Disaster Prevention

and Mitigation

Disaster
It

refers to a sudden, accidental

event that causes many deaths
and injuries. Most disasters also
result in significant property
damage.

Disaster
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, sucient to
warrant an extraordinary response
from outside the aected community
or area.
-World Health Organization
(W.H.O.)

Disaster
A

disaster can be defined as an

occurrence either nature or
manmade that causes human
suering and creates human
needs that victims cannot
alleviate without assistance.
-American Red Cross (ARC)

Prevention
Activities

taken to prevent natural

phenomenon or potential hazard from
having harmful eects on either people or
economic assets

To

ensure a permanent protection against a

disaster.

These

include engineering, physical

protection measures, legislative measures
for the control of land use and codes of
construction.

Prevention
Reduce

the physical vulnerability

and/or exposure to risks through
infrastructures
(e.g. dams, flood barriers, building
of refuges)

Prevention
Improving

existing infrastructures
(e.g. restoring original flood
patterns of rivers in order to
avoid excessive floods
downstream)

Prevention
Sustainable

development

practices
(e.g. no deforestation in upstream
areas, active reforestation)

Principal Objectives of
Prevention
Save

lives
Reduce economic disruption
Decrease vulnerability
Increase capacity
Decrease chance or level of
conflict

Rationale for Disaster Prevention

and Loss Control

Rationale
Underlying

reasons; the
reasoning or principle that
underlies or explains something,
or a statement setting out this
reasoning or principle.

Loss Control
Also

termed mitigation

refers

to the measures taken before

disasters which intend to reduce or
eliminate their impact on society and
environment.

These measures reduce the physical

vulnerability of existing infrastructures or of
vulnerable sites which endanger directly the
populations (e.g. retrofitting of buildings,
reinforce "lifeline" infrastructure).

Preparedness
Organizational

activities which
ensure
that
the
systems,
procedures
and
resources
required in confronting a natural
disaster are available in order to
provide timely assistance to
those aected, using existing
mechanisms wherever possible

Preparedness
Training
Awareness

raising
Establishment of disaster plans
Evacuation plans
Pre-positioning of stocks
Early warning mechanisms
Strengthening
indigenous
knowledge

What Disaster Management

involves?
Dealing

with and avoiding both natural

and man made disasters.

Preparedness
Rebuilding

before disaster.

and supporting society

after natural disasters.

CAUSE / SCENARIO /
SITUATION
Enormous

population pressures and

urbanization

flood, a drought or an earthquake

millions of peoples are aected each
time a disaster occurs

Large-scale

displacement and the loss

of life, loss of property and agricultural
crops

The reasons for this are varied including:

an

increasing population pressures in

urban areas

an

increase in the extent of encroachment

into lands, e.g., river beds or drainage
courses, low lying areas etc.

poor
lack

or ignored zoning laws and policies

of proper risk management

(insurance)

TYPES OF DISASTER
1.

Natural disaster

Occur as the result of action of the

natural forces and tend to be
accepted as unfortunate, but
inevitable

Result from forces of climate and

geology

The most unexpected and costly

overall in terms of loss of human
lives and resources

TYPES OF DISASTER
2.

Man-made disaster
Result from some human activities
such as explosions, fires, release
of toxic chemicals or radioactive
materials, bridge or building
collapse, crashes, dam or levee
failure, nuclear reactor accidents,
breaks in water gas or sewer lines

OTHER TYPES OF DISASTER

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Meteorological
Technological
Industrial
Topographical accidents
Environmental
Security related

Another classifications of
disasters will be as follows:
1.

2.

Sudden-onset disasters
includes flood, earthquake, tsunamis,
or tidal waves, tropical storms,
volcanic eruptions, and landslides.

Slow-onset disasters
Include droughts, famine,
environmental degradation,
deforestation (loss of trees and
vegetation), pest infestation

Another classifications of
disasters will be as follows:

Epidemic diseases that normally

do not occur in stable
communities but have the
potential to spread under
certain conditions

PHASES OF DISASTER
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Pre-emergency phase
Impact and flight phase
Acute phase
Post emergency phase
Repatriation phase
Rehabilitation or reconstruction
phase

FACTORS AFFECTING
DISASTER
Age
Immunization status Host factors
Degree of mobility
Emotional stability
Physical Factors
Chemical Factors Environmental
Biological Factors
Social Factors
Psychological Factors

CHARACTERISTIC OF
DISASTER
Predictability
Controllability
Speed

of onset
Length of forewarning
Duration of impact
Scope and intensity of impact

PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
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

safety

are responsible for their own

PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Disaster

management planning should focus on

large-scale events.

DM

planning should recognize the dierence

between incidents and disasters

DM

planning must take account of the type of

physical environment and the structure of the
population

DM

arrangements must recognize the involvement

and potential role of non- government agencies.

Disaster preparedness
Preparedness should be in the form of money,
manpower and materials.
Evaluation

from past experiences about risk

Location of disaster prone areas
Organization of communication, information and
warning system
Ensuring co-ordination and response mechanisms
Development of public education program
Co-ordination with media
National & international relations
Keeping stock of foods, drug and other essential
commodities.

Disaster mitigation
This

involves lessening the likely

eects of emergencies.

These

include depending upon the

disaster, protection of vulnerable
population and structure.
improving structural qualities of schools,
houses and such other buildings so that
medical causalities can be minimized

Disaster mitigation
Similarly

ensuring the safety of

health facilities and public health
services including water supply and
sewerage system to reduce the cost
of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
This mitigation compliments the
disaster preparedness and disaster
response activities.

DISASTER (EFFECTS)
Deaths
Disability
Increase

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

DISASTER RECOVERY
Successful

Recovery Preparation
Be vigilant in Health teaching
Psychological support
Referrals to hospital as needed
Remain alert for environmental health
Nurse must be attentive to the danger

AREAS OF CONCERN
Activating

an Early Warning System network

and its close monitoring

Mechanisms

for integrating the scientific,

technological and administrative agencies for
eective disaster management

Terrestrial

communication links which collapse

in the event of a rapid onset disaster

Vulnerability

of critical infrastructures (power

supply, communication, water supply, transport,
etc.) to disaster events

Absence

of a national level, state level,

and district level directory of experts
and inventory of resources.

Absence

of a National Disaster
Management Plan, and State level and
district level disaster management
plans.

Sustainability

of eorts

Eective

Inter Agency Co-ordination

and Standard Operating Procedures for
stakeholder groups, especially critical
first responder agencies.

Emergency

medicine, critical care

Lessons Learned
Be

Prepared :

Preparedness and Mitigation is bound to

yield more eective returns than
distributing relief after a disaster.
Create

a Culture of Preparedness
and Prevention
Evolve a code of conduct for all
stake-holders

Invest in Preparedness
Investments

in Preparedness and
Prevention (Mitigation) will yield
sustainable results, rather than spending
money on relief after a disaster.

Most

disasters are predictable, especially

in their seasonality and the disasterprone areas which are vulnerable.

Communities

must be involved in
disaster preparedness.