capacity to cope.
more at r·isk than community that do have the

Disaster= Natural hazard x Vulnerability

ess (or Capacity)
Risk= (Hazard x Vulnerability)/Preparedn

Basic Features of Disaster in Nepal

Prevention Report) :
According to BCPR (UN Bureau of Crisis
s of Earthquake risk.
• Nepal stands 11th position globally in term
(flood risk).
• 30th . position in Water-induced disaster
• 4th . position in terms of climate change.

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© Er: Amr it Man Tuladhar, Associate Professor,
 1:4 Disas_ter Risk Management (DRM)
D1sast~r Risk _Management is to dealing with and avoiding the risks that involves
pre~~nng for disaster before it occurs. It is a systematic process of using administrative
dec1s1on~, organization, operational skills and capacities to implement policies, strategies
and coping capacities of the society and communities to lessen (decrease) the impacts
of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters.

f Disaster Risk Management includes all aspects of planning of and responding to

d~sasters. It refers to the management of both the risks and the conseq~en~es of
disasters. There are three fundamental aspects of disaster risk management 1) disaster
response, ii) disaster preparedness; and iii) disaster mitigation

1.5 Disaster Risk Reduction

The conceptual framework to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a
society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse
impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development.

The need for effective disaster risk reduction is even greater and more immediate than
ever before. The number and magnitude of disasters are currently increasing. Disasters
disrupt a functioning community or society, causing human, materi~I, econ?mic an_d
environmental losses, affecting human development as a whole. Disaster Is also m
increasing with development of country.

1.6 Paradigm shift (Evolution) in Disaster Risk Management :

In the early development of mankind viewed that disasters are act of God. Disaster were
perceived as inevitable events which impact on humanity due to our inability to please
gods, or by provoking their wrath (anger). Later it is relished that disasters are natural or
manmade phenomena, result to a state of uncertainty, impossible of identifying the
danger.

After 1970's some specific · improvement were observed The disaster prone countries
started to focus on how to minimize the loss of life and properties. In 1971 UNDRO
(United Nation for Disaster Relief Office) was established for relief operation after big
disasters in the world. An increase of human casualties and property damage, in 1980's
UN General assembly declare the 1990's as International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (IDNDR : resolution 44/236): (1990~2000). One of the main outcome of
IDNDR was the Yakohama Strategy for a safer world and Plan of action adopted in 1994
at World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction held in Yakohama, Japan and set
guidelines for action on prevention , preparedness and mitigation of disaster risk. In
February 2004 UN General assembly adopted resolution 58/214, decided World
Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) to conclude the review of "Yakohama
Strat~gy and Plan of Action". Then after Kobe earthquake (1995 January) WCDR was
held m Kobe Japan (18~22 January 2005) establishing "Hyoqo Framework of Action"
(2005~2015) Now "Sendai Framework of Action". (2015~2030)

Paradigm shift (Evolution) in DRM in Nepal

i) Natural Calamity Act (1982)
ii) Local Self Governance Act, 1999
iii) Rescue and Relief Standard - 2007
iv) Natural Strategy for DRM-2009
v) Disaster Victim Relief Distribution Standard, 2007

© Er. Amrit Man Tuladhar, Associate Professor, NCE Page 3

 vi) National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction - 2009
vii) Risk Reduc tion/ Flagship Program: 2011-2015
y
viii) National Emergency Operation Center established at Home Ministr
prepared
ix) Ten Clusters Approaches and one early Recovery network have

1.7 OBJECTIVES OF DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

of the society
i) Understanding the potential disaster threat to every dimension
ii) Measure and understand the Risk
of society
iii) Impart Informative knowledge and techniques to the elements
iv) Assess the degree of Disaster and Risk
the risk issues .
v) Bring out the mitigation as well as management policy to sort out

1.8 PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

• Preparedness
• Rescue the victims
• Evacuate
• Minimize casualties
• Prevent further casualties
• First aid / Medical Care
• Food NVater/Temporary Shelter
• Reconstruction / Rehabilitation

1.9 Phases of Disaster

. . .
(1) Norma l Phase (Norma l Time) rm action s are required 1n
A period when there is no immed iate threat ?ut l?ng-te
known hazards.
anticipation of the impact, at some unknown time in the future , of
. . . . .
(ii) Alert and Warning Phase e~t disaster
The period from the issuing of an alert or public warning of an 1mmin_
threat and the lifting of the
threat to its actual impact, or the passage of the
, or disast er
warning. The period during which pre-impact precautionary
containment measures are taken.

(iii) Disaster Phase Disaster phase

The period during which direct impact of a natural calamity is felt.
on flood) and
is long in case of slow on-set disasters (draughts, normal monso
earthquake, fire,
short in case of rapid on-set disasters (flash flood, cyclone,
industrial accident, landslide etc).

(iv) Recovery Phase

s are to be taken
The period , following the emergency phase , during which action
means of liveliho od, and to restore
to enable victims to resume normal lives and
riate to long-term
infrastructure, services and the economy in a manner approp
needs and defined development objectives.
(v) Rehabilitation Phase
and may include
Recove~ enC?mpasses b~th re~abilitation and reconstruction ,
favor of particular
~e continuation of certain relief (welfare) measures in
disadvantaged, vulnerable groups.

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