Introduction to Disaster

Maj. Rola Al-amer

MSc. RN
 Objectives
 At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:
Define the key terms of disaster
Describe the causes of disaster vulnerability
Reproduce the disaster management continuum diagram
Identify at least two ways that development can lead
directly to a disaster.
Describe at least four ways that disasters disrupt
development.
 Definition of Disaster
 “A sudden calamitous event producing great
material damage, loss and distress”.
 Is a serious disruption of the functioning of a
society, causing widespread human, material, or
environmental losses which exceed the ability of
affected society to cope using only its own
resources.
 Is an adverse situation that overwhelms the
capacity of those in the vicinity to protect their lives
and livelihoods, and in most instances requires
 Definition of Disaster
• “A serious disruption to community life which
threatens or causes death or injury in that
community, and damage to property which is
beyond the day-to-day capacity of the prescribed
statutory authorities and which requires special
mobilization and organization of resources other
than those normally available to those authorities”
(EMA)
 Definition of Disaster
• There is no generally accepted definition of disasters

Commonalities in definitions
 demand > supply
 outside help needed
 disruption of
infrastructure(transportation)

 extraordinary event
(unexpected events)
 Cont’
 Natural phenomena
Are extreme climatological, hydrological, or geological,
processes that do not pose any threat to persons or
property.
For example, massive earthquake in an unpopulated
area, is a natural phenomena, not a hazard.
 Emergency
A state in which normal procedures are suspended and
extra-ordinary measures are taken in order to avert a
disaster
 ***Classification of Disasters
 According to their speed of onset
 (Sudden or slow)
 According to their cause
(Natural or man-made)
 Levels of Disaster
 Level iii disaster – considered a minor disaster.
These are involves minimal level of damage
 Level ii disaster- considered a moderate disaster.
The local and community resources has to be
mobilized to manage this situation
 Level i disaster- considered a massive disaster- this
involves a massive level of damage with severe
impact.
 Disaster Terminology
 Hazard
 A natural or human-made event that threatens to adversely
affects human life, property or activity to the extent of causing
a disaster.
 is an event, or its potential, that threatens to cause damage
and disruption for a particular area at a certain time
threatening lives, livelihoods, property, infrastructure and the
natural environment, as well as normal socio economic
operations.
 Exposure
 Is a gauge of the potential threat and defined by physical
proximity to, as well as, the extent of interaction with a hazard
 Disaster Terminology
 Disaster management:
Is the body of policy and administrative decisions and
operational activities which pertain to the various stages
of a disaster at all levels.
 Sensitivity
Sensitivity measures the likelihood of being affected by a
hazard and is an indicator to how well protected or
capacitated to defend (protect)those exposed to a
hazard are? e.g. A house with a lightening rod is less
sensitive to being struck by lightning during a
thunderstorm.
 Disaster Terminology
 Vulnerability
Is the degree of loss (for example, from 0 to 100 percent)
resulting from a potentially damaging phenomenon.
Vulnerability can be expressed as the relationship
between hazard, exposure and capacity:
In this relationship vulnerability can be reduced either by
limiting the hazard potential, decreasing exposure
and/or capacity.
Vulnerability = Hazard × Exposure/ Capacity
Poverty is a key contributor to vulnerability
 Disaster Terminology
 Disaster risk
It refers to the probability that harmful consequences or
expected losses will result from a hazard event. It can
also be described as the probability of a disaster.
Risk is measured by assessing a hazard’s characteristics
such as the likelihood and magnitude of its occurrence
and the corresponding vulnerability level of those
expected to be affected:
Disaster risk= Hazard × Vulnerability
 Disaster Terminology
 Effect
 The immediate consequences directly resulting from the force of
the hazard event most often estimated immediately or
calculated to the extent of possible through some sort of
enumerations by the direct near term losses and the coverage of
a disaster.
 e.g. Figures and information on deaths, injuries, and property
losses calculate the effects.
 Impact
 Is the sum of all effects imposed by a disaster, a total of the short
and long term results including the indirect consequences.
 Impact indicators cover a broad range of areas (humans, socio
economic, cultural, physical and environmental consequences)
 A disaster is a result from the
combination of hazard, vulnerability
and insufficient capacity or measures
to reduce the potential chances of risk.
