lOMoARcPSD|16792628

DPPM UNIT 1 - Study Material

Computer Science and Engineering (Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad)

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UNIT-1

INTRODUCTION DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Introduction:

Disaster is a serious, dangerous and intolerable phenomena frequently

occurring on the planet earth. Thousands of people die in a moment.
Thousands of people may become homeless and parentless within a day. Huge
infrastructures get damaged within a few seconds or minutes. Disasters are the
catastrophic events shocking the whole world and making the humanity to feel very sad
and depressed.
All life and life-support systems are also affected by these unexpected incidences. What
is required, ultimately, is to minimize the effects of these disaster by the application of
certain disaster management practices. The subject of disaster management is a
compulsory part of learning by all studentsand the public at large.
Concept of Disaster
A serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human,
material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to
cope using its own resources. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
Disaster as "any occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human
life, deterioration of health and health services, on a scale sufficient to warrant an
extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area”.
A disaster occurs when a hazard exposes the vulnerability of individuals and
communities in such a way that their lives are directly threatened or sufficient harm
have been done to their community's economic and social structure to undermine their
ability to survive. A disaster can be defined as any tragic event stemming from events
such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents,
fires, or explosions. It is a phenomenon that disasters can cause damage to life, property
and destroy the economic, social and cultural life of people.
Disaster is the exposure of a group of people to a hazard, leading to a serious disruption
of the functioning of a society and causing human, material, economic environmental
losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope.
Characteristics of Disasters

In order to be able to identify that a situation is a disaster, the following characteristics

must be eminent and must seem to resonate with the eventsleading to the situation:

 It is an extra-ordinary event

 Usually occurs because of one of the danger sources, whether caused bynature
or human action.

 Seriously and substantially impact the most vulnerable groups

 Results in serious imbalance in the community functions

 Results in significant losses in human lives, materials and environment

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 Exceeds the ability of an affected community to cope with using its own
resource
In reporting disasters and recording the same, the word disaster size comes into mind
and the disaster size takes into considerations the following aspects:
 Scope can be thought of as a measure of the breadth of damage caused by a disaster.
It describes how extensively the larger community is impacted, including the rescue
and support infrastructure, which in turn predicts how much help, is available and how
quickly recovery can proceed. In an event witha large scope, survivors may be unable
to turn to their normal support systemsof friends, family, and neighbors as they would
after a smaller scale traumatic event, since those people may be dealing with their own
recovery needs. Very large scope events, like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, or the
2010 earthquakesin Haiti and Chile, may leave survivors without a place to shop,
work, go to school, or pray. Many may be forced to relocate in order to find housing,
work,
and schools, which add the emotional stress of resettling and losing one’scommunity
on top of the direct disaster losses.
 Intensity refers to level of damage in terms of injuries and deaths—the event’s
human cost. Of course, any serious injury or loss of life will feel tragic for those
directly affected, but disasters that cause multiple losses can compound distress for
everyone involved, including professional responders who may suffer secondary
trauma from exposure to many injured people or dead bodies. The effect of losing
multiple loved ones goes beyond pure addition: Someone whose child and spouse were
both killed in a disaster is not only grieving two deaths at once, but he or she may have
lost what would have been the main source of comfort in grappling with the death of a
child, as well as a chief reason to keep on going in coming to terms with the sudden
loss of a partner. As a result, people who experienced multiple losses are at the highest
risk of a difficult bereavement process and readjustment and should be a focus of early
mental health attention.

Scope and intensity are often linked, but not always. An event may be large inboth,
or large in one measure and small in the other. For example, a hurricaneor ice storm
may cause extensive property damage, but if warnings were provided and complied
with, the human cost may be minimal. In contrast, an event like a fire in a nightclub
can cause extensive casualties but affect only one building, leaving the rest of the
community’s physical infrastructure intactas it copes with the human loss.

 Duration may be thought of in multiple ways. First, it can refer to the length of the
disaster itself, which could range from seconds for an earthquake or explosion, to
hours or days for a hurricane or blizzard, and even to weeks for a slowly advancing
and receding flood. Or we can think of duration as the lengthof time people are
affected by a disaster, including the recovery period as physical damage is repaired
and losses are adjusted to emotionally. In the case of very large scope events that could
take years, or could never be fully completed.
Levels of Disaster:
There are four levels used to describe the severity of disasters:
Level I: A small local disaster usually affecting one to thirty households, which is
within the capabilities of local community resources to handle.
Level II: A medium-sized disaster usually affecting 40 to 150 households, which is
beyond the capabilities of local community resources to handle.
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Level III: These are large disasters in terms of severity or geography which cause
significant damage and destruction and will usually receive a presidential declaration. A
disaster this size within the conference area requires full mobilization of the Conference
Disaster Response Center.
Level IV: A catastrophic disaster is defined by Public Law 93-288 as: "An event
resulting in a large number of deaths and injuries; extensive damage or destruction of
facilities that place an overwhelming demand on state and local response resources and
mechanisms; a severe impact on national security facilities and infrastructures that
sustain them; a severe long-term effect on general economic activity and severe effects
on state, local and private sector initiatives to begin and sustain initial response
activities."
What is a Disaster?
"Disaster" means a catastrophe, a mishap, a calamity or grave danger event
occurred in an area and affected life and properties. It may be arising from natural or
man- made causes, or by accident or due to negligence. This sudden event results in the
substantial loss of life or create much suffering to humans and other life. It also includes
much damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of the
environment.
A disaster is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the
community of the affected area. Dozens of types of disasters happen all over the world
at one time or the other. It is necessary to have an understanding of the types of
disasters, their causes, characteristics and impacts.

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Types of Disasters:

Disasters can be classified as:

• Natural disaster

• Human-Made disaster

• Incidences of Mass Trauma (Biological Disasters)

Types of Disasters:
Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth;
examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic
processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically
leaves some economic damage in its wake, the severity of which depends on the
affected population's resilience, or ability to recover.
An adverse event will not rise to the level of a disaster if it occurs in an area without
vulnerable population. In a vulnerable area, however, such as San Francisco, an
earthquake can have disastrous consequences and leave lasting damage, requiring years
to repair.
In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93% of which were weather-
related disasters. Overall costs were US$170 billion and insured losses
$70 billion. 2012 was a moderate year. 45% were meteorological (storms), 36% were
hydrological (floods), 12% were climatologically (heat waves, cold waves, droughts,
wildfires) and 7% were geophysical events (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions).
Between 1980 and 2011 geophysical events accounted for 14% of all natural

During world War I, an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 soldiers died as a result of

avalanches during the mountain campaign in the Alps at the Austrian-Italian front,
many of which were caused by artillery fire.

