Q. What is mean by Disaster management & explain it’s phases & features.
Ans: The word Disaster is from a French word Disaster meaning bad or evil star. However this is a very narrow conception of disaster and in our context, any disaster means a situation in which there is a sudden disruption of normalcy within society causing widespread damage to life and property.
Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of a society with widespread human, material, or environmental losses which can exceed the ability of affected community or area to cope using its own resources. "Natural" disasters involve largely geological and climatic hazards.
In human-made disasters, the principal direct causes are identifiable human actions.
A disaster can be either natural [rain, flood, cyclone, storm, landslides, earthquake, volcanoes] or manmade [war including biological, arson, sabotage, riots, accident (train, air, ship), industrial accidents, fires (forest fires), bomb explosions, nuclear explosions and
The discussion here is confined to the natural disasters. Before Independence, droughts and famines (A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, population unbalance, or government policies.) were the biggest killers in India. The situation has changed due to a combination of factors like irrigation development, food security measures. Floods, cyclones, droughts, landslides, avalanches and earthquakes are some of the major natural disasters that repeatedly and increasingly affect the country.
The need for having an effective and efficient Disaster Management mechanism is not debatable for the reason that it is essential to meet situations arising out of natural disasters, accidents affecting large number, bomb blasts, riots, floods as well as conditions during war times.
The Disaster Management mechanism is needed to take care of the following: - A. Saving human life and providing medical help to the victims.
B. Controlling/ preventing further damage to the property.
C. Restoring normal living conditions in the affected area.
2. Many times situations arising out of earthquakes, floods, fires, train accidents, bomb explosions or enemy attacks on civilian population, cannot be handled effectively by Government machinery on account of enormity of damage and as such public participation becomes essential.
It has also been seen that large number of people reach the spot and try to help the victims but they are neither trained nor well equipped to render meaningful assistance and as
such add to the confusion. Thus, there is a need to have trained citizens who may give effective support to the Government machinery and supplement its efforts in the hour of need.
Mitigation refers to activities which actually eliminate or reduce the vulnerability or chance of occurrence or the effects of a disaster. Mitigation phase begins with conducting hazard identification and vulnerability analysis which are essential to the planning of all other phases.
Hazard identification and vulnerability analysis is a two step process. First the hazard is identified which has the potential of affecting the population. Secondly, how people, property and structures will be affected by the disastrous event.
Preparedness is a state of being ready to react promptly and effectively in the event of an emergency. Being prepared means that a plan of action exists for an emergency so that it is clear as to what to do before the emergency occurs.
Preparedness measures to be undertaken depends upon the analysis of hazard severity and vulnerability, which is also the basis for deciding mitigation strategy. In some cases, such as a flood or hurricane, an early warning gives several hours to act. However, often no prior warning of an impending emergency, such as with earthquakes, tornadoes, explosions, or major fires is possible. Preparedness for any emergency, especially those, which strike without notice, requires a plan. It is essential to identify the resources available, and ways to utilize them. It must also be reasonably certain that the plan will work in an emergency situation.
Some natural disaster are Tsunami, Flood, Earthquake, Hurricane, Wildfire, Volcanic Eruption, Landslide
Drought, Famine, Environmental Degradation, Desertification, Deforestation, Pest Infestation System Failure/Accident (wreck, derailment), Spillage, Explosion, Fire
Terrorism, Insurgency, Armed Aggression This usually involves four phases :
1. Prevention 2. Preparedness 3. Response 4. Recovery
The following guide to producing a disaster plan outlines recommended action in all four phases, but prevention is the best protection against disaster, natural or man-made.
Phase 1 : Prevention
Identify and minimize the risks posed by the building, its equipment and fittings, and the natural hazards of the area. The events which are leading to the disaster are occurring, but often the fact that a disaster will occur is not obvious
Carry out a building inspection and alter factors which constitute a potential hazard.
Establish routine housekeeping and maintenance measures to withstand disaster in buildings and surrounding areas.
Install automatic fire detection and extinguishing systems, and water-sensing alarms.
Take special precautions during unusual periods of increased risk, such as building renovation.
Make special arrangements to ensure the safety of library or archival material when exhibited.
Provide security copies of vital records such as collection inventories, and store these off-site.
Protect computers and data through provision of uninterrupted power supply.
Have comprehensive insurance for the library or archives, its contents, the cost of salvage operations, and potential replacement, re-binding and restoration of damaged materials.
Phase 2 : Preparedness
Getting ready to cope. Preparedness is a state of being ready to react promptly and effectively in the event of an emergency. Being prepared means that a plan of action exists for an emergency so that it is clear as to what to do before the emergency occurs. Preparedness measures to be undertaken depends upon the analysis of hazard severity and vulnerability, which is also the basis for deciding mitigation strategy. In some cases, such as a flood or hurricane, an early warning gives several hours to act. However, often no prior warning of an impending emergency, such as with earthquakes, tornadoes, explosions, or major fires is possible.
Preparedness for any emergency, especially those, which strike without notice, requires a plan. It is essential to identify the resources available, and ways to utilize them. It must also be reasonably certain that the plan will work in an emergency situation.
Phase 3 : Response
When disaster strikes. The occurrence of the event. May be short or prolonged. Often little can be done at this point to prevent the disaster from occurring
Follow established emergency procedures for raising the alarm, evacuating personnel and making the disaster site safe.
Contact the leader of the disaster response team to direct and brief the trained salvage personnel.
When permission is given to re-enter the site, make a preliminary assessment of the extent of the damage, and the equipment, supplies and services required.
Stabilize the environment to prevent the growth of mould.
Photograph damaged materials for insurance claim purposes.
Set up an area for recording and packing material which requires freezing, and an
area for air-drying slightly wet material and other minor treatment.
Transport water-damaged items to the nearest available freezing facility.
Phase 4: Recovery
Getting back to normal. Returning the population to normal. May take prolonged periods of time.
Establish a programme to restore both the disaster site and the damaged materials to a stable and usable condition.
Determine priorities for restoration work and seek the advice of a conservator as to the best methods and options, and obtain cost estimates.
Develop a phased conservation programme where large quantities of material are involved.
Discard items not worth retaining, and replace or re-bind items not justifying special conservation treatment.
Contact insurers.
Clean and rehabilitate the disaster site.
Replace treated material in the refurbished site.
Analyze the disaster and improve the plan in the light of experience.
– Be prepared for any type of disaster. Contact and consult other libraries or archives and library or archives associations to share information and experience, and with a view to regional co-operation.
– Take advantage of educational sessions, particularly disaster planning workshops and preparedness exercises.
• Disasters are considered low probability but high impact events
• Generally, they are defined by a overwhelming of the emergency department resources:
the number of patients presenting to the department exceeds its capabilities.
• Note that lack of supplies is rarely a problem in disasters taking place in populated regions.
DISASTER
Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property. WHO defines Disaster as "any occurrence, that causes 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”
The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies with the geographical location, climate and the type of the earth surface/degree of vulnerability. This influences the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected area. 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 flood, shelter, health, etc. are affected and deteriorate depending on the intensity and severity of the disaster.
It may also be termed 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”
Thus, a disaster may have the following main features:
Unpredictability
Unfamiliarity
Speed
Urgency
Uncertainty
Threat