Unit Eight

Disaster Management Process

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At the end of this unit, you will be able to:
Define and differentiate preventive, mitigation and
preparedness, response and recovery
Explain the relevance to considered each of the three
strategies as measures of disaster managing
List and discuses the specific measures of preventive,
mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
Discuses the relationship between preventive,
mitigation and preparedness
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Reflection 3

What is disaster management?

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• Disaster management can be defined as the effective
organization, direction and utilization of available
counter-disaster resources.

• Disaster management process involves two consecutive

cycles (pre-disaster and post disaster management).

• Pre-disaster managements also called disaster

management strategies and it includes two-impressive
classification of disaster management strategies.
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 These are risk avoidance which is preventive; and
 Risk reduction that is mitigation and preparedness.
Whenever possible avoidance of the risk/disaster should
always considered first.
If this is not possible, the reduction is considered.

• On the other hand, the measures that performs or

undertaken after the occurrence of disaster is called post
disaster management.
• This includes the activities that performed during the
response and recover process of disaster management. 5
 8.1. Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and preparedness
8.1.1. Disaster Prevention

• Disaster Prevention is an action design to and aimed to

impend the occurrence of disaster events having harmful
effect on the community.

• It shall involve all actions that provide ‘outright avoidance’

of the adverse impact of natural and human induced
disasters.

• It is the measures taken to eliminate the root causes that

make people vulnerable to disaster. 6
• The importance of prevent implies that in fact some kinds of
disasters could be avoidable if appropriate measures are taken
before occurred.
• As we discussed before, disaster can occur only when it is
associated with vulnerability
• For example,
 Constructing dam can control flood and prevent flood;
 Economic development can reduce poverty and such that potential
disaster of famine could be avoid,
 Increase community awareness reduce vulnerability to various
kinds of disasters and prevent a potential disaster from happening.
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• For developing nations, prevention is the most critical
components in managing disasters, however, it is clearly one
of the most difficult to promote.
• Prevention planning is based on risk analysis or two issues:
 hazard identification (identifying the actual threats facing a
community) and
 Vulnerability analysis and evaluating the risk and capacity of a
community to handle the consequences of the disaster.

• Once these issues put in order of priority, emergency

managers can determine the appropriate prevention
strategies. 8
 8.1.1.1. The Strategies for Disaster Prevention
Afforestation and reforestation.

Creating enabling environment for the use of alternative

fuel or energy to reduce the use of fire wood.
Enforcement of policies and procedures
Coordination and collaboration with relevant
stakeholders
Monitoring and Evaluation

Community participation
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 8.1.1.2. Disaster Prevention Measures

• Disaster prevention tends to require various forms

of counter measures and such measures are;
Land use planning
Preventing habitation in risk zones
Disaster resistant buildings
Community awareness and education through
formal and informal media.

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Ensuring regular weather forecast, and disseminating
weather information.
Encouraging the practice of re-forestation by relevant
government agencies.
Ensuring proper land management, and channelization of
rivers and streams.
Enforcing safety regulations, codes, legislations and
laws.

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Ensuring construction and maintenance of roads
with shoulders.
Establishing peace and conflict resolution
mechanisms in various communities by the
government, private sector and civil society’s
origination.
Ensuring immunization against targeted diseases.
Enforcing relevant laws and legislations

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8.1.1.3. Problems That Hinder Disaster Preventive Endeavors

Traditional Outlook

• There is a long-lasting acceptance of hazard as God work

by many communities.
• They believed that hazard or disaster occurred when a
God curse.
Cost

• The cost of preventive measures can be very high and

hence tends to be ruled out, perhaps without a detail
cost benefit analysis. 13
Other National Priorities

• Special, in most government give a higher priority

to some other national programs than disasters.
• For instance, such as for education, health and
general economic development,
• Here, the measures of prevent often do not get
adequate attention or appropriate focus in national
planning.
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Political Aspect

• Sometimes the political groups or the

government may not accept the possible
effective and the political implication of the
preventive measures.
• In this case the political motive will have less
effect on the disaster preventive
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Public Apathy and Awareness

• Negligence of the government in creating

awareness in the public and as result peoples
becomes carelessness in taking preventive
measures to disasters.

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 8.1.2. Disaster Mitigation
• It refer to measures for minimizing the destructive
and disruptive effects of hazards and reducing its
magnitude. Or
• it is the lessening or limitation of the adverse
impacts of hazards and related disasters.
• This means take actions which will lessen a
disaster’s consequences and subsequent hazards.
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• The higher the risk the more urgent and targeted by
mitigation and preparedness effort,
• However, if there is no vulnerability there will be no
risk, e.g. an earthquake occurring in a desert where
nobody lives.

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 8.1.2.1. Types of Mitigation
• Based on the time, Mitigation can be classified in to two,
that is long period and short period of mitigation
measures.
• The activities of mitigation strategies which are performed
for a long period of time at least more than two years to
reduce the impact of disaster is refer to long period of
mitigation.
• for instance, doing dam or reforestation to reduce flood
and drought. 19
• Whereas, the activities of mitigation strategies
which applied for a short period of time, to
reduce the moment impact of disaster is refer to
short period of mitigation.
• For example, providing aid (such as food) for
those influence by drought.

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• On the other hand, mitigation strategy can classified in
two major categories.
• These are non-structural and structural mitigation.

A). Non-structural mitigation

• Non-structural mitigation measures are policies and

practices of development and their implementation to
reduce the risk.

• Non-structural mitigation, in a wide sense it include the

following;
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Legal Framework

• By establish or develop different policy, regulation

and rules regarding the building design and using of
natural resource.

• Examples establishing building codes for built

structures and material to withstand impact such as
cyclones or earthquakes etc.

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Land-use Planning

• This can be deal through controlling human

activities in hazard prone areas (zoning) to
avoid fatalities and loss.
• This may involve re-location of communities to
safer locations.
• It may be achieved by passing legal statues.
E.g. ordinance 23
Incentives

• Often provide better inducements for mitigation

than legal impositions.
• Government grants or subsidies may help to
persuade commercial and other institutions to
include mitigation measures in their building and
reconstruction.

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Training and Education

• To Provide awareness and know-how to those

government officials involved in disaster management,
construction experts, craftsmen, land use planners and
the general public.

Public Awareness

• This is necessary to ensure good public knowledge and

understanding of natural hazards and vulnerabilities and
awareness of effective mitigation measures 25
Institution building

• This is the strengthening of national or

community social structure and capacity , and
skill of the disaster respondents.

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B) Structural Mitigation
• It involves physical measures to reduce the
economic and social impact of hazard agents
• It focus on construction programs such as dams,
windbreakers, terracing and other hazard resistance
buildings.
• Among the structural mitigation engineered
structures is one.
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Engineered Structures

• This is a building of strong structures that can be more

resistance to hazards and hardening facilities against hard
force.
• These involve architects and engineers during the
planning, designing and construction phases.
• Mostly this involves incorporation of hazard resistance
building techniques in housing projection and
construction program
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• This achieved through implementing,
Site planning,
Assessment of forces created by natural hazards,
Planning and analysis of structural measures to resist
such forces,
Design and proper detailing of structural
components,
Construction with suitable material and Good
workmanship under adequate supervision.
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 8.1.2.2. Basic Principle of Mitigation
• The principles which are widely recognized as providing
valuable guide to disaster mitigation are the following.
 Comprehensiveness

• Mitigation can be introduced with the divers’ context of

reconstruction, new investments and the existing
environment.
• Mitigation must not be isolate from related elements of
disaster planning such as preparedness, respond and
recovery. 30
 Leadership and co-ordination

• Mitigation Measures are complex and interdependent,

they involve widespread responsibility.
• Therefore, effective leadership and coordination are
essential to provide focal point.
 Political commitment is a important to the initiate and
maintenance of mitigation
 Widespread safety measures

• Mitigation will be most effective if safety measures are

spread through wide diversity of integrated activities. 31
Prioritization

• Where resources are limited, priority should be given

to the protection of key social groups, critical service
and vital economic sectors.
Adaptability and sustainability

• Mitigation measures need to be continually

monitored and evaluated so as to respond to changing
pattern of hazards, vulnerability and resources.

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 8.1.3. Disaster Preparedness
 It involve measures taken in advance to ensure
effective response to the impact of disasters; (timely
and effective early warning; and the evacuation of
people and property from threatened locations).
 Preparedness is the measures that ensure the
organized mobilization of personnel, funds,
equipment, and supplies within a safe environment
for effective relief.

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• Disaster preparedness is building up of capacities
before a disaster situation prevails in order to reduce
impacts
• Preparedness is the knowledge and capacities
developed by governments, professional response
and recovery organizations, communities and
individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and
recover from, the impacts of hazard events or
conditions. 34
Disaster Preparedness enables the government and
other relevant stakeholders to:
develop emergency plans,

Build capacity at all levels and sectors,

Educate communities at risk

 Provide regular monitoring and evaluation
 Ensure availability of resources
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The Common strategies of measures or activities
of preparedness include the followings;
communication plans with easily understandable
terminology and chain of command
development and practice of multi-agency
coordination and incident command
proper maintenance and training of emergency
services

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development and exercise of emergency
population warning methods
Updating Contingency plans for specific
threats.
Conducting inventory of available disaster
management equipment/supplies at all levels,
such as, fire fighting vehicles, ambulance,
recovery vehicles, etc. 37
 8.1.3.1. Components of disaster preparedness
Information

• Information is the basic aspect of disaster

management.
• Preparedness should also depend on information
generated through the risk analysis (hazard and
vulnerability assessment).

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• Information includes two general categories. These are

1). Information about static infrastructures;

• types of physical advantage and disadvantage faced by
the communities residing in the area, which are from
the map of available structures.

2). Information on dynamic of socio- economic

factors;
• data indicated cause and level of vulnerability,
demographic shift and types of economic. 39
Planning
 which is a detail set of policies producers that take into
account any reasonable predictable disasters that would
affect the safety of peoples.
 The ultimate objective of all the activities designed to
promote disaster preparedness is to have plans which is:-
Agreed upon by all consumed bodies
Implementable
For which commitment and resources are assured.
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• Having a detailed plan of action

• ensures that right people, equipment, and facilities will be

available in a crisis and
• Enable everyone will know what to expect what to do is in
charge.
Institutional Framework
• One of the important aspects of preparedness is ensuring the
existence of an institutional framework for dealing with a disaster
when it occurs.
• This is an important aspect that involves Parties, roles and
responsibilities should be made clear and well communicated.41
Resources Base

• Preparedness should involve identification and securing of

the necessary resource for the response to and recovery
from the immanent disaster.
• The following elements should be considering in assessing
the resource required for disaster preparedness strategy;
 Disaster relief funding – fund for medicine or need items
 Disaster preparedness fund –funds to peruse the activities of
the planning process which is for training, special studies and
rising aware 42
 Mechanism for aid coordination- establishes a means to
ensure a coordinated, useful and timely response
Stockpiling: the types and amounts of materials needed,

Warning System

• Having established warning system enables to save

live by giving to the vulnerable population adequate
notice of impending disaster which enables to
escape from the events or take precaution to reduce
the danger. 43
Response Mechanism

• The process of setting up the response mechanism involves:

Identifying potential response activities (that different depending

on the types of hazard and nature of the vulnerability of the
community)

Determining the response procedure and designing the mechanisms

Making the mechanisms clear and familiar to potential

beneficiaries and to those who are responsible of implementing
such measures

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 Public Education and Training
• Education of those who may threaten by the disaster is an
essential part of the preparedness plan.
• The educations take place in many ways;
 Education in school for children and young people – what
action should be take in the case if disaster threaten
 Special designed training and course for adult
 Extension programs –using community and village based
extension workers
 Public information through mass media
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Rehearsal Drills
• The effectiveness of preparedness plan ensured only when it is
properly implemented.
• Simulated exercise and rehearsals of the procedure have a high
importance for ensuring the implement ability of the preparedness
plan.
• By doing the rehearsal, it is also possible to achieve the following
advantage.
 Re-emphasis the points made in separate training
 Test the system as a whole
 Reveal the gaps that otherwise may be overlooked. 46
• In general, the following figure displays disaster
management process (pre-disaster and post- disaster)

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 e xt
e N
T h

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