Human-Made Disasters Examples include industrial accidents, shootings, acts of

terrorism, and incidents of mass violence. As with natural disasters, these types of
traumatic events may also cause loss of life and property.
They may also prompt evacuations from certain areas and overwhelm behavioural health
resources in the affected communities. In the aftermath of the tragic loss of life that
occurred on September 11, 2001, the feelings of loss of security and well-being—
arguably the most crucial ingredients for leading a happy, healthy life— dramatically
affected the citizens of the United States. Disaster Distress Helpline staff are also
trained to respond to calls or texts related to these types of disasters.
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Incidences of Mass Trauma (Biological Disasters)

Infectious disease outbreaks, incidents of community unrest, and other types of
traumatic events can also bring out strong emotions in people.
The outbreak of Ebola affecting several countries in West Africa, with limited reported
cases in the United States and other countries, may lead to feelings of anxiety and
confusion, even to the point where it can interfere with one’s regular routine.
Community upheaval, such as that seen in Ferguson, Mo., can
also impact emotional health. News reports and the 24-hour news cycle can make
people even more anxious when these kinds of events occur.
It can be caused by preserving and releasing germs of deadly diseases such a small pox,
jaundice etc. or by polluting water with such germs in particular area.
Types and effects of Disasters:
Different types of disasters are distinguished in terms of their nature and extent
of impacts. The following are the major types of disasters that are commonly
encountered:
• Earthquake,
• Volcanic eruption,
• Tsunami,
• Tropical cyclone (typhoon, hurricane),
• Flood,
• Landslide,
• Bushfire (or wildfire),
• Drought,
• Epidemic,
• Major accident, and
• Civil unrest.
Disasters like earthquakes, hailstorms, avalanches, landslides, etc. occur quite suddenly.
Similarly, floods and cyclones occur with some element of .warning yet their
occurrence is confined to a short duration.
Drought, on the other hand, spans over a much longer time-frame and its adverse
impact will be on the economic activities of people and on the life of an area. The
effects are more of a long-lasting nature.
Natural disasters may be broadly grouped into major and minor types depending upon
their potential to cause damage to human life and property.

The disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods and cyclones could
be regarded as major types. The disasters like hailstorms, avalanches, landslides, fire
accidents, etc. whose impact is localised and the intensity of the damage is much less
than the others may be categorized as minor disasters.

Minor disasters like hailstorms, avalanches, landslides and forest fires also occur
without any appreciable degree of warning. Almost all of them cause damage to
properties and lives. However, areas prone to be affected by such disasters could be
identified. Certain precautionary measures could also betaken in the context of potential
threat requiring general awareness and preparedness for appropriate responses on the
part of the local administration.

 Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis

The earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 was one of the biggest
recorded, measuring 9 on the Richter scale. It was the resulting tsunami, however, that
caused the most destruction. It devastated the northeast of Japan, leaving many
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thousands dead or missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless or evacuated from the
area. In addition, various power generators failed. Some older nuclear power stations
risked meltdown and suffered explosions and radioactive leaks. Workers have battled
for weeks to try and bring the situation under control. Radioactive material has been
detected in various places. It is thought that the cost of the earthquake and tsunami
could be over $300 billion — the world’s most expensive natural disaster on record.
There are global economic repercussions as well, given Japan’s key position in the
world economy. There are so many issues that this tragic event has caused.

 Asian Earthquake and Tsunami

Disaster On Dec 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history (measuring
9 on the Richter scale), struck just off Sumatra, Indonesia, in a fault line running under
the sea. The rupture caused massive waves, or tsunamis, that hurtled away from the
epicenter, reaching shores as far away as Africa. At least 230,000 people were killed
and the livelihoods of millions were destroyed in over 10 countries. This has been one
of the biggest natural disasters in recent human history.
 2013 Uttarakhand Flash Floods
On June 2013 Uttarakhand received heavy rainfall, massive Landslides due to the large
flashfloods, it suffered maximum damage of houses and structures, killing more than
1000 people, sources claimed the death toll could be rise upto 5000. Uttarakhand Flash
Floods is the most disastrous floods in the history of India.

 2001 Gujarat Earthquake

The massive earthquake occurred on India’s 51st Republic Day on January 26, 2001 at
Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat. Gujarat earthquake had a magnitude of
between 7.6 and 7.7 and killed around 20,000 people.
 2005 Mumbai Catastrophes
The 2005 Maharashtra floods was occurred just one month after the June 2005 Gujarat
floods, Mumbai the capital city was most badly affected and witnessed one of its worst
catastrophes in the history of India, killing at least 5,000 people.
 2000 Floods in Hyderabad
This was its highest rainfall in 46 years, peaking when 24cm of rain fell in 24
hours- equivalent to one half of its annual rainfall.
General Effects of Disasters:
The typical effects of disasters may be one or more of the following:
• Loss of life,
• Injury,
• Damage to and destruction of property,
• Damage to and destruction of plantations and crops,
• Disruption of production,
• Disruption of lifestyle,
• Disruption of transport
• Loss of livelihood and occupation to people
• Disruption to essential services like electricity, water supply and gas supply,
• Damage to national infrastructure
• Disruption of communication and other networks
• Disruption to government systems and schemes,
• Shortage of food resources
• Spreading of diseases
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• National economic loss, and

• Sociological effects and
• Psychological after effects.
Impacts of disasters on environment :
 The impacts of disasters on environment and development are manifold.
 Disasters create substantial environmental degradation and ecological imbalance,
hinder socioeconomic development and retard the process of improving the
quality of life of the people.
 The interaction of disasters and environment has both short-term and long-term
effects. These interaction and interdependencies work in a complicated way,
affecting people, ecosystem and bio-diversity.
Impact of disasters on infrastructure and development

The disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods andcyclones

could be regarded as major types.
The disasters like hailstorms, avalanches, landslides, fire accidents, etc.whose
impact is localized and the intensity of the damage is much less than the others may
be categorized as minor disasters.
Differences between Emergencies and Disasters
• A situation in which community is CAPABLE of coping is EMERGENCY.
• Emergency situations are generated by a real occurrence of events thatrequire
immediate attention of emergency resources.
• A situation in which community is INCAPABLE of coping is DISASATER.
• Disaster situations are natural or human-caused events which causes severe negative
impact on community.

An emergency is an unforeseen incidence that can be responded to using available

resources. They occur more regularly than disasters and are therefore more anticipated by
a community. These may include medical crises, vehicular accidents, and neighbourhood
fires. As such, the availability of emergency medical services, fire departments, police
departments, and other such public services ensure the proper response to such
unfortunate events.
A disaster, however, is a critical event much wider in scope. It is the sudden occurrence
of an unfavourable situation that causes serious disruption to the social routine. It
endangers a larger social space, and while it occurs much lessfrequently than
emergencies, the effects are graver, often causing multiple
casualties and/or property damage. Such a greater impact can disrupt and incapacitate
emergency responders, leading to the need for assistance outsideof the locality.
Resources may very well become choked.
While its effects are much greater than an emergency, a disaster is unlike a calamity in
that it affects only a single community. As such, neighbouring communities with ample
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resources and responders are able to offer support tousher the affected community
towards its recovery. Disaster types include natural hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis,
wildfire, disease outbreaks), accidents (nuclear power plant accidents, wide scale
equipment failure), and terrorism (cyber-attacks, bombings, use of chemical weapons).
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:
Hazard is any substance, phenomenon or situation, which has the potential to
cause disruption or damage to people, their property, their services and their
environment.
The word hazard originated from French ‘hazard’ and ‘az-zhar’ in Arabic meaning
chance or luck. Hazard define as “a dangerous condition or event, that threat or have
the potential for causing injury to life or damage to property or the environment. it is
divided into two groups natural and manmade hazards.
Classification of Natural Hazards
Geologic Hazards:
 Earthquakes
 Volcanic Eruptions
 Tsunami
 Landslides
 Floods
 Subsidence
 Impacts with space objects

Atmospheric Hazards:
These are also natural hazards which occur due to processes operating in the
atmosphere.
 Tropical Cyclones
 Tornadoes
 Droughts
 Severe Thunderstorms
 Lightening
Other Natural Hazards:
These are hazards that may occur naturally, but don't fall in to either of the
categories above. They will not be considered to any great extent in this course, but
include:
 Insect infestations
 Disease epidemics
 Wildfires
Natural Hazards can also be divided into catastrophic hazards, which have
devastating consequences to huge numbers of people, or have a worldwide effect, such
as impacts with large space objects, huge volcanic eruptions, world-wide disease
epidemics, and world-wide droughts.
Such catastrophic hazards only have a small chance of occurring, but can have
devastating results if they do occur.

Natural Hazards can also be divided into

Rapid onset hazards, such as Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, Flash floods,
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Landslides, Severe Thunderstorms, Lightening, and wildfires, which develop with little
warning and strike rapidly.
Slow onset hazards, like drought, insect infestations, and disease epidemics
take years to develop.

B. Man-made Hazard: These hazards are created by humans. Examples of some

Man-Made hazards are:

• Global Warming: Projected increases in the Earth’s atmosphere’s average

temperature. In the 20th century the Earth’s average temperature rose about
0.6 degree Celsius.
• Crime: It is a kind of Sociological hazard. Crime is a breach of laws and rules. For
example Breach of contract.
• Industrial Hazard: It is a kind of Technological hazard. Industrial hazards often
have an environmental impact. For example Bhopal Disaster (worst industrial disaster
to date).

Hazard Classification :

1) Dormant Mode:
• The situation that has the potential to be hazardous, but no people, or
environment is currently affected by this.
For example:
• An unstable hillside, has a potential for a landslide but there is nothing below
or on the hillside that could be affected.
2) Active Mode:
• An incident in which hazard has actually occurred, creating an
Emergency situations or Disasters.
Anthropogenic Hazards
These are hazards that occur as a result of human interaction with the
environment. They include Technological Hazards, which occur due to exposure to
hazardous substances, such as radon, mercury, asbestos fibers,and coal dust.
They also include other hazards that have formed only through human
interaction, such as acid rain, and contamination of the atmosphere or surface waters
with harmful substances, as well as the potential for human destruction of the ozone
layer and potential global warming.
The Return Period

Majority of hazards have return period on a human scale. eg:

five-year flood, fifty-year flood etc.,
This reflects a statistical measure of how often a hazard event of a given
Magnitude and intensity will occur.
The frequency is measured in terms of a hazard’s recurrence interval.

Effects of Hazards
Primary Effects:
These occur as a result of the process itself. For example water damage during a
flood or collapse of buildings during an earthquake, landslide, or hurricane.
Secondary Effects:
These occur only because a primary effect has caused them. For example, fires
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ignited as a result of earthquakes, disruption of electrical power and water service as a

result of an earthquake, flood, or hurricane, or flooding caused by a landslide into a lake
or river.
Tertiary Effects:
These are long-term effects that are set off as a result of a primary event. These
include things like loss of habitat caused by a flood, permanent changes in the position
of river channel caused by flood, crop failure etc.
Common Types of Hazards:
Hazard Types
Agent: examples: Carcinogenic, teratogenicity, corrosive, pyrophoric, toxic,
mutagenic, reproductive hazard, explosive, nonionizing radiation, biological
hazard/pathogenic, flammable, oxidizing, self-reactive or unstable, potentially
explosive, reducing, water-reactive, sensitizing, peroxide-forming, catalytic, or
chemical asphyxiate.
Condition : High pressure, low pressure, electrical, uneven surfaces, pinch points,
suspended weight, hot surfaces, extreme cold, steam, noise, clutter,
magnetic fields, simple asphyxiate, oxygen-deficient spaces, ultraviolet radiation, or
laser light.
Activity : Creation of secondary products, lifting, chemical mixing, long-term use
of dry boxes, repetitive pipetting, scale up, handling waste, transportation of hazardous
materials, handling glassware and other sharp objects, heating chemicals,
recrystallizations, extractions, or centrifuging.
Hazards and Hazard Assessment:
A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition 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.
Before beginning the hazard evaluation and risk assessment process, a researcher must
define the scope of work. What are the tasks that must be evaluated? A well-defined
scope of work is a key starting point for all steps in the risk assessment and hazard
analysis.
The next step after identifying the scope of work is to identify the hazard. A HAZARD
IS A POTENTIAL FOR HARM. Hazards can be identified as an agent, condition, or
activity that has the potential to cause injury, illness, loss of property, or damage to the
environment. The table below has been adapted from Identifying and Evaluating
Hazards in Research Laboratories, which you can find in the Resource tab to the right.

Characteristics and Damage Potential of Natural Hazards; HazardAssessment

Steps in Hazard Assessment - Natural Hazards
Following are the steps in hazard assessment:
1. Identification of the Type of Hazard: The first stage in hazard analysis is to
identify the types of hazards. Depending on the types of hazards identified, the process
may need to continue on a separate basisfor each typeof
hazard or group of hazard types. Earthquakes, for example, require different
instruments and specializations for analysis than e.g. landslides or floods.
There are many ways to classify hazard types, e.g. natural events occurring suddenly or
gradually, of an atmospheric, seismic, geological, volcanic, biological and hydrological
nature while others summarize mass movements under the heading of
“geomorphological hazards”.
2. Frequency: This investigation aims at finding the seasonality of the occurrence of
hazards like how frequent and in which seasons which kinds of hazards are expected.
For instance Monsoon Rainfall
3. Risk and Coverage: Afterwards the identification and characterization of hazard
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prone locations is undertaken and then identification and determination of the

probabilities of occurrence on an ordinal scale (high – medium – low) is completed.
4. Magnitude: The next step is to estimate or calculate the scale (strength, magnitude)
of the hazardous event, also on an ordinal scale.
5. Causes of the Hazards: Then identify the factors influencing the hazards, e.g.
climatic change, environmental destruction and resource degradation, major
infrastructural facilities such as dams etc.
6. Likelihood of new hazards emerging The study should also investigate possible
reasons for new hazards due to the following factors:
Natural factors - changes in the pattern of weather leading to new hazards like
drought, frequent and extreme flood events.
Economic - Fluctuations in the value of currency affecting livelihoods, trade related
policy changes, loss of raw materials, industrial damages and destruction.
Social and political trends - Changes in policies, Re-locations of people, Conflicts.
Industrial hazards - chemical accidents, poisoning.
New forms of epidemics and diseases - Bird Flu, AIDS, Hepatitis B & C, Ebola.

Hazard Assessment Approaches:

These studies rely heavily on

Available scientific information, including geologic, geomorphic, and soil maps;
climate and hydrological data; and topographic maps, aerial photographs, and satellite
imagery.
Historical information, both written reports and oral accounts from long- term
residents. These may include myths and legends.

Quantitative Approach:
 Here mathematical functions are used to denote relationships between variable
considered to quantify the hazard. Numerical data can be fed in to assess the
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impact of the hazard event.

 The mathematical expression so derived could be used to forecast future events.
 However, quantitative assessment may not be possible for all hazardevents.

Qualitative Approach:
 This method uses ranking such as ‘high’, ‘moderate’ and ‘low’ to assess a hazard
event.
 Where there is a lack of sufficient data for quantitative evaluation, or where
certain variables cannot be expressed numerically, this qualitative ranking may
be appropriate to take hazard mitigation decisions.

Deterministic approach:
 A past event is selected and associated characteristics and the consequences are
described.
 Past impact data can be combined with current conditions and possible exposure
levels and impact. This would be adequate to visualize the recurrence of an event
for community awareness but leaves room for inaccuracies.
Probabilistic approach:
 After identifying the hazards that affect the planning area and assessment of the
impacts from those hazards, a probability analysis is undertaken. It provides an
estimate of the probability of each hazard affecting an area or region.
 Probability for each hazard may be categorized as ‘high’, ‘moderate’ or ‘low’.
 Probability of occurrence can be calculated through research on pastevents.

Hazard Control:

When evaluating the risks associated with specific hazards, the results of this
evaluation should guide in the selection of risk management techniques
including elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls,
and personal protective equipment. This is known as the Hierarchy of Controls.

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Elimination and Substitution:

The most preferred method of controlling risk is to eliminate the hazard altogether. In
most cases, elimination is not feasible and when possible, substitution is the best
approach to hazard mitigation. When possible, substitute less hazardous agents in place
of their more hazardous counterparts. This also applies to conditions and activities.
Examples include substituting toluene for benzene, non-leadbased paints for lead-based
ones, or Saw Stop table saws for existing traditional table saws
Engineering Controls :
Engineering controls consist of a variety of methods for minimizing hazards, including
process control, enclosure and isolation, and ventilation. Process controls involve
changing the way that a job activity is performed in order toreduce risk. Examples of
this include using wet methods when drilling or grinding or using temperature controls
to minimize vapor generation.
Enclosure and isolation are targeted at keeping the chemical in and the researcher out,
or visa versa. Glove boxes are a good example of enclosure andisolation. Interlock
systems for lasers and machinery are other good examples of isolating processes. The
most common method for ventilation in research laboratories is localized exhaust
systems.
Administrative Controls:
Administrative controls are controls which alter the way work is performed. They may
consists of policies, training, standard operating procedures/guidelines, personal
hygiene practices, work scheduling, etc. These controls are meant to minimize the
exposure to the hazard and should only be used when the exposure cannot be
completely mitigated through elimination/substitution or engineering controls.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) :
PPE should always be used as a last line of defense and is an acceptable control method
when engineering or administrative controls cannot provide sufficient

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protection. PPE may also be used on a temporary basis while engineering controls are
being developed.
VULNERABILITY:
Vulnerability is a concept which describes factors or constraints of an economic,
social, physical or geographic nature, which reduces the ability to prepare for and cope
with the impact of hazard.
Vulnerability describes the characteristics and circumstances of a community,
system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. There are
many aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and
environmental factors.
Vulnerability:
Susceptibility of a person, group or society to physical or emotional injury.OR
Person or group liable to injury.
As far as Hazards and Disasters are concern, the concept of Vulnerability is to link
the relationship that people have with their environment to social forces and
institutions and the cultural values that sustain them.
Vulnerability Types :
Vulnerability varies significantly within a community and over time. This definition
identifies vulnerability as a characteristic of the element of interest(community,
system or asset) which is independent of its exposure. However,in common use the
word is often used more broadly to include the element’sexposure.
There are four types of vulnerability:
● Physical vulnerability
● Social vulnerability
● Economic vulnerability
● Environmental vulnerability

Physical vulnerability:
● It includes who and what may be damaged or destroyed by natural hazard such
as earthquakes or floods.
● It is based on the physical condition of people and elements at risk, such as
buildings, infrastructure etc; and their proximity, location and nature of the
hazard.
● It also relates to the technical capability of building and structures to resist the
forces acting upon them during a hazard event.
● May be determined by aspects such as population density levels, remoteness of a
settlement, the site, design and materials used for critical infrastructure and for
housing (UNISDR).
Example: Wooden homes are less likely to collapse in an earthquake, but are more
vulnerable to fire.
Social Vulnerability:
It refers to the inability of people, organizations and societies to withstand
adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social interactions,
institutions and systems of cultural values. It is linked to the level of well-being
of individuals, communities and society. It includes aspects related to levels of
literacy and education, the existence of peace and security, access to basic
human rights, systems of good governance, social equity, positive traditional
values, customs and ideological beliefs and overall collective organizational
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systems.
Example: When flooding occurs some citizens, such as children, elderly and
differently-able, may be unable to protect themselves or evacuate if necessary.

