DISASTER MANAGEMENT

3150913

Module : 5
Applications of Science and Technology for
Disaster Management

Vijay Desle
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Babaria Institute of Technology 1
 Applications of Science & Technology

• The applications of science and technology

substantially reduce losses of lives and property for
disasters.

• The task of managing disaster risks and disaster

events is necessarily dependent on scientific
knowledge and evident based technique.

• The development in Information, Communication

and Space Technologies (ICST) have wide range
applications in disaster management.
 Role of Applications of Science & Technology
 Role of Information Technology
 Observatory stations
 Satellites
 Classified experiences
 Training contents
 Reports
 NEWS
 Role of Communication Technology
 Data transfer from observatory stations
 Data exchange among suppliers and users
 Exchange of information and experiences
 Training and conferences
 Tele control 3
 Role of Applications of Science & Technology
 Role of Space Technology
• Collection of voluminous data
• Data collection across wide area
• To confirm data accuracy of application
• More reliable and safe data transfer during disaster
• Faster communication
 Role of Remote Sensing and GIS
• Satellite imageries and aerial photographs
• Terrain properties; vegetation, water, geology
• Analysis of a scenario and database updation
during disaster
 Science and technology in disaster management
• A disaster is an event or series of events that leads to
sudden disruption of normal life, causing severe damage to
life and property to an extent, that available social and
economic protection mechanism are inadequate to cope. 
• Disasters could be, natural (geological, hydro-
meteorological and biological) or induced by human
processes (environmental degradation and technological
hazards).
• While we cannot prevent an earthquake or a hurricane from
occurring, or a volcano from erupting, we can apply the
scientific knowledge and technical know-how to issue early
warnings on volcanoes and cyclones and organize proper
community response to such warnings.
 Science and technology in disaster management
• Science and technology help us to understand the
mechanism of natural hazards of atmospherical,
geological, hydrological, and biological origins which
are made up of an orderly system of facts that have
been learned from study, experiments, and
observations of floods, severe storms, earthquakes,
landslides, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, and their
impacts on humankind and his works.
• The scientific and technological disciplines which
are involved include basic and engineering sciences,
natural, social and human sciences.
 Science and technology in disaster management
• They relate to the hazard environment
(i.e., hydrology, geology, geophysics, seismology,
volcanology, meteorology, and biology), to the built
environment (i.e., engineering, architecture, and
materials), and to the policy environment ( i.e.,
sociology, humanities, political sciences, and
management science). 
Application of technology in disaster management 
• Though it is not possible to completely avoid the
natural disasters, but the sufferings can be
minimized by creating proper awareness of the
likely disasters and its impact by developing a
suitable warning system, disaster preparedness and
management of disasters through application of
information technology tools.
Application of technology in disaster management 
- There are mainly applications we can use to manage
disasters: 
•  Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing
- GIS provides a tool for effective and efficient storage
and manipulation of remotely sensed data and
other spatial and non-spatial data types for both
scientific management and policy oriented
information.
- This can be used to facilitate measurement,
mapping, monitoring and modeling of variety of
data types related to natural phenomenon. 
Application of technology in disaster management 
•  Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote
sensing
- The specific GIS application in the field of Risk
Assessment are:- Hazard Mapping to show
earthquake, landslides, floods or fire hazards.
- Theses map could be created for cities, districts or
even for the entire country and Tropical Cyclone
Threat Maps are used by meteorological
departments to improve the quality of the tropical
storm warning services and quickly communicate
the risk to the people likely to get affected by the
cyclone. 
Application of technology in disaster management 
•  Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing
• Remote sensing makes observation of any object from a
distance Remote sensing comprises Aerial Remote Sensing
which is the process of recording information, such as
photographs and images from sensor on aircrafts and
Satellite Remote Sensing which consists of several satellite
remote sensing system which can be used to integrate
natural hazard assessments into development planning
studies. These are: Land sat, SPOT Satellite, Satellite Radar
System, Advanced Very High Resolution Radio. 
• GIS can also be used in carrying out search and rescue
operations in a more effective manner by identifying areas
that are disasters prone and zoning them accordingly to risk
magnitudes.
Application of technology in disaster management 
• Internet 
• In the present era of electronic communication, the
internet provides a useful platform for disaster mitigation
communications.
• Launching of a well-defined website is a very cost-effective
means of making an intra-national and international
presence felt.
• It provides a new and potentially revolutionary option for
the rapid, automatic, and global dissemination of disaster
information.
Application of technology in disaster management 
• Internet 
• A number of individuals and groups, including several
national meteorological services, are experimenting with
the Internet for real-time dissemination of weather
observation, forecasts, satellite and other data.
• In the most critical phase of natural disasters electronic
communication have provided the most effective and in
some instances perhaps the only means of communication
with the outside world. 
Application of technology in disaster management 
• Warning and forecasting system  
• An advance system of forecasting, monitoring and issuing
early warnings plays the most significant role in
determining whether a natural hazard will assume
disastrous proportions or not. 
• IMD provides cyclone warnings from the Area Cyclone
Warning Centers (ACWCs) It has developed the necessary
infrastructure to originate and disseminate the cyclone
warnings at appropriate levels.
• It has made operational a satellite based communication
system called Cyclone Warning Dissemination System for
direct dissemination of cyclone warnings to the cyclone
prone coastal areas. 
Application of technology in disaster management 
• Warning and forecasting system  
• Seismological observations in the country are made
through national network of 36 seismic stations operated
by the IMD, which is the nodal agency. 
• These stations have collected data over long periods of
time. 
• Flood forecasts and warnings are issued by the Central
Water Commission (CWC) , Ministry of Water Resources.
These are used for alerting the public and for taking
appropriate measures by concerned administrative and
state engineering agencies in the flood hazard mitigation.
Information is gathered from the CWC's vast network of
Forecasting Stations on various rivers in the country
 Remote Sensing
Definition :
Remote sensing is the acquisition of
information about an object or phenomenon
without making physical contact with the object
and thus in contrast to on-site observation.

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 Remote Sensing
Use :
 Geography
 Land surveying
 Earth Science disciplines (for example: hydrology,
ecology, oceanography, glaciology, geology)
 Military, intelligence, commercial, economic,
planning,
 Humanitarian applications.

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 Remote Sensing
 Sensor System :
 Passive Sensor System
 Photography
 Infrared
 Charge-coupled devices
 Radiometers
 Active Sensor System
 RADAR – Radio Detection And Ranging: RADAR is an object-
detection, electronic device that uses ultra-high frequency or
microwave part of the radio frequency spectrum to
determine the position or range of an object.

 LiDAR - Light Detection And Ranging: is a remote sensing

method used to examine the surface of the Earth.
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RADAR Image
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LiDAR Image

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 Role of Remote Sensing
• Satellite imageres and aerial photographs.
• Terrain properties; vegetation, water, geology.
• Analysis of a scenario and database updation during
disaster.
• First earth resource satellite, LANDSAT-1 in 1972.
• Data collection using Solar radiation, thermal sensor,
microwave sensor.
• Mitigation of natural disaster by obtaining knowledge about
the expected frequency, character, and magnitude of any
hazardous event.
• Synoptic earth observation method.
• Cost analysis and justification of losses over INDIA due to
various natural disasters.
 Remote Sensing
 Advantages:
 Save times
 No physical contact required with object with danger zone
 Shows image of very large area of land
 Detects features at wavelength not visible to the human
eyes
 Regularly data acquisition
 Assistance at the time of damage assessment
 Remote Sensing
 Limitations:
 Costly to built and operate
 Difficult to interpret data and requires expert skills
 Coarse resolution
 Small size activities cannot be delineated on remote
sensing

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LANDSAT THERMAL INFRARED SENSORS (TIRS)

Solar Radiation Image

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 Role of Remote Sensing

Flood Management

 Because of repeatedly occurrence of this natural

disaster scientists and researchers have been investing
valuable time and funds in finding out more accurate
and faster methodologies to predict and estimation
flood depth and extent.

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 Role of Remote Sensing
 Flood Management
 Satellite imagery useful things:
 Detailed mapping.
 Developing a large scale view of the general flood
situation.
 Monitoring land use or cover changes over the year.
 Information provision during flood relief operations.
 Provision of RADAR images and multi spectrum images
during flood.
 3-D digital model covered by flooded area is taken from
RAASAT picture at the time of flood.
 Use of Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) in the presence of
thick clouds. 29
 Role of Remote Sensing
 Flood Damage Assessment
 The operation mainly involves safety of people
and property using flood extent mapping and
real time monitoring.
 Damage analysis to the buildings and
infrastructures.
 Meteorological NOWCASTS data.
 Acquiring spatial data.
 Collecting non-spatial data.

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 Role of Remote Sensing

 Flood Prediction
 This includes mainly based on movement/observation of clouds.
 Images captured by METEOSAT satellite.
 Data to be collected of varying illumination time and angles of
clouds.
 Assessment by provision of temperature and humidity profiles
and synoptic maps of the area at the same time.

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METEOSAT image

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 Role of Remote Sensing
 Drought
 Drought is a continuous period of dry weather so it is the most
serious disaster affecting crop.
 The drought monitoring system established at ministry of water
consists of three components :
- Meteorological Model
- Hydrological Model
- Remote Sensing
• Drought can be classified into three groups:
- Meteorological Drought: happens when dry weather patterns
dominate an area.
- Hydrological Drought: occurs when low water supply becomes
evident, especially in streams, reservoirs, and groundwater levels,
usually after many months of meteorological drought.
- Agriculture Draught: happens when crops become affected.
 Role of Remote Sensing
 Drought Management Activities:

 Preparedness
• Prediction
• Risk zone identification
 Prevention
• Early warning system
• Preparation of contingency plans
• monitoring
 Response
• Damage assessment
• Relief management
 Role of Remote Sensing
 Drought Impact

 Barren land

 Reduced forest productivity

 Reduced crop

 Water scarcity and reduced water level

 Increased livestock and wildlife mortality rate

 Increased fire hazard

 Role of Remote Sensing
 Drought Prediction
- The remote sensing study the following in predicting
drought:
• Snow packs
• Persistent anomalous circulation pattern in ocean and
atmosphere
• Initial soil moisture
• Assimilation of remotely sensed data into numerical
prediction models.
• Working agencies/organizations over India:
 Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
 National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast of
India (NCMRWF)
 Role of Remote Sensing
 Drought Prediction

 The present state of remotely sensed data for

monitoring drought and early warning system is based
on,
 Rainfall monitoring
 Surface temperature estimation
 Soil-moisture estimation
 Vegetation monitoring
 Satellite derived vegetation index (VI)

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 Role of Remote Sensing
Earthquakes

 Warning system has been developed by establishing or operation of

numbers of seismographic stations throughout of the world.

 Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) has

developed Global Seismographic Network (GSN).

 The details of minor and major cracks can be tracked or identified

by high resolution satellite imagery.

 Land use and geological maps also used as a vital tool towards
potential earthquake zones.
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 Role of Remote Sensing
Earthquakes

 Accuracy provision of centimeter over 1000 km which helps in

measuring the surface deformations.

 Damage assessment.

 Map the extent and impact of earthquake on the lives and properties.

 Provides decision supporting system for government authorities and

NGOs.

 For calculation of building loss estimations.

 GIS
Definition :

 A geographic information
system (GIS) is a computer system
designed to capture, store,
manipulate, analyze, manage, and
present spatial or geographical data.

 GIS uses spatio-temporal (

space-time) location as the key index
variable for all other information.
Vector data :

 Vector data is not made up of a grid of pixels. Instead,

vector graphics are comprised of vertices and paths.

 Vector data uses individual cells in a matrix or grid format

to represent real world entities.

 The three basic symbol types for vector data are points,
lines and polygons (areas).
 GIS
• Vector Data
- A representation of the world using points, lines, and
polygons.
- These data are created by digitizing the base data. They
store information in x, y coordinates. Vectors models
are used to store data, which have discrete boundaries
like country borders, land parcels and roads.
- Vector models are useful for storing data that has
discrete boundaries, such as country borders, land
parcels, and streets.
Points  

Polygons

  Lines 
Merged vector data
 GIS
• Raster Data
- Raster data stores information of features in cell-based
manner.
-Satellite images, photogrammetry and scanned maps are all
raster-based data.
- Raster models are used to store data, which varies
continuously as in aerial photography, a satellite image or
elevation values (DEM- Digital Elevation Model).
Raster Data
 RASTER VS VECTOR DATA

“A raster model tells what occurs everywhere, while a vector

model tells where everything occurs”
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GIS DATA LAYERS 48
RASTER & VECTOR DATA COMPARISION

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 GIS
Uses:

 Accurate data availability.

 Location of site accurately within least permissible time.

 Accessibility information between source and destination.

 Real time visualization of area of interest.

 Reduced time the element involved in activity.

 For identification of villages having road connectivity, hospital facility, route maps
for the disaster prone area, etc.
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 Role of GIS
The study of GIS have resulted in the potential
applications:
 Establishment of susceptibility of the land and
vulnerability of society.
 Mapping potential hazard areas for use in physical
planning.
 Providing advanced warning by monitoring potentially
hazardous situations and processes.
 Improvement in management of emergency situations
following a disaster – Disaster response stage.
Remotely sensed data, hydrological models and GIS
techniques can be combined and has potential applications in
warning systems or mitigating instantaneous disaster.
 Role of GIS
 A combined method of linking GIS with flood modeling
software is a cost and time efficient method for planning
particular flood disastrous events.

 Specially talking about flood, using rational equation a rain

event can be combined with the land use to approximate
the water that will flow into the channel or a river:

Q actual  C  I  A
Where,
Q = Peak discharge, cfs
c = Rational method runoff coefficient
i = Rainfall intensity, inch/hour
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A = Drainage area, acre
FLOOD ROUTING MODEL

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FLOOD INUNDATIN MAPPING

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FLOOD INUNDATIN MAPPING

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RASTER FORMAT MAP OF A RIVER
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 GIS
Software used:

 HEC-HMS
 HEC-RAS
 HEC-GeoRAS
 Arc-GIS
 DEM
 SWAT

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 Geographic Information System (GIS)
Framework for Disaster Management
 Introduction
• Disaster management means the range of activities, prior
to, during and after the disasters, designed to maintain
control over disasters and to provide a framework for
helping at-risk persons and/or communities to avoid,
minimize or recover from the impact of the disasters.
• Disaster management organizations are government
agencies at central, state, and local levels that are charged
with reducing community vulnerability and establishing
capabilities to manage and quickly recover from
emergencies.
 Geographic Information System (GIS)
Framework for Disaster Management
 Introduction
• Over the last several years, disaster management has
become more complex.
• Large-scale emergencies seem to be more prevalent, and
new threats exist. The need to plan for, prevent, and
reduce the consequences of emergencies is greater than
ever.
• Emergency managers have the responsibility to
collaborate with and coordinate and facilitate multiple
departments in planning, response, and recovery.
 Geographic Information System (GIS)
Framework for Disaster Management
 Introduction
• The objective of this topic is to illustrate how Geographic
Information System (GIS) technology effectively improves
the workflow in all phases of disaster management and
defines an effective architecture to implement framework
on the ground.
 GIS Support for Disaster Management
• Disaster management activities as grouped under into four
phases that are related in time and function to all types of
emergencies and disasters i.e. Mitigation, Preparedness,
Response and Recovery.

Fig.: Disaster Operations

Lifecycle
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
• A comprehensive risk and hazard analysis provides
the foundation for the development of mitigation,
preparedness, response, and recovery plans.
• Disaster management planning requires acquiring,
integrating, and analyzing vast amounts of
information and data in a variety of disparate
formats to develop a comprehensive risk-based
emergency management program.
• GIS technology provides the capability to map and
analyze hazards of all types and visualize their potential
impacts.
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
• Mitigation efforts attempt to prevent hazards from
developing into disasters altogether or reduce the
effects of disasters when they occur.
• The mitigation phase differs from the other phases
because it focuses on long-term measures for
reducing or eliminating risk.
• Successful mitigation is a direct result of
comprehensive planning and analysis.
• Disaster management planning is the process of
analyzing a community's hazards, risks, and values
to determine its vulnerabilities to natural,
technological, and terrorist based disasters.
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
• When hazards are fused with critical infrastructure,
population densities, and other community values,
vulnerabilities can be observed, modeled, and
better understood.
• Based on the potential impact of any particular
hazard to critical values, priorities for mitigation can
be established. Contingency and response plans can
also be developed based on important values at
risk.
• The risk and hazard assessment provides the
foundation for the overall emergency management
program.
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
• GIS optimizes the planning analysis process as
follows:
A. Identify and map, natural and technological
hazards:
1. Natural hazards may include
- Earthquake faults
- Storm surge exposure
- Flammable vegetation
- Areas prone to severe weather events
- Landslides
- Floods
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
A. Identify and map, natural and technological
hazards:
2. Technological hazards may include
- Hazardous materials locations
- Transportation corridors where hazardous materials
are routinely shipped (rail, highway, etc.)
- Nuclear power plants
- Petroleum processing and storage facilities
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
B. Identify and map critical values at risk:
- Population densities
- Critical infrastructure including government
facilities, hospitals, utilities, and public
assemblies
- Natural resource concerns including scarce
natural resources and plant and animal habitats
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
C. Identify values at risk that reside within the impacted areas
of natural and/or technological hazards.
• GIS is used to model potential events (plumes, explosions,
floods, earthquakes, etc.) and display projected areas of
extreme, moderate, and light damage that could be caused
by the event.
• Casualties can also be projected.
• Priorities for mitigation and emergency contingency and
response plan development are highlighted through the
use of GIS.
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
D. Develop site-specific strategies for mitigation to reduce
losses; mitigation includes activities that prevent an
emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency, or reduce
the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies.
• Mitigation activities take place before and after
emergencies.
• Other mitigation functions may include enforcing building
and fire codes, designating specific routes for hazardous
materials shipments, requiring tie-downs for mobile homes,
and shipping regulations for hazardous materials.
• Evaluate and model alternative mitigation strategies.
Determine the best strategy for protecting critical assets
from catastrophic damage or loss and reduce casualties
 GIS Support for Mitigation of Disaster
• Mitigation encompasses the comprehensive steps taken to
prevent emergencies, reduce loss, and provide a proactive
approach to the overall emergency management program.
• The hazard and risk assessment within the planning process
provides the framework for decisions that are made in the
preparedness phase.
 GIS Support for Preparedness
 Emergency managers develop plans of action for
when disaster strikes. Priorities for action plan
development are identified in the planning and
analysis process. Common preparedness measures
include some of the following:
• Critical facility emergency contingency plans
• Communication plans with easily understandable
terminology and chain of command
• Development and practice of multiagency
coordination and incident command
• Proper maintenance and training of emergency
services
 GIS Support for Preparedness
• Development and exercise of emergency population
warning methods combined with emergency
shelters and evacuation plans and the stockpiling,
inventory, and maintenance of supplies and
equipment

• Developing the facilities, staff, equipment, and tools

necessary to plan, monitor, and facilitate emergency
management decision making and information
sharing
 GIS Support for Preparedness
GIS technology is utilized for preparedness as follows:
• Site selection for adequate evacuation shelters with
consideration of where and how extensively an emergency
might occur
• Selecting and modeling evacuation routes
- Considerations for time of day
- Considerations for road capacity versus population,
direction of travel, etc.
• Identification and mapping of key tactical and strategic
facilities
- Hospitals
- Public safety facilities
- Suppliers to support response (food, water, equipment,
building supplies, etc.)
 GIS Support for Preparedness
GIS technology is utilized for preparedness as follows:
• Training and exercises to test preparedness
- Identify incident locations and impacts; map incident
perimeters.
- Model the incident (plumes, spread, etc.).
- Collect damage assessment, identify casualties, and
prioritize for allocation of public safety resources.
- Develop and distribute incident action plans.

