Student Information

The World is Changing

1. Rapid population growth where disaster events can claim more lives.
2. Environmental degradation due to poor land use, deforestation, over cultivation, and over grazing. These all render the land more prone to floods and landslides.
3. .Increasing industrialisation without the necessary safety measures.
4. Absence of mitigation or preventative measures in development planning.

Managing Disasters

Disaster Management

A collective term encompassing all aspects of planning for and responding to disasters, including both pre- and post-disaster activities. It may refer to the management of both the risks and consequences of disaster.

Disaster

A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources. Disasters are often classified according to their speed of onset (sudden or slow) or according to their cause (natural or man-made).

Why, when and where do disasters occur?

Definitions you Should Know

Hazard

A hazard is a rare or extreme event in the natural or man-made environment that adversely affects human life, property or activity to the extent of causing a disaster.

Risk

Risk is expected loss (lives lost, persons injured, damage to property and disruption of economic activity) due to a particular hazard.Risk is the product of hazard and vulnerability.

Vulnerability

The vulnerability of a building, a population, or an entire country is measured by how susceptible it is to harm or loss in the face of a hazard.

Rehabilitation

The restoration of basic services and the beginning of the repair of physical, social and economic damage.

Complex Disasters

Complex disasters exist where adverse political conditions compound a disaster or emergency situation. Such situations are complicated because the breakdown of the political structure makes assistance or intervention difficult. This sort of emergency is usually associated with the problems of displaced people during times of civil conflict or with people in need caught in areas of conflict.

Disaster Management Cycle

Alert

The notice issued indicating that specific precautions should be taken because of the probability or proximity of a dangerous event.

Preparedness

Measures taken to reduce to the minimum level possible, the loss of human lives and other damage, through the organizing of prompt and efficient actions to response and rehabilitation.

Effective preparedness enables communities and institutions to provide a quick, organised response to disasters. disaster preparedness is designed to minimize loss of life and damage, to organise the temporary removal of people and property from a threatened location, and to facilitate timely and effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Public information and ongoing training activities are necessary to create a "culture" of Disaster Preparedness.

Response

Actions carried out in a disaster situation with the objective to save lives, alleviate suffering and reduce economic losses. Actions include search and rescue and the provision of shelter, water, food and medical care.

Mitigation

Measures taken to reduce the loss of life, livelihood and property by disasters, either by reducing vulnerability or by modifying the hazard, where possible. Examples are:- The adoption and enforcement of building codes, The utilisation of design and construction techniques that will make critical facilities adequately resistant to damage by hazards.

Prevention

Measures taken for the purpose of preventing natural or man-made phenomena from causing or giving rise to disasters or other emergency situations. Example:- Prevention measures include passing legislation that affects urban planning and citing of public works and key facilities and the institutionalisation of policies leading toward disaster reduction.

Reconstruction

The medium and long term repair of physical, social and economic damage, and the return of affected structures to a condition equal to or better than before the disaster. Example:- Actions would include construction of permanent housing, full restoration of all services, and complete resumption to the pre-disaster state

Causes of Disasters

• Changes in cultural practices
• Environmental Degradation
• Lack of public awareness and information
• Poverty
• Population Growth
• Rapid Urbanization
• War and civil strife

Hazards

Hazards

Any situation that has the potential for doing damage to life, property and/or the environment.