DRRR NO. 1: Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Disaster (definition)

is an event that causes serious damage, loss of life, property destruction, and disruption to a community. It occurs when a hazard affects vulnerable people and exceeds their ability to cope using their own resources.

Nature of Disasters (definition)

refers to the characteristics and effects of disasters, including how they occur, their causes, and their impact on people, property, and the environment.

Key characteristics of disasters

Can be natural (earthquakes, floods, typhoons) or human-caused (fires, industrial accidents); Cause damage, injuries, deaths, and disruption; May occur suddenly or develop slowly; Affect people, property, the economy, and the environment; Often require emergency response and recovery efforts.

Two elements affected by disaster (preceding definition)

A preceding definition of disaster stresses that two elements are affected – life (whether human or animal) and property.

Effects of disaster: Minor damage

it maybe a minor damage (like broken windows and doors)

Effects of disaster: Major damage

major damage (like torn rooftops, collapsed walls),

Effects of disaster: Total destruction

total destruction (like completely destroyed houses and structures rendering them useless and inhabitable) and the worst scenario, it can lead to death.

Keys to survival in a catastrophe

"Knowledge and Preparation" are the keys to survival in the event of a catastrophe.

Disaster risk (definition)

is the possibility that a hazard may cause harm, damage, or losses to people, property, livelihoods, and the environment

Example of disaster risk

A community located near a river has a higher disaster risk of flooding, especially if houses are poorly built and there are no flood protection measure

Impacts of Disaster (3 categories)

Loss of Service; Social and Economic Disruptions; Environmental Degradation

The damage caused by disaster

The damage caused by disaster cannot be measured. It also differs with the kind of geographical location, climate, earth's specific characteristics, and level of vulnerability. These determining factors affect generally the psychological, socio – economic, political, and ethnical state of the affected area.

Natural Disasters (definition)

A natural phenomenon is caused by natural forces, such as earthquakes, typhoon, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, fires, tornados, and extreme temperatures. They can be classified as rapid onset disasters and those with progressive onset, such as droughts that lead to famine. These events, usually sudden, can have tremendous effects.

Natural Disasters: Sudden Impact or Acute Onset

Geological or climatic hazards: Earthquakes, Floods, Temperature extremes, Landslides, Tornadoes. Epidemics: Food, water, vector-borne diseases; Person-to-person transmission diseases

Natural Disasters: Slow or Chronic Onset

Famine, Drought

Man-Made Disasters (Human-made induced hazards)

Human-made induced hazards are caused by human activities. Unlike natural hazards, human-made hazards can often be prevented.

Man-made disasters #1: Technological/industrial 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. Examples: leaks of hazardous materials; accidental explosions; bridge or road collapses, or vehicle collisions; Power cuts

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 isocyanide (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.

Man-made disasters #2: Terrorism/Violence

The threat of terrorism has also increased due to the spread of technologies involving nuclear, biological, and chemical agents used to develop weapons of mass destruction. Examples: bombs or explosions; release of chemical materials; release of biological agents; release of radioactive agents; multiple or massive shootings; mutinies

Man-made disasters #3: Complex humanitarian emergencies

The term complex emergency is usually used to describe the humanitarian emergency resulting from an international or civil war. In such situations, large numbers of people are displaced from their homes due to the lack of personal safety and the disruption of basic infrastructure including food distribution, water, electricity, and sanitation, or communities are left stranded and isolated in their own homes unable to access assistance. Examples: conflicts or wars and Genocide the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.