Economic Vulnerability.
● The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of
individuals, communities and nations The poor are usually more vulnerable to
disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put other
engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively
impacted by disasters.
● Example: Poorer families may live in squatter settlements because they cannot
afford to live in safer (more expensive) areas.

Environmental Vulnerability:
● Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of
environmental vulnerability.
Example: Wetlands are sensitive to increasing salinity from sea water, and
pollution from storm water runoff containing agricultural chemicals, eroded
soils, etc.

Vulnerability to a given hazard depends on:

 Proximity to a possible hazardous event.
 Population density in the area proximal to the event.

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 Scientific understanding of the hazard.

 Public education and awareness of the hazard.
 Existence or non-existence of early-warning systems and lines of
communication.
 Availability and readiness of emergency infrastructure.
 Construction styles and building codes.
 Cultural factors that influence public response to warnings.
In general, less developed countries are more vulnerable to natural hazards than
are industrialized countries because of lack of understanding, education, infrastructure,
building codes, etc.
Poverty also plays a role - since poverty leads to poor building structure,
increased population density, and lack of communication and infrastructure.
Human intervention in natural processes can also increase vulnerability by
Development and habitation of lands susceptible to hazards, For example,
building on floodplains subject to floods, sea cliffs subject to landslides, coastlines
subject to hurricanes and floods, or volcanic slopes subject to volcanic eruptions.
Increasing the severity or frequency of a natural disaster. For example:
overgrazing or deforestation leading to more severe erosion (floods, landslides),
mining groundwater leading to subsidence, construction of roads on unstable slopes
leading to landslides, or even contributing to global warming, leading to more severe
storms.
Vulnerability Profile of India :
 India is vulnerable, in varying degrees, to a large number of disasters.
 More than 58.6 per cent of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of
moderate to very high intensity
 Over 40 million hectares (12%) of its land is prone to floods and river
erosion
 Close to 5,700 kms, out of the 7,516 kms long coastline is prone tocyclones
and tsunamis
 68% of its cultivable area is vulnerable to droughts; and, its hilly areasare at
risk from landslides and avalanches.

 India is also vulnerable to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear

(CBRN) emergencies and other man-made disasters.
 Disaster risks in India are further compounded by increasing vulnerabilities
related to changing demographics and socio-economic conditions, unplanned
urbanization, development within high-risk zones, environmental degradation,
climate change, geological hazards, epidemics and pandemics.
 All these contribute to a situation where disasters seriously threaten India’s
economy, its population and sustainable development.

Dimensions of vulnerability factors; vulnerability assessment:

There are three dimensions of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive
capacity. Exposure is the degree to which people and the things they value could be
affected or "touched" by coastal hazards; sensitivity is the degree to which they could
be harmed by that exposure; and adaptive capacity is the degree to which they could
mitigate the potential for harm by taking action to reduce exposure or sensitivity.
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Factors affecting vulnerability :

1.Education :
Education is important in many ways. Firstly if you are educated you
will probably have a good job and earn a good salary. This means that you can
then live in a safer house in a safer location. Also if you are literate you can
understand the risks posed by hazards and how to reactto them. You are also
more likely to have better communications and transport in order to hear about
and escape from a possible hazard.
● Building Design :(Electrics, plumbing, foundations, structure)
If your house is built to latest earthquake-proof standards, then you are
less vulnerable than someone living in an informal settlement or a house that
has disobeyed guidance. If your house has proper electricity connections and
proper plumbing you are less vulnerable to fires, electrocution, flooding and
diseases.
● Home Preparation :
By preparing your home from hazards e.g. screwing pictures and furniture
to the wall so they don't fall during earthquakes, covering

windows during hurricanes or surrounding with sandbags during floods,then

you are less vulnerable to the risk of hazards.
● Building and Settlement Location :
Houses that are built on flat land and secure bedrock are going to more
secure and less vulnerable than houses built on steep hills and unstable rock.
Houses built in coastal areas or on floodplains or near volcanoes are obviously
going to be more at risk than ones built in areasthat don't suffer from hazards.
Settlements that are not accessible will be more vulnerable because people will
not be able to escape hazards and people will not be able to help hazard victims.
Defences and Shelters :

Regions that have sophisticated defences like levees, sea walls and flood
channels are going to protect populations and make them less vulnerable. Also
areas with flood shelters, avalanche shelters or even nuclear shelters are going
to protect their populations and make them less vulnerable.
Transport and Communication:
Countries with good reliable communication e.g. mobile phone network,
broadband connection are going to be better able to inform and warn citizens
making them less vulnerable. Also countries with good transport roads, rail, etc.
will allow citizens to escape potential hazards making them less vulnerable.

Insurance
If communities or individuals are insured it allows them to rebuild and become
less vulnerable to secondary hazards or future hazards. If people are not insured
they might not be able to rebuild their house andare therefore exposed to
secondary hazards like disease and exposure. They might also be forced to
build informal settlements which are vulnerable to other hazards like flooding,
hurricanes and landslides.
Sex, age and health
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Young and old people are often more vulnerable to hazards because they are
unable to escape or are more susceptible to disease/famine. Also young, old
And the ill will find it hard to evacuate from hazards. In
the Indian Ocean tsunami more women than men died. One reason is that many
men were at sea fishing and avoided the tsunami, but on land many women were
working indoors and had no warning or were not physically quick enough to run
away.
Aid
Countries that receive aid or accept aid are better able to cope with theafter
effects of a hazard. For example Turkey has recently accepted foreign help
which should mean more people are rescued from collapsed buildings and
treated for their injuries or protected from secondary hazards.
Number, Type and Regularity of Hazards
Countries or regions that suffer from multiple hazards e.g. El Salvador,
Philippines, Indonesia and Japan potentially suffer from earthquakes, volcanoes,
tsunamis, hurricanes, floods and landslides are going to be more vulnerable than
countries like the UK that suffer from very few major hazards.

● 1.6.4Vulnerabilities to Flood Hazards :

Vulnerability is a term that can be used to cover many aspects of the
human side of the hazard equation. The flood hazard has a varied impact on
people, which is partly controlled by the socioeconomic system they live in.
Within a country or region, some communities are more vulnerable than
others, and within some communities, individuals may be more or less
vulnerable. Those who are most vulnerable to the flood hazard may be unable
to escape the risk due to limited resources (money, knowledge, work flexibility
etc.).

