Disaster Management: An Emerging Discipline
By
Anil K. Gupta1 and M. Yunus2
The
concept of sustainable development has gained significant importance due to (i)
inadequacy of existing developmental processes to wipe out socio-economic
inequality and (ii) well-evidenced nexus among environmental hazards, resources
depletion, economical disparity and poverty. It is also well understood that no
development is sustainable if the life and property are vulnerable to any
disastrous event. History witnesses the death of civilizations due to natural
calamities and epidemics causing mass damage and losses. In recent years, a
number of disasters (natural, technological or ecological) have made the global
community aware of the immense losses of human lives and productive resources
that are caused regularly by such calamities. The developing countries are
worst-affected due to rapid population growth, poverty, ill-planned
developmental activities and their inability to cope with them. Recently, human
induced technological and chemical disasters are becoming all the more
alarming.
Definitions
Disasters are the natural
calamities, environmental extremes and technological mishaps while hazards
refer to the potential risk for damage. risk of a disaster occurring as result
of a particular hazard depends on the probability of occurrence and
vulnerability of human environment. Vulnerability is the exposure of land-uses,
population and property to an event or such agent having potential to harm.
Ultimate result of exposure to risk is known as consequences.
Natural and Man-made
Disasters
Disasters are simply
classified as natural and man-made based on origin of hazards. Natural hazards
are-floods, droughts, earthquake, cyclone, landslides, erosion etc. whereas
technological mishaps, chemical accidents (fire, explosion, toxicity) and
environmental extremes are the man-made hazards of concern. The distinction
between natural hazards and their man-made counterparts is often difficult to
sustain. Many researchers have called the "naturalness" of natural disasters
into question, though the circumstances of purely anthropogenic hazards, such
as oil spills and chemical accidents, are usually very different from those of,
for example, earthquake and floods. Nevertheless, in terms of the consequences
there is a sizeable overlap as any changes in physical configuration of any
region directly affects its environmental sustainability.
Disaster Reduction:
National & International Initiatives
After Bhopal Gas Tragedy
in 1984 a rapid awareness on issues of disaster management in industrial and
technological sectors throughout the world has grown at community as well as
government level. On the other hand the increasing frequency and intensity of
so called natural disasters have awakened the international agencies as well as
national governments on issues of disaster reduction through preventive
measures, mitigation, preparedness and organisation of rescue and relief.
United Nations Development Programme Office has compiled a document called
'International register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC)' and the decade
has been declared as UNIDNDR (International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction).
Bangkok based Asian Institute of Technology has established a Disaster
Management Centre as an International Training and Research Centre. Many other
universities and institutions have initiated research and curricula on subject
of disaster prevention and management. In
India,
several enactments after 1984 have prescribed the provisions of disaster
management issues. Some of the important regulations are: hazardous Waste
(management and handling) Rules, 1989; Manufacture, Storage and Import of
Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (both under EPA, 1986); Factories Act (amendment
1987), 1948; Public Liability Insurence Act 1991; EIA notification 1994 and
Rules on Emergency Planning, Preparedness & Response for Chemical Accidents,
1996 under EEPA 1996. Union Ministry of Environment & Forests has established a
division on Hazardous Substance Management and Emergency Management. On issues
pertaining to natural disasters and IDNDR, a Disaster Management Division is
established as Union Ministry of Agriculture.
Steps & Issues in
Disaster Management
Prior to IDNDR
declaration by UN the subject of disaster management has been understood as
only organisation of rescue and relief and entire exercise in most of the
governments were dealt by revenue officers. Not the perception is shifting from
curative to preventive approach and the application of science and management
issues in disaster reduction are being brainstormed at various platforms. A
hazard becomes disaster affecting vulnerable land-uses. Thus control of hazard
and vulnerability are the basic keys in the subject.
When it is realised that
the reasons behind increasing frequency and intensity of many disasters are
ecological or technological and added with the impact of ill planned
developmental activities and settlements, then the entire story of disaster
reduction is covered under the umbrella of prudent environmental planning and
management. Next steps in disaster management are disaster mitigation and
impact minimisation applying technological, ecological and organicational
measures. In order to prevent a hazard from becoming disaster, a well explained
emergency plan and efficient organisation of forecasting, warning, rescue,
relief and rehabilitation are the components of emergent management. Basic
tools in disaster management are thus; hazard analysis, risk characterisation
and quantification, vulnerability analysis, prevention measures, mitigation and
emergency operations. this subject has lot of potential for contributing to the
sustainable development of society and preservation of quality of site
improvements.
1DMI, Bhopal, 2DDAU, Lucknow |
