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Design and Disaster Mitigation PDF
Design and Disaster Mitigation PDF
VIDEO SUMMARY
Natural Hazards such as Landslides, Earthquakes, Drought, are serious
threats in our lives and they can cause global famine, the video tells us that if Any hazard – flood, earthquake or cyclone which is a triggering event
along with greater vulnerability (inadequate access to resources, sick and old
we don’t act right now more lives will be perished. The countries should
people, lack of awareness etc) would lead to disaster causing greater loss to
invest more to their Mitigation Methods which can save more lives in the
life and property. For example; an earthquake in an uninhabited desert
future. cannot be considered a disaster, no matter how strong the intensities
What is a Disaster? produced. An earthquake is disastrous only when it affects people, their
Almost everyday newspapers, radio and television channels carry properties and activities. Thus, disaster occurs only when hazards and
reports on disaster striking several parts of the world. But what is a disaster? vulnerability meet. But it is also to be noted that with greater capacity of the
The term disaster owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which is a individual/community and environment to face these disasters, the impact of
combination of two words ‘des’ meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. Thus a hazard reduces. Therefore, we need to understand the three major
the term refers to ‘Bad or Evil star’. A disaster can be defined as “A serious components namely hazard, vulnerability and capacity with suitable examples
disruption in the functioning of the community or a society causing wide to have a basic understanding of disaster management.
spread material, economic, social or environmental losses which exceed the
ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources”.
What is a Hazard? How is it classified?
What is vulnerability?
Socio-economic Vulnerability: The degree to which a population is affected by Risk is a “measure of the expected losses due to a hazard event
a hazard will not merely lie in the physical components of vulnerability but occurring in a given area over a specific time period. Risk is a function of the
also on the socioeconomic conditions. The socio-economic condition of the probability of particular hazardous event and the losses each would cause.”
people also determines the intensity of the impact. For example, people who The level of risk depends upon:
are poor and living in the sea coast don’t have the money to construct strong
concrete houses. They are generally at risk and loose their shelters whenever Nature of the hazard
there is strong wind or cyclone. Because of their poverty they too are not able Vulnerability of the elements which are affected
to rebuild their houses. Economic value of those elements
Earthquake
Measuring Earthquakes
Planning: The Bureau of Indian Standards has published building codes and
guidelines for safe construction of buildings against earthquakes. Before the
buildings are constructed the building plans have to be checked by the
Municipality, according to the laid down bylaws. Many existing lifeline
buildings such as hospitals, schools and fire stations may not be built with
earthquake safety measures. Their earthquake safety needs to be upgraded
by retrofitting techniques. Tsunami
Public education is educating the public on causes and characteristics of an The term Tsunami has been derived from a Japanese term Tsu
earthquake and preparedness measures. It can be created through meaning 'harbor' and nami meaning 'waves'. Tsunamis are popularly called
sensitization and training program for community, architects, engineers, tidal waves but they actually have nothing to do with the tides. These waves
builders, masons, teachers, government functionaries, teachers and which often affect distantshores, originate by rapid displacement of water
students. from the lake or the sea either by seismic activity, landslides, volcanic
eruptions or large meteoroid impacts. What ever the cause may be sea water
Engineered structures: Buildings need to be designed and constructed as is displaced with a violent motion and swells up, ultimately surging over land
per the building by laws to withstand ground shaking. Architectural and with great destructive power. The effects of a tsunami can be unnoticeable or
engineering inputs need to be put together to improve building design and even destructive.
construction practices. The soil type needs to be analyzed before
construction. Building structures on soft soil should be avoided. Buildings on Causes of a Tsunami
soft soil are more likely to get damaged even if the magnitude of the
earthquake is not strong as shown in Figure 2.1.7. Similar problems persist in The geological movements that cause tsunamis are produced in three
the buildings constructed on the river banks which have alluvial soil. major ways. The most common of these are fault movements on the sea
floor, accompanied by an earth-quake. They release huge amount of energy
and have the capacity to cross oceans. The degree of movement depends on
how fast the earthquake occurs and how much water is displaced. Fig 3.1
shows how an earthquake causes tsunami.
tsunami measuring 40 meters which crushed upon Java and Sumatra. Over
36,000 people lost their lives in this tyrant waves.
General Characteristics:
Tsunamis have occurred in all the oceans and in the Mediterranean There are very few evidences which show that tsunami flooding has
Sea, but the great majority of them have occurred in the Pacific Ocean. Since caused large scale health problem. Availability of drinking water has always
scientists cannot exactly predict earthquakes, they also cannot exactly predict been a major problem in areas affected by a disaster. Sewage pipes may be
when a tsunami will be generated. damaged causing major sewage disposal problems. Open wells and other
ground water may be contaminated by salt water and debris and sewage.
a) International Tsunami Warning Systems:Shortly after the Hilo Flooding in the locality may lead to crop loss, loss of livelihood like boats and
Tsunami (1946), the Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWS) was nets, environmental degradation etc.
developed with its operational center at the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center (PTWC) near Honolulu, Hawaii. The PTWC is able to alert Possible risk reduction measures:
countries several hours before the tsunami strikes. The warning
includes predicted arrival time at selected coastal communities where While it is of course not possible to prevent a tsunami, in certain
the tsunami could travel in few hours. A tsunami watch is issued with tsunami prone countries some measures have been taken to reduce the
subsequent arrival time to other geographic areas. damage caused on shore. Japan has implemented an extensive program of
building tsunami walls of up to 4.5m (13.5 ft) high in front of populated coastal
b) Regional Warning Systems usually use seismic data about nearby areas. Other localities have built flood gates and channels to redirect the
earthquakes to determine if there is a possible local threat of a water from incoming tsunamis. However, their effectiveness has been
tsunami. Such systems are capable enough to provide warnings to questioned, as tsunamis are often higher than the barriers. For instance, the
the general public in less than 15 minutes. tsunami which hit the island of Hokkaido on July 12, 1993 created waves as
much as 30m (100 ft) tall - as high as a 10-story building. The port town of
Typical adverse effects: Aonae on Hokkaido was completely surrounded by a tsunami wall, but the
waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the wood-framed
Local tsunami events or those less than 30 minutes from the source structures in the area.
cause the majority of damage. The force of the water can raze everything in
its path. It is normally the flooding effect of the tsunami that causes major
destruction to the human settlements, roads and infrastructure thereby
disrupting the normal functioning of the society.
The wall may have succeeded in slowing down and moderating the
height of the tsunami but it did not prevent major destruction and loss of life.
Some other systematic measures to protect coastlines against tsunamis
include:
Flood management - Flooding will result from a tsunami. Tsunami waves will
flood the coastal areas. Flood mitigation measures could be incorporated.
CYCLONE
What is a Cyclone?
General Characteristics:
Cyclones are moderate in nature. Some of the general characteristics The development of a cyclone covers three stages namely:
of a cyclone are:
a) Formation and initial development state: Four atmospheric/
1. Strong winds oceanic conditions are necessary for the formation of a cyclone
2. Exceptional rain namely:
3. Storm surge
A warm sea temperature in excess of 26 degree centigrade,
Cyclones are generally accompanied by strong winds which cause a to a depth of 60 meters, which provides abundant water vapor
lot of destruction. In some cases it is accompanied by heavy downpour and in the air by evaporation.
also the rise in the sea which intrudes inland there by causing floods. High relative humidity (degree to which the air is saturated
by water vapor) of the atmosphere to a height of about 7000
meters, facilitates condensation of water vapor into droplets
and clouds, releases heat energy and induces drop in
pressure.
Atmospheric instability (an above average decrease of c) Weakening or decay: A tropical cyclone begins to weaken as soon
temperature with altitude) encourages considerable vertical as its source of warm moist air is abruptly cut off. This is possible
cumulus cloud convection when condensation of rising air when the cyclone hits the land, on the cyclone moves to a higher
occurs. altitude or when there is the interference of another low pressure.
A location of at least 4-5 latitude degrees from the Equator Depending on their track on the warm tropical sea and proximity to
allow the influence of the force due to the earth’s rotation land a cyclone may last for less than 24 hours to more than 3 weeks.
(Coriolis force) to take effect in inducing cyclonic wind On an average the life cycle of a cyclone (a cyclone to complete these
circulation around low pressure centers. three stages mentioned above) takes six days. The longest cyclone is
typhoon John which lasted for 31 days (August to September, 1994 in
b) Fully matured: The main feature of a fully mature tropical cyclone the north east and north west pacific basins).
is a spiral pattern of highly turbulent giant cumulus thundercloud
bands. These bands spiral inwards and form a dense highly active
central cloud core which raps around a relatively calm zone. This is Typical Adverse effect:
called the “eye” of a cyclone. The eye looks like a black hole or a dot
surrounded by thick clouds. The outer circumference of the thick cloud First, in a sudden, brief onslaught, high winds cause major damage to
is called the ‘eye wall’. infrastructure and housing, in particular fragile constructions. They are
generally followed by heavy rains and floods and, in flat coastal areas by
storm surge riding on tidal waves and inundating the land over long distances
of even up to 15 kilometer inland.
Water supplies – Ground and pipe water supply may get contaminated by
flood waters.
Crops and food supplies – high winds and rains ruin the standing crop and
food stock lying in low lying areas. Plantation type crops such as banana and
coconut are extremely vulnerable. Salt from the sea water may get deposited
on the agricultural land and increase the salinity. The loss of the crop may
lead to acute food shortage.
Communication – severe disruption in the communication links as the wind the uplift or flying off of the objects. For example, avoid large
may bring down the electricity and communication towers, telephone poles, overhangs of roofs, and the projections should be tied down.
telephone lines, antennas and satellite disk and broadcasting services. - A row of planted trees will act as a shield. It reduces the energy.
Transport lines (road and rail) may be curtailed, Lack of proper - Buildings should be wind and water resistant.
communication affects effective distribution of relief materials. - Buildings storing food supplies must be protected against the winds
and water.
Possible Risk Reduction Measures: - Protect river embankments. Communication lines should be installed
underground.
Coastal belt plantation - green belt plantation along the coastal line in a - Provide strong halls for community shelter in vulnerable locations.
scientific interweaving pattern can reduce the effect of the hazard. Providing
a cover through green belt sustains less damage. Forests act as a wide
buffer zone against strong winds and flash floods. Without the forest the
cyclone travel freely inland. The lack of protective forest cover allows water to
inundate large areas and cause destruction. With the loss of the forest cover
each consecutive cyclone can penetrate further inland.
Land use control designed so that least critical activities are placed in
vulnerable areas. Location of settlements in the flood plains is at utmost risk.
Siting of key facilities must be marked in the land use. Policies should be in
place to regulate land use and building codes should be enforced.
DROUGHT
Drought proceeds in sequential manner. Its impacts are spread In general, all those elements that are primarily dependent on water
across different domains as listed below. are most affected. It affects the rainfed crops and then slowly creeps into the
irrigated crops. People who are dependent on agriculture and areas where
– Meteorological drought the other livelihood opportunities are least developed are greatly affected.
The herdsman, landless labourer, subsistence farmers, women, children and
Meteorological drought is simple absence/deficit of rainfall from the farm animals are the most vulnerable groups.
normal. It is the least severe form of drought and is often identified by sunny
days and hot weather. Typical adverse effects
– Hydrological drought Drought, different from any other natural disaster, does not cause any
structural damages. As the meteorological drought turns into hydrological
Hydrological drought often leads to reduction of natural stream flows drought, the impacts start appearing first in agriculture which is most
or ground water levels, plus stored water supplies. The main impact is on dependent on the soil moisture. Irrigated areas are affected much later than
water resource systems. the rain fed areas. However, regions surrounding perennial rivers tend to
continue normal life even when drought conditions are prevailing around. The
– Agricultural drought impacts slowly spread into social fabric as the availability of drinking water
diminishes, reduction in energy production, ground water depletion, food
This form of drought occurs when moisture level in soil is insufficient shortage, health reduction and loss of life, increased poverty, reduced quality
to maintain average crop yields. Initial consequences are in the reduced of life and social unrest leading to migration.
seasonal output of crops and other related production. An extreme
agricultural drought can lead to a famine, which is a prolonged shortage of Possible Risk Reduction Measures:
food in a restricted region causing widespread disease and death from
starvation. There are various mitigation strategies to cope up with drought.
Socio-economic drought 1. Public Awareness and education: If the community is aware of the do’s
and don’ts, then half of the problem is solved. This includes awareness on
Socio-economic drought correlates the supply and demand of goods the availability of safe drinking water, water conservation techniques,
and services with the three above-mentioned types of drought. When the agricultural drought management strategies like crop contingency plans,
supply of some goods or services such as water and electricity are weather construction of rain water harvesting structure. Awareness can be generated
dependent then drought may cause shortages in supply of these economic by the print, electronic and folk media.
goods.
2. Drought Monitoring: It is continuous observation of the rainfall situation,
availability of water in the reservoirs, lakes, rivers etc and comparing with the
existing water needs in various sectors of the society.
Type of Landslides:
Retaining Walls can be built to stop land from slipping (these walls are
commonly seen along roads in hill stations). These are constructed to prevent
smaller sized and secondary landslides that often occur along the toe portion
of the larger landslides.
Surface Drainage Control Works The surface drainage control works are
implemented to control the movement of landslides accompanied by
infiltration of rain water and spring flows.
Disaster Preparedness
Conduct of DRR researches.
Conduct of multi-stakeholders dialogues.
Conduct of various capacity building activities.
Development and regular review of contingency plans.
Development of IEC materials.
Development of information and database generation.
Development of school curricula to include DRR.
Existence of procedures on disaster communication.
Disaster Response
Establish institutional mechanisms for disaster response operations.
Improved skills on search and rescue and retrieval operation.
DPWH CHALLENGES
1. Promote earthquake-resistant buildings, public facilities, infrastructures and
lifelines
2. Strengthen institutional capacity for implementing preparedness and
mitigation measure
3. Strengthen disaster response capability
4. Establish emergency transportation system
5. Establish debris clearance and management system
Objectives:
Assure safety of the structure & fixtures Protect occupants/public
Protect adjacent properties Provide continuous flow of economic activities
Assure unhampered disaster response activities.
What are the available methods use in the conduct of assessment? Retrofitting – a method of mitigating the risk of structural failure by
- Physical examinations of the building’s structural condition strengthening. It is done for structures that require increase capacity to
resist additional loadings. Retrofitting is necessary due to (1) provision
Visual of additional capacity for structure that were designed base on old code
Detailed provisions or specification and therefore are inadequate to resist current
Analytical seismic load requirement, (2) structures are vulnerable to
Visual = physical observation – looking for readily visible problems >>> collapse/failure when subjected to large displacement (3) inadequate
ocular design or design construction defects, (4) foundation failure.
- usual procedure
- first level (less effort/cost)
Methods of strengthening
- Recommendations based on general physical condition i.e. building
Depending on the required capacity, the following are the standard on
configurations, age, and height. retrofitting methods for building/bridges
Detailed Assessment = physical observation, looking for and A. Column jacketing to increase column stiffness/strength. Jacketing can
identifying visible defects/ potential problems, verifying as-built either be by providing additional column section using concrete or steel,
condition (if available), includes results of visual observation >>> fiber materials.
ocular in nature B. Provision of shear wall, for buildings, at strategic locations to resist the
Detailed Assessment = detailed evaluation - design seismic forces.
- Second level (less cost but may need much effort i.e. locating as-built C. Improvement of foundation supports by injection or provision of micro
data or documents) piles or increasing footing dimensions.
D. Provision of restrainers for simply supported bridge girders to prevent
- Recommendations based on obvious/ potential problems i.e., lack of
spans for falling off their support.
building data to validate existing condition
Analytical = in-depth assessment= ocular, sampling, testing, measurements Note that retrofitting works are economically feasible if the cost of
(as-building), numerical analysis for code compliance (satisfy current retrofitting is less that about 60% of the cost of new construction.
code provisions) Otherwise replacement of structure is recommended.
>>> Structural integrity assessment
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Sheet
The structure of concrete building is generally perceived as being
constantly stable over a span of time. But in some earthquake zone it is easy
to cause the building damage by the high frequent earthquake. If the building
has not been designed to withstand this forces, they can accumulatively
reduce the strength of the concrete and steel. As well the erosion of air or
water can increase the initial damage caused by earthquake, and ultimately
the bending resistance and shear resistance of the structure are
compromised.
When the building is in the design stage, external forces and pressure Advantage of carbon fiber sheet
are not always taken into consideration. These shortcomings can be High strength
addressed with the application of carbon fiber reinforced sheets to improve High strength and flexibility are more effective that steel
The structural integrity of a existing building. reinforcement
The benefit of carbon fiber reinforced sheets is that the more materials Light weight
added, the greater the strength and durability presented. So is the At the same design strength, only 1/60 of steel, the light weight will
hydrochloric acid resistance unlike other material, CFRS only increase a little not add load to the building
weight to the structure and the original shape of this structure remains the Durability
same. CFRS will not corrode by rust, salt, moisture, acid or alkaline
materials.
Easy and quick to construct.
CFRS is easy to move due to light weight and compact properties.
Foundation bolting typically means that bolts are added to improve the
connections between the wooden framing members of a building and its
concrete foundation. Usually this means adding bolts through the piece of
wood that lies flat on top of the foundation, referred to as the sill or mudsill,
into the concrete. There may be no existing bolts, or the existing bolts may be
either weakened or too far apart to be strong enough for earthquake
resistance.
Careful planning, placement and installation of foundation bolts are
critical for good bolting strength. It is important to use the proper type of bolt
corresponding to the existing conditions of the home and its foundation. The
expected type of bolt load or stress is another important consideration for bolt
selection
2. TROPICAL CYCLONE
Flood Risk Management Challenges
•Increasing protection of communities and properties under threat
•Improving watershed/river basin management
•Strengthening institutional and local capacities for flood mitigation
•Good governance and improved enforcement of laws
•Establishing a proper management system of data/information (reliable
hydrological, meteorological and hydraulic information for planners and
forecasters)
•Increasing public and private sector awareness and participation
•Addressing climate change impacts
2 .DPWH completed its Flood control project in Region 3 which could prevent
overflowing of water in Chico River in Pampanga, The projects covered 6
municipalities of Pampanga and cost 147Million pesos. The said Flood
Control Projects is composed of Dredging, Desalting, Channeling and diking
measures of the river to prevent flooding beside in the said areas.
Definition of Terms systems, and institutions.
Acceptable risk
The level of potential losses that a society or community considers Climate change
acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical and (a) The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate
environmental conditions. change as: “a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g.,
by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its
Adaptation properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or
The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external
expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits forcing, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the
beneficial opportunities. atmosphere or in land use”.
(b) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributed
Biological hazard directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global
Process or phenomenon of organic origin or conveyed by biological vectors, atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed
including exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms, toxins and bioactive over comparable time periods”.
substances that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts,
property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic Contingency planning
disruption, or environmental damage. A management process that analyses specific potential events or emerging
situations that might threaten society or the environment and establishes
Building code arrangements in advance to enable timely, effective and appropriate
A set of ordinances or regulations and associated standards intended to responses to such events and situations.
control aspects of the design, construction, materials, alteration and
occupancy of structures that are necessary to ensure human safety and Coping capacity
welfare, including resistance to collapse and damage. The ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills and
resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or
Capacity disasters.
The combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within
a community, society or organization that can be used to achieve agreed Corrective disaster risk management
goals. Management activities that address and seek to correct or reduce disaster
risks which are already present.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
(PHIVOLCS) Provides real-time reports on road travel conditions in
PHIVOLCS is a service institute of the DOST. The Metro Manila; aids in flood control in Metro Manila
agency is tasked to mitigate disasters that may arise
from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and
other related geotectonic phenomena.
Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines National Mapping and Resource Information
(ASEP) Authority (NAMRIA)
One of the aims of the Association of Structural The Philippines' National Mapping and Resource
Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) is to acquaint the Information Authority is an agency of the Philippine
public with the fact that, while all structural engineers in government under the Department of Environment and
the country are civil engineers, very few engineers are Natural Resources responsible for providing the public
competent in the specialty of structural engineering. Only with mapmaking services and acting as the central
the latter can truly represent themselves as structural mapping agency, depository, and distribution facility of
engineers who can design a structure to satisfy the three natural resources data in the form of maps, charts,
major criteria of safety, adequacy, and economy. texts, and statistics.
Lessons Learnt:
Disaster Management at the Mt. Pinatubo Eruption Communication patterns differ between cultures and one cross-cultural
dimension distinguishes between communication in low and high-context cultures.
Before the Eruption: Cultural Influences on Information Collection Direct and explicit communication is predominant in low-context cultures such as the
United States. In low-context cultures, the message intended is largely conveyed by
Before a disaster, the goal of disaster management consists of developing the words spoken. Messages are more consistent and stable across contexts. High-
measures, such as earthquake-resistant architecture, to mitigate the possible context cultures, however, place little value on consistency across contexts. In high-
negative effects of the coming disaster. Traditional houses with low ceilings to reduce context cultures, such as the Philippines, communication and behavior differ
the impact of typhoons or houses made out of light material to minimize earthquake according to context. Communication is often more indirect, holistic, and subtle. The
damage are examples of adaptive architecture in the Philippines, in an environment listener often has to infer what the speaker really means. Small non-verbal signs have
prone to natural disasters. The severity of the expected disaster could also be reduced to be observed carefully.
through certain actions, following the maxim that proactive measures are better and Shortly After the Eruption: Cultural Influences on Post Disaster
less expensive than reactive measures. Immediately after seeing signs of an Rehabilitation: The Aetas
After the disaster, the emergency response phase is the next stage of disaster To summarize the effectiveness we can state that millions were spent on
management. The goals are to save lives and property, and to guarantee security. dikes and dams, ignoring moral, scientific, and common sense. Political and money-
Basic needs for food, water, shelter, and medical care have to be provided. making considerations sometimes seemed to overweigh morality, ethics, and human
Psychological assistance is often necessary, as many victims suffer from post- welfare.
traumatic stress disorder. The goals and measures shortly before and shortly after the
disaster are often short-term oriented. For some people disasters are opportunities
for making profit. The Mt. Pinatubo eruption occurred in 1991, and elections were to
be held in 1992. This prodded many politicians to come to the disaster area.
The people who suffered most from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and the
lahars were the Aetas, a local indigenous tribe who have lived for centuries on Mt.
Pinatubo, pushed into the mountains by foreign colonizers and lowlanders. The Aetas
suffered in the evacuation sites. They were not used to living in limited space sharing
it with many other Filipinos from different ethnicities. The tents were hot and the
food provided was sometimes inedible.
One of the measures during the reconstruction phase was to build dikes.
These dikes were intended to protect towns from possible approaching lahars. The
usefulness and efficacy of this measure was controversial. For example, in 1997,
PHIVOLCS scientist Perla de los Reyes warned the population, that the mega-dike had
not yet been tested by lahars. The mega-dike is a 59-kilometer long dike along the
Pasig-Potrero River and cost 1.4 billion Pesos. Building and maintaining such dikes
along nine river systems in the region cost the Philippines 12 Billion Pesos through
1997 alone.
Summary
And lastly, we hope to have emphasized the need to train disaster managers In a country still trying to forge a healthy economy the role of a major city will
in strategic and also intercultural competence. Strategic competence refers to the indeed be focused on more immediate matters relating to peoples’ livelihoods.
ability to deal successfully with novel, uncertain, complex and dynamic situations and However, beyond the horizon there looms the potential for a fatal disaster.
to deal successfully with human errors in such situations. Intercultural competence
includes an awareness of one’s own cultural background, an interest in the cultural A Potential Disaster
background of others, the sensitivity to realize cultural similarities and differences,
and the ability to tolerate these cultural differences, thus leading to a more successful Earthquakes are one of the worst geological threats to the Indonesian region.
and satisfying interaction between people of different cultures. Disaster management The geodynamic positioning of the Indonesian islands within the zone of the
that incorporates strategic and intercultural competencies offers a better chance of Australian plate, the Eurasian plate, the Pacific plate, and the Philippine plate makes
coping with disasters in the future—not only in the Philippines. the country amongst the most seismically active countries in the world. The major
fault systems in the area are the Sunda Strait Fault, the Indian Ocean Subduction
Fault, the Baribis Fault, and the Cimandiri Fault. The visible Lembang Fault within
FOREIGN CASE STUDY Bandung makes this city vulnerable to great catastrophe.
Creating Earthquake Preparedness in Schools Bandung’s high population density is what makes this city one of the most
A Case Study of Mitigation Efforts in Indonesia vulnerable to earthquake disasters in Indonesia. For a city that was initially earmarked
for only 500,000 people, by the year 2010 Bandung will be home to approximately 7
Introduction million people. This large population size elevates the risk of an earthquake in
Bandung. Unknown to the majority of the city’s population, the soil conditions of the
The city of Bandung rests in the basin of a former lake in the shadow of active prehistoric lakebed on which Bandung sits increases vulnerability from earthquake
volcanoes and mountain tops. Bandung is host to a multitude of important impact. The region’s soil is formed by depositions of alluvium. This is soft soil, which
government agencies, educational institutions, and industries. As the third largest city makes the area more susceptible to the impact of shock waves generated during an
in Indonesia, Bandung is an important industrial city noted for its burgeoning textile earthquake. The head of Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation, Department of
industry. The majority of Indonesian textile is made in West Java, and two thirds of Geology, Dr. Surono, explains, “Sedimentation is this area is very thick and usually
this production occurs in Bandung making the city an important outpost of the earthquake magnitude is very high, especially for the island of Java. The impact is
economy. higher when there is soft soil. In Java there are many problems because 60% of the
Indonesian population lives here. That is 220 million people. If an earthquake occurs
in Java with a magnitude from 4.8 – 5.2 on the Richter scale, the structure of The Bandung Earthquake Scenario
traditional houses will collapse.” (Predictions of a 200 year periodical earthquake)
The lack of guidance and control to urban development schemes has led to According to the Risk Assessment Tools publication by the RADIUS project
the expansion of the city into more seismically prone areas. The implementation of (Risk Assessment Tools for Diagnostic of Urban Areas against Seismic Disasters),
building codes to ensure earthquake safety has not been effective. Critical facilities experts assume that serious damage and collapse will take place in Bandung if there
such as hospitals and schools are at the greatest risk of collapse due to inappropriate is a strong earthquake. The region with the highest intensity is subdistrict Cibiru and
construction. the lowest intensity area where ground acceleration may meet 0.238 gravitation is
subdistricts Cibeunying Kaler and Cibeunying Kidul.
Unlike more pronounced disasters that Indonesia faces, such as landslides, floods,
and hurricanes- the preparation for an event that is unpredictable and rare is low on Investigations suggest that the number of victims will be as high as 2,600
the agenda of city officials. Overall, there is great negligence of the risk that people. The percentage of people losing their settlements due to building collapse
earthquakes pose to the city of Bandung. and damage will be 60% in downtown Bandung and 20% in rural areas. The railway,
electricity networks, and clean water sources will be severely damaged. Cibeunying
region, which has the densest traffic, will experience the worst road damage. In the
Tegallega, Cibeunying, and Bojonegera areas, bridge damage will also be grave. This
will jeopardize the ability for other areas to bring in help to Bandung.
construction and non-structural measures such as education, training and technology
transfer.”
Assessing Risk
The first step for implementing mitigation techniques is to carry out basic
intensity zoning mapping and risk assessment. This allows any selected area to be
delineated into high, medium and low seismic hazard zones, and to assess
vulnerability. Thereafter possible damage and loss is assessed in risk assessment. The
two processes lead to mitigation planning that is relevant to each delineated zone.
Earthquake Safety Drills In the crowded courtyard of SD. Sabang, an elementary school in the center
of Bandung, children are enjoying their last day of school. In one classroom,
One of the preparedness measures that came out of the teacher training was enthusiastic students demonstrate what they have learnt through the school’s
the implementation of Earthquake safety drills in classrooms. earthquake safety program. When given the signal by their teacher, the students duck
under their desks, simulating the shaking of the tables by moving them back and
forth. When the shaking is over, at the command of the teacher and with great
discipline, the children form a line and walk slowly out of the classroom and into the
courtyard. Some students mimic injured persons and are helped out of the room by
others. Role play of emergency response and first aid follows. The enthusiastic kids
do not hesitate to make this simulation as authentic as possible. When they seem to
be out of danger all the children line up and walk back to take their seats.
“Earthquakes are the hardest hazard to convince people about, because you cannot
see it and it does not happen often. It is not like a flood or hurricane that occurs often
and is visible. Only when people are convinced will effective mitigation happen.”
However, while Mr. Boen admits frustrations, he also admits to successes. He says,
“For the first time many teachers and contractors know the risk of earthquakes, and
they know what to do- not to run out of the building, but to duck under a table or
chair.”
Poorer, more run down schools in Bandung appear less privileged in having
such earthquake preparedness. In the winding alleys of a congested residential area
on the outskirts of Bandung is SD. Tikukur. A building has already collapsed due to
strong winds, and a new one is being erected. Children run and play on sand, mortar, Making School Buildings Safer Structurally
and steel rods used for the building. The principal and teachers have no real
knowledge about the TOT program, but have been spectators to the IUDMP team In Bengkulu, an earthquake that occurred in 2000 damaged many school
running a small training seminar for a few classes in the school. The children have buildings as well as other critical facilities. Fortunately, it occurred in nighttime and
done an earthquake drill once under the training of the IUDMP, but this is not there were no casualties. IUDMP was offered a window of opportunity through this
something that happens here anymore. event. In the aftermath of the disaster, the local government was receptive to the
IUDMP message of making schools safer. While Bandung was the demonstration
Mr. Teddy Boen, a pioneer on studying structural damage due to earthquakes project for earthquake mitigation, Bengkulu became the replication project. The
complains about the difficulty in convincing people of the risk of earthquakes. project in Bengkulu offered technical guidance to retrofit school buildings in a cost-
effective manner. Retrofitting is the process which reinforces existing buildings by
structural modifications to provide greater strength to resist disaster impact. IUDMP
requested Mr. Teddy Boen, a well-known advocate of earthquake safety in Indonesia,
to provide his experiences on how to carry out retrofitting in order to create a
practical guideline. He draws from a wealth of knowledge accumulated in studying
earthquake damage in Indonesia over several years. School buildings in Indonesia
under the central government used a general design and hence the observation and
analysis of structural weaknesses was made easier.
IUDMP also carried out training for contractors and masons to facilitate
proper workmanship in retrofitting and new construction.
overflow into a city with limited drainage capacity claimed 30 lives, affected almost
80,000 people and severely damaged properties, infrastructure, public utilities,
critical facilities, and commercial and industrial establishments. Water rose up to 3.5
meters high and 75 per cent of the city was partially submerged for several days.
Severe rains hit all communications and power lines and sent the city into darkness.
People suffered from snake and scorpion bites, drowning, dehydration, dengue fever
and other diseases as water levels remained high and stagnant. Losses exceeded US$
220 million.
Introduction
Thais have been living with flood for centuries. Flood in urban and rural areas
during the rainy season is common and is considered as part of life in Thailand.
However, accelerated and uncontrolled growth of densely populated built-up areas
has put more people, properties and infrastructure at risk to flood and other hazards.
After the Year 2000 flood, the National Economic and Social
Development Board (NESDB) was tasked to formulate a flood mitigation action plan
for Hat Yai. The Government of Thailand allocated almost USD120 million for this
process. The plan was submitted and approved by the Cabinet in April 2001.
The focus of the plan was on large-scale structural mitigation measures that
could better manage large volume of floodwater into Hat Yai and the vicinity. They
include construction of an integrated network of bypass channels, drainage systems,
flood walls, water pump stations and water retention ponds. Proposed non-structural
mitigation measures, also focused at the macro-level, included development of an
early warning system, land-use readjustments and reforestation.
pilot initiative, TUDMP’s broader goal is to demonstrate to Thailand and other
countries in Asia, a methodology for mitigation planning and implementation that
promotes safer communities and sustainable development. The experience in Hat Yai
highlighted four steps that are key to effective disaster mitigation:
Recommendations
Focus on:
With the relation on our course, we are much aware on how structures
can withstand earthquake and tropical cyclones based on the given
guidelines of specific government agencies. We are concern on structural
component and the Department of Public Works and Highways are the
assigned agency to handle this situation. They have their guidelines and
design standard for building and bridges in order for this to carry the
allowable load it can have. They have their project response on earthquake
and flooding like building dikes, river expansion and retrofitting for the
structure to strengthen its foundation.
We have our case studies that compile some of the natural disasters
in the Philippines and we analyze the methods on how our government
respond to this situation. Some of the prevention and mitigation methods
BIBLIOGRAPHY
EBOOK FILES:
www.ndrrmc.gov.ph
Philippines: National progress report on the implementation
of the Hyogo Framework for Action (2009-2011) – interim,
http://www.preventionweb.net/files/18619_phl_NationalHFA
progress_2009-11.pdf
www.dpwh.gov.ph
www.pagasa-dost.gov.ph
Disaster Management in Southeast Asia: An Overview”,
http://www.unisdr.org/asiapacific/ap-publications/docs/adpc-
dm-southeastasia.pdf.