Disaster Management
Rev. sci. tech. Off. int. Epiz., 2003, 22 (3), 915-930
Disaster management in India: the case of livestock and poultry
A. Sen (1) & M. Chander (2)
(1) Fellow Programme in Management Scholar, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - 380015, Gujurat, India (2) Senior Scientist, Division of Extension Education, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar – 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India Submitted for publication: 7 July 2002 Accepted for publication: 25 April 2003
Summary Developing countries are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of disaster management systems, and increasing efforts are being made to streamline preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms at all levels. It is well known that many developing countries, including India, are not always wellprepared to deal with disasters. A lack of well-developed disaster management plans results in a severe loss of human life, animal life and property, which could be saved if the necessary mechanisms were in place. A lot needs to be done to improve the situation, particularly in regard to livestock. This paper describes in detail, with particular reference to India, what can be done to care for animals when natural disasters occur. The authors review various types of natural disasters and their impact on livestock, and outline different preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation strategies. The roles of different agencies, including veterinarians, are also considered. Keywords Community participation – Disaster management – India – Livestock – Man-made disasters – Natural disasters – Poultry – Veterinarian.
Introduction
The World Health Organization defines disaster as ‘any occurrence that causes damage, economic destruction, loss of human life and deterioration in health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area’. It is an event, concentrated in time and space, which causes social, economic, cultural
Disaster management in India: the case of livestock and poultry
A. Sen (1) & M. Chander (2)
(1) Fellow Programme in Management Scholar, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - 380015, Gujurat, India (2) Senior Scientist, Division of Extension Education, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar – 243 122, Uttar Pradesh, India Submitted for publication: 7 July 2002 Accepted for publication: 25 April 2003
Summary Developing countries are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of disaster management systems, and increasing efforts are being made to streamline preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms at all levels. It is well known that many developing countries, including India, are not always wellprepared to deal with disasters. A lack of well-developed disaster management plans results in a severe loss of human life, animal life and property, which could be saved if the necessary mechanisms were in place. A lot needs to be done to improve the situation, particularly in regard to livestock. This paper describes in detail, with particular reference to India, what can be done to care for animals when natural disasters occur. The authors review various types of natural disasters and their impact on livestock, and outline different preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation strategies. The roles of different agencies, including veterinarians, are also considered. Keywords Community participation – Disaster management – India – Livestock – Man-made disasters – Natural disasters – Poultry – Veterinarian.
Introduction
The World Health Organization defines disaster as ‘any occurrence that causes damage, economic destruction, loss of human life and deterioration in health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected community or area’. It is an event, concentrated in time and space, which causes social, economic, cultural