Disasters such as floods, earthquakes and cyclones have a variety of impacts on the people

that they affect, including hindering poverty reduction activities. People living in less
developed countries are particularly vulnerable to disaster risk and such vulnerability is
compounded by the effects of rapid urbanisation; including poverty, income inequality and
high population densities. Cities are therefore particularly vulnerable to disaster risk, and
residents of slums even more so. refers to sudden serious disruption of normal functioning of
a society, involving large damages to life, property and environment, beyond its ability to
cope with its own resources. It can be natural or man-made.
A natural disaster is a natural process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or
other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic
disruption, or environmental damage. E.g. agricultural diseases & pests, damaging winds,
drought and water shortage, earthquakes, emergency diseases (pandemic influenza), extreme
heat, floods and flash floods, hail, hurricanes and tropical storms, landslides & debris flow,
thunderstorms and lighting, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfire etc.
Man-made disaster: Human-instigated disasters are the consequence of technological
hazards E.g. hazardous materials, power service disruption & blackout, nuclear blast,
radiological emergencies, chemical threat and biological weapons, cyber-attacks, war etc.

ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT

Youth participation in DRR procedures will benefit them, their families, and their
communities by increasing patriotism, leadership skills, social integration, network building,
and better-prepared citizens. In this regard, it is obvious that the local community may play
an important role in disaster risk reduction. With their potential characteristics such as
knowledge, creativity, observation capacity, energy, excitement, agency power, teaming
capability, new ideas, and social networks, plans and strategies youth engagement will further
ensure long-term investments and sustainability. Furthermore, youth can operate through both
informal and formal risk communication networks, serving as both suppliers and users of risk
information, which is a valuable attribute, hence, they can absorb and communicate new
information as communicators very effectively. Other than this, young population can
provide support in many other DRR activities, such as: Assessing community vulnerabilities,
risks, and capacities, Preparedness and mitigation, response, recovery and rehabilitation,
environmental protection, and others. Additionally, Youth are the leaders of tomorrow and
hence, our responsibility today. They have the capacity and knowledge, just need guidance.

Youth can support search and rescue during the disasters like typhoons, flooding, earthquake
and so on by these 3 steps:
 Check the scene for danger. Look for anything that might be dangerous like signs of
fire, falling debris, or violent people. If your safety is at risk, remove yourself from
the area and call for help. If the scene is safe, assess the condition of the sick or
injured person. Don’t move them unless you must do so to protect them from the
danger.
  Call for medical help. If needed. If you suspect the sick or injured person, you self
emergency medical care and tell a nearby person to call the local number for
emergency medical services. If you’re alone, make the call yourself.
 Provide care. If you can do so safely, remain with the sick or injured person until
professional help arrives. Cover them with a warm blanket, comfort them, and try to
keep them calm. If you have basic first aid skills, try to treat any potentially life-
threatening injuries they have

Remove yourself from danger if at any point in the situation you think your safety
might be at risk.

Basic First Aid

 First aid is when you provide basic medical care to someone experiencing a sudden
injury or in illness, it’s known as first aid. In some cases, first aid consists of the
initial support provided to someone in the middle of medical emergency. This support
might help them survive until professional help arrives. In other cases, first aid consist
of the care provided to someone with a minor injury.