Disaster Management And Planning

Disaster Management and Planning

Nature, Scope and Management Process • Disaster management by nature is both an art and a skill. • The first step is planning, • which is the process of identifying and selecting appropriate goals and courses of action for disaster management. Planning helps by providing clear goals and map the activities needed to achieve them efficiently and effectively.

• It starts with collecting information about past disasters, defining objectives, developing planning premises, discovering alternative courses of action for managing disasters, evaluating alternatives and choosing the best alternative on the basis of available resources and goals. • Organising is the second step where roles and responsibilities are defined. • It helps in arranging and coordinating the resources needed to successfully carry out disaster-management related plans. It involves grouping people into departments according to the kinds of job-specific tasks they are expected to perform during disasters. • Proper lines of authority and responsibility are laid out.

Policy of Disaster Management The disaster management policy aims at the following: 1. To provide guidance and direction to set priorities for managing the disaster situation. 2. To promote community-based disaster management and execution at the grass-root level. 3. To develop capacity of all stakeholders. 4. To consolidate past initiatives and develop best practices for future use. 5. To facilitate cooperation with agencies at national, regional and international levels. 6. To ensure multi-sectoral synergy for compliance and coordination. 7. To create and uphold a culture of prevention and preparedness. 8. To prioritise disaster management as the principal priority at all echelons and at all times. 9. To promote disaster mitigation measures on the basis of state-of-the-art technology and environmental sustainability. 10. To integrate disaster management issues into the development planning process. 11. To create and protect the veracity of an enabling regulatory environment and a compliance system. 12. To promote a culture of coordination where all the stakeholders work in tandem for generating awareness and developing capacity. 13. To ensure well-organised response and relief measures to aid the disaster-affected persons. 14. To visualise reconstruction and opportunity to build disaster-resilient structures. 15. To take time-bound actions for response, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis • There are various dimensions of vulnerability according to the availability of assets which a community possesses: 1. Economic dimension 2. Physical dimension 3. Social dimension

Aims of Hazard and Vulnerability Analysis 1. To assess the risks and hazards the communities face and the capacities of the population to respond to such situations. 2. To determine the facilities at risk and the degree to which they might be affected. 3. To analyse each probable event from start to end. 4. To involve communities, government authorities and organisations in the identification of hazards and assessment of vulnerability. 5. To make action plans to prepare for and respond to the identified risks. 6. To identify activities to avert or reduce the effects of expected hazards, risks and vulnerabilities.

The steps of a hazard and vulnerability analysis are as follows: 1.

Recognition of hazards and vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities should cover diverse aspects, including social, infrastructural, economic, environmental, behavioural and political hazards. 2. Estimation of the probability of occurrence of an event. 3. An analysis of the probable human impact of each disaster in terms of loss of lives and quantum of physical injury. 4. An assessment of the probable damage to the property. This includes analysis of replacement cost, setting-up cost and cost of repair. 5. An assessment of capacity, highlighting the capability and availability of resources with the community to reduce disaster risks and to organise effective response.

Identifying Crisis Situations: A Framework • The three phases of crisis management are as follows: 1. Pre-crisis phase where the focus is on the identification of the crisis, its prevention and preparation for combating the situation. 2. Crisis response phase when the community has to respond to the crisis. 3. Post-crisis phase wherein the stakeholders review the situation and ascertain the reasons of occurrence of crisis. This phase is especially helpful because it gives insights to be better prepared for the next crisis.

Organisational Structure and Design • • • •

1. Disaster mitigation division 2. Disaster preparedness division 3. Disaster response division 4. Disaster recovery division

Roles, Skills and Competencies • For effective management of disasters, there are certain roles that individuals have to play; these are as follows: 1. Leadership role 2. Informational Role 3. Resource Allocator Skills required are: • Leadership skills • Conceptual skills • Human relations skills • Managerial skills:

Importance of Control Process in Disaster Management • Helps in achieving goals • Makes efficient use of resources by ensuring that each activity is performed according to predetermined standards. • Improves employee motivation • Ensures order and discipline • Facilitates coordination in action • Helps in minimising errors

Importance of Team-Building in Disaster Management • A team has shared values and a common goal • No individual identity of members • A team has individuals who can be trained as members rather than as high performer • A team shares values, integrity and commitment. • An effective team takes risks: