Disaster Management

Disaster management involves coordinating resources and responsibilities to address the humanitarian aspects of emergencies, aiming to minimize the impact of disasters. Disaster management encompasses tasks like assessing risks, planning for readiness, responding to crises, aiding recovery, and facilitating reconstruction

Disasters

A disaster refers to a severe disruption in a community, causing human, material, economic, and environmental losses that surpass the community’s ability to manage. It arises from hazards, vulnerabilities, and inadequate measures to mitigate risks. Disasters cause damage that happens during and right after the event. This damage is often measured in tangible terms like the area of housing affected or the length of roads destroyed, showing how much of the physical infrastructure has been partially or completely ruined.

Disaster impact encompasses both adverse (such as economic losses) and beneficial effects (like economic gains) resulting from a hazardous event. It covers economic, human, and environmental impacts, including fatalities, injuries, diseases, and negative effects on human well-being.

Categorization of Disasters

On the basis of Source:–

Natural disasters stem from natural phenomena like meteorological, geological, or biological occurrences. Examples include cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, exclusively originating from nature. Socio-natural disasters like landslides, floods, droughts, and fires result from both natural factors and human activities. For instance, flooding might occur due to heavy rains, landslides, or blocked drains caused by human waste.

Anthropogenic disasters result from human intervention or negligence, often linked to industries or energy generation facilities. Examples encompass explosions, toxic waste leaks, pollution, dam failures, conflicts like wars or civil unrest, and similar events caused by human actions or oversight.

On the basis of Duration: Disasters can also be classified as ‘slow onset’ disasters and ‘rapid onset’

Rapid onset disasters: exhibit sudden and intense impacts within a brief timeframe. Examples include earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis falling within this category.

Slow onset disasters: also known as ‘Creeping Emergencies,’ develop gradually over extended periods, spanning months or even years, and can be predicted well in advance. Examples include climate change (global warming), desertification, soil degradation, and prolonged droughts.
Unlike rapid onset disasters, slow onset disasters like global warming and desertification unfold gradually. Although their impact isn’t immediately evident, they gradually erode societies’ ability to sustain themselves from their environment over time. It’s crucial for disaster preparedness to account for these long-term challenges.

Introduction to the Disaster Management Cycle

Disaster Management includes sum total of all activities, programs and measures which can be taken up before, during and after a disaster. A typical disaster management continuum consists.

In disaster risk management, there are three primary stages:

Pre-disaster Phase: Involves prevention, mitigation, and preparedness measures.
Post-disaster Phase: Encompasses relief, response, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery efforts.
Key Activities: These stages involve critical actions focusing on managing risks before disasters and responding effectively after their occurrence.

Disaster Preparedness

Disaster preparedness involves measures aimed at foreseeing, preventing, and lessening the impact of disasters. It encompasses a range of actions at various levels: individuals (like first aid training), households (stockpiling supplies), communities (training and exercises), and governments (early warning systems, contingency plans, etc.).
The classic 3 Rs—Rescue, Relief & Restoration—are evolving into the 3 Ps: Prevention, Preparedness & Proofing, emphasizing a proactive approach to disaster management.

Reducing Disaster Risks and Planning

Disaster risk reduction involves systematic efforts to analyze and manage factors contributing to disasters. It aims to decrease exposure to hazards, reduce vulnerability of people and property, manage land and the environment wisely, and enhance preparedness for adverse events. This approach encompasses activities supporting preparedness, prevention, and mitigation at various levels, from local to international.

The framework for disaster risk reduction involves several key actions:

Establishing a policy framework supported by legal and institutional mechanisms focused on risk management, including risk assessment based on hazards and community resilience.
Raising Risk Awareness: Informing stakeholders and decision-makers about the identified risks to enable informed decisions by governments and civil society.
Plan Implementation: Implementing the devised plan involving all stakeholders, incorporating measures such as environmental management and urban planning.
Early Warning Systems: Implementing reliable systems that provide timely information through designated institutions to aid risk reduction.
Knowledge Utilization: Effective disaster risk management relies on the involvement and informed participation of all stakeholders. Facilitating the exchange of information and accessible communication practices is crucial in this process.

Relief and rehabilitation

When a disaster strikes, efforts are organized in three phases:

Relief Phase: Immediately after the disaster, activities such as search and rescue, rapid damage assessments, and providing immediate aid like shelters and humanitarian assistance take place.
Rehabilitation Phase: This phase focuses on restoring basic services, restarting economic activities, and supporting the psychological and social well-being of survivors. It involves restoring essential infrastructure like roads, bridges, airports, and ports, aiming to help affected populations return to their normal way of life.
Transition to Normalcy: The rehabilitation phase acts as a bridge between immediate relief and long-term development, aiming to re-establish pre-disaster routines and create a path towards sustained recovery.

Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction

Reconstruction involves fully restoring services, local infrastructure, replacing damaged structures, revitalizing the economy, and reinstating social and cultural aspects. It should be seamlessly integrated into long-term development plans, considering future disaster risks and measures to mitigate them.

Long-term recovery plans involve recovery and reconstruction activities, alongside the integration of disaster management into district administration. Once the rehabilitation phase ends, the Incident Command System is deactivated. The remaining reconstruction work in disaster-affected areas is then taken up by the regular administration.
Disaster management in India

Legal and Institutional Framework in India

India’s disaster management has shifted from a reactive setup to a proactive structure after the enactment of the Disaster Management Act in 2005. This established a three-tier structure—National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), and District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs).

