Disaster Management

and Planning

Nature, Scope and

Management
Process
Disaster management by nature is both an art and a skill.
The first step is planning,
which is the process of identifying and selecting appropriate goals and courses
of action for disaster management. Planning helps by providing clear goals and
map the activities needed to achieve them efficiently and effectively.

It starts with collecting information about past disasters, defining

objectives, developing planning premises, discovering alternative
courses of action for managing disasters, evaluating alternatives and
choosing the best alternative on the basis of available resources and
goals.
Organising is the second step where roles and responsibilities are
defined.
It helps in arranging and coordinating the resources needed to
successfully carry out disaster-management related plans. It involves
grouping people into departments according to the kinds of job-specific
tasks they are expected to perform during disasters.
Proper lines of authority and responsibility are laid out.

Policy of Disaster Management

The disaster management policy aims at the following:
1. To provide guidance and direction to set priorities for managing the disaster situation.
2. To promote community-based disaster management and execution at the grass-root level.
3. To develop capacity of all stakeholders.
4. To consolidate past initiatives and develop best practices for future use.
5. To facilitate cooperation with agencies at national, regional and international levels.
6. To ensure multi-sectoral synergy for compliance and coordination.
7. To create and uphold a culture of prevention and preparedness.
8. To prioritise disaster management as the principal priority at all echelons and at all times.
9. To promote disaster mitigation measures on the basis of state-of-the-art technology and
environmental sustainability.
10. To integrate disaster management issues into the development planning process.
11. To create and protect the veracity of an enabling regulatory environment and a
compliance system.
12. To promote a culture of coordination where all the stakeholders work in tandem for
generating awareness and developing capacity.
13. To ensure well-organised response and relief measures to aid the disaster-affected
persons.
14. To visualise reconstruction and opportunity to build disaster-resilient structures.
15. To take time-bound actions for response, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis

There are various dimensions of

vulnerability according to the
availability of assets which a
community possesses:
1. Economic dimension
2. Physical dimension
3. Social dimension

Aims of Hazard and

Vulnerability Analysis
1. To assess the risks and hazards the communities
face and the capacities of the population to respond
to such situations.
2. To determine the facilities at risk and the degree to
which they might be affected.
3. To analyse each probable event from start to end.
4. To involve communities, government authorities
and organisations in the identification of hazards
and assessment of vulnerability.
5. To make action plans to prepare for and respond to
the identified risks.
6. To identify activities to avert or reduce the effects
of expected hazards, risks and vulnerabilities.

The steps of a hazard and vulnerability analysis are as

follows:
1. Recognition of hazards and vulnerabilities. The
vulnerabilities should cover diverse aspects, including
social, infrastructural, economic, environmental, behavioural
and political hazards.
2. Estimation of the probability of occurrence of an event.
3. An analysis of the probable human impact of each
disaster in terms of loss of lives and quantum of physical
injury.
4. An assessment of the probable damage to the property.
This includes analysis of replacement cost, setting-up cost
and cost of repair.
5. An assessment of capacity, highlighting the capability
and availability of resources with the community to
reduce disaster risks and to organise effective response.

Identifying Crisis Situations: A Framework

The three phases of crisis management are as follows:
1. Pre-crisis phase where the focus is on the
identification of the crisis, its prevention and
preparation for combating the situation.
2. Crisis response phase when the community has to
respond to the crisis.
3. Post-crisis phase wherein the stakeholders
review the situation and ascertain the reasons of
occurrence of crisis. This phase is especially helpful
because it gives insights to be better prepared for the
next crisis.

Organisational Structure and Design

1. Disaster mitigation division

2. Disaster preparedness
division
3. Disaster response division
4. Disaster recovery division

Roles, Skills and Competencies

For effective management of disasters, there are
certain roles that individuals have to play; these
are as follows:
1. Leadership role
2. Informational Role
3. Resource Allocator
Skills required are:
Leadership skills
Conceptual skills
Human relations skills
Managerial skills:

Importance of Control Process in Disaster

Management

Helps in achieving goals

Makes efficient use of resources
by ensuring that each activity is
performed according to
predetermined standards.
Improves employee motivation
Ensures order and discipline
Facilitates coordination in action
Helps in minimising errors

Importance of Team-Building
in Disaster Management

A team has shared values and a

common goal
No individual identity of
members
A team has individuals who can
be trained as members rather
than as high performer
A team shares values, integrity
and commitment.
An effective team takes risks: