Munich Personal RePEc Archive
Natural hazards and disaster management in Pakistan
Himayatullah Khan and Abuturab Khan
12. October 2008
Online at http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/11052/ MPRA Paper No. 11052, posted 12. October 2008 23:59 UTC
Natural hazards and disaster management in Pakistan
Himayatullah Khan Professor, Department of Development Studies COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad and Institute of Development Studies NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar Email: himmy@ciit.net.pk Abuturab Khan Assistant Professor, Department of Development Studies COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Abbottabad Email: abuturab@ciit.net.pk
Abstract: The present study explains the various concepts used in disaster management. The concepts explained include: Disaster, Hazard, Vulnerability, Capacity, Risk and Disaster Management Cycle. In addition to the terminologies, the study also seeks to explain various types of disasters. It also gives a detail of various disasters occurred in Pakistan as well their management and mitigation strategies. The paper also discusses disaster management policy at national level as well as disaster management and national plans in Pakistan. Keywords: Natural Hazards, Disaster Management, Pakistan JEL classification: I 30, I 00, A10 I. Introduction Disaster is a sudden adverse or unfortunate extreme event which causes great damage to human beings as well as plants and animals. Disasters occur rapidly, instantaneously and indiscriminately. These extreme events either natural or maninduced exceed the tolerable magnitude within or beyond certain time limits, make adjustment difficult, result in catastrophic losses of property and income and life is paralyzed. These events which occur aggravate natural environmental processes to cause disasters to human society such as sudden tectonic movements leading to earthquake and volcanic eruptions, continued dry conditions leading to prolonged droughts,
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