DISASTER MANAGEMENT

By Shaija Shajahan Adbul Kareeml Hyndavi.M

A disaster can be defined as any occurrence that cause 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. (W.H.O.)

A disaster can be defined as an occurrence either nature or manmade that causes human suffering and creates human needs that victims cannot alleviate without assistance. American Red Cross (ARC)

Pre-impact phase

Impact phase

Post-impact phase

Disaster management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.

Disaster management is the responsibility of all spheres of government Disaster management should use resources that exist for a day-to-day purpose. Organizations should function as an extension of their core business Individuals are responsible for their own safety.

Disaster management planning should

focus on large-scale events.

Disaster management planning should recognize the difference

between incidents and disasters.

Disaster management operational arrangements are additional to and do not replace incident management operational

arrangements

Disaster management planning must take account of the type of physical environment and the structure of the population.

Disaster management arrangements must recognise the

involvement and potential role of non- government agencies.

Disaster Preparedness Disaster impact Disaster Response

Rehabilitation
Disaster Mitigation

These activities are designed to minimize loss of life and damage for example by removing people and property from a threatened location and by facilitating timely and effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Preparedness is the main way of reducing the impact of disasters. Community-based preparedness and management should be a high priority in physical therapy practice management.

Preparedness should be in the form of money, manpower and materials Location of disaster prone areas Evaluation from past experiences about risk Organization of communication, information and warning system Development of public education programme Co-ordination with media Keeping stock of foods, drug and other essential commodities.

E.g.: Indian Meteorological department (IMD)

plays a key role in forewarning the disaster of cyclone-storms by detection tracing. It has 5 centres in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Vishakapatanam, Chennai & Mumbai. In addition there are 31 special observation posts setup a long the east coast of India.

The International Agencies which provides humanitarian assistance to the disaster strike areas are United Nation agencies. Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affair (OCHA) World Health Organization (WHO) UNICEF World Food Programme (WFP) Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAD)

E.g.: Non Governmental Organizations

Co-Operative American Relief Every where (CARE) International committee of Red cross

It involves measures to search ,rescue and give first aid immediately after the disaster. Also identifying the dead.

Triage is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately

Golden hour Immediate or high priority: Delayed or medium priority: Minor or minimal or ambulatory patients: Expectant or least priority: Colour code:

This is a coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the impact of a disaster and its long-term results. Relief activities include rescue, relocation, providing food and water, preventing disease and disability, repairing vital services such as telecommunications and transport, providing temporary shelter and emergency health care.

1. Implementing the disaster management plan. 2. Setting up medical camps and mobilizing resources. 3. Providing adequate shelter and sanitary facilities. 4. Development of search and rescue team.

Once emergency needs have been met and the initial crisis is over, the people affected and the communities that support them are still vulnerable. Recovery activities include rebuilding infrastructure, health care and rehabilitation. These should blend with development activities, such as building human resources for health and developing policies and practices to avoid similar situations in future.

1. Counseling programme for those who lost the near ones. 2. Restoring services like roads, communication link. 3. Providing financial support employment. 4. Reconstructing damaged buildings.

These are activities designed to provide permanent protection from disasters. Not all disasters, particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but the risk of loss of life and injury can be mitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental planning and design standards. In January 2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10year global plan for natural disaster risk reduction called the Hyogo Framework. It offers guiding principles, priorities for action, and practical means for achieving disaster resilience for vulnerable communities.

1. Preventing habitation in risk zones. 2. Improving structural qualities of schools, houses and such other buildings so that medical causalities can be minimized. 3. protection of vulnerable population and structure.

Deaths Disability Increase in communicable disease Psychological problems Food shortage Socioeconomic losses Shortage of drugs and medical supplies. Environmental disruption

A disaster drill is an exercise in which people simulate the circumstances of a disaster so that they have an opportunity to practice their responses.

Disaster management occupies an important place in this countrys policy framework - poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters. Paradigm shift from relief and recovery - Risk & Vulnerability management Introducing culture of preparedness at all levels. Strengthen decentralized response capacity in the country

Empowerment of vulnerable groups and ensuring livelihoods

Learning from past disasters.

Our mission is vulnerability reduction to all types of hazards, be it natural or manmade.

Recently, expert bodies have dwelt on the role of the Planning Commission and the use of plan funds in the context of disaster management

A review of the disaster management mechanism Government of India after the Bhuj earthquake.

It was noted that there was need for building up holistic capabilities for disaster management so as to be able to handle both natural and man-made disasters. It was accordingly decided that the subject of Disaster Management be transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Home Affairs

The new approach proceeds from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process.

Another corner stone of the approach is that mitigation has to be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development.
The new policy also emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation.

The approach has been translated into a National Disaster Framework [a roadmap] covering : institutional mechanisms disaster prevention strategy early warning system disaster mitigation preparedness and response and human resource development. With the approval of Dy. Prime Minister, a strategic roadmap

The roadmap will be reviewed every two years to see if any change in direction is necessary. The expected inputs, areas of intervention and agencies to be involved at the National, State and district levels have been identified and listed in the roadmap. This roadmap has been shared with all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Ministries and Departments of Government of India, and the State Governments/UT Administrations have been advised to develop their respective roadmaps taking the national roadmap as a broad guideline.

MITIGATION Twelfth Finance Commission -Financing of Disaster Management Through Five Year Plans Core Group on Earthquake Mitigation Training of Engineers/Architects/Masons in Seismically safe building design and construction Awareness Campaign Earthquake Engineering in Undergraduate Engineering Curricula Awareness Generation for safe construction in rural areas Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Cyclone Monitoring and Mitigation Group Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project GOI-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Project Mainstreaming Mitigation in Rural Development Schemes NE States and A&N Islands

PREPAREDNESS
Specialist Response Teams National Emergency Response Force Fire Services as Multi-hazard Response Units Regional Response Centres Emergency Operations Centres Communication System India Disaster Resource Network (IDRN) Handling of Hazardous Materials Incident Command System Human Resource Development Disaster Awareness in School Education Hospital Preparedness for emergencies Transparency in Relief Operations Civil Defence Status Report

At the national level, the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry for all matters concerning disaster management. The Central Relief Commissioner (CRC) in the Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for natural disasters. The CRC receives information relating to forecasting/warning of a natural calamity from India Meteorological Department (IMD) or from Central Water Commission of Ministry of Water Resources on a continuing basis.

Various other Ministries/Departments/Organizations concerned with the primary and secondary functions relating to the management of disasters (IMD,CWC,MOD,MOHA,MOF,MORD,MOUD)
Each Ministry/Department/Organization nominate their nodal officer to the Crisis Management Group chaired by Central Relief Commissioner. The nodal officer is responsible for preparing sectoral Action Plan/Emergency Support Function Plan for managing disasters.

The Chief Secretary of the State heads a state level committee which is in overall charge of the relief operations in the State and the Relief Commissioners who are in charge of the relief and rehabilitation measures in the wake of natural disasters in their States District and Local Level The district administration is the focal point implementation of all governmental plans and activities.

for

Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are supposed to be called upon to intervene and take on specific tasks only when the situation is beyond the capability of civil administration.

UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), which has been made responsible by UN General Assembly mandate for all international disaster response. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), responsible for mitigation and prevention aspects of disaster management. UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) System.

It is proposed to constitute a National Emergency Management Authority at the National level. The High Powered Committee on Disaster management which was set up in August, 1999 and submitted its Report in October, 2001, had also recommended that a separate Department of Disaster Management be set up in the Government of India. When a disaster strikes, the Authority will coordinate disaster management activities.

The Authority will be responsible for:i) Coordinating/mandating Governments policies for disaster reduction/mitigation. ii) Ensuring adequate preparedness at all levels in order to meet disasters. iii) Coordinating response to a disaster when it strikes. iv) Coordination of post disaster relief and rehabilitation.

Measures for flood mitigation were taken from 1950 onwards Local communities have devised indigenous safety mechanisms and drought oriented farming methods in many parts of the country. These programmes include Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP). A comprehensive programme has been taken up for earthquake mitigation consisting of experts in earthquake engineering and administrators

To catalyze the process of preparedness, response and mitigation. Providing access to vital information on Disaster preparedness to citizens. GIS based decision support system for planning.

Designing early warning system.

Emergency communication response measures. for timely relief &

Building Knowledge Warehouses planning and policy making.

to

facilitate

The complete information system shall, be composed of three essential elements : - Knowledge based information - Integration of current sources of data and information Interconnectivity for dissemination of these data/information sources to the stakeholders

Few Active Players Clients Data providers Data validators Information creator (service provider) Security manager

NDMA, (NEOC), New Delhi MHA (NEOC-Mirror),New Delhi Decision Makers NCMC/PMO New Delhi NRSC, Hyderabad INCOIS, Hyderabad CWC, Delhi Data Providers (Primary Nodes) IMD, Delhi GSI, Kolkata State Emergency Operations Centers (SEOCs)

Identifying Needs

Gathering data

Institutional Memory

Disseminating Information

Analyzing Data and Producing Information

 The biggest problem for disaster managers to respond to disasters is quickly mobilizing equipments, human resources and critical supplies to the emergency spot. Delay in response may result in increased loss of lives and livelihoods.

Disaster managers needs lot of specialized equipments and skilled human resources for quick response. There is a lack of knowledge of where abouts of these resources either in the neighboring District or State.

1.Online resource inventory for disaster management

National initiative under the Govt. of India-UNDP DRM programme in collaboration with National Informatics Center, Government of India.
Online database for capturing the countrywide inventory of equipments and skilled human resources for emergency response. A database to minimize emergency response time by effective decision making on mobilization of human & material resources. Systematic data collection & collation from Govt,line departments ,Public Sector Units, Corporate sector etc at the district level.

A database of disasters to understand trends and patterns. Capturing Local level disaster data to understand the emerging risks at the local level. Geo-referenced inventory of small, medium and large-scale disasters to understand trends and patterns. To support planning & policy decisions for disaster preparedness and mitigation with statistical evidences.

DesInventar: A methodological tool to systematically build inventory of disasters.

