- Disaster Management:

A collective term encompassing all aspects of planning for preparing and responding to disaster. It refers
to the management of the consequences of disasters.

- Hazard:
Phenomenon or situation which has a potential to cause destruction or damage to the people, their
property, their service and their environment.

- Disaster:
The serious destruction of the functioning society causing widespread human, material or environmental
losses which exceed the ability of the effected people to use their own.

- Vulnerability:
It is a condition or sets of conditions that reduces people’s ability to prepare for, withstand or respond to a
hazard.
Disaster = Vulnerability X Hazard

- Capacity:
The positive condition or abilities which increases a community’s ability to deal with hazards.

- Risk:
The probability that a community’s structure or geographic area is to be damaged or destructed by the
impact of the particular hazard on account of their nature construction and proximity to a hazardous area.

- Disaster Management Cycle:

Disaster

Preparedness Response

Mitigation Recovery

Prevention Rehabitation

Development Reconstruction

- Response:
Actions taken immediately following the impact of the disaster when exceptional measures are required to
meet the basic needs of the survivors.

- Recovery:
The process undertaken by a disaster effected community to restore itself to pre-disaster level of function.

- Rehabitation:
Action taken in the aftermath of disaster. Assist the victims to repair their dwellings.

- Reconstruction:
 Permanent measures to repair or replace damaged dwelling and infrastructure and to set the economy back
on course.

- Development:
Sustained efforts intended to improve or maintain the social and economic well-being of a community.

- Prevention:
Measures taken to avert a disaster from occurring.

- Mitigation:
Measures taken prior to the impact of a disaster to minimize its effects.

- Preparedness:
Measures taken in anticipation of a disaster to ensure appropriate and effective actions are taken in the
post-disaster.
UNIT - 1
- Concept of Disaster:
The term disaster is derived from the French word “Desastre” which is the combination of 2 words
“des” & “astre”. Des  Bad, Aster  Star. Thus, the term refers to bad star or evil star. According to
oxward dictionary, the meaning of disaster is sudden or great misfortune, calamity.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the meaning of disaster is a sudden calamitous event producing
great material damage loss and distress. An event natural or man-made, sudden or progressive which
impacts the severity that the effected community has to respond by talking exceptional measures.
Disruption to normal patterns of life. Such disruption is usually severe and may also be sudden,
unexpected and widespread. Human effect such as loss of life, injury, hardship and adverse effects of
health. Effect on social structure such as destruction at average to government systems, buildings,
communications and essential services.
Community needs such as shelter, food, clothing, medical assistance and social causes. A disaster
is a result from the combination of hazard, vulnerability and insufficient capacity are measures to reduce
the potential chances of risk. A disaster happens when a hazard impacts on the vulnerable population and
cause damage, casualties and destruction.
But if it is also to be noted that with great capacity of individual or community and environment to
face this disaster, the impact of hazard reducers. In relation to the definition of disaster, it is also has been
considered that disaster management is essentially a dynamic process. It encompasses the classical
management functions of planning, organising, staffing, leading and controlling.
It also involves many organisations which must work together to prevent mitigate, prepare for,
respond to and recover from the effects of disaster.

- Concept of Risk:
One of the major characteristics 0f our environment is the presence of risk and uncertainty. Risk
can be defined as the exposure to losses or injury. Risk is caused by the occurrence of an unfavourable or
undesirable event.
Risk is not only the centre of instance but also inseparable from our daily life. Every living being
faces occurrence of risk in one form or the other, risk is often referred as pessimistic scene in people’s
mind that the possibilities of loss or misfortune. Everybody is exposed to risk but some are expose to
greater risk than other giving the fact that loss may occur in several forms or ways
A) Loss of life
B) Loss of property
C) Loss of health
D) Theft
E) Accident

- Classification of Risk:
Risk can be classified into 4 types they are
a) Pure Risk b) Speculative Risk c) Fundamental d) Peculiar Risk
Risk
a) Pure Risk:
This risk involves only a chance of loss. The uncertainty is usually whether the destruction will
happen at all end or in case of death, the certainty is when, where and how. Pure risks are the
misfortunes which cause damage or hurt.
Ex: Death, theft of goods, disability etc.
b) Speculative Risk:
 This is the situation in which there is a chance of loan or a possibility of gain. If there is a beneficial or
advance outcome could stem from a specific event then there is a speculative risk.
Ex: Gambling, new invention, stack exchange transactions, investments in future price of land and
property, import and export trade etc.
c) Fundamental Risk:
A further method of risk is by looking at their effects. A fundamental risk is one that effects
society as a hole they are impersonal both the origin and consequences. The types of risk effects either
the society in general or a section of society or group of people rather than individual. They are
beyond the control of single person.
Ex: Earthquake, typhoons, wild wind, political instability etc.
d) Peculiar Risk:
This risk which takes place due to the decisions and actions of man. This causes or effects are
personal they have their origin and consequences from the individual decisions and actions. This type
of risk is insurable.
Ex: Decision to build house, own car, go to university are personal with their peculiar risk.

- Levels of disaster:
a) Level 1:
A small local disaster usually effecting 1 - 30 households which is within the capability of load
community
resource to handle.
b) Level 2:
A medium size disaster usually effecting 40 - 150 households which is beyond the capabilities of load
community resource to handle.
c) Level 3:
These are large disaster in terms of severely or geography which cause significant damage and
destruction and will usually receive a presidential declaration. A disaster with level 3 size within the
conference area required full mobilization of the conference disaster response centre.
d) Level 4:
A catastrophic disaster is defined by public law 93-288 as “An event resulting in a large no of death
and injuries”. A severe long-term effect on general economic activity and severe effects on state, local
and private sector initiative to begin and sustain initial response activities.

- Hazard & Vulnerability:

Hazard X Vulnerability
Risk = (or) Risk = Hazard X Vulnerability – Capacity
Coping capacity

- Response Time
The length of the time that a hazard lasts for, as a general rule, longer the hazard, more the severity is
lightly to be.
Ex: 1) The earthquake that last for 1 minute is more severe than that last for 2 sec.
2) A drought that last for 10 years is slightly to be more severe than 3 months.
The hazard function of a response time distribution describes the temporal dimension of a response
process and completely categorises the distinction. According to higher authority, hazard response time is
known within 24 hours of notification or recipient of a hazard information report.
 Provide appropriate warning and notify if assert is the responsibility of a utility through road
authority or public transport provides that within 8 hours of notification is sent through mobile phones or
computers. The emergency response time should be within 2 hours of notification.

- Frequency
The return interval of hazard of certain sizes.
Ex: 1) Earthquakes with a magnitude of over 8.0 happens on average once a year but magnitude of only 3
or 4 happens many times a day.
If the hazard is less frequent strong event is going to have a bigger impact risk causing a particular
level of loss or damage. Risk is the probable frequency and probable magnitude of future losses.
2) Storms and floods are often classified using a recurrence interval (100 year flood).

 Hazard events tends to have a low frequency but are large in magnitude.
 Hazard’s magnitude and frequency are inter related.
 For example a river may cause little flood every year but a devasting flood occurs every 100 years.

- Agencies for forecasting

IMD  Indian Meteorology Department
INCOIS  Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Service
CWC  Central Water Commission
- Hazard
A dangerous condition or threat having the potential for causing injury to life, damage to property and
environmental loss. The word hazard derived from “hazard” in old French which means chance or luck.
Hazard can be group into 2 broad categories namely
I. Natural Hazard II. Man-Made Hazard
I. Natural Hazard
Natural hazard occurs because of natural phenomenon.
S. Types of Hazard Examples
No.
I. Geological hazard Earthquake, Tsunami, Dam Burst, Volcano
Eruption, Landslides, Mud flow etc.
II. Meteorological hazard (Both hydrological & Tropical cyclones, tornadoes, floods,
 dynamic hazard) drought, snow avalanche, heat waves, cold
waves, hail storm etc.
III. Biological hazard Human/Animal epidemic disease, pest
attack, food poisoning etc.

II. Man-Made hazard

Man-made hazard occurs due to the human negligence. Ex: Pollution, leakage of toxic gas, explosion,
dam failure, deforestation, desertification, accidents etc.

- Vulnerability
Vulnerability is defined as the extend to which a community, structure, services or geographical area is
damaged or destructed by the impact of particular hazard on the account of their nature construction and
proximity to disaster throne area. Vulnerability can be categorized into 2 types:
a) Physical b) Socio-economic Vulnerability
Vulnerability
a) Physical Vulnerability
It includes notion of when and what may be damage or destroy by natural hazard such as earthquake,
flood etc. It is based on the physical condition of people and elements at risk such as building
infrastructure and their proximity location and nature of the hazard. It also reacts to the technical
capability of building and structure to resist the forces acting upon them during a hazard.
b) Socio-economic Vulnerability
The degree to which a population is affected by a hazard will not only in the physical component of
vulnerability but also on the socio-economic condition. The socio-economic condition of the people
determines the intensity of the impact. For example, people who are poor and living in the sea-coast
don’t have the money to construct strong concrete house.

- Disaster Management Cycle

The disaster management cycle illustrates the ongoing process by which government, business and civil
society plan for & reduce the impact of disaster react during and immediately following disaster has
upload. Appropriate actions at all points in the cycle need together greater preparedness better warnings
vulnerability are the prevention of disasters during the next prevention of the disaster.
Disaster Impact

Preparedness Response/Relief

Mitigation Recovery

Prevention Rehabilitation/Reconstruction

Development
Fig 1: Basic format diagram of the Disaster Management Cycle
 Resp
onse

Thread nse
Impact s po
Re
Preparedness n cy
Warning
er ge
Em
ss
a r edne Recovery Recovery
p
Pre
n
t ig atio Rehabilitatio
n
Mi
Rec
ti on Dev ons
en truc
ev elo tion
Pr
pm
ent

