Disaster Management

A disaster is a series of events that cause disruption, damage, destruction, and/or loss of life, property, and resources. Disasters can be natural, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, or tsunamis, or they can be human-made, such as industrial accidents, terrorist attacks, or technological failures. Disasters are beyond the capacity of communities to cope using their own resources. They require external assistance and response efforts to reduce the impact and to recover.

Disaster management is the process of preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and reducing the impacts of natural or human-made disasters. It involves activities such as risk assessment, emergency planning, coordination of resources and personnel, communication with the public, immediate response to the disaster event, and long-term recovery efforts. The goal of disaster management is to save lives, reduce suffering, minimize economic loss, and build resilience in communities facing adverse events.

Different Types of Disaster:

1. Natural Disasters: such as floods, cyclones, Earthquakes Landslides, etc.

2. Man-made Disaster: such as Fire, Industrial Pollution, Nuclear Disaster,

3. Biological Disasters,

4. Accidents (Air, Sea Rail & Road),

5. Structural failures (Building and Bridge),

6. War & Terrorism etc.

Natural Disaster

Floods

A flood is a disastrous phenomenon to submerges large areas of dry land in huge water.

Factors that cause floods are heavy rainfall, melting snow, or the sudden release of water from a dam. Floods can occur slowly, or they can strike suddenly.

The impact of a flood affects communities, ecosystems, and economies. The floods can result in the displacement of people, loss of homes loss of life, etc. Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings can be damaged or destroyed. This disrupts essential services and affects rescue and recovery efforts. Access to clean water, food, and medical care shall be difficult.

Some parts of India face flood situations frequently such as the Ganga plains, the Brahmaputra basin in Assam, deltas of the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaver, etc.

However, floods not only destroy but make the land most fertile. Periodic flooding refills soil nutrients supports diverse plant and animal life, and maintains the balance of ecosystems.

Floodplain mapping, early warning systems, and infrastructure improvements such as dams, floodwalls, and stormwater management systems reduce the risk of flooding.

Cyclone

A cyclone is a strong wind in spiral motion blown from all directions towards the center. Cyclones wind and rain are known as hurricanes or typhoons.

Areas with low-air pressure fueled by warm ocean waters and the Earth's rotation create cyclones. These cyclones are capable of uprooting trees, tearing apart buildings, and tossing vehicles. They also cause flooding and landslides.

Earthquakes

The sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust creates seismic waves that spread through the ground. Seismic waves cause the ground to shake. Sudden vibration in the earth’s crust to shakes the earth's surface is called an earthquake. This leads to widespread destruction and loss of life.

The point inside the earth to originate vibration is called seismic focus. The point on the Earth’s surface just above the seismic focus is called the epicenter of the earthquake.

A seismograph is an instrument to record and measure the vibrations of an earthquake. Earthquake intensity is measured by the Richter scale. Earthquake intensity 6 or above are destructive and cause severe damage to life and property.

The Earth's crust has several large and small tectonic plates. These plates move continuously very slowly. When two tectonic plates interact, they slide over each other. This causes earthquakes.

Landslides

Landslides are natural disasters when masses of rock, earth, or debris move downward and outward on a hill slope. Landslides can cause damage to infrastructure, property, and loss of life.

Causes of landslides: The various factors cause landslides.

1. Heavy rainfall: It causes landslides in areas with steep slopes and loose soil or rock. Heavy rainfall rapidly increases the weight of the soil. This leads to landslides.

2. Earthquakes: Earthquake shakes the ground and destabilizes slopes. That causes landslides: the earthquake's magnitude, the terrain's steepness, and the type of soil and rock present.

3. Volcanic eruptions: Volcanic eruptions pose a risk for landslides in volcanic regions where ash and lava deposits create unstable slopes.

4. Rock falls, soil slides, and rockslides from steep slopes.

5. Human activities: Deforestation, construction, mining, irrigation, vibration/blast, etc destabilizing slopes and increasing the risk of landslides.

6. Erosion: Erosion of slope due to cutting down of vegetation, and construction of roads.

Man-made Disasters: such as Fire, Industrial Pollution, Nuclear Disaster, Biological Disasters, Accidents (Air, Sea Rail & Road), Structural failures (Building and Bridge), War & Terrorism, etc.

A man-made disaster is a crisis caused by human actions, negligence, errors, or misconduct. These disasters include events such as Fire, Industrial Pollution, Nuclear disasters, Biological Disasters, Accidents (Air, Sea Rail & Road), Structural failures(Building and Bridge), War & Terrorism, etc.

Man-made disasters involve preventable circumstances or human error.

Fire

A fire-related disaster is caused by uncontrolled flames or heat.

Faulty electrical wiring, gas leakage, or human negligence. cause fire disaster cause fire disaster.

