Disaster Management

Module-4-Disaster Management

78. Disaster

Disaster is a series of disruptions which affect the functioning of a community and it causes widespread human, material and environmental losses.
Disasters may be caused by natural or man made hazards.

Natural hazards

- Earth quake
- Volcanic eruptions
- Draught
- Forest fire
- T-sunami
- Epidemics
- Cyclone

- Flood

Man made Hazards

- Transport accidents(train, road, ship and flight)
- Building collaps
- War
- Mass shooting
- Nuclear explosions

79. Hazard

Hazards are the events that has potential to cause loss of life, injury, socio-economic disruptions and environmental degradation. Hazards may be natural or man made.

Natural hazards

- Earth quake
- Volcanic eruptions
- Flood
- Draught
- Forest fire
- T-sunami
- Epidemics
- Cyclone

Man made Hazards

- Transport accidents(train, road, ship and flight)
- Building collapse
- War
- Mass shooting
- Nuclear explosions

80. Difference between hazard and Disaster

- Disaster is the term used to represent the disruptions or  losses occurring for a short period of time in a community. These losses may be human, material, economic or environmental
  
- Hazards are the man made events or natural phenomena which have the potential to bring disaster in community.
- A Hazard  may not always cause disaster because it depend upon the vulnerability of that community also.
For example,  for a community living in an area have safer building structures, earthquake may not be disastrous for them but depend upon its magnitude.
- All hazards may not cause disasters. For example, a hurricane far out to sea cannot harm the people.

81. Vulnerability, risk and capacity

Vulnerability

It is the measure of weakness of a community or group of people to cope with, resist or recover from the impacts of hazards.

A more vulnerable community is more susceptible to disasters. After effects of the hazards depend upon the vulnerability of the affected community.

Risk

Risk is the potential of loss, damage or destruction of an asset as result of hazard. Risk is the measure derived from the product of hazard and vulnerability.

Risk = hazard x vulnerability

i.e. If a community is more vulnerable to a hazard event, that community is at more risk.

Capacity

It is the strategies within the community to make them less vulnerable to hazards.

82. Disaster and development

Disaster and Development are closely linked. Disaster can both destroy developmental initiatives and create development opportunities.

Disasters set back development programs destroying years of developmental initiatives.

The current approach of development programs are being designed to include disaster recovery programs and conform to sustainable development ideas.