Fig 2: Alternative format of Disaster Management Cycle

The comparison of the main segments within the DMC is described briefly.
a) Prevention
Action within the segment is designed to impede the occurrence of a disaster and prevent such an
occurrence having harmful effects on communities or key services. The following are usually
classified as preventing measures
i. Constructing a dam to control flood water so that the latter cannot adversely affect the people,
buildings and other services, life stock, means of production and subsistence and so on.
ii. Controlled burning off in a bush fire prone area prior to the high fire risk season. This action can
remove potential fuel and actually prevent the start of a fire or it does not start preventing it from
reaching threatening proportions.
iii. Some forms of legislation can also be regarded as prevention.
Ex: Land use regulations which ensure that communities are not allowed to develop on vulnerable
sites such as the disaster-prone areas of a flood plain.
b) Mitigation
The term mitigation move generally implies that while it may be possible to prevent some disaster
effects, other effects will persist but can be modified or reduced provided appropriate action in taken.
The following actions are generally regarded coming under the segment of mitigation.
i. Enforcement of building.
ii. Land use regulations.
iii. Safety regulations relating to high rise building, control of hazardous substances etc.
iv. Safety clothes, governing lands, sea and a transport system.
v. Agricultural programs aimed at reducing the effects of hazards on maps.
vi. Developments in infrastructure such as the rating of new highways away from disaster prone
areas.
c) Preparedness
It is usually regarded as comprising measures which enables governments organisations, communities
and individuals to respond rapidly and effectively to disaster situation.
Ex:
i. Formulating and maintaining valid and updated counter disaster plans which can be brought into
effect whenever required.
 ii. Special provision for emergency action such as evaluating populations are moving them
temporarily
to safe places.
iii. Providing warning systems.
iv. Emergency communication.
v. Public education and awareness.
vi. Training programs including exercises and tests.
vii. Some DMC may divide the preparedness segment into sub segment such as warning treat and
precautions.
d) Warning
The time on period when a hazard has been identified but is not yet threatening a particular area.
Ex: Notification that a cyclone exist in a far away.
e) Threat
The time or period when a hazard has been identified and is assessed as threatening a particular area.
Ex: Cyclone is tracked towards that area.
Precaution
Action taken after receipt of warning, after effects of disaster impact. Such action might include
1) Closing offices, schools etc.
2) Bringing emergency power generators.
3) Cutting crops to avoid total loss from high winds and heavy rains.
4) Making safe boats and vehicles.
5) Taking household precaution such as storing emergency water supplies.
f) Disaster Impact
This segment is self-explanatory, being the point in the disaster cycle at which a disaster occurs for
instance when a cyclone strikes a country or a particular area. In disaster management terms, impacts
can vary between different types of disaster for example
i. An earthquake may give no warning and its impact time can be short. Yet, the result may be very
severe.
ii. A cyclone can provide a long warning period and its impact time can be protracted.
g) Response
Response measures are taken immediately prior to a following disaster impact. Such measures are
mainly directed towards saving life, protecting property and dealing with the immediate disruption
damage and other effects caused by the disaster. Typical measures include:
i. Implementing plans.
ii. Activating the counter disaster system.
iii. Search and rescue
iv. Providing emergency food, shelter, medical assistance etc.
v. Surveying and accessing
vi. Evaluating
The segment is sometimes called emergency response to indicate that it applies to a fairly short period
i.e. 2 to 3 weeks after impact. When emergency measures are necessary to deal with the immediate
effects of a disaster.
h) Recovery
Recovery is the process by which communities and the nation are assisted in returning to their proper
 Level of functioning following a disaster. The recovery process can be very protracted taking 5 to 10
years or even more. Three main categories of activity are normally regarded as coming within the
recovery segment. They are restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Typical activities include:
i. Restoring essential services.
ii. Restoring of repairable homes and other buildings.
iii. Providing temporary housing.
iv. Measures to assist the physical and psychological rehabilitation of persons who have suffered from
the effects of disaster.
v. Long term measures of reconstruction including the replacement of buildings and infrastructure
that have been destroyed by the disaster.
i) Development
The development segment provides the link between disaster related activities and national
development. Its inclusion in the disaster cycle is intended to ensure that the result of disaster cycle is
intended to ensure that the results of disaster are effectively reflected in future policies in the interests
of national process. For instances to produce the best possible benefits by:
i. Introduction involved and modernised building systems and programs.
ii. Using international disaster assistance to optimum effect.
iii. Apply disaster experience in future research and development programs.

Capacity building
Disasters are not the necessary result of hazards but occur only when these hazards intersect with the
environment, particularly poorly located and poorly constructed development. Since the ability of the built
environment to withstand the impacts of hazards plays a direct role in determining the casualties and
monetary costs of disasters, it is important to reduce the vulnerabilities within the built environment and
enhance its capacity for disaster mitigation and reconstruction to achieve resilience to disasters. It is
indicated that the hazards cannot be managed and it is the characteristics of the built environment that can be
managed
Therefore, it is essential to improve the capacities of the built environment in order to make it is less
vulnerable to the impacts of disasters. In particular, capacity enhancement within different sectors in the
society such as governments, non-state and private institutions and communities, in relation to the built
environment enables to identify constraints and to plan and manage construction activities of the built
environment effectively, efficiently and sustainably.
UNDP (1997) defines capacity building as a process by which individual, organizations, institutions
and societies develop abilities to perform functions, solve problems and set and achieve objectives. Further,
various scholars argued that it is not solemnly based on ability but also on one’s managerial, physical,
human, financial and social assets.
UNDP (2005) redefined capacity building in much broader terms as the creation of an enabling
environment with appropriate policy and legal frameworks, institutional development, including community
participation, human resources development and strengthening of managerial systems. It further recognizes
capacity building as a long-term, continuing process, in which all stakeholders need to be participated
(Ministries, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, academics and
others).