Disaster
Disaster
1. Disaster Prevention
The concept of engaging in
activities which intend to prevent or
avoid potential adverse impacts
through action taken in advance,
activities designed to provide
protection from the occurrence of
disasters.
While not all disasters can be
prevented, good risk management,
evacuation plans, environmental
planning and design standards can
reduce risk of loss of life and injury
mitigation
2. Disaster Preparedness
Refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the
effects of disasters, be they natural or man-made. This is
achieved through research and planning in order to try to
predict areas or regions that may be at risk of disaster and
where possible prevent these from occurring and/or reduce
the impact those disasters on the vulnerable populations
that may be affected so they can effectively cope.
Disaster preparedness activities embedded with risk
reduction measures can prevent disaster situations and
also result in saving maximum lives and livelihoods during
any disaster situation, enabling the affected population to
get back to normalcy within a short time period.
Minimisation of loss of life and damage to property through
facilitation of effective disaster response and rehabilitation
services when required. Preparedness is the main way of
reducing the impact of disasters. Community-based
preparedness and management should be a high priority in
physical therapy practice management
3. Disaster Response / Relief
Focused predominantly on immediate and
short-term needs, the division between this
response/relief stage and the subsequent
recovery stage is not clear-cut. Some
response actions, such as the supply of
temporary housing and water supplies,
may extend well into the recovery stage.
Rescue from immediate danger and
stabilization of the physical and emotional
condition of survivors is the primary aims
of disaster response/relief, which go hand
in hand with the recovery of the dead and
the restoration of essential services such
as water and power
Coordinated multi-agency response is
vital to this stage of Disaster
Management in order to reduce the
impact of a disaster and its long-term
results with relief activities including:
Rescue
Relocation
Provision Food and Water
Provision Emergency Health Care
Prevention of Disease and
Disability
Repairing Vital Services e.g.
Telecommunications, Transport
Provision Temporary Shelter
4. Disaster Recovery
Vulnerability of communities often continues
for long after the initial crisis is over.
Disaster Recovery refers to those
programmes which go beyond the provision
of immediate relief to assist those who have
suffered the full impact of a disaster and
include the following activities:
Rebuilding Infrastructure e.g. Homes,
Schools, Hospitals, Roads
Health Care and Rehabilitation
Development Activities e.g. building human
resources for health
Development Policies and Practices to
avoid or mitigate similar situations in future
Assignment:
Examples:
1991 Pinatubo Eruption
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
2013 Yolanda Typhoon
2004 Tsunami in Indonesia
Guide Questions:
1. What caused the disaster?
2. When and where exactly did the natural event originate?
3. How extensive was the area affected?
4. Was the cause of the disaster forecasted or predicted? Were there warnings issued? How did
the people react to the warning?
5. How many lives were lost? How many were injured and missing? Can the loss be quantified in
terms of pesos or dollars?
6. What could have been done to prevent the loss of many lives?
7. What was the resulting economic damage as a percentage of GNP for the year the disaster
occured?
8. Did the disaster affect the performance of the country’s economy years after it occured?
Why?
9. How much did the country spend for rescue, relief and rehabilitation works?
10. What particular loss or damage cannot be recovered or repaired?
11. How justified are pre-disaster measures and expenditures?
References:
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Disaster_Management