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TheDisasterManagementCycle

TheDisasterManagementCycle

CorinaWarfield
Disastermanagementaimstoreduce,oravoid, GoalsofDisasterManagement:
thepotentiallossesfromhazards,assure
promptandappropriateassistancetovictimsof (1)Reduce,oravoid,lossesfrom
disaster,andachieverapidandeffective
hazards
recovery.TheDisastermanagementcycle
(2)Assurepromptassistanceto
victims
illustratestheongoingprocessbywhich
governments,businesses,andcivilsocietyplan (3)Achieverapidandeffective
recovery.
forandreducetheimpactofdisasters,react
duringandimmediatelyfollowingadisaster,
andtakestepstorecoverafteradisasterhasoccurred.Appropriateactionsat
allpointsinthecycleleadtogreaterpreparedness,betterwarnings,reduced
vulnerabilityorthepreventionofdisastersduringthenextiterationofthe
cycle.Thecompletedisastermanagementcycleincludestheshapingofpublic
policiesandplansthateithermodifythecausesofdisastersormitigatetheir
effectsonpeople,property,andinfrastructure.
Themitigationandpreparednessphasesoccurasdisastermanagement
improvementsaremadeinanticipationofadisasterevent.Developmental
considerationsplayakeyroleincontributingtothemitigationandpreparation
ofacommunitytoeffectivelyconfrontadisaster.Asadisasteroccurs,disaster
managementactors,inparticularhumanitarianorganizations,become
involvedintheimmediateresponseandlongtermrecoveryphases.Thefour
disastermanagementphasesillustratedheredonotalways,orevengenerally,
occurinisolationorinthispreciseorder.Oftenphasesofthecycleoverlap
andthelengthofeachphasegreatlydependsontheseverityofthedisaster.
MitigationMinimizingtheeffectsofdisaster.
Examples:buildingcodesandzoningvulnerabilityanalysespublic
education.
PreparednessPlanninghowtorespond.
Examples:preparednessplansemergencyexercises/trainingwarning
systems.
ResponseEffortstominimizethehazardscreatedbyadisaster.
Examples:searchandrescueemergencyrelief.
RecoveryReturningthecommunitytonormal.
Examples:temporaryhousinggrantsmedicalcare.

SustainableDevelopment
Developmentalconsiderationscontributetoallaspectsofthedisaster
managementcycle.Oneofthemaingoalsofdisastermanagement,andoneof
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itsstrongestlinkswithdevelopment,isthepromotionofsustainable
livelihoodsandtheirprotectionandrecoveryduringdisastersand
emergencies.Wherethisgoalisachieved,peoplehaveagreatercapacityto
dealwithdisastersandtheirrecoveryismorerapidandlonglasting.Ina
developmentorienteddisastermanagementapproach,theobjectivesareto
reducehazards,preventdisasters,andprepareforemergencies.Therefore,
developmentalconsiderationsarestronglyrepresentedinthemitigationand
preparednessphasesofthedisastermanagementcycle.Inappropriate
developmentprocessescanleadtoincreasedvulnerabilitytodisastersandloss
ofpreparednessforemergencysituations.
Mitigation
Mitigationactivitiesactuallyeliminateorreducetheprobabilityofdisaster
occurrence,orreducetheeffectsofunavoidabledisasters.Mitigation
measuresincludebuildingcodesvulnerabilityanalysesupdateszoningand
landusemanagementbuildinguseregulationsandsafetycodespreventive
healthcareandpubliceducation.
Mitigationwilldependontheincorporationofappropriatemeasuresin
nationalandregionaldevelopmentplanning.Itseffectivenesswillalsodepend
ontheavailabilityofinformationonhazards,emergencyrisks,andthe
countermeasurestobetaken.Themitigationphase,andindeedthewhole
disastermanagementcycle,includestheshapingofpublicpoliciesandplans
thateithermodifythecausesofdisastersormitigatetheireffectsonpeople,
property,andinfrastructure.
Preparedness
Thegoalofemergencypreparednessprogramsistoachieveasatisfactory
levelofreadinesstorespondtoanyemergencysituationthroughprograms
thatstrengthenthetechnicalandmanagerialcapacityofgovernments,
organizations,andcommunities.Thesemeasurescanbedescribedaslogistical
readinesstodealwithdisastersandcanbeenhancedbyhavingresponse
mechanismsandprocedures,rehearsals,developinglongtermandshortterm
strategies,publiceducationandbuildingearlywarningsystems.Preparedness
canalsotaketheformofensuringthatstrategicreservesoffood,equipment,
water,medicinesandotheressentialsaremaintainedincasesofnationalor
localcatastrophes.
Duringthepreparednessphase,governments,organizations,andindividuals
developplanstosavelives,minimizedisasterdamage,andenhancedisaster
responseoperations.Preparednessmeasuresincludepreparednessplans
emergencyexercises/trainingwarningsystemsemergencycommunications
systemsevacuationsplansandtrainingresourceinventoriesemergency
personnel/contactlistsmutualaidagreementsandpublic
information/education.Aswithmitigationsefforts,preparednessactions
dependontheincorporationofappropriatemeasuresinnationalandregional
developmentplans.Inaddition,theireffectivenessdependsontheavailability
ofinformationonhazards,emergencyrisksandthecountermeasurestobe
taken,andonthedegreetowhichgovernmentagencies,nongovernmental
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organizationsandthegeneralpublicareabletomakeuseofthisinformation.

