Lesson Outline

❑What is Disaster and their Hazards

❑Classify disasters into natural and man-
made
❑What is Disaster Management
❑ Causes, effects and management of
flood and drought
❑Effects and management of earthquake
(geologically related disasters), cyclone
and tsunami
 Disaster
• Disaster: A sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great
damage or loss of life and environment.
• The Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines disaster as “a catastrophe,
mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or
manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which results in
substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction
of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such
a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the
community of the affected area”.
• The United Nations defines disaster as “the occurrence of sudden or major
misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of the
society or community”.
Disaster Management
Disaster Management can be defined as the
organization and management of resources What it Involves
and responsibilities for dealing with all
humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in • Dealing with and avoiding both
particular preparedness, response and natural and man made
recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.
disasters
• Preparedness before disaster.
Hundreds of natural and man-made
calamities occur around the world, year after • Rebuilding and supporting
year. While not all the calamities can be society after natural disasters.
predicted or prevented, a state of
preparedness and ability to respond quickly
can mitigate the loss of life and property and
reduce human suffering
 India’s Vulnerability to Disasters

• 57% land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of these, 12% is

vulnerable to severe earthquakes.

• 68% land is vulnerable to drought.

• 12% land is vulnerable to floods.

• 8% land is vulnerable to cyclones.

• Apart from natural disasters, some cities in India are also

vulnerable to chemical and industrial disasters and man-
made disasters.
 Disaster mitigation Strategies of flood

Disaster Miigation strategies

Before Disaster During Disaster After disaster

• Ensure Community • Arrange for emergency • To follow advisory of
alert system in place supplies government regarding
• Emergency building • Leave the place return.
material to be collected immediately and climb • To exercise caution
• Drainage and sewage the higher grounds while returning home
system should be in • Follow recommended and watchout for
order evacuation routes . danger , damages and
• Evacuation route and animal intrusion .
emergency
communication system
should be made
Floods
Floods
Floods are sudden and temporary inundation of a large area as an overflowing of rivers or
reservoirs.
Causes
Floods are caused by rains, high winds, cyclones, tsunami, melting snow or dam burst.
Flood can happen gradually or can happen suddenly due to heavy rains, breach of the
water storage and control structures, spillover. Siltation of the rivers and reservoirs, and
this can enhance the incidence and magnitude of floods.
Effects:
➢ Causalities
➢ Structural Damage
➢ Material Loss
➢ Crop loss
Case study of Kerala Flood
• Case study of Kerala floods : August 2018
• In month of August 2018 , Kerala received heavy
monsoon rainfall, which was about 116% more than
the usual rain fall in Kerala,Kerala received heavy
monsoon rainfall .on the mid-evening of August 8,
2018 resulting in dams filling to capacity; in the first
24 hours of rainfall, the state received 310 mm (12
in) of rain. Gates of almost all dams have been
opened since the water level has risen close to
overflow level due to heavy rainfall, flooding local
low-lying areas. Heavy precipitation, Poor Dam
management and Weak early Warning and
Response system for the damages caused the worst
flood of the Century in Kerala. The deluge in Kerala
has been a combined result of a set of interacting
atmospheric, oceanic and human factors.
 Flood Control Management

❑Flood forecasting and early warnings are instrumental in saving lives and property. It
also substantially contributes to improved flood management through more adequate
reservoir operation.
❑In order to respond effectively to floods a national disaster, risk management
programs have been initiated in all the flood-prone states.
❑Disaster management plans at the state, district, block/taluka and village levels are
being planned and implemented.
❑Awareness generation campaigns to sensitize all concerned on the need for flood-
preparedness
❑Environmental Pollution 169 and mitigation and training of elected representatives
and officials in flood disaster management are part of the National Disaster Risk
Management Programme. Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh are
among the 17 multi-hazard prone states; it is in these states that the programme is
being implemented in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the
European Commission (EC
Droughts
• In India, due to the erratic monsoon, both low

and medium rainfall regions are vulnerable to

periodic drought. About 68 per cent of the

total area in India is drought-prone. Our

experience has been that almost every third

year there is a drought. However, in some

states, there may be successive drought years

which only go on to increase the vulnerability

of the population in these areas.

Drought Mitigation
How it is taken up by Government ?

The government has launched a number of programmes to mitigate the impact of droughts in
the long run. These programmes include the Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert
Development Programme (DPP), National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas
(NWDPRA), Watershed Development Programme for Shifting Cultivation (WDPSC), Integrated
Water Development Project (IWDP) and Integrated Afforestation and Eco Development Project
Scheme (IAEPS).
 Earthquake
❑Earthquake can be defined as the sudden shaking of the earth crust. It is one of the most
destructive natural hazards. They may occur at any time of the year, day or night, with
sudden impact and little warning. The devastating earthquakes on January 26, 2001 in the
Bhuj area of Gujarat and the earlier one in the Latur district of Maharashtra on September
30, 1993 drew our attention to the large-scale destruction that an earthquake can cause.
❑Any sudden shaking of the ground caused by the passage of seismic waves through Earth’s
rocks. Seismic waves are produced when some form of energy stored in Earth’s crust is
suddenly released.
❑Earthquakes occur following the release of energy when tectonic plates move apart.
In the seismically-active zones we are still unable to forecast or prevent earthquakes.
Examples of the most common chains of disastrous events triggered by earthquakes are as follows:
Earthquake – landslide – flood. Earthquake – fire – conflagration.
Earthquake – contamination of potable water – disease epidemics.
Earthquake – tsunami – floods on distant coasts.
Impact of Earthquake

• The intensity of an earthquake is • India has had a long history of

related to the amount of energy earthquake occurrences. About 65%
released when rocks give way to of the total area of the country is
the forces within the earth. It is vulnerable to seismic damage of
measured with the help of an buildings in varying degrees.
instrument known as seismograph. The most vulnerable areas,
• CAUSES- Earthquakes are natural according to the present seismic
ways of releasing energy by earth. zone map of India, are located in the
An earthquake occurs in certain Himalayan and sub-Himalayan
pockets of the earth which has regions, Kutch and the Andaman and
geological faults. Such areas have Nicobar Islands.
already been identified.
 Earthquake Risk Mitigation
• Design of buildings-The buildings should be designed especially in earthquake
prone areas in such a manner that they can withstand the stress of earthquake.
Physical characteristics of soil should be analysed in order to ensure the strength
to withstand the earthquake. Bureau of Indian Standards has formulated building
designs and guidelines for constructions that withstand against earthquakes.
Generally building design is approved by the concerned municipal authorities
according to build by laws and safety requirements. Training of the builders,
architects, contractors, designers, house owners and government officials is
important.
• In India, a comprehensive programme has been taken up for earthquake risk
mitigation. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has laid down standards for
construction in the seismic zones these are not being followed.
• Lack of knowledge among the architects and engineers regarding seismically-safe
construction as well as lack of awareness among the population has resulted in
non-compliance of BIS standards.
How it is taken up by Government ?
Address these issues the government has constituted the National Core Group for Earthquake Risk
Mitigation consisting of experts in earthquake engineering and administrators.

The salient points of the plan are as follows:

(i) Most casualties during earthquakes are caused by the collapse of structures. Thus, structural mitigation
measures are the key to making a significant impact towards earthquake safety in our country for which
the role of engineers and architectsis most important. In view of this, the elements of earthquake
engineering are being integrated into the undergraduate engineering and architecture courses.
(ii) Hospital-preparedness is crucial to any disaster response system. So each hospital should have an
emergency preparedness plan to deal with mass casualty incidents. Hospital administrators and doctors
are to be trained for the emergency.
(iii) ThePlanningCommissionhasalreadygivenaclearanceinprinciple,toanearthquakemitigationproject of an
estimated cost of Rs 1,132 crore. The programme includes detailed evaluation for retrofitting of lifeline
buildings (such as hospitals, schools, water and power supply units, telecommunication buildings,
airport and its control towers, railway stations, bus stands, administrative buildings