 Phases of a Disaster
 Disasters can be viewed as a series of phases on a
time continuum.
 Rapid onset disasters
(Geological and climatic hazards) earthquakes, tsunamis,
floods, tropical storms, volcanic eruptions, landslides
 Slow onset disasters
(Environmental hazards) drought, famine, environmental
degradation ‫ تدهور بيئي‬, desertification, deforestation,
pest infestation
 Rapid onset disasters continuam
 The relief phase is the period immediately following the
occurrence of a sudden disaster when exceptional measures
have to be taken to search and find the survivors as well as
meet their basic needs for shelter, water, food and medical care.
 Rehabilitation is the operations and decisions taken after a
disaster with a view to restoring a stricken community to its
former living conditions, while encouraging and facilitating the
necessary adjustments to the changes caused by the disaster.
 Reconstruction is the actions taken to reestablish a community
after a period of rehabilitation subsequent to a disaster. Actions
would include construction of permanent housing, full
restoration of all services, and complete resumption of the pre-
disaster state.
 Rapid onset disasters continuam
• Mitigation is the collective term used to encompass
all actions taken prior to the occurrence of a
disaster (pre-disaster measures) including
preparedness and long-term risk reduction
measures.
• Preparedness consists of activities designed to
minimize loss of life and damage, organize the
temporary removal of people and property from a
threatened location, and facilitate timely and
effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation.
 Slow onset disasters continuum
 Early warning is the process of monitoring
situations in communities or areas known to be
vulnerable to slow onset hazards.
 The emergency phase is the period during which
extraordinary measures have to be taken. Special
emergency procedures and authorities may be
applied to support human needs, sustain
livelihoods, and protect property to avoid the onset
of disaster.
 Slow onset disasters continuum
 Rehabilitation is the action taken after a slow onset
disaster where attention must be given to the issues
of resettlement or returnee programmes,
particularly for people who have been displaced for
reasons arising out of conflict or economic collapse.
 General Effects of Disaster
 Loss of life  Loss of livelihood
 Injury  Disruption to essential
 Damage to and destruction services
of property  Damage to national
 Damage to and destruction infrastructure and disruption
of subsistence and cash to governmental systems
crops  National economic loss
 Disruption of production  Sociological and
 Disruption of lifestyle psychological after effects
 Causal factors of disasters
 Poverty- The most important single influence on
the impact of a disaster
 Population growth- There is an obvious connection
between the increase in losses from a disaster and
the increase in population.
 Rapid urbanization- It is characterized by the rural
poor or civilians in an area of conflict moving to
metropolitan areas in search of economic
opportunities and security.
 Causal factors of disasters
 Transitions in cultural practices- One example of
the impact of these transitions is the introduction of
new construction materials and building designs in
a society that is accustomed to traditional materials
and designs.
 Environmental degradation- Many disasters are
either caused or exacerbated by environmental
degradation. Deforestation leads to rapid rain run-
off, which contributes to flooding.
 Causal factors of disasters
 Lack of awareness and information- People
vulnerable to disaster simply didn’t know how to
get out of harm’s way or to take protective
measures.
 War and civil strife- Regarded as hazards, that is,
extreme events that produce disasters. War and
civil strife often result in displaced people.
Linking disaster and development
 Linking disaster and development
 The cause and effect relationship between disasters
and social and economic development
 Disruption of development by disasters
Disasters can seriously disrupt development initiatives in
several ways, including:
Loss of resources
Interruption of programs
Impact on investment climate
Impact on the non-formal sector
Political destabilization
 Linking disaster and development
 Development may cause disaster
Development projects implemented without taking into
account existing environmental hazards may increase
vulnerability to natural disasters.
Reconstruction projects that increase demand for wood
to fortify houses.
 Why Disasters are Different
 Number and variety of casualties.
 initial disorder.
 Initial lack of resources.
 Effects on health system / community.
 Loss of infrastructure
 Need for multidisciplinary teams. Multiplicity of
tasks.
It is not just an increase in medical effort that is
needed but a different medical approach also
 A Paradigm Shift
All for One VS One for All