DesInventar: A relational database which parameters like

events, DesConsultar: causes, data sources, and effects are A decision making tool which uses captured
the DesInventar database to query and analyze the database through

through

maps, tables and thematic maps.

Implemented in Orissa, India. Data collected from 30 districts for 32 years. Data collected from media is compared with Government records. Institutionalization with Government for sustainability. Interpretation and analysis of the data shows new dimensions of risk & vulnerabilities of the State.

GIS allows disaster managers to quickly access and visually display critical information by location. This information can be easily shared with disaster response personnel for the coordination and implementation of emergency efforts

3.Knowledge Network
Creating and connecting community of practitioners (CoP) in Disaster Management through a knowledge based portal. A network of organizations, research institutions, Government agencies and DM practitioners.

Facilitating direct interaction, information sharing, virtual conferencing (e-mail/ video conferencing etc)

Utilisation of the existing service providers for telecommunication network for bandwidth provisioning in NDCN. Further, alternative satellite back-up network, must be included in NDCN network architecture to avoid communication breakdown in the case of any disruption in any of the existing service providers network. Strengthening of communication infrastructure for NDRF Battalions. Adoption of GIS plat form and Decision Support System for holistic management. Ensuring interactive relationship is required between the software professionals and end users throughout the application deployment lifecycle.

VA&RA involves estimation of the probability for five different damage patterns (nil, slight, moderate, extensive and complete). The powerful VA&RA tool, would enable DM Stakeholders to avoid adhoc decisions. Development of Decision Support System (DSS) in Virtual Environment

Timely information in the location progression and regression of disasters at various phases of the disaster depicted in a dynamic map is essential GIS-platform allows easy visualization of the dynamics of the disaster w.r.t. time and prepares appropriate action plans for rescue and relief and post disaster scenario

Modeling and simulation capabilities,data visualization and integration tools (particularly those supporting management of geospatial data/ objects),advanced data mining and core sampling applications,rapid damage assessment tools,logistics planning tools,collaboration technologies supporting real-time dissemination in distributed environments
e n a b l i n g t e c h n o l o g i e s a n d methodologies supporting virtual expert forums. Establishment of Call Centers and multi-lingual web sites at District, State and National level. Working out host of measures and support initiatives such training, logistic support for maintenance, power backup especially at the disaster site,issues regarding spectrum/frequency allocation and data updation for the establishment of NDCN.

Need for constant updation, both as regards, hardware infrastructure and software based applications for creation of a well defined and executed ICT based strategy for DM. Induction of emerging ICT technologies for the Disaster Management with proper levels of investments. Exploration for adopting the wireless technology that is constantly evolving with the development of rapidly deployable Wireless Mesh Net for future expansion of the last mile connectivity. Taking up with ISRO and DoT for the allotment of frequency spectrum. Design of cyclone resilient mobile towers with the help of reputed organisation in structural design of towers.

Planning communication for fishermen community by the State Governments. Planning transportable microwave link /optical fiber systems as temporary measure for connecting to the nearest town (and then to national network) by the State Governments by entering into an arrangement with the service providers in the area. Planning of Public Mobile Radios such as Tetra, which offer certain features like congestion-free traffic, distress call etc (not offered by conventional mobile systems like GSM) for local police/fire safety network can be taken up by State Governments Raising the platforms for housing the equipments to protect them from water entry and avoid breakdown during flood situations Erecting special mobile towers in rural areas especially bordering coastal line by the State Governments with the coordination of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) authorities to provide subsidy to the telecomm service providers.

ISROs Initiatives RISAT - Microwave satellite imaging mission. Forthcoming Satellite Missions in Support of Disaster Risk Reduction MEGHA-TROPIQUES - Atmospheric research satellite mission Hydro-dynamic modeling such as flood forecasting, inundation simulation demand fine resolution digital elevation data

It is the worst disaster that took place in Japan. What has happened in Japan is ironically an alarm for people all over India.

Japan undoubtedly is the best prepared country for such disasters. They had prepared for the worst, but their worst was around 8 on the richter scale, they were beaten as what happened was much more than what they had imagined that too happened at a location at a depth that generated a large tsunami.They coped very well with the tremors. One thing which is notable and remarkable in the people of Japan is how they responded to the earthquake.

Public awareness and community education is the first step towards any disaster preparation or mitigation. We cannot talk of risk reduction or mitigation unless there is awareness and education. This is the area where India is weak

TCS DMS

The responsibility for disaster management is spread across a plethora of organizations and institutions; therefore, coordination and integration becomes an uphill task. In order to build a safer and disaster-resilient world, it is imperative to develop a holistic, proactive and technology-driven strategy for multi-disaster management. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can play a critical role in managing natural and human-made disasters, thereby reducing the vulnerability of the citizens to these calamities.
Features: diverse experience in incident response filed and tsunami prediction system etc

TCS helps INCOIS develop and deploy a sound tsunami early warning system

Microsofts Public Safety and Natural Security leadership team

AI has recovered bodies of 158 of the 166 people who died in the IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore plane crash, but 87 bodies had been identified at last count.National carrier Air India (AI) has sought help from Kenyon International Emergency Services (KIES) to deal with the current crisis.

Together towards a safer world