Our world continues to experience natural and human induced disasters. The risk of catastrophes, as well as climate changes, increases for a number of reasons such as population growth, overexploitation of natural resources and global warming. A disaster is an event or series of events, which suddenly disrupts the natural flow of everyday life and cause widespread damage to human lives, economy and environment. These calamities include, among others, tsunamis, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides and floods. Societies affected by such events are often unable to deal with their effects while relying solely on only their own resources and might require external help from third parties. Disasters pose a great risk for both human safety and cultural heritage. In order to prevent tragic consequences and mitigate at least some damage it is advised that governments and local authorities should formulate a course of actions in case of an emergency. Disaster management is a cyclic, multi-stage process, consisting of four essential phases which take place consecutively and are listed below.
Disaster Management Process
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- Prevention
The first phase is focused on taking precautionary measures before an actual disaster or emergency takes place to reduce its scope. Prevention includes the process of danger identification, assessment of life and property threat in order to limit potential causalities, and adverse impact of natural and technological hazards. Improving environmental policies, raising people’s awareness through education and carrying out correct risk assessments all constitute for primary objectives of this stage. Actions typical for prevention phase are performed and last infinitely until a disaster strikes.
- Preparation
The preparation phase is centred around arranging or developing a plan to approach events after the incident crops up. This phase is focused on increasing resilience through arranging and planning efficient measures to counter a disaster or effects of thereof. Those activities are tailored to minimise the damage disaster causes, improving response operations on institutional and individual levels. They also include:
- Planning (emergency access, evacuation routes)
- Training (emergency teams, practice drills)
- Supply (providing emergency response equipment)
- Response
Unlike prevention and preparation phases, response is undertaken during a disaster situation. The aim of the response procedures is to save lives, reduce victims’ suffering and alleviate economical losses. Crucial for this phase is the implementation of the plans formulated and prepared prior to the event in the preparation phase. Numerous organisations, such as state emergency units, police forces, fire brigades and ambulances, are deployed to combat the immediate effects of the catastrophe. Disaster management plan geared towards this stage should include:
- Reducing the possibility of further damage or injuries
- Accelerating recovery activities
- Assisting emergency services
- Returning systems to ordinary levels
- Recovery
During a recovery phase, which takes place after an incident had occurred, affected community is assisted in restoration of concerned area. The phase comprises initial rehabilitation during which services are restored to their regular order, so local governments and responsible agencies regain the ability to manage the ongoing recovery processes and repair of social, physical and economic damage. Recovery also concerns long term reconstruction of health, utility and communication facilities. Finally, efforts to reduce future risk factors should also be included in the plan.
Sources:
http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-disaster-management/
http://www.wcpt.org/disaster-management/what-is-disaster-management