● The UNESCO Institute for Water Education has attempted to quantify flood
vulnerability using the following equation:
● Vulnerability = Exposure + Susceptibility – Resilience

Vulnerabilities to Earthquake Hazards :

● The vulnerability of a region in case of earthquakes is determined by the
inventory of material assets (buildings, infrastructure), ecological values,
and social structures as well as of the susceptibility of these objects to
earthquakes.
● Within minutes of shaking, the earthquake reveals the vulnerabilities of
buildings, households, communities, and of a country. The consequences expose
flaws in governance, planning, sitting of physical structure, design, construction,
and use of the built environment in country with seismic hazard.

Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessment

 Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessment (HIVA) is the initial step
supporting the emergency management process of hazard preparedness,
response, recovery, and mitigation.
 Hazard identification refers to the systematic use of all available information to
determine which types of hazards might affect a community, along with their
driving forces and typical effects.
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 Vulnerability assessment refers to the estimation of scale and severity these

hazards may have on the people, property, environment, and economy of a
community.
Resilience:
Disaster Resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, organization, and
states to adopt to and recover from hazards, shocks ,or stress without comprising long
term prospects for development.
According to the Hyogo Frame work for Action(UNISDR,2005), Disaster
Resilience is determined by the degree to which individuals , communities and public
and private organizations are capable of organizing themselves to learn from past
disasters and reduce their risks to future ones , at international, national, regional and
local levels.

Risk:
The expected losses (lives lost, persons injured, damage to property and
disruption of economic activity) due to a particular hazard.
Risk =hazard x vulnerability.
Risk is a “measure of the expected losses due to a hazard event occurring in a
given area over a specific time period. Risk is a function of the probability of
particular hazardous event and the losses each would cause.” The level of risk
depends upon:
1. Nature of the hazard
2. Vulnerability of the elements which are affected
Disaster Risk:
Disaster risk is the livelihood of harmful consequences or loss (death,
injuries, destroyed properties, economic activities or damaged environment)
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resulting from interaction between Hazard and vulnerable conditions.

Disaster Risk= (Hazard x vulnerability)/capacity.

(OR)
Risk:
Occurrence probability of a hazard that triggers a disaster with an undesirable
outcome Risk involves an exposure to a chance injury or loss. Risk generally
described in terms of probability. Risk can also be defined as the probability of a
loss.
Risk depends on three elements:
• Hazard
• Vulnerability
• Exposure
Concept of Risk:

A Risk matrix is a matrix that is used during risk assessment to definethe

various levels of risk as the product of the harm probability categories and
harm severity categories

• Generally everyone has some understanding of the meaning of the word 'risk'.
• We are taught that something is risky, or we are told not to take risks. But
what exactly is 'a risk'?
• In fact we all take risks everyday quite happily. We do things knowingly that
there is a risk involved.
• For example, we know that there is a risk involved in driving a car, or riding a
bike, or going on a skiing holiday.
• We accept the level of risk because in our minds, although the potential
consequences can be death or serious injury, we think that if we are careful, the
chance of something dreadful happening is very low.
• When we evaluate a risk, we take into account two factors - the probability
of something happening that we don't want, and the consequences if it does.
• An airplane flight is a very good example. The consequence of a airplane
crash is usually the loss of most, if not all life on board - dreadful.
• This very low probability makes the risk very acceptable.
• So whether we choose to accept or decline a risk depends on the mixof two
factors:
• probability; and
• consequence
• Identifying, evaluating and understanding risks is a very importantaspect of
disaster management.
• We suffer dreadful consequences if risks are not appropriately managed.
• The most widely understood risks are occupational health and safetyrisks.
• Most people generally associate the word 'risk' with injury, health risksand
death.
• It is useful to think or risks as falling into two categories:
• Risk of harm
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• Risk of detriment

• The risk of "harm" is the type of risk that we mostly think about.

• The word 'harm' is employed in relation to something living, usually a

person or the natural environment

• The risk of "detriment" does not involve injury to something living.

• It generally means some form of economic loss, which might indeed include
a valuation of harm to living things but which also includes damage of a much
wider kind.
There are different ways of dealing with risk, such as:
● Risk Acceptance: an informed decision to accept the possible
consequences and likelihood of a particular risk.
● Risk Avoidance: an informed decision to avoid involvement in activities
leading to risk realization.
● Risk Reduction: refers to the application of appropriate techniques toreduce
the likelihood of risk occurrence and its consequences.
● Risk Transfer :involves shifting of the burden of risk to another party.
One of the most common forms of risk transfer is Insurance.
Key Components:
 Probability
 Response
 Impacts
 Human
 Property
 Business
 Preparedness
 Resources
 Internal Resources
 External Resources
Issues to consider for probability include:
 Known risk
 Historical data
 Subjective evaluation/best estimate
 Local emergency planning committee input
Issues to consider for response include:
 Scope of response capability
 Onsite support resources
 Estimated severity & duration of the incident
 Historical evaluation of response success

Issues to consider for human impact:

 Potential for death or injury
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 Emotional/psychological impact
 Local cultural norms
Issues to consider for property impact:
 Cost to replace
 Cost to set up temporary replacement
 Cost to repair
 Time to recover
Issues to consider for business impact:
 Business interruption
 Employees unable to report to work
 Interruption of critical supplies
 Financial impact
Issues to consider for preparedness impact:
 Status of current plans
 Frequency of drills
 Insurance
 Availability of alternate sources for critical supplies/services
Issues to consider for internal resources:
 Type /volume of supplies on hand
 Availability of back-up systems
 Ability to withstand disasters
Issues to consider for external resources:
 Coordination with local and state agencies
 Coordination with proximal health care facilities
 Community volunteers/ training
 Pre-incident response plans

Frequency:
The frequency of a natural hazard event is the number of times it occurs within
a specified time interval.
Magnitude:
The magnitude of a natural hazard event is related to the energy released by the
event. It is distinguished from intensity which is related to the effects at a specific
location or area.
Capacity:

Capacity is the combination of all the strengths and resources available within a
community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk or the effects of a
disaster. These actions can include: resource development, financial management
(diversification of funding sources), organizational learning, leadership development
and other activities.
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“Capacity building”, a contested concept sometimes used interchangeably with

“institution building”, “institutional and organizational development” and “institutional
capacity building”.

The terms capacity development and capacity building are sometimes used
interchangeably. Capacity building activities like training, establishment of institutions,
community bases training, information and coordination sharing under the Disaster
Risk Reduction (DRR) programme helped in establishment of a more interactive
partnership between the different stakeholders involved in development and disaster
mitigation related activities of concerned area.

Structural and Nonstructural Measures :

Structural measures: are any physical construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts
of hazards, or the application of engineering techniques or technology to achieve hazard
resistance and resilience in structures or systems.
Common structural measures for disaster risk reduction include dams, flood levies,
ocean wave barriers, earthquake-resistant construction and evacuation shelters.
Non-structural measures are measures not involving physical construction which use
knowledge, practice or agreement to reduce disaster risks and impacts, in particular
through policies and laws, public awareness raising, training and education.
Common non-structural measures include building codes, land-use planning laws and
their enforcement, research and assessment, information resources and public
awareness programmes.
Need for capacity building
• Comprehensive formulation of objectives.
• Conduct of Training Needs Analysis
• Preparation of Knowledge, Skills and Attitude
• Administration of Face-to-Face Training Programme (FFTP)
various elements of capacity building
• Education on disaster prevention and response
• Training to vulnerable communities
• Collaboration with relief agencies
• Mock drill
• Household preparation
• Understanding warning/de-warning messages
• First aid preparedness
Education on disaster prevention and response
It includes educating the vulnerable communities as well as the population of
state to the possible hazards and their impacts in their area. It also covers the
preventive measures and response strategies in case of a disaster strike to the surface.

Training to vulnerable communities

It includes imparting the basic training of disaster management to the volunteers
and local people. It aims to teach the people that how they can survive and help others.

Collaboration with relief agencies

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It includes the collaboration between different government as well as non-

government agencies involved in the relief work through the state for all kind of
disasters.
Mock drill
It is a method of practising how a building would be evacuated in the event
of a fire or other emergency.
Usually, the building's existing fire alarm system is activated and the building
is evacuated as if the emergency had occurred.

Household preparation
it covers the preparation of keeping all valuable items in waterproof bags,
keeping minimum clothing, and being ready with a plan for evacuation.
Understanding warning/de-warning messages
Dissemination of early warning message to the vulnerable communities is the
next task which can be achieved through better training and involvement of all
stakeholders.
First aid preparedness
Along with all necessary things it’s important to have a well-stocked first aid kit
to deal with minor accidents and injuries.
Factor of capacity building
1.Connect between Disasters and Development
2.Sustainable Development and Traditional Wisdom
3.Participation of all Stakeholders
4.Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
5.Gender Mainstreaming
6. Psycho-social Support in Disaster Aftermath
7.Preparation of Training Manual
8.Unique Training Approach
Connect between Disasters and Development
The “backward” and “forward” linkages between political, developmental, relief and
rehabilitation operations constitute a complex network of relationships.

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TRAINING METHODOLOGY
1. Training Needs Analysis
2. Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSAs)
3. The Role of capacity building Functionaries Towards Effective Conduct of
FFTPs
a) Training Needs Analysis

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b) Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSAs):

c) The Role of capacity building Functionaries Towards Effective Conduct of

FFTPs
• Training Tools
• The made use of many tools in its conduct of Workshops and FFTPs.
• Conventional Lectures.
• Simulations.
• Graphics, Pictures and Charts, Case Studies
• Hazard, Vulnerability, Risk and Capacity (HVRC) . A Situational Analysis.
Importance of Capacity Building to Future Success
• These entities provide needed social services, education, health care and the arts that
improve the well being of the community and on which many people depend.

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Capacity Assessment The ISDR terminology views capacity as the combination of all
the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community, society or
organization that can be used to achieve agreed goals. Capacity may include
infrastructure and physical means, institutions, societal coping abilities, as well as
human knowledge, skills and collective attributes such as social relationships,
leadership and management. Capacity also may be described as capability. Capacity
assessment is a term for the process by which the capacity of a group is reviewed
against desired goals, and the capacity gaps are identified for further action.
Strengthening Capacity for Reducing Risk The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA),
a United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) initiative in
2005 outlined five priorities for action. There has been significant progress since 2005
on disaster risk reduction, some of which include; a) Allocation of separate budget by
countries for risk reduction; b) Better preparedness of communities against disasters;
and c) Significant focus of education on disaster preparedness in schools. At present
the performance
of local governments in most developing countries raises concern. Some important
issues that need to be addressed in order to strengthening capacities for risk reduction
are include: financial and human resources, strong links between need and supply, a
legislative framework, collective training institutions and regular communication,
clarity in jurisdiction, co-ordination in regional disasters, a sense of commitment, and
maturity in prioritysetting
Counter Disaster Management Counter disaster management is about trying to
prevent disasters by being aware of the risks to collections and acting to minimize them.
Being prepared for the possibility of a disaster by maintaining:
 current contact numbers and addresses for emergency services;
 lists of people you can call on in an emergency;
 supplies of materials and equipment; and
 Lists of suppliers for equipment and materials.
The counter-disaster plan might include:
 A list of hazards;
 An initial response procedures;
 Disaster kits—list of contents and locations;
 The location and description of smoke detection and firefighting equipment;
 Day and night emergency contacts for staff and specialists;
 The names and addresses of suppliers of emergency equipment and
materials, including day and night telephone numbers;
 The emergency funding procedures;
 Insurance details;
Conclusion
• The process through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen
and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives over
time.”
• capacity building is important because the evaluation process coupled with the
implementation component help ensure organizational success and sustainability.
Impact:
The major impacts of earthquakes are as follows:
Shaking of the ground and surface rupture: This is the main cause of destruction in
which buildings, bridges, roads, canals and other structures are damaged.
Liquefaction: Earthquakes make sands and silts to transform from a solid to liquid
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state. This also results in building collapse.

Landslides: Earthquakes of high intensity often trigger many landslides in the hilly
regions.
Fires: It is a major hazard associated with earthquakes. The shakings of the ground and
building damage often break the gas pipes and electric lines that cause fires. Changes in
the land elevation: The surface topography of a region and groundwater conditions are
altered after an earthquake.
Tsunami: It is a Japanese term meaning ‘harbour waves’. Tsunamis are massive sea
waves that are mainly caused due to earthquakes in the ocean floor or possibly due to
an undersea landslide or volcanic eruption. When the ocean floor is tilted or offset
during an earthquake a set of waves is created similar to the concentric waves generated
by an object dropped into the water.
Lightning:
A brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within athundercloud,
between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.

Prevention and Mitigation:

Despite the advances made by modem science, the exact time and place where an
earthquake may strike cannot be predicted. Hence, the occurrence of an earthquake
cannot be prevented. However, there are certain regions that are earthquakes prone and
so the administration must work before hand to minimize the damages due to
occurrence of earthquakes in such areas. The control and mitigation measures in
earthquake prone regions include hazard reduction programmes, development of critical
facilities and proper land use planning.
Hazard reduction programmes: These include the following:
i. Earthquake education and evacuation plans.
ii. Use of proper construction material that is not injurious even if the structures
collapse.
iii. Construction of quake resistant buildings having proper structural design.
Development of critical facilities: These include the following:
i. Establishment of earthquake regulatory agencies for fast relief.
ii. ii. Establishment of specific health care units for treating earthquake
injuries Proper land use planning.
iii. iii. Mapping of faults and weak zones in earthquake prone areas.
iv. iv. Buildings such as schools, hospitals, offices, etc. should be in areasaway
from active faults.
Floods: Floods refer to the ‘inundation of large parts of land which otherwise remain
dry by water for some duration of time’. Floods are one of the most common natural
disasters occurring in many parts of the world every year. Floods occur due to heavy
rainfall within a short duration of time in a particular region which causes the rivers and
streams to overflow.
Impact on the Environment: Though the lives lost in floods may not be as high as in
case of earthquakes or cyclones, the damage to the environment is immense. The
problem is further aggravated if the floods last for a longer duration of time.
Floods not only damage property and endanger if lives of humans and animals,
but have other effects as well, such as:
1. Floods cause the spread of many epidemic diseases.
2. Rapid runoff causes soil erosion.
3. Wildlife habitat and forests are often destroyed.
4. Manmade structures like buildings, bridges, roads, sewer lines, power lines,etc. are
damaged.

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5. Floods cause widespread damage to the standing crops and degrade theagricultural
land.
6. Flood affected areas are faced with acute shortage of food and drinkingwater
Prevention, Control and Mitigation:
Though floods are a natural hazard, it is sometimes intensified due to undesirable
human activities. The measures that can be taken to control the extent of flood damage
include land use planning, building of physical barriers, preventing human
encroachment and use of technology for relief.
Land use planning: Proper land use planning in flood prone areas includes:
1. Demarcation of the flood-prone areas that are first inundated during floods.
2. Construction work and concentration of human population should beavoided in
the floodplains.
3. Afforestation on the upper reaches of the river (catchment areas) to control soil
erosion and excessive runoff.
Building of physical barriers: Flood can be prevented by building certain
structures, such as:
1. Embankments along the banks of rivers in densely populated areas.
2. Building of reservoirs to collect excess water during floods.
3. The construction of channels that divert floodwater.
Preventing human encroachment: Human encroachment should be avoidedin the
following areas:
1. Floodplains and catchment areas.
2. This would control deforestation and soil erosion which would preventexcessive
runoff.
Use of technology for relief: Advanced technology can be used in the following ways:
1. Advanced communication techniques for flood forecasting and warning.
2. Fast evacuation of people.
3. To provide relief in temporary shelters.
4. Immediate supply of medicines, drinking water, food and clothes.
5. Epidemic diseases must be controlled through spraying, vaccination, etc.
Man-made disasters: When the disasters are due to carelessness of human or
mishandling of dangerous equipment’s they are called man-made disasters. Common
examples of these disasters are train accidents, aero plane crashes, collapse of buildings,
bridges, mines, tunnels, etc. Man-made disasters are mainly of two types:
Local disasters: These are small-scale disasters such as train accidents, plane crashes
and shipwrecks.
Industrial and technological disasters: These are much larger in scale and are the
result of technology failures or industrial accidents. Such disasters affect both local
population and may even cover a much larger area. Industrial disasters result due to
accidental leakage of water or air pollutants. Many of the chemicals are extremely
toxic and carcinogenic which affect the human population in an adverse way. Some
people die instantly while others are crippled for whole life in the form of blindness,
paralysis and many other chronic diseases.
Impact on the environment:
Leakage of toxic chemicals from the industries and accidents in the nuclear reactors has
short-term and long-term effects on the environment and human health. Short-term
effects on human health relate to casualties and diseases like blindness, cancer,
paralysis, heart trouble, gastric and respiratory abnormalities. Long-term effects include
genetic imbalances in humans and its impact on the future generations. Soil and water
sources also remain polluted for long durations of time.

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Prevention, control and mitigation:

Man-made disasters can be minimized to a large extent by adopting the following
measures:
1. Proper training of personnel working in the hazardous industries. 2. Proper
maintenance and care of safety measures.
3. Removing human encroachments around hazardous industries.
4. Making the people aware about the first-aid methods in case of accidents.
5. Applying wet cloth over the mouth and nose in case of gas leakagesminimizes
the health hazards.
6. Remaining indoors in case of radioactive accidents.
7. Providing the people with proper medical care, in some cases throughouttheir
life.
8. Providing adequate compensation to the affected people by way of moneyand
employment.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT): The most serious industrial disaster occurred on
December 3, 1984 at Bhopal, India, which is known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT).
The Bhopal gas tragedy occurred due to leakage of methyl isocyanides (MIC) gas from
the factory of Union Carbide of India Ltd. MIC gas is used as an ingredient in
pesticides. It leaked from the factory and formed the deadly cloud over Bhopal. People
living in slums in the vicinity of the factory were the most affected and more than 5000
people were killed, half of them due to direct exposure and other half due to after
affects. MIC is a colorless gas which causes severe irritation, violent coughing, swelling
of the lungs, bleeding and death due to direct inhalation. It also caused loss of eye-sight
in more than 1000 people. More than 50,000 people were affected with respiratory, eye,
gastric, neurological and gynecological problems.
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: This nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, which was one of the largest power plants in the Ukrainian
Republic of erstwhile USSR, on April 26, 1986. It is the worst nuclear disaster
recorded in a nuclear power plant. This nuclear power plant had four reactors of
1000 megawatt each for electricity generation. A sudden power surge resulted in two
explosions, which destroyed the reactor core and
blasted a large hole in the roof of the reactor building. The Radioactive debris moved up
through that hole to heights of 1 km. Approximately 100 to 150 million curies of
radiation (radioactive isotopes of iodine and cesium) escaped into the atmosphere.
To reduce emissions, the rescue team bombarded the reactor with 5,000 metric tons of
shielding material consisting of lead, boron, sand and clay. Soviet officials placed the
toll of human lives to 31. However, according to western estimates, 2000 people were
killed. Large areas of the Ukrainian, Byelorussia Republics of the USSR and even parts
of Poland, Denmark and Sweden were contaminated. Around 200,000 people had to be
evacuated and resettled. The after affects lasted for many years and a rise in the
incidence of thyroid and blood cancer has been observed in a wide group of people.
Other affects on the human health included skin diseases, hair loss, nausea, anemia,
respiratory and reproductive diseases.