HumanitarianAction
Duringadisaster,humanitarianagenciesareoftencalledupontodealwith
immediateresponseandrecovery.Tobeabletorespondeffectively,these
agenciesmusthaveexperiencedleaders,trainedpersonnel,adequatetransport
andlogisticsupport,appropriatecommunications,andguidelinesforworking
inemergencies.Ifthenecessarypreparationshavenotbeenmade,the
humanitarianagencieswillnotbeabletomeettheimmediateneedsofthe
people.
Response
Theaimofemergencyresponseistoprovideimmediateassistancetomaintain
life,improvehealthandsupportthemoraleoftheaffectedpopulation.Such
assistancemayrangefromprovidingspecificbutlimitedaid,suchasassisting
refugeeswithtransport,temporaryshelter,andfood,toestablishingsemi
permanentsettlementincampsandotherlocations.Italsomayinvolveinitial
repairstodamagedinfrastructure.Thefocusintheresponsephaseison
meetingthebasicneedsofthepeopleuntilmorepermanentandsustainable
solutionscanbefound.Humanitarianorganizationsareoftenstronglypresent
inthisphaseofthedisastermanagementcycle.
Recovery
Astheemergencyisbroughtundercontrol,theaffectedpopulationiscapable
ofundertakingagrowingnumberofactivitiesaimedatrestoringtheirlives
andtheinfrastructurethatsupportsthem.Thereisnodistinctpointatwhich
immediatereliefchangesintorecoveryandthenintolongtermsustainable
development.Therewillbemanyopportunitiesduringtherecoveryperiodto
enhancepreventionandincreasepreparedness,thusreducingvulnerability.
Ideally,thereshouldbeasmoothtransitionfromrecoverytoongoing
development.
Recoveryactivitiescontinueuntilallsystemsreturntonormalorbetter.
Recoverymeasures,bothshortandlongterm,includereturningvitallife
supportsystemstominimumoperatingstandardstemporaryhousingpublic
informationhealthandsafetyeducationreconstructioncounseling
programsandeconomicimpactstudies.Informationresourcesandservices
includedatacollectionrelatedtorebuilding,anddocumentationoflessons
learned.
References
Environmentalhealthinemergenciesanddisasters:Apracticalguide.
WHO,2002.
DisasterHelp,USDepartmentofHomelandSecurity.
GreenPaperonDisasterManagement,DepartmentofProvincialand
LocalGovernment,SouthAfrica
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