Fire disasters lead to significant loss of life, property damage, environmental destruction, and economic impact. Prevention measures such as fire safety education, firefighting services, and early warning systems reduce the risk and impact of fire-related disasters.

Industrial pollution

Harmful substances released into the environment due to industrial activities are industrial pollution. It results in severe ecological damage and health risks for humans and wildlife. Industrial pollution disasters lead to long-term environmental degradation, health problems, and economic losses for affected communities. Preventative measures such as strict regulations, better waste management practices, and the use of cleaner technologies reduce the risk of industrial pollution disasters.

1. Chemical spills,

2. Burning fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, coal, and petroleum.

3. Chemical solvents used in dyeing and tanning industries

4. Untreated gas and liquid waste are released into the environment,

5. Improper disposal of radioactive material.

Nuclear Disaster 

The release of radioactive material from a nuclear power plant, nuclear weapon, or other nuclear facility causes nuclear disaster. These releases lead to environmental contamination, health risks, and long-term effects on populations. Examples include the Chornobyl disaster in 1986 and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. Nuclear disasters result from accidents, technological failures, human error, or deliberate acts.

Biological Disasters

A biological disaster is caused by the release or spread of infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or toxins. This leads to illness, death, and disruption of normal life. These disasters can occur naturally or deliberately. Pandemics or outbreaks of infectious diseases are natural biological disasters, Bioterrorism attacks a manmade biological disaster. Biological disasters are challenges for public health systems. It requires rapid response and coordination among various agencies to reduce impact. Examples include pandemics like the 1918 influenza outbreak and more recent events like the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19, Swine flu, etc.

Accidents (Air, Sea Rail & Road),

An accident is an unplanned, unintended, and unfortunate event that results in damage, injury, or harm to people, property, or the environment. Accidents can occur due to various factors such as human error, negligence, mechanical failure, environmental conditions, or a combination of these factors.

Air Accident

An air accident (an aviation accident or plane crash) is an unintended collision, failure, or malfunction of an aircraft. This results in damage, injury, or loss of life. These accidents can occur during flight takeoff, landing, or en route. Air accidents can involve various types of aircraft such as airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and drones. Causes of air accidents include mechanical failures, pilot error, adverse weather conditions, air traffic control errors, or terrorism.

Sea accident

 A sea accident is an unfortunate mishap that occurs at sea. This accident involves ships, boats, submarines, or any other watercraft. It results in damage to vessels, injuries or death of passengers or crew members, environmental pollution, etc. Sea accidents include collisions between vessels, fires in ships, and sinking. This results in hazardous materials or pollution spills. They can occur due to various factors such as human error, mechanical failure, adverse weather conditions, or navigational hazards.

Rail Accident

Any incident involving trains or railway systems that results in damage, injury, or loss of life is a rail accident. These accidents can occur due to human error, equipment failures, infrastructure problems, adverse weather conditions, or a combination of these factors. Rail accidents may be minor incidents such as derailments or collisions resulting in minor injuries. It may be a major disaster with significant loss of life and extensive damage to property and the environment. Examples of rail accidents include train derailments, collisions between trains or between trains and other vehicles, track failures, etc.

Road accident

A road accident (traffic accident or car crash) occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or object on a road or highway. Road accidents result in varying degrees of damage to vehicles, injuries to occupants, and deaths. They are caused by a multitude of factors such as human error (such as speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, or reckless behavior), adverse weather conditions, poor road conditions, mechanical failures, or a combination of these factors. Efforts to improve road safety better infrastructure, law enforcement, and public awareness campaigns reduce road accidents.

Structural failures (Building and Bridge)

The collapse of a built structure, such as a building, bridge, dam, or other infrastructure due to structural deficiencies, design flaws, material weaknesses, or inadequate maintenance is structural failure. These disasters can result in loss of life, property damage, and economic disruption. Structural failure disasters can occur for various reasons such as poor construction practices, overloading, corrosion, fatigue, earthquakes, floods, insufficient maintenance, etc.

War:

Armed conflict between nations, groups, or factions is war. War causes loss of life, displacement of populations, destruction of infrastructure, economic collapse, and social disturbance. The impacts of war disasters affect civilians, communities, and entire societies. This leads to long-term physical, psychological, and socio-economic consequences.

Terrorism: Terrorism involves violence or threats to achieve political, ideological, or religious objectives. Terrorism disasters typically involve attacks on civilian populations, infrastructure, or governmental institutions. It aims to develop fear, disrupt societal stability, and provoke a response from authorities or society. These disasters include bombings, shootings, hijackings, cyber-attacks, and biological or chemical attacks. Terrorism disasters lead to loss of life, injuries, destruction of property, economic disruption, and psychological impact on affected communities. Counterterrorism efforts often focus on prevention, preparedness, and response to mitigate the risk and impact of such disasters.

Dr Pramila Singh