• Providing a key capability for the command and control

information system that enables situational awareness and
incident management support.
 GIS Support for Preparedness
• To achieve comprehensive preparedness, a great
deal of information must be gathered and
managed.
• When disasters strike, the right information must
be available at the right place to support
emergency decision requirements.
• GIS, in addition to supporting the preparedness
workflow, is a powerful data management system.
 GIS Support for Response
• Emergency management assists in the mobilization of
emergency services and resources to support first
responders for complex emergencies.
• This can include specialist rescue teams, logistical
support, public safety, volunteers, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and others.
• The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is responsible to
support incident management operation needs and
maintain continuity of operations for the community.
• Acquiring, managing, and maintaining status of resources
from various locations is an important function.
 GIS Support for Response
GIS supports the response mission as follows:
• Provide warnings and notifications to the public and others
of pending, existing, or unfolding emergencies based on the
location or areas to be impacted by the incident. Areas in
harm's way can be identified on the map, and mass
notification can be performed from a GIS
• Determine appropriate shelter activations based on the
incident location and optimum routing for affected
populations to access appropriate shelters
• Maintain shelter location continuity of operations: supply
inventories, external power requirements, shelter
population capacities, etc.
 GIS Support for Response
GIS supports the response mission as follows:
• Identify the locations and capabilities of existing and
mutual aid public safety resources
• Provide facilities for the assembly of department heads to
collaborate, make decisions, and develop priorities. Provide
the capability to create remote connections to the
command center for officials and others who need to
participate but are unable to come to the command center
• Establish the capability to collect and share information
among department heads for emergency decision making
to support emergency operations and sustain government
operations.
 GIS Support for Response
GIS supports the response mission as follows:
• Establish the capability to share information and status with
regional, state, and federal agencies
• Support incident management operations and personnel,
provide required resources, and exchange internal and
external information
• Maintain incident status and progress; facilitate damage
assessment collection and analysis
• Assure the continuity of government operations for the
jurisdiction considering the impacts of the emergency
• Prepare maps, briefs, and status reports for the executive
leadership (elected officials) of the jurisdiction
 GIS Support for Recovery
• The aim of the recovery phase is to restore the
affected area to its original state. It differs from the
response phase in its focus; recovery efforts are
concerned with issues and decisions that must be
made after immediate needs are addressed.
• Short-term recovery is focused on restoring
essential services and support.
• Long-term recovery efforts are concerned with
actions that involve rebuilding destroyed property,
reemployment, and the repair of essential
infrastructure.
 GIS Support for Recovery
• GIS is integral for recovery by providing a central
information repository for assessment of damage
and losses that provides:
• Identification of damage (triage based on degree of
damage or complete loss). GIS allows inspectors to
code parcels with the degree of damage in order to
visualize specific problems as well as area trends.
(GIS on mobile devices expedites the difficult
damage assessment problem and can include
photographs and damage reports linked to the
specific geographic sites)
 GIS Support for Recovery
• Overall damage costs and priorities for
reconstruction efforts based on appropriate local
criteria
• Locations of business and supplies necessary to
support reconstruction
 GIS Support for Recovery
• Assess overall critical infrastructure damage and determine
short-term actions for the following:
- First aid and health
- Additional shelter needs
- Optimum locations for public assistance
- Alternate locations for government operations if
government facilities are damaged
- Alternate transportation routes for continued operations
- Monitoring progress by specific location of reconstruction
efforts for both long-term and short-term needs
- Publishing maps to share information with the public and
other government organizations of progress toward
recovery objectives
 GIS Support for Disaster Management

An Emergency Operations
Center (EOC)

(Automatic vehicle location)

GIS Support for Emergency Management Workflow

 Disaster Communication System
• Information and communication technology (ICT) is a key
element in early warning.
• ICT plays an important role in disaster communication and
dissemination of information to organizations in charge of
responding to warnings and to the public during and after a
disaster.
• Communication during and immediately after a disaster
situation is an important component of response and
recovery, in that it connects affected people, families, and
communities with first responders, support systems, and
other family members.
• Reliable and accessible communication and information
systems also are key to a community’s resilience
 Disaster Communication System
• The role of communication technology has been
recognized as integral to disaster management for a long
time.
• Although application of communication technology has a
role in all the four distinct phases of disaster management
namely, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery,
most of the application has traditionally been in response
and recovery phases.
• The new communication and information technologies that
have emerged over the last two decades lend themselves
to greater possibilities of integration of different
communication systems.
 Disaster Communication System
• The interoperability of various communication
systems including internet, mobile- phones, fax, e-
mail, radio and television is increasingly becoming
functional.
• As a result, the possibilities for application of
communication technologies in mitigation and
prevention of disasters are also increasing.
 Communications for Disaster Management
• All disaster emergencies and crisis events are by nature
chaotic and highly dynamic, creating physical, emotional,
and social disorder.
• In such crisis events and emergencies, communications is
critical at all phases of disaster management.
• Before disasters strike, telecommunications can be used as
a conduit for disseminating information about the
impending danger thus, making it possible for people to
take the necessary precautions to mitigate the impact of
these hazards.
 Communications for Disaster Management
• Other telecommunication applications, including remote
sensing and global positioning system (GPS), have critical
roles to play in tracking approaching hazards, alerting
authorities, warning affected populations, coordinating
relief operations, assessing damages and mobilizing
support for reconstruction.
• It is clear therefore that telecommunications play a pivotal
role in disaster prevention, mitigation, and management.
• In times of natural calamity like floods, storms, cyclone,
tsunami, fire etc. the usual mode of communication like
phone, mobile etc might not work or might be lost in the
calamity.
 Communications for Disaster Management:
Early Warning

• The term 'early warning' is used in many fields to describe

the provision of information on an emerging dangerous
circumstances where that information can enable action in
advance to reduce the risks involved.
• Early warning systems exist for natural geophysical and
biological hazards, complex socio-political emergencies,
industrial hazards, personal health risks and many other
related hazards.
• An Early Warning System (EWS) can be defined as a set of
capacities needed to generate and disseminate timely and
meaningful warning information of the possible extreme
events or disasters (e.g. floods, drought, fire, earthquake
and tsunamis) that threatens people‘s lives.
 Communications for Disaster Management:
Early Warning

• The purpose of this information is to enable

individuals, communities and organizations
threatened to prepare and act appropriately and in
sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm,
loss or risk.
 Communications for DM: Elements of Early warning
There are Four main elements
1. Risk Knowledge: Risk assessment provides essential
information to set priorities for mitigation and prevention
strategies and designing early warning systems.
2. Monitoring and Predicting: Systems with monitoring and
predicting capabilities provide timely estimates of the potential
risk faced by communities, economies and the environment.
3. Disseminating Information: Communication systems are
needed for delivering warning messages to the potentially
affected locations to alert local and regional governmental
agencies. The messages need to be reliable, synthetic and
simple to be understood by authorities and public.
 Communications for DM: Elements of Early warning
4. Response: Coordination, good governance and appropriate
action plans are a key point in effective early warning.
Likewise, public awareness and education are critical
aspects of disaster mitigation.

• The purpose of early warning systems is to detect, forecast,

and when necessary, issue alerts related to impending
hazard events.
• Early warning information needs to be communicated in
people friendly manner in such a way that facilitates
decision-making and timely action of response
organizations and vulnerable groups.
Communications for DM: Elements of Early warning
• Early warning information needs to be communicated
in people friendly manner in such a way that facilitates
decision-making and timely action of response
organizations and vulnerable groups.
• Early warning information comes from different
meteorological offices (for weather related disasters-
flood, cyclone etc.); Ministries of Health (for example,
disease outbreaks) and Agriculture (for example, crop
forecasts); local and indigenous sources; media sources
and increasingly from Internet early warning services.
 Need of Early Warning System

Early Warning for disaster reduction is a legitimate matter of

public policy at the highest national levels for two main
reasons:
- The first one, clearly, is public safety, and the protection of
human lives.
- The second is the protection of the nation‘s resource base
and productive assets (infrastructure and private property
or investments) to ensure long-term development and
economic growth. Conversely, by reducing the impact of
disasters, a government avoids the financial –and
political- burden of massive rehabilitation costs.
 Communication of early warning information
• An effective early warning system needs an effective
communication system. Early warning communication
systems are made of two main components:
- communication infrastructure hardware that must be
reliable and robust, especially during the natural disasters;
and
- appropriate and effective interactions among the main
actors of the early warning process such as the scientific
community, stakeholders, decision makers, the public, and
the media.
 Communication of early warning information
• Many communication tools are currently available for
warning dissemination such as Short Message Service
(SMS) (cellular phone text messaging), email, radio, TV, and
web service. Information and communication technology
(ICT) is a key element in early warning.
• ICT plays an important role in disaster communication and
dissemination of information to organizations in charge of
responding to warnings and to the public during and after a
disaster.
• Redundancy of communication systems is essential for
disaster management, while emergency power supplies
and back-up systems are critical in order to avoid the
collapse of communication systems after disasters occur.
 The role of land use planning in the disaster
risk reduction
• The role of land use planning in disaster risk
reduction Land-use planning is one of the most
challenging issues to implement because of
conflicting values held about land by different
segments of the population.
• Deciding how to use land is demanding enough. It is
even more challenging if there are competing views
about the role that land should play in reducing
collective exposure to risk.
 land use planning: INTRODUCTION
• 85 percent of people exposed to earthquakes, cyclones,
floods and droughts live in developing countries.
• The massive cost of disasters poses a significant threat to
achieving the development goals.
• Direct disaster damage costs alone have shot up from US$
75.5 billion in the 1960s to nearly a trillion dollars in the
past ten years.
• Even these ballooning figures cannot capture the long-
term cost to the people and communities that bear the
brunt of disasters, paying with their lives, their livelihoods
and their future development prospects.
 land use planning: INTRODUCTION
• Land use planning is a newly emerging disaster reduction
method. Land use planning is potentially powerful
mitigation tool as it seeks to mitigate the risks and
vulnerability from several geological and other hazards. S
• o the logic of land use planning is compatible with
disaster risk reduction because both are systematic,
future-oriented, decision-oriented, and proactive.
The role of land use planning in the disaster risk reduction
Urban Land Use and Significance of Planning
• The planning and control of land use includes a vast spectrum
of general policies about it which leave determining effects
and influences on programs and plans of urban development
and cover economical, environmental, social and political
aspects.
 Land use planning in the present cities includes two main
categories:
1. The expansion of the city
2. City restoration,
• The degree of effectiveness of land use planning and its
efficiency in case of an earthquake from the time of the
earthquake till the return of the city to normal conditions is
significant and determines two indicators of vulnerability.
 The role of land use planning in the disaster risk reduction
Urban Land Use and Significance of Planning
• The most important criteria for determining appropriate
locations for different urban activities and urban land use can
be considered as the followings:
1.Compatibility,
2.Comfort,
3.Efficiency,
4.Favorability,
5.Health and
6.Safety.
• Attending to these factors and considering them in the land
use planning improves efficiency of the city, welfare and
comfort for the citizens, and minimizing the fatalities, and
economical damages because of the earthquake.
 Risk Sensitive Planning
• Risk sensitive planning looks into reinforcing physical
planning exercises through the lens of resilience building.
It includes mainstreaming disaster risk management
processes in spatial development plans.
• This process involves identification of area-specific
hazards, risks, vulnerability and capacity of people and
correlating the risk information in the development
planning process.
• Based on this information, spatial planning measures
sensitive to addressing identified risks are decided in
consensus with key stakeholders and the zoning
regulations of the area.
 Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis
• Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis (HRVA) is a highly
technical process typically undertaken by specialist
professionals with advanced educational
qualifications and vast field experience.
• However, effort has been made to simplify the
process, so that even a generalist administrator can
acquire requisite knowledge and skills to carry out
HRVA activities.
 Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis
Understanding HRVA
• To mitigate disaster-related risks, it is essential to
understand the relationship between hazards and
vulnerabilities in any given area. Typically, local authorities
are busy with their regular routine, not leaving much scope
for a HRVA to be carried out.
Some of the advantages of carrying out HRVA include:
• Communities can develop effective warning and evacuation
systems
• Community planning initiatives can factor in potential risks
to housing stock and economic activities
 Hazard Risk Vulnerability Analysis
Understanding HRVA
• Equipped with an understanding of a community’s
vulnerability to a particular hazard, mitigation projects can
reduce the risk of a disaster and its consequences
• Well-informed communities are well-prepared communities
and can collectively work towards preventing potential
disaster-induced losses
 Risk Sensitive Urban Planning
• The basic steps for risk sensitive urban planning are as follows:
1. Comprehensive assessment of hazards, risks, vulnerability and
capacity
2. Application of planning laws and regulation for addressing risks
3. Development of base maps to mark risk areas
4. Participatory discussions to analyse local context
5. Revision of existing development plans
6. Formulation of projects that include risk sensitive component
7. Public awareness for increased knowledge base
8. Capacity building for planning as well as implementation
9. Focus on children, women, elderly and differently able persons’
needs
10. Addressing budget requirements for risk sensitive planning
 Mitigation Defined

• “Any activities which actually eliminate or reduce

the probability of occurrence of a disaster. It also
includes long-term activities which reduce the
effects of unavoidable disasters” (National
Governors’ Association, 1981).
General mitigation measures include
– building standards and codes,
– tax incentives/disincentives,
– zoning ordinances,
– land-use regulations,
– preventive health care programs, and
– public education to reduce risk (National Governors’
Association, 1981).
 Mitigation Programs
• Mitigation programs are designed to prevent disasters or
reduce their effects by discouraging behaviors that may put
people and property at risk, such as building homes and
businesses in hazardous areas.
– Voluntary mitigation programs rely upon individuals,
organizations, and communities to recognize the dangers
posed by hazards and to reduce their exposure to the risk.
– Tax incentives, information concerning hazards and how to
avoid them, and information on safe building practices, for
example, only work if individuals, organizations, and
communities decide that the risk of certain behaviors (such
as building in wildfire areas) outweighs the benefits.
 Mitigation Programs (Continued)
– Non voluntary or mandatory mitigation programs use the
threat of punishment to encourage compliance with
established standards, although some individuals,
organizations, and communities may risk punishment
rather than change their behaviors (such as restricting
development in floodplains).
 Mitigation
• The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of
hazards and related disasters

Source:-
http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology
 Structural and Nonstructural Mitigation
• Mitigation techniques are generally categorized as
structural and nonstructural, as well as voluntary or
mandatory.
– Building standards and codes and land-use regulation are
two of the most used nonstructural mitigation techniques
to reduce threats to property and potential loss of life.
– Building standards specify what materials can be used in
the construction of homes, businesses, and institutional
structures based upon criteria such as strength, durability,
flammability, resistance to water and wind, etc., and
appropriate designs for the environment.
 Structural and Nonstructural Mitigation
– Building codes are regulations adopted by states and/or
communities that specify what kinds of building materials
and designs are appropriate for particular locations, general
standards to reduce the risk of fire and/or damage from
earthquakes or other kinds of disaster, and specific
mitigation measures to reduce the potential damage from
winds or other hazards.
 Structural Mitigation
• Structural mitigation techniques include building dams,
levees, breakwaters, and containment ponds to hold water
or slow its flow; building civil defense shelters; and other
physical means to reduce potential loss of life and
property.
• Public agencies and officials are often predisposed to use
structural or nonstructural mitigation measures rather than
seek other options. For example, engineers tend to be
oriented toward structural solutions and lawyers tend to
be oriented toward nonstructural solutions.
 Structural Mitigation
• Any physical construction to reduce or avoid possible
impacts of hazards, or application of engineering
techniques to achieve hazard-resistance and resilience in
structures or systems
• The “structural elements” of a building carry the weight of
the building itself, the people and the things inside, and the
forces of nature. These “load-bearing” elements include
the frame (columns, beams) and in masonry or
construction also the “shear-wall”.

Source:- http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology
ToT Manual-NSSP-GSDMA
 Components of Structural Mitigation
• Resistant construction
• Building codes and regulatory measures
• Relocation
• Structural modification
• Physical modification
• Lintel Beam
• Column
• Masonry Wall
• Plinth Beam/Bend
• Foundation
• Corrosion
Source: Non- Structural Risk Reduction Handbook for School, Delhi Earthquake Safety Initiative
 Structural Mitigation Measures
• Geographical Area of Building Construction
– Coastal Area
– Desert area
– River bank area
– Flood prone area
– Rural & Urban
– Near by Industrial area or Hazardous industries
• Earth Quake Zoning of Building Construction
• Types of Structure ( Frame, Load bearing OR Wooden)
• Soil Pattern (Rocky OR Sandy)
• Roofing pattern, (RCC, mud tiles, Cement or steel sheet)
• Age of the Building
• Retrofitting of the building
• If Building is multistory (Fire safety Installed or Not)
•
 Non Structural Mitigation
• Any measure not involving physical construction that uses
knowledge, practice or agreement to reduce risks and
impacts, in particular through policies and laws, public
awareness raising, training and education.
• The “non-structural elements” of a building do not carry
the weight of the building, and include windows, doors,
stairs, partition walls, pipes and ducts. They include
“building contents” that users bring with them such as
furniture, appliances, coolers, water tanks, etc. In other
words non-structural elements are those which are either
attached to building or kept in building.

Source:- http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology ToT

Manual-NSSP-GSDMA
 Components of Non Structural Mitigation
Within the school building:
• Furniture and Fixture
• School Equipment (Electrical, Electronics, Gaming)
• Utensils
• Electricals wirings (Open, Putti & Pipe fitting)
• Show case & Frames & Notice Boards
• Study Materials (Books/Charts, Demonstration/Toys)
• Storage cabinet (In the Wall, Out side of the wall)
 Laboratory Material (Spirit, Microscope, Beaker/Test
Tube etc.)
 Display Cupboard/ Almari
 Ensure mass evacuation dimensions of halls or
stairways
 Smoke in the hallway
 Components of Non Structural Mitigation
Within the school building:
 Doors and windows opening inward
 Glass panes
 Tall bookcases or cabinets not properly
secured to the wall
 Areas where flammable liquids are stored –
science
labs
 Fire extinguishers
 Other movable, falling and blocking hazards
 Components of Non Structural Mitigation
Hazard outside the school building:
• Power lines
• Trees
• Parapets, roof tiles, chimneys, glass etc.
• Routes past concrete walls
• Rivers, sea cost, main roads, market place, inflammable
goods store house, a bus stand, railway tracks etc
• Open well
• Fencing
• Ramp, grab bars, etc.