Disaster management

Floods, earthquakes, cyclones

and land slides
 Introduction to Disasters
• A disaster interrupts the functioning of a society.
They have many forms from natural to human
intervention induced. A disaster affects natural
life adversely by killing thousands of people and
other lives.
• It also destroys a wide range of habitat and
property.
• Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing
great damage, loss, destruction and devastation
to life and property.
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 DEFINITION
• WHO define Disaster as “ Any occurrence
that causes damage, economic,
destruction, loss of human life and
deterioration in health and health services
on a scale sufficient to warrant an
extraordinary response from outside the
affected community or area .

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• It may also be defines as “a serious disruption
of the functioning of society, causing
widespread human, material or environmental
losses which exceed the ability of the affected
society to cope using its own resources.”

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 Generally, disaster has the following effects in
the concerned areas,
1. It completely disrupts the normal day to day life
2. It negatively influences the emergency systems.
3. Normal needs and processes like food, shelter,
health, etc. are affected and deteriorate
depending on the intensity and severity of the
disaster.

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 Types of Disaster
Generally, disasters are of two types –
1. Natural
2. Manmade
Based on the devastation, these are further
classified into
3. Major/minor natural disaster and
4. Major/minor manmade disasters

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Some of the disasters are listed below,
Major natural disasters: Minor natural disasters:
• Flood • Cold wave
• Cyclone • Thunderstorms
• Drought • Heat waves
• Earthquake • Mud slides
• Tsunamis • Storm

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Major manmade Minor manmade
disaster: disaster:
• Setting of fires • Road / train accidents
• Epidemic • Food poisoning
• Deforestation • Industrial disaster/
• Chemical pollution. crisis
• Wars • Environmental
pollution
Disaster Management
There are no standardized rules defining the
different phases of the disaster management
cycle.
 Different agencies use different cycles
depending upon their objectives.
However, while approaches vary, it is agreed
that disaster management activities should be
carried out in a cycle.
Phases of the disaster management cycle
 Disaster Preparedness
Co-ordination of a variety of sectors to carry out-
Evaluation of the risk.
Adopt standards and regulations.
Organize communication and response
mechanism.
Ensure all resources-ready and easily mobilized.
Develop public education programmes.
Coordinate information with news media.
Disaster simulation exercises.
 Medical Preparedness &Mass
Casualty Management
Developing and capacity building of medical
team for Trauma & psycho-social care,
Formulate appropriate treatment procedures.
Involvement of private hospitals.
 Disaster Response
Immediate reaction to disaster as the disaster is
anticipated, or soon after it begins in order to assess
the needs, reduce the suffering, limit the spread and
consequences of the disaster, open up the way to
rehabilitation.
By-
 Mass evacuation
 Search and rescue
 Emergency medical services
 Securing food and water
 Maintenance of Law & Order
 Medical and Public Health
response
• Assessment of immediate health needs.
• Identification of medical & health resources.
• Temporary field treatment
-Prompt and proper treatment to save lives.
 Medical and Public Health
response
Food safety and Water Safety
Animal control- Carcasses can foul water,
Zoonotic diseases.
Vector control- Mosquito and Rodents
Communicable disease control:
Measles, diarrheal diseases, ARI, and malaria
Waste management
Temporary latrines
Chemical toileting
 Sewage disposal damage.
 Medical and Public Health
response
 Management of hazardous agent exposure
Infectious agents if hospital or scientific
laboratories damaged
Mental health
Specialized psychological treatment
significant in terrorism.
Information
Risk communication
 Consequences of
Disaster
Health -
Physical – Entanglement, Injuries, Disabilities,
Coma ,Death.
Psychological- Cognitive, Behavioral, Social.

Structural Damage – to variable extent.

Ecological- Changes in eco-system.

Economical-Financial losses.
 Communicable Diseases after Disasters
Pre existing Diseases in the Population :
dysentery, cholera, measles, tuberculosis, malaria,
intestinal parasites, scabies, skin infections.

Ecological Changes :
 Altered ecology- vector borne and water
borne diseases
 Living conditions - plague, louse borne typhus
and relapsing fever.
 Stray animals and wild animal displacement-
rabies.
Damage to public Utilities :
Water supplies & sewage disposal disrupted.
 Communicable Diseases after Disasters
Population Movements :
 Introduction of new disease or vector.

 In settlements - diarrheal diseases , measles,

viral hepatitis, whooping cough, malaria
etc.
 Mental Health Impact of Disasters
Post traumatic stress disorder

Preschoolers- Increased arousal, fear.

School-age children- reckless ,psychosomatic
signs.

Adolescents- some participate in rescue and

recovery,
regression & withdrawal possible.

Elderly - increased risk for physical injury, than

mental.
 Rescue workers in Disaster
Secondary victims of a disaster.

Stress reactions seen in non-professionals.

More emotional trauma if involved in a failed rescue

attempts (especially if children are involved).

Inexperienced body handlers become more sensitive.

19 August is observed as World Humanitarian Day in

honour of aid workers, who lost their lives.
 Disaster Recovery
Repatriation - after the emergency is over,
displaced people return to their place of origin.
Rehabilitation -restoration of basic social functions.
Providing temporary shelters,
Stress debriefing for responders and victims,
Economic rehabilitation,
Psycho-social rehabilitation,
Scientific Damage assessment
Elements of recovery
Community recovery (including psychological)
Infrastructure recovery (services and lifelines)
Economy recovery ( financial, political )
Environment recovery.
 Reconstruction
Rebuilding homes.
Permanently repairing and rebuilding
infrastructures.
 Disaster Mitigation
• Permanent reduction of risk of a disaster,
• To limit impact on human suffering and economic
assets.
• Primary mitigation - reducing hazard & vulnerability.
• Secondary mitigation- reducing effects of hazard.
• Components:
• Reducing hazard - protection against threat by
removing the cause of threat.
• Reducing vulnerability - reducing the effect of threat
 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.
The setting up of the 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.
• National disaster response force (NDRF) is under
NDMA

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 A few disaster Flood,
MAJOR DISASTERS
s in
Uttarakhand
2013
Earthquake,
Oct, 2005 (1980-2005)
Earthquake
Avalanch Uttarkashi, 20
e Feb Oct 1991
2005
Flood, Assam
& Bihar 2004
Bhuj,
Earthquake,
26 January, Bhopal Gas
2001 Tragedy, Dec
1982

Floods, Alia Cyclone

Mumbai, 2009
26 July 2005
Cyclone
Earthquake, 29 Oct 1999
Latur, 30
Sept 1993 PHAILIN
Cyclone 2013

Tsunami
Tsunami 26 Dec 2004
26 Dec 2004
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 LIST OF DISASTER IN INDIA
• LIST OF DISASTER

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Floods

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 Floods
A flood is an expanses of water submerging
land. A flood is caused by excess water in a
location, usually due to rain from a storm or
thunderstorm or the rapid melting of snow.
A flood happens when an area of land, usually
low-lying, is covered with water. The worst
floods usually occur when a river overflows its
banks.

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Types:
River flood: Caused by overflowing of
rivers due to continuous and intense rains,
hurricanes etc.
Urban flood:
Due to urbanization – normal absorbance of rain
water is prevented- Hence streets and roads
become moving rivers
Coastal flood:
Is the intrusion of the sea water.
Caused by storms and hurricanes in the sea,
also by tidal waves caused by earthquakes and
volcanoes
Causes of flood:
 Continuous and intense rain
 Melting of snow
 Thunder storm
 Cyclones
 Landslide
 Urbanization
 Dam failure
 Earthquake
 Volcanoes
Damages caused by floods:
 Death of human beings and domestic animals by
drowning
 Crop lands are damaged
 Collapse of buildings
 Road transport is disrupted
 Electric supply and telecommunication becomes cut off
 Soil erosion
 Landslides
 Documents, books, food items, grains etc are damaged
 Contamination of drinking water
 Flood management
1) Mapping- of the flood prone area.
2) Land use control- no major development should be
permitted in the areas subjected to flooding.
3) Construction of engineered structures- strong
structures to withstand flood forces. Moreover the
buildings should be constructed on an elevated area.
4) Flood control- it aims to reduce flood damage. It
includes:
a) Flood reduction
b) Flood diversion
c) Flood proofing
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Protective steps:
When there is flood --- go to some safety place
Stay away from flooded areas and move to high grounds
Never try to walk, swim, drive or play in flood water
If you are in a vehicle and becomes surrounded by water,
immediately get out safely
Beware of snakes
 Stay away from stream banks
 Don't take food that comes along with it
 Keep important documents in safe deposit box
 Avoid construction of buildings in low lying lands
 Avoid contact of electrical items
 Listen to weather report
 Store clean water in bottles
 Help your neighbours
Steps to be taken by Government:
 Construction of dams and reservoirs
 Diversion of flood water
 Flood plain planning and management
EARTHQUAKE:
 EARTHQUAKE:

• Sudden shaking of the Earth

• The accumulated energy inside the earth is
released in the form of seismic waves. These
waves causes a series of vibrations on the
Earth’s surface.

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 Effects of earthquake:
• Collapse of manmade structure like building,
bridges, towers etc.
• Roads get affected due to subsidence of the
ground and enormous fissures appear on land.
• Extensive landslides in hilly regions and rocky
debris come down to block the path of streams.
• When earthquake are accompanied by volcanic
activity, the destruction is very enormous

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 Mitigation measures
• Damage to structure can be avoided by prohibiting
restriction on such earthquake prone zones.
• Power lines and pipelines can be built with extra slack
where they cross such earthquake prone zones.
• New buildings should be constructed with proper
earthquake resistant measures. They require secure
anchoring and tight bonding of foundations, frame,
outer and inner walls, floors and roofs.
• Vulnerable older building located in high risk areas
might be rebuilt to withstand anticipated earthquake.

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Cyclone

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 Cyclone:
Caused by violent and whirl wind in the
atmosphere
Also called as Tornado, Hurricane, Storm etc.
Features:
Dia: 150-1000 km and ht: 10-15km
Central region –eye-It is a calm area. It is free from
clouds
Around the eye-there is a violent area called wall cloud
region-has strong winds, thick clouds, thunder and
lightning
Speed: 31-222km/hr.
 Harmful effects:
Causes abnormal rise of sea level, ---Low lying
areas of coastal regions are affected seriously.
Destruction of vegetation
Villages, buildings, property, crops, electricity,
communication system and roads are damaged
River flood
Drinking water sources polluted------water
born disease
 Protective measures:
Installation of early warning systems----
helping in early evacuation of people in the storm
surge areas.
Developing shelter belts: Shelter belts with
plantations of trees can act as effective wind
breakers.
 Landslide:
Landslide is the sudden flow down of a large
mass of soil, rock, mud and debris along the
side of a slope
Natural causes:
•Heavy rainfall
•Accumulation of rain water
•Earthquake
•Sudden change in temperature which causes
sudden shrinking and expansion of soil
•Melting of snow
•Erosion by rivers
•Ocean waves and tides etc.
Man-made factors:
•Deforestation
•Forest fires
•Mining
•Pumping and draining groundwater
•Urbanization of hillsides
Damages caused by landslides:
Blocking of rivers, channels etc.
resulting in floods
Blocking of roads, rails and transport
Damage to vegetation and buildings
Death of human beings
Protective measures:
Rearing vegetation
Construction of retaining walls
Slopes should not be overloaded with buildings
THANK YOU