Disaster risk/threats
The potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets
and services, which could occur to a particular community or a society
over some specified future time period. Traditional disaster threats:
Most of the old disaster threats still exist like earthquakes, cyclones,
volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, wildfires, floods, landslides, and drought
so do the man-made ones like fire, explosions and other major
accidents which cause heavy human casualties, economic and social
losses. These same traditional threats have increased as increase in
population has force people to settle in disaster prone areas which
increase the impact of disasters.
Modern disaster threats:
These consist of manmade events like hijacking, terrorism, civil unrest,
terrorism and conflict with conventional arms as well as chemical,
biological, nuclear, or radiological weapons. Increased social violence
has drastically affected many nations and communities.
Hazard - 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.
Hazards are conditions that have the potential to harm to a community
or environment
Geological Hazards - Geological process or phenomenon 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. These disasters include landmass related
disasters like earthquakes, mudslides, volcanoes etc,
Water and climatic Hazards (Hydro meteorological hazards)
These include storms, cyclones, floods etc
Chemical Hazards - By their nature, the manufacture, storage, and
transport of chemicals are accidents waiting to happen. Chemicals can
be corrosive, toxic, and they may react, often explosively. The impacts
of chemical accidents can be deadly, for both human beings and the
environment.
Industrial/ Technological hazards
A hazard originating from technological or industrial conditions,
including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or
specific human activities, that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or
other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services,
social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
These include industrial pollution, nuclear radiation, toxic wastes, dam
failures, transport accidents, factory explosions, fires, and chemical
spills.
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological
substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms,
primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of
a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can affect
human health. It can also include substances harmful to animals.
Examples: anthrax, smallpox, plague, tularemia, brucellosis and
botulinism toxin, bird flu.
Disaster management Definition and concept.
Disaster management includes sum total of all activities, programmes
and measureswhich can be taken up before, during and after a disaster
with the purpose of avoiding, reducing the impact or recovering from its
losses.
According to Kelly (1996),"Disaster management" can be defined as
the range of activities designed to maintain control over disaster and
emergency situations and to provide a framework for helping those who
are at risk to avoid or recover from the impact of the disaster.
Disaster management means managing resources and various
responsibilities to deal with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies.
This may include preparedness before disaster, response and recovery
i.e. rebuilding and supporting society. The purpose of this is to lessen
the impact of disasters.
‘Disaster management can be defined as the organization and
management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all
humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness,
response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
The various aspects of disaster management:
Disaster Prevention Disaster mitigation
Disaster preparedness Rehabilitation
Disaster response Reconstruction
The aims of disaster management are to:
Reduce (avoid, if possible) the potential losses from hazards;
Assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims when necessary;
Achieve rapid and durable recovery.
