Disaster Management
Introduction
Various disasters like earthquake, landslides, volcanic eruptions, fires, flood and cyclones are natural hazards that kill thousands of people and destroy billions of dollars of habitat and property each year. The rapid growth of the world's population and its increased concentration often in hazardous environment has escalated both the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Asia tops the list of casualties due to natural disaster. Among various natural hazards, earthquakes, landslides, floods and cyclones are the major disasters adversely affecting very large areas and population in the Indian sub-continent.
These natural disasters are of (i) geophysical origin such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and (ii) climatic origin such as drought, flood, cyclone, locust, forest fire. Though it may not be feasible to control nature and to stop the development of natural phenomena but the efforts could be made to avoid disasters and alleviate their effects on human lives, infrastructure and property.
All countries face increased risk from a full range of known and previously unknown hazards and disaster consequences which are have great adverse effects on populations and environments. Governments pass legislations and take action to prepare for and mitigate the effects of these natural, technological and intentional hazards. Despite even the best efforts, the nature of man regularly results in disastrous events that overwhelm not only local response capacities but also the response capacities, of the entire regions. When this happens, the full range of players from the international community is called to intervene, requiring international disaster management.
Disaster ?
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic and environmental losses which exceed the ability of the environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community / society to cope
Various disasters like earthquake, landslides, volcanic eruptions, fires, flood and cyclones are natural hazards that kill thousands of people and destroy billions of dollars of habitat and property each year. The rapid growth of the world's population and its increased concentration often in hazardous environment has escalated both the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Asia tops the list of casualties due to natural disaster. Among various natural hazards, earthquakes, landslides, floods and cyclones are the major disasters adversely affecting very large areas and population in the Indian sub-continent.
These natural disasters are of (i) geophysical origin such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and (ii) climatic origin such as drought, flood, cyclone, locust, forest fire. Though it may not be feasible to control nature and to stop the development of natural phenomena but the efforts could be made to avoid disasters and alleviate their effects on human lives, infrastructure and property.
All countries face increased risk from a full range of known and previously unknown hazards and disaster consequences which are have great adverse effects on populations and environments. Governments pass legislations and take action to prepare for and mitigate the effects of these natural, technological and intentional hazards. Despite even the best efforts, the nature of man regularly results in disastrous events that overwhelm not only local response capacities but also the response capacities, of the entire regions. When this happens, the full range of players from the international community is called to intervene, requiring international disaster management.
Disaster ?
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic and environmental losses which exceed the ability of the environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community / society to cope