CONCEPT OF

DISASTER RISK
MANAGEMENT

BY:
MOLVAREEN LANGSTIEH
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE, MATI.
LOOK AT THESE PICTURES OF RECENT
DISASTERS IN INDIA.
 19TH SEPTEMBER 2011:
50 DEAD IN EARTHQUAKE IN SIKKIM AND NORTH EAST

3
WHERE
DO
WE
STAND?
LOOK AT WHERE WE STAND:
WE ARE FACING IMPENDING
DISASTERS.....

WE ARE THEREFORE UNDER RISK

OF DISASTERS

WHAT IS DISASTER RISK?

DISASTER RISK
= HAZARD X VULNERABILITY –
CAPACITY
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 its
own resources (Definition by the UN)

: “A Catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave

occurrence in any area arising from natural or
man made causes, or by accidents or
negligence which result in substantial loss of
life or human suffering or damage to, and
destruction of property, or damage to, or
degradation of, environment, and is of such a
nature magnitude as to be beyond the coping
capacity of the community of the affected
area.” (DM Act, 2005)

 LET US THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES OF
DISASTERS...

 CAN WE CALL AN EARTHQUAKE AS A

DISASTER?

 WHAT IF A BIG EARTHQUAKE OCCURS IN AN

ISOLATED AREA?
ADISASTER IS A
PRODUCT OF A
HAZARD
A dangerous condition or event or
occurrence that threatens or have the
potential to cause disruption / damage /
injury to life , infrastructure and
services, property and environment.

Example: Earthquake, landslide, cyclone,

floods,
volcanic eruptions, war etc.

Magnitude of the phenomenon,

probability of occurrence, the extent
and severity of impact may vary.
The extent to which a community can
be affected by the impact of a
certain hazard.
 Conditions like Ignorance, poverty,
lack of information, inadequacy etc
adds to the severity of a Disaster.
(Physical & Socio-Economic
Vulnerability)
 vulnerable conditions can turn
a situation into a risk or possibility of
Disaster in any area.
THOSE RESOURCES AND STRENGTHS
WHICH EXISTS IN HOUSEHOLDS AND
COMMUNITIES ENABLING THEM TO COPE
WITH, WITHSTAND, PREPARE FOR,
MITIGATE OR QUICKLY RECOVER FROM A
DISASTER
THOSE RESOURCES AND STRENGTHS
WHICH EXISTS IN HOUSEHOLDS
AND COMMUNITIES ENABLING THEM
TO COPE WITH, WITHSTAND ,
PREPARE FOR, MITIGATE OR
QUICKLY RECOVER FROM A DISASTER
January 2012

Tornado in State of Orissa, India

1 died with 6 person injured (lighting struck during the
tornado)

February 2012
February 10: Chandigarh/Dehradun Earthquake, Minor
Damage Reported
Some houses developed cracks in Barkot area, place near
to epicenter. Barkot is a town and a nagar panchayat in
Uttarkashi District in the state of Uttarakhand, India
March 2012

March 30: “High Temperature” Warning Issued In

Gujarat, India
The Meteorological Department of India has issued a
“high temperature” warning in Gujarat following the
severe heat wave
March 28: Moderate Quake Shakes Parts Of Nepal And
India, Several Houses Damaged
Several houses reported to be damaged in Taplejung.
Earlier M 6.8 very strong earthquake in Nepal/Sikkim
area damaged 100+ houses in Taplejung of Nepal. The
houses which already developed cracks/damage during
Nepal/Sikkim earthquake are reported to damaged by
this quake
March 22: Sandstorm in Rajasthan and Maharastra, India
North-easterly wind brought dust/sand from Rajasthan to
Mumbai and Dahanu, India
March 20: Strong storm hits Kashmir
One person died due to Cyclonic storm in Kashmir, 17
injured and about 1000 structures damaged
March 12: Two Moderate Quakes Rocked Kashmir Valley,
No Casualties
The earthquake tremor was felt as far as Srinagar and rest
of Kashmir valley and some parts of Pakistan as well
March 5: Moderate Shallow Earthquake Strikes Rohtak,
Haryana, India
M 5.2 Moderate Earthquake Strikes Haryana - Delhi
Region, India
April 2012

April 25: Cyclone in Tinsukia, Assam, India

Three killed after cyclone and heavy hailstorms hit
Tinsukia district of Assam, India.
April 20: Huge fire in Tirumala forest, India
500 acres of forest destroyed in fire in Tirumala.
Apeil 14: Thunderstorm/lightning in Kolkata, India
8 killed after lightning stuck in an open agricultural field.
April 13: Thunder/Hailstorms in India
14 people killed and about 200 injured in India
April 10: Cyclonic storms in Tripura, India
Seven killed and at least 30 people injured in Tripura, India
April 7: Heavy hailstorms reported in several parts of
Hyderabad, India
Heavy hailstorms reported in several parts of Hyderabad, India
May 2012

May 31: Landslide In Sikkim, India- 4,000 Tourists Affected

About 4,000 tourists affected by landslide near Gangtok
and Tsongmo Lake.
May 30: Assam Major Earthquake Prediction Go Viral : But
No Earthquake
The news was viral when an astrologers claimed
possibilities of three major earthquakes through a local
television channel.
May 20: Heat wave in Odisha, India
Four people reported to be killed in in a heat wave in
Odisha
May 2: Thunderstorm in Balwatoli, Kishanganj, India
Six killed and more than 50 injured after thunderstorms hit
Balwatoli in Bihar’s Kishanganjdistrict, India
June 2012

June 30: Strong earthquake shakes Assam, Manipur and

Nagaland
Tremors were felt in most parts of Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur,
besides in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
June 28: Flash floods in Manipur, India
At least 40 houses reported to be flooded in Jiribam in
Imphal district.
June 27: Landslide and flooding in Guwahati, India
One killed and three other injured in a landslide in Santipur hillside
of Guwahati, India.
June 21: Flooding in Patna, India
India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna issued floods
forecast for river catchments.
June 16: Flooding in Assam, India
Latest flooding in Assam affects Barpeta, Darrang and
Dhubri district.
June 9: Landslide in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Around 400 passengers rescued from the Khardung La
Pass in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
June 5: Heavy storms in Tripura, India
One killed and more than 200 houses collapsed in storms
in Tripura districts.
June 5: Flooding in Assam, India
Over 30 villages in Udalguri district affected by
recent flooding.
June 4: Tornado In Tripura, India-50 Houses Damaged
Tornado hit Satinitilla Chowmuhani village along western
border of Tripura.
June 2: Wild fires in Uttarakhand, India
More than 70 forest fires incident reported across
Uttarakhand state of India.
July 2012

July 21: Flooding in Hyderabad, India

Nine people reported to be killed in recent Hyderabad
floods.
July 19: Flooding in Malda, India
Three people reported to be killed in Malda flood.
July 17: Flooding in North Bengal, India
More than 2,000 people displaced after flash floods hit
North Bengal of India. One person is reported to be
missing in Magurmari.
July 5: Landslides in Chamoli, India
One killed and 15 other injured in a landslide in
Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway in
Chamoli district of India.
July 4: Lightning in Mumbai, India
Lightning struck Mumbai-bound Boeing 737 carrying 99
passengers.
August 2012
August 20: Landslides in Himachal Pradesh, India
Hundreds of tourists remained stranded in the tribal Kaza area as
landslides blocked the roads.
August 15: Flash floods in Rajasthan, India
Three killed by recent flash floods in Pratapgarh and Ajmer
districts in Rajasthan.
August 13: Two killed in flash floods in Kumaon region of
Uttarakhand
Death toll from Uttarkashi is now 33. MI-17 helicopters airlifted
nearly 44 pilgrims from Harsil area.
August 05: Uttarkashi, India hit by worst natural tragedy in 34
years
Recent Uttarkashi flood has been declared as the worst natural
tragedy to hit the area in 34 years .
August 04: Flash floods in Kullu, India
Hundreds of families living close to river between Palchan and
Kullu evacuated.
 Zone Magnitude

Zone V Very High Risk

Quakes of
Magnitude 8 and
greater
Zone IV High Risk
Quakes upto
Magnitude 7.9
Zone III Moderate Risk
Quakes upto
Magnitude 6.9
Zone II Seismic
Disturbances upto
Magnitude 4.9

Source: IS 1893 (Part 1) : 2002 (BIS)

Records of Central Seismological Observatory
showed increasing seismic activity in the region.

A total 34 quakes of light and moderate intensity

were felt in the region in 2009. The area witnessed
26 earthquakes each in 2008 and 2007, while it was
23 in 2006, the data showed.
 Earthquakes are not predictable, can occur any
time, and are of short duration
 Disasters due to Earthquake are Natural
Disasters
 We cannot prevent Earthquakes, we can be
prepared and try to mitigate the effects of an
earthquake
EARTHQUAKE DISASTER
 Lives lost or people are injured
 Damage to property & infrastructure like roads and
bridges, Power Stations etc
 There may not be any electricity

 Water supply will be disrupted

 Mobile or telecommunication towers may collapse

 Road network may be affected

RAJ BHAVAN DESTROYED IN 1897 EARTHQUAKE
THE FUNDAMENTAL OBJECTIVE OF
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IS TO
MINIMISE THE LOSS OF LIFE,
LIVELIHOOD AND SUFFERING THAT
ENTAILS.
 Disaster Risk Reduction
is a conceptual framework of elements to minimize
disaster risks throughout a society within the
context of sustainable development.
Prevention +Mitigation+ Preparedness
It includes:
(i) risk awareness and assessment,
(ii) knowledge development,
(iii) institutional frameworks,
(iv) application of land-use protection, science and
technology, partnerships, financial,
(v) early warning systems
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE

INDIVIDUAL
DISASTER DISASTER
RESPONSE
STRIKES C
Secure your safety &
of others R
I
RESPONSE/ RELIEF
S
PREPAREDNE
I
Immediate intervention-
SS search& Rescue, water,
shelter etc. S
Contingency
Plans, Warning
&v Evacuations. DISASTER M
MANAGEMEN A
T REHABILITATION N
Restoration of Basic
Functions A
G
MITIGATION (RISK
ASSESSMENT/ E
PREVENTION)
M
E
RECONSTRUCTION N
Full resumption of T
DEVELOPMENT services
 SOME DM INTERVENTIONS ARE

Prevention Mitigation Preparedness

Activities Measures The ability
designed to taken in to predict,
provide advance to respond to
permanent reduce impact and cope
protection of disasters on with the
from disasters society, effect of a
individuals and disaster.
environment.

Typically BEFORE a disaster event.

Mitigation and Preparedness are different!
 Relief/Response
Activities designed to provide assistance to meet
basic preservation and subsistence needs of
affected people.

Typically DURING a disaster event

Recovery
Rehabilitation + Development
Reconstruction Activities designed
Decisions and actions to inform
taken with a view to development
restoring or improving the policies, strategies,
pre-disaster living programme and
conditions of the stricken practices of disaster
community, while risks.
encouraging and This links up to
facilitating necessary preparedness and
adjustments to reduce mitigation.
disaster risk.

Typically AFTER a disaster event

 Disaster Management Approaches
Emergency/
Crisis Management
the organization and
management of
resources and responsibilities for
dealing with all aspects
of emergencies, particularly
Preparedness +
Response +
Rehabilitation.
OW/02
Disaster Risk Management
A systematic process of using
administrative decisions, organizations,
operational capacities to implement
policies, strategies, coping capacities
to lessen impacts of hazards.
It comprises of
prevention +
mitigation +
preparedness
49
 PERSONAL & COMMUNITY AWARENESS

During time of Disaster, there will be delay before

help from outside arrives. A first help is essential.
A prepared Community is one which has:
An ALERT, INFORMED and actively AWARE
population
 A Preparedness & Response Plan
An active and involved local Government
Agreed, coordinated arrangements for Response,
Preparedness and Mitigation Measures.