The 2021 Surfside condo collapse in Florida destroyed homes and lives. In the same year, unprecedented deluges flooded Germany and China, with tragic results. We cannot entirely avoid disasters, but we can prepare for and address them. Show Prevention efforts and coordinated responses to disasters save lives and lessen their impact on communities. Professionals in disaster management play a crucial role in preventing suffering, protecting people’s livelihoods, and helping communities recover. What is disaster management? To answer the question, you should examine how these professionals deal with disaster — before, during, and after it strikes. Defining Disaster ManagementDisasters take many shapes. Human-made disasters result from human errors and include industrial explosions or structure failures. Natural disasters result from physical phenomena and include earthquakes and droughts. Disasters classified as complex can include epidemics or armed conflicts. In whatever form, disasters disrupt communities and can take a serious toll on people, property, economies, and the environment. They often stretch a community’s capacity to cope. Disaster management is a process of effectively preparing for and responding to disasters. It involves strategically organizing resources to lessen the harm that disasters cause. It also involves a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Understanding Risks in Disaster ManagementOften, issues such as a poorly maintained levee system or other negligence can worsen the outcome of a disaster. Such was the case when Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed New Orleans’ levees in 2005. By addressing deferred infrastructure maintenance and other causal factors, governments and organizations can often prevent, or at least reduce, the fallout of disasters. Disaster management involves examining and managing causal factors. It requires assessing the extent to which a community can withstand a disaster. Some communities are more vulnerable than others. For example, poorer communities have fewer resources to prepare themselves for a storm or bounce back from flood damage. Disaster management also involves analyzing exposure to loss. For example, homes built below sea level may face greater exposure to flooding if a hurricane hits them. The Scope of Disaster ManagementDisaster management has a broad scope. To understand what disaster management is, it is useful to study prevention, preparedness, and response and recovery. PreventionMitigation and prevention efforts aim to reduce the potential damage and suffering that disasters can cause. While disaster management cannot prevent disasters, it can prevent them from becoming compounded as a result of neglecting causal factors and manageable risks. Mitigation specifically refers to actions taken that can lessen the severity of a disaster’s impact. Investing in measures that limit hazards can greatly reduce the burden of disasters. Strategies that disaster management professionals implement to protect vulnerable communities and limit hazards include the following:
Managing hazards and risks means planning to minimize a community’s vulnerability to disasters. This can involve:
Disaster management professionals working on mitigation efforts also focus on the following: Land Use and Building CodesBuilding schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods in flood-prone areas increases their exposure to disasters. Disaster management spotlights these risks and presents ideas to use land in safer ways. For example, rather than constructing homes in floodplains, community planners can designate those areas as places for outdoor recreation, wildlife attractions, or hiking trails. They can also urge people to avoid these areas during flood season. These measures make residents and their homes less vulnerable to harm. Additionally, mitigation efforts can do the following:
Critical InfrastructureProtecting critical infrastructure during a disaster can mean the difference between life and death. Critical infrastructure, which comprises the systems and assets vital to a community’s economy, security, and public health, deserves special attention as regards disaster management mitigation. Setting up protective measures that limit damage to water and wastewater systems or nuclear plants, for example, can prevent serious repercussions. As an example, Japan experienced devastating physical and psychological consequences after a 2011 earthquake triggered a tsunami. The inundation of water cut off the power supply to the cooling system for Fukushima Daiichi reactors, leading to a massive nuclear accident. PreparednessWell-coordinated responses to disasters require prior planning. This helps ensure fast, effective response efforts and limits duplicated efforts. Disaster preparedness plans:
Anticipating the needs of communities that disasters affect improves the quality of the response efforts. Building the capacities of volunteers, personnel, and disaster management teams to respond to disasters also makes the response efforts more effective. Plans may include the following:
They may also address:
Contingency PlanningDisaster readiness calls for contingency planning, advance decisions about managing human and monetary resources, coordinating procedures between different agencies, and organizing logistics. Contingency plans answer three basic questions:
Response and RecoveryDuring and immediately after an emergency, disaster management focuses on delivering help and interventions that can save lives, safeguard health, and protect buildings, animals, and community property. Following an initial response, efforts shift toward supporting communities as they rebuild emotionally, economically, and physically. Disaster ReliefDisaster relief addresses the immediate and short-term needs of disaster-affected communities. It can include evacuations, search and rescue missions, and emergency medical assistance. Examples of disaster relief are:
RebuildingEmergency management helps communities rebuild their lives after trauma. This involves longer-term efforts to restore:
Federal agencies and supporting organizations help communities with problem-solving and finding resources as they redevelop and revitalize. Recovery assistance may include the following:
Protect Communities by Launching a Career in Disaster ManagementWhat is disaster management? It is a comprehensive approach to preventing, preparing for, responding to, and aiding in emergency recovery efforts. Whether spearheading emergency management for human-made or natural disasters, professionals in the field play invaluable roles in saving lives and reducing suffering. Explore what it takes to become an expert in disaster management by learning more about Tulane University’s Master of Public Health in Disaster Management. Recommended ReadingsClimate Change and Its Threat to Food Security Health Inequality: Examining Public Health Disparities by ZIP Code What Is Environmental Justice? An Introduction to Fair Treatment SourcesAkitaBox, “4 Phases of Disaster Management Explained (The Easy Way)” American Red Cross, Disaster Relief Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Management Overview & Definitions Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Natural Disasters and Severe Weather City of New Bedford, Disaster Mitigation Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Incident Management System IFRC, Contingency Planning IFRC, Disaster Preparedness Physiopedia, Disaster Management Queensland Government, Disaster Management Queensland Government, Preparedness Arrangements U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Emergency Management Directors U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Disaster Response and Recovery U.S. Department of the Interior, Natural Disaster Response and Recovery World Vision, What Is Disaster Management? |