U-3 : Disaster Management, Policy and

Administration
Disaster management: meaning, concept, The
organization, planning and application of measures preparing for,
responding to and recovering from disasters.
● Disaster management is a process of effectively preparing for
and responding to disasters. It involves strategically organizing
resources to lessen the harm that disasters cause. It also
involves a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities
of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
● Disaster Management is defined as a process of preventing a
disaster or managing its after-effects.
● Disaster Management includes step-by-step planning,
preparation, mitigation, response after disaster and recovery to
build things back. It concerns how one deal with economic,
environmental, human and material losses after a disaster.

Concepts of Disaster Management:

Now that we are familiar with the type of disasters at hand, we can
now take a look at the concepts related to disaster management. They
are as follows:

1. Prevention
2. Preparedness
3. Response/Relief
4. Recovery

1. Prevention: UNISDR views Disaster Prevention as the concept of

engaging in activities which intend to prevent or avoid potential
adverse impacts through action taken in advance, activities designed
to provide protection from the occurrence of disasters

2. Preparedness: According to ICRC, Disaster Preparedness refers

to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters,
be they natural or man-made. This is achieved through research and
planning in order to try to predict areas or regions that may be at risk
of disaster and where possible prevent these from occurring and/or
reduce the impact of those disasters on the vulnerable populations
that may be affected so they can effectively cope.

Disaster preparedness activities embedded with risk reduction

measures can prevent disaster situations and also result in saving
maximum lives and livelihoods during any disaster situation, enabling
the affected population to get back to normalcy within a short time
period

3. Response/ Relief: Focused predominantly on immediate and

short-term needs, the division between this response/relief stage and
the subsequent recovery stage is not clear-cut. Some response
actions, such as the supply of temporary housing and water supplies,
may extend well into the recovery stage. Rescue from immediate
danger and stabilization of the physical and emotional condition of
survivors is the primary aim of disaster response/relief.

Activities of Response/ Relief include:

● Rescue
 ● Relocation
● Provision Food and Water
● Provision Emergency Health Care
● Prevention of Disease and Disability
● Repairing Vital Services e.g. Telecommunications, Transport
● Provision Temporary Shelter

4. Recovery: Vulnerability of communities often continues for long

after the initial crisis is over. It include the following activities

● Rebuilding Infrastructure e.g. Homes, Schools, Hospitals, Roads

● Health Care and Rehabilitation
● Development Activities e.g. building human resources for health
● Development Policies and Practices to avoid or mitigate similar
situations in future.

Importance of disaster management policy:

1. Saves Lives

During disasters, a crisis is an acute event that is fast moving and changing.
Therefore, effective emergency planning and response is vital. A lack of
coordination and response to disasters can have serious and long-lasting
impacts on a community and can also lead to more deaths. Disaster
management can help to enhance the ability of emergency responders to
save lives. When appropriate infrastructure is set up and training is completed
to improve disaster response, communities can survive the stress and distress
caused by disasters.

2. Improves Community Resilience

When disaster strikes, response teams have the unenviable task of trying to
help people in extreme conditions. The task can be extremely tough as an
unprepared and untrained response team will have limited knowledge of the
people they are working with. However, training helps to improve the
effectiveness of a disaster management response team. Having the skills
needed to help people in extreme conditions is one of the key elements of
disaster management training.

3. Promotes Disease Prevention

Disasters cause an enormous number of deaths. However, they also create

an additional health risk to those affected. People affected by disasters are
frequently exposed to a range of illnesses which can cause further death.
Communicable diseases, such as malaria, are much more likely to occur
during and after a disaster because a lack of healthcare facilities, clean water,
food and proper hygiene is common. Through disaster management
practices, communities can improve their health and mitigate the impact of
disasters.

4. Reduces Poverty

A natural disaster can have devastating effects on a community. It can push

people into poverty and change the lives of entire communities. However, a lot
of people affected by a disaster are more likely to stay poor if they are not
prepared. A lack of planning prior to a disaster can leave people without basic
emergency supplies like food, water, clothing or medicine. By better preparing
for disasters, communities can mitigate the threat of poverty, hunger and
disease.

5. Improves Health

Disasters, along with their aftermaths, can have a negative effect on a

community’s health. Disasters, along with lack of health services and clean
water can lead to increased sickness, lack of immunity and a higher risk of
infection. Therefore, it is essential that communities have access to health
professionals, have a good supply of water and adequate sanitation facilities,
and have access to emergency medical care during and after a disaster.

6. Reshapes Communities

Disasters can have a huge impact on the local economy. Communities often
suffer huge financial losses during a disaster and therefore may struggle to
cope with these losses. A disaster can also impact the social fabric of a
community. In this way, disaster management can help communities rebuild
their communities and reconnect people with each other. Communities can
begin to rebuild their local infrastructure after a disaster, which will also
improve the economic health of a community. In many cases, this will benefit
the economy as a whole, while also improving the environment in which
people live.

7. Strengthens Security

Terrorist groups exploit disasters to cause further bloodshed and chaos. The
causes and consequences of disasters can act as a magnet for people with
bad intentions to commit acts of terrorism. There are some social conditions
which make terrorist activities more likely in certain areas. Examples include
poor governance, overcrowding and high levels of poverty. After a disaster,
communities must be vigilant in the protection of their security.

8. Promotes Stability

Disasters can disrupt social order, economic activity, and the flow of trade. At
their worst, disasters can create insecurity, mistrust, ethnic tensions, hatred
and violence. These conflicts, if not addressed, can negatively impact the
stability of communities and the effectiveness of local security forces. After a
disaster, people who would normally rely on law enforcement agencies to
provide security are likely to turn to alternative sources of law and order. This
may increase the amount of crime and violence which takes place.

9. Promotes the Protection of Natural Resources

Disasters can be devastating to the lives of people living in an area and can
cause environmental degradation. If a disaster negatively affects the
environment or local ecosystems, it may also lead to species extinctions, loss
of indigenous knowledge, and the general destruction of entire ecosystems. At
the same time, disasters can also have a detrimental impact on the social and
economic structure of a community, leaving it vulnerable to social instability
and human trafficking. Communities must plan for disasters and work to
secure their natural resources to ensure they are prepared for the next
disaster.

10. Strengthens Social Contracting and Trust

Disasters can undermine social and political stability. Governments, large

corporations and other important organisations often fail to provide people
with protection during or after a disaster, which can lead to increasing social
inequalities, distrust, hostility and violence. This, in turn, can lead to weaker
social institutions and increased individual susceptibility to aggression and
coercion.

Objective of disaster management policy

1. Reduce Damages and Deaths

2. Reduce Personal Suffering

3. Speed Recovery

4. Protect Victims

● Ensuring the availability of local emergency equipment and

transportation.
 ● Achieving quick recovery from disaster.
● Long-term planning for particular disaster to reduce its risk.
● Shifting exposure from vulnerable area into safe place.
● Ensuring safety, equity, equality to all organisms specially
human beings.
● Increasing the availability, safety of natural resources.
● Creating awareness about disaster and its mitigation process
among people.
● Giving warning before disaster thus people can be prepared and
safe from that.
● To make the efforts for conservation of environment.

Disaster risks in India

● The size of the country
● Huge population
● The variation in climate
● Unplanned urbanization and industrialization

Paradigm shift in disaster management.

Disaster management Act 2005
Policy and administration:

Importance and principles of disaster management policies,

command and co-ordination of in disaster management,
rescue operations-how to start with

and how to proceed in due course of time, study of flowchart

showing the entire
process.
Paradigm shift in disaster management.
What is Paradigm Shift in Disaster Paradigm?

Natural and man-made disasters often result in loss of lives, cause injury to
people, and lead to loss of livelihoods and damage and destruction of
property, assets and infrastructure. Disasters worsen the risk and exposure
of vulnerable communities and lead to psychosocial stress and trauma
among the disaster-prone and disaster-affected communities. In the case of
recurring disasters like floods, the disaster-prone communities often become
victims of a crisis of confidence as their coping strategies are often
overwhelmed, survival threatened and normal life adversely affected for
several months repeatedly. Children, infants, the elderly and the physically
and mentally challenged people become more vulnerable to neglect and
deprivation in the event of a sudden outbreak of disasters, especially when
the displaced communities are forced to stay in temporary relief camps.

The government of different countries, international, national and local (also

voluntary) agencies have adopted comprehensive disaster management
plans and programs, emphasizing community participation with an intention
of reducing the pains and sufferings of victims, shortening the number of loss
of human lives and livestock (Mehta, 2009; United Nations, 2010).

The paradigm shift in disaster management is a change of practices from

the erstwhile relief centric response to pro-active prevention, preparedness,
mitigation as well as recovery and rehabilitation driven approaches so as to
conserve the development gains and also minimize losses to life, livelihood
and property.

But a few decades ago, disasters were viewed as one-off events and only
responded to by governments and relief agencies without considering the
social and economic implications and causes of these events. Initiatives
were driven by outside experts that popularly known as a dominant
approach (Allen, 2006; Heijmans and Victoria, 2001).
Previous literature related to disaster management (Islam, 1995; Heijmans
and Victoria 2001; Murshed, 2003) showed that the dominant (top-down)
approach did not bring fruitful results in disaster management. Top-down
intervention alone in disaster management was insufficient because such
intervention often paid little attention to addressing community dynamics,
perceptions and needs, and ignored the potential of local resources and
capacities that in some cases increased people’s vulnerability (Murshed,
2003, p. 146).
This approach was also followed in Bangladesh and did not bring positive
results in managing disaster (Islam, 1995, p. 239). Considering the backdrop
of the dominant approach, for the last few years, the Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC) has been holding regional and national
training programs on ‘community-based approaches to disaster
management (Yodmani, 2001, p. 5) and the philosophical notion has
been shifted from dominant approach to alternative perspective
(Ariyabandu, 1999). The ultimate goal of the alternative perspective is to
introduce community-based disaster management (CBDM) program.

CBDM can be seen as risk reduction programs designed primarily by and for
the people in certain disaster-prone areas where participation of the entire
community is necessary. CBDM is a promising model in disaster
management that incorporates the principles of community mobilization
and organization. This method endeavours to reform the top-down
approach that has failed to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and
ignored the potential of local resources and capacities (Victoria, 2001 cited
in Pyles 2007, p. 325). Proponents of the community-based approaches
believe that these are ‘suitable strategies’ for grasping the dynamics and
complexity of vulnerability, addressing vulnerability and strengthening local
capacities’ as vulnerability is manifested at the local level (Eynde and Veno,
1999, p. 171 cited in Pyles 2007).

During this paradigm shift, there has been a growing realization that disaster
mitigation is immensely effective at the community level (Murshed, 2003, p.
145), because the community people themselves are the first victims as well
as responders (Ritchie, 2003, p. 102). So, disaster-prone communities
should be empowered with proper training and necessary information. The
government of Bangladesh has also realized this fundamental belief in
community-based disaster management and formulated disaster
management policy, plans and programs inspired by the philosophical notion
of alternative perspective (MoFDM 2007 and DMB 2010).

Disaster management Act 2005

Disaster Management Act, 2005
The Disaster Management Act of 2005 (DMA 2005) is an act passed by the
government of India for the ‘efficient management of disasters and other
matters connected to it. It came into the news with the onset of COVID-19
and pan-India lockdown that followed. The lockdown was imposed under
the Disaster Management Act 2005.

Features of the Disaster Management Act 2005?

The following governing bodies are established by DMA 2005.

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): The National

Disaster Management Authority is headed by the Prime Minister of India as
the chairperson and will have no more than nine members including a Vice-
Chairperson. All the members will have a tenure of five years.

The main responsibility of the NDMA is to lay down the policies, plans and
guidelines for disaster management to ensure an effective response in the
event of any disaster.

2. National Executive Committee: The DMA empowers the Central

Government to create a National Executive Committee (NEC) to assist the
National Disaster Management Authority. The NEC consists of Secretary
level officers of the government in the home, health, power, finance and
agricultural ministries. The NEC is responsible for the preparation of the
National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure
that it is “reviewed and updated annually”.

3. State Disaster Management Authority: The State Disaster

Management Authority (SDMA) is responsible for drawing the disaster plan
for its respective state. It consists of the Chief Minister who is the
chairperson and 8 members appointed by the Chief Minister.

The SDMA is mandated under section 28 to ensure that all the

departments of the State prepare disaster management plans as
prescribed by the National and State Authorities.

4. District Disaster Management Authority: The Chairperson of District

Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will be the Collector or District
Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner of the district.

To know what role the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) plays
in disaster mitigation in India, visit the linked article

5. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF): The National Disaster

Response Force is tasked with responding to a threatening disaster or a
situation similar to it. The NDRF is led by a Director-General appointed by
the Central Government. The NDRF has played a major role in rescuing
people from many disaster-related events in the past such as the Kashmir
floods of 2014 and the Kerala floods of 2018
What has been the progress made by DMA 2005?

The Disaster Management Act is based on the principle belief that

mitigation of disaster-related losses is efficient that expenditure on relief
and rehabilitation. The drawing up planes for strategic partnerships and
course of actions to counter disasters of various degrees the act has made
significant inroads in the following

● Detailed directions to guide disaster management efforts

● Capacity development in all spheres
● Consolidation of past initiatives and best practices
● Co-operation with agencies at national and international levels.

Disaster Management Act 2005 –Download PDF Here

Criticism of the Disaster Management Act

Even though the DMA has filled crucial gaps regarding Disaster
Management in India it still comes with its fair share of criticism. One of its
drawbacks is the absence of a provision for the declaration of ‘disaster-
prone zones’. The states can play a more active role when such provisions
are made as this classification can help in mitigating the damages that will
be caused

The Act implies that disasters are a sudden occurrence, when in fact they
can be progressive in nature as well. For example, epidemics can be
considered as disasters despite conventional definition as it does take
thousands of lives in its way. Epidemics of dengue and tuberculosis cause
a lot of havoc yet no effective mechanism is in place to combat it.
New disaster management guidelines are underway and one can only hope
it incorporates provisions to overcome dysfunctions of the current
authorities and not oversee yet again the valuable role that the civil society,
private enterprises and NGOs can play towards building a safer India.

Frequently Asked Questions on Disaster

Management Act, 2005Q1

Q 1. What is the Disaster Management Act, 2005?

Ans. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 (DMA 2005) is an act passed
by the government of India for the ‘efficient management of disasters and
other matters connected to it.

Q 2. When was the Disaster Management Act, 2005 made

effective from?

Ans. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 was made effective from
December 23, 2005, to provide for the effective management of disasters
and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Q 3. What is the significance of the Disaster Management
Act, 2005?

Ans. The significance of the Disaster Management Act, 2005:

● For planning and implementation of disaster plans

● To prevent or mitigate people from disaster-affected areas
● To respond and recover from disaster events
● Coordination and management of disaster-affected areas

Q 4. What is the role of the National Disaster

Management Authority (NDMA)?

Ans. The role of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is:

● Laying down policies for disaster management

● Approving the plans prepared by the different concerned
Departments
● Draw a National and State Plan
Q 5. Why was the Disaster Management Act, 2005
criticised?

Ans. Given below are the reasons as to why the Disaster Management Act,
2005 was criticised:

● Absence of the declaration of ‘disaster-prone zones’

● As per DMA, disasters cannot be predicted
 Policy and administration:

Importance of of disaster management policies

● Disaster is a sudden, calamitous and unfortunate event that brings with it great
damage, loss, destruction and devastation to human life as well as property and
also hampers the ongoing developmental projects in a particular area being
affected by the disaster.
● A disaster has been defined in many ways: WHO has defined it as any sudden
occurrence of events that cause damage, ecological disruption, loss of human
life, deterioration of health and health services, on a scale sufficient to warrant
an extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area.
● Disaster management is very important to survive in the case of a natural or a
major man-made disaster and can be defined as the organization aspects of
emergencies, in particular, preparedness, response and recovery in order to
lessen the impact of a sudden disaster.
● The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies with the
geographical location, climate and the type of the earth surface/ degree of
vulnerability.
● At times there can be disasters where there is no loss of human life and at times
these can also cause a huge loss of life and property. This influences the
mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected area.
● A disaster can be caused by human activities or due to some natural changes.
Disasters are events that are unpredictable most of the time. It is important for
any government, state or community to manage disasters by being prepared for
it in advance.
● The government provides legislation, allocates resources and does rational
planning and sustainable development. Disaster management and planning is a
key part of government work and an issue to be taken up seriously by the
concerned authorities.
Disaster management policies and Principles
Principles
[Link] disaster management into development
planning

The objectives of the DM policy or any sectoral policy should sub-

serve the overall goals of the state relating to economic and social
development. Hence, policies on sustainable development should
seek to reduce possible losses from disasters, as a matter of course.
In other words, disaster prevention and preparedness should be an
integral part of every development policy. Therefore, the state’s
development strategy shall explicitly address disaster management as
an integral part of medium and long-term planning, especially for
disaster prone districts in the state.

[Link]-hazard approach to disasters:

Disasters can either be man-made, natural or even arising out of

technological causes. A robust DM policy must therefore provide, plan
and prepare for all types of hazards and disasters that may be
reasonably expected to occur in a region.

3. Sustainable and continuous approach:

One of the objectives of sustainable development is to increase the

inherent strength of all agencies, including the community to deal with
disaster situations. Achieving this objective requires sustained
initiatives encompassing social, economic and infrastructure issues.
Further, once capacity is built, it must be sustained and this would be
an ongoing and continuous activity.

4. Effective inter-agency co-operation and co-ordination:

Successful disaster response requires a quick and organized

response. The active participation of affected communities, NGOs,

private sector and various Government departments like Fire

Brigade, Police, Health etc. is thus critical to any response activity.

Therefore, the DM policy shall focus on establishing response

mechanisms that are quick, coordinated and participative.

5. Capacity building:

Managing disasters using only a handful of stakeholders would be

inefficient. Government therefore should recognize that the DM policy
needs to be strengthening the resilience and capacity of NGOs,
private sector and the local community to cope with disasters while
simultaneously building the capacity of the Government machinery to
manage disasters. Effective disaster management requires that the
community especially vulnerable groups like women, landless labor
etc. be fully aware of the extent of their vulnerability to disasters to
reduce its impact, prior to its actual occurrence. Further, NGOs,
private sector and the community must understand and be familiar
with DM principles and practices, what their own responsibilities are,
how they can help prevent disasters, how they must react during a
disaster and what they can do to support themselves and relief
workers, when necessary. Training is an integral component of
capacity building. Development of Disaster Management as a distinct
managerial discipline will be taken up to create a systematic and
streamlined disaster management cadre. Gender issues in disaster
management will be addressed and the empowerment of women
towards long term disaster mitigation will be focused upon.

6. Autonomy and equity:

Disasters are catastrophic events whose impact is felt across socio-

economic boundaries. Consequently, any DM effort should be neutral
and non-discriminatory. To that extent, it is necessary that the DM
institutions possess the autonomy to make decisions in a fair,
scientific and systematic manner. Disaster assistance and relief must
also be provided in an equitable and consistent manner without regard
to economic or social status of beneficiaries. Relief / assistance must
be provided without any discrimination of caste, creed, religion,
community or sex.
7. Legal sanction:

The institutions/ individuals responsible for implementing disaster-

management activities must have the necessary legal sanction and
validity with requisite powers for managing emergency situations. This
is necessary to ensure that they are recognized by all stakeholders as
the legitimate policy making and/or implementation authorities.

8. Accommodating aspirations of people:

The objective of any effort relating to disaster management is to

benefit the community. People are central to the decision-making
process for disaster management and their priorities should be
reflected in the programs undertaken.

9. Accommodating local conditions:

Disaster management efforts should be sensitive to local customs,

beliefs, and practices and be adapted to local conditions. In addition,
changes in the community and evolving social and economic
relationships must be borne in mind to avoid confrontation and
bottlenecks. This will ensure participation of the local community and
foster a culture of joint responsibility for disaster management at all
levels.

10. Financial sustainability:

Government should be committed to allocate funds for the

sustainability of the disaster management programs.
11. Develop, share and disseminate knowledge:

No single organization can claim to possess all the capabilities

required to provide effective disaster management. So there should be
an institute dedicated to conducting research, development and
training activities related to disaster management, shall be set up. This
institute would aid in the sharing and dissemination of specialized
knowledge related to disaster management among various
implementation agencies, NGOs, private sector and the community in
the particular region.

● -Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster.

● -Mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or
consequences.
● -Capacity building including research and knowledge management.
● -Preparedness to deal with any disaster.
● -Prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.
● -Assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster.
● Evacuation, rescue and relief.
● -Rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The objectives of the national policy on disaster management are:-

● Promoting a culture of prevention, preparedness and resilience at all
levels through knowledge, innovation and education.
● Encouraging mitigation measures based on technology, traditional
wisdom and environmental sustainability.
● - Mainstreaming disaster management into the developmental planning
process.
● -Establishing institutional and techno-legal frameworks to create an
enabling regulatory environment and a compliance regime.
● Ensuring efficient mechanism for identification, assessment and
monitoring of disaster risks.
● -Developing contemporary forecasting and early warning systems
backed by responsive and failsafe communication with information
technology support.
 ● -Promoting a productive partnership with the media to create awareness
and contributing towards capacity development.
● -Ensuring efficient response and relief with a caring approach towards
the needs of the vulnerable sections of the society.
● -Undertaking reconstruction as an opportunity to build disaster resilient
structures and habitat for ensuring safer living.
● -Promoting productive and proactive partnership with media in disaster
management.

A typical DM continuum comprises six elements; the pre-disaster phase includes

prevention, mitigation and preparedness, while the post-disaster phase includes
response, rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery.

A legal and institutional framework binds all these elements together

 Approach
● A holistic and integrated approach will be evolved toward
disaster management with emphasis on building strategic
partnerships at various levels. The themes underpinning the
policy are:
● Community based DM, including last mile integration of the
policy, plans and execution.
● -Capacity development in all spheres.
● -Consolidation of past initiatives and best practices.
● -Cooperation with agencies at national and international
levels.
● - Multi-sectoral synergy.

Command and Coordination in disaster management

Incident Command System (ICS) is a key feature of the National

Incident Management System (NIMS); however, Command and
Coordination (C&C) is not ICS. The C&C component of NIMS
provides you with systems, principles and structures for a
standard, national framework for incident management.

Incident C&C consists of 4 areas of responsibility:

● Tactical activities to apply resources on-scene.

● Incident support, typically conducted at Emergency Operations Centers
(EOCs), through operational and strategic coordination, resource
acquisition and information gathering, and analysis and sharing.
● Policy guidance and senior-level decision-making.
● Outreach and communication with the media and public to keep them
informed about the incident.

Local authorities handle most incidents using communications systems, dispatch

centers and incident personnel within a single jurisdiction. Larger and more
complex incidents may begin with a single jurisdiction but rapidly expand to
multijurisdictional and/or multidisciplinary efforts requiring outside resources and
support.

Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Groups, sometimes called policy groups,

typically consist of agency administrators or executives from organizations or
their designees. MAC Groups provide policy guidance to incident personnel,
support resource prioritization and allocation, and enable decision making among
elected and appointed officials and senior executives in other organizations as
well as those directly responsible for incident management.

MAC Groups coordinate these 4 areas across the different NIMS functional
groups: ICS, EOCs, MAC Groups and Joint Information Systems (JISs). The
C&C component describes these MAC structures and explains how various
elements operate at different levels of incident management and interface with
one another.

Unified doctrine uses common terminology, organizational structures and

operational protocols. NIMS enables all those involved in an incident — from the
Incident Commander at the scene to national leaders in a major disaster — to
harmonize and maximize the effects of their efforts.
 Rescue operations in DM
(how to start with and how to proceed in due course of
time)