At the national level, the Ministry of Home Affairs coordinates disaster management efforts involving various entities like NDMA, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Home Guards, Civil Defence, and Armed Forces.

The National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) chaired by the Union Home Minister and comprising state ministers, city mayors, and nominated members oversees disaster management progress and policy implementation, advising on central-state coordination.

The National Executive Committee, led by the Union Home Secretary, coordinates and monitors disaster management efforts, comprising secretaries from key ministries and departments. It can issue directives to governmental bodies during threatening disaster situations. For disasters with significant security implications, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) are involved in decision-making and crisis handling, respectively.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):-

Apex body for disaster management in India, led by the Prime Minister.
Responsible for policy formulation, approving national plans, and guiding Central Ministries and States in disaster management.
Exercises control over National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and guides National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).
Empowered to authorize emergency procurements and oversee fund allocation for mitigation and preparedness.

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM):-

Nodal agency for human resource development, training, research, and policy advocacy in disaster management.
Provides technical support to state governments through Disaster Management Centres.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):-

Specialized response force managed by NDMA, headed by Director General.
Comprises 12 battalions with diverse personnel and specialized search and rescue teams.
Proactively deployed in disaster-prone areas to minimize damage and aid in calamity response.

State Level Institutional Framework:-

Disaster Management Authority:-

State-level body chaired by the Chief Minister.
Responsible for state disaster policies, plan approval, coordination, and mitigation measures.

Executive Committee:-

Oversees disaster-related activities, chaired by the Chief Secretary.
Guides plan preparation, coordinates responses during disasters, and promotes community awareness and training.

Natural hazards

Earthquake:

Divergent: Pulling away from each other
Convergent: Pushing against one another
Transform: Sliding sideways relative to each other

Implementation of Seismic Safety Standards: Central ministries, state governments, and relevant authorities will ensure compliance with seismic safety standards for new construction and vital structures under their jurisdiction.
Strengthening Existing Priority Structures: Plans will be devised by central ministries and state governments to reinforce key buildings and critical infrastructure, including government establishments, academic institutions, and public utility structures, prioritizing seismic strengthening measures.
Enforcement of Building Codes: State governments will establish mechanisms to enforce Building Codes, ensuring compliance by stakeholders such as builders, architects, and government bodies in design and construction activities to uphold seismic safety.
Awareness and Preparedness Efforts: Initiatives will focus on sensitizing stakeholders through handbooks, homeowner manuals, structural safety guides, and awareness campaigns. Additionally, vulnerability mapping, NGO coordination, and volunteer group organization will be prioritized for effective earthquake preparedness and mitigation.

Key Ongoing Challenges in Earthquake Mitigation in India

Ineffective enforcement of earthquake-resistant building codes and urban planning regulations.
Buildings in urban and rural areas lacking seismic safety features.
Limited formal training for professionals in earthquake-resistant construction methods.
Inadequate preparedness and limited response capabilities among different stakeholder groups.
Low awareness among stakeholders about seismic risks.
Absence of licensing systems for engineers and masons.

Floods

What is Flood?
Flood is a state of high water level along a river channel or on the coast that leads to inundation of land. India is highly vulnerable to floods. Out of the total geographical area, the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA) has assessed that more than

Reasons Behind Floods

Floods often occur when rivers can’t contain heavy rainfall from upper areas, leading to overflow. Human actions like deforestation, improper farming practices, disruption of natural drainage, and occupation of flood-prone areas exacerbate flooding. Causes of floods include

Natural causes

Heavy Rainfall: Intense rain in the river’s catchment area causes overflow, leading to nearby flooding.
Sediment Deposition: Sedimentation in riverbeds reduces their capacity, causing overflow during heavy rainfall.
Cyclones: Cyclones generate high sea waves, flooding nearby coastal regions. For instance, the 1994 Orissa cyclone caused severe floods.
Changes in River Course: Meanders, erosion, and obstructions like landslides alter river paths, contributing to flooding.
Tsunamis: Rising sea water during tsunamis floods large coastal areas.
Lack of Lakes: Reduced lake size diminishes their capacity to regulate water flow, contributing to flooding.

Anthropogenic causes

Deforestation: Removal of vegetation accelerates water flow into rivers, causing floods as water cannot percolate into the ground.
Interference in Drainage: Poorly planned construction like bridges, roads, and canals obstruct proper water flow, leading to flooding.
International Rivers: Rivers from neighboring countries like China, Nepal, and Bhutan cause floods in Indian states. Cooperation is crucial for effective flood management.
Population Pressure: Increased population leads to overgrazing, land encroachment, and soil erosion, worsening flood risks.
Water and Sewage Management: Outdated urban drainage and sewer systems collapse during rainy seasons, causing urban flooding.

conclusion

Effective disaster management requires proactive measures encompassing risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery. Collaborative efforts, sound policies, and community engagement are vital for mitigating the impact of disasters. By prioritizing resilience, fostering awareness, and fostering robust infrastructure, societies can better withstand and recover from the challenges posed by disasters, ensuring a safer and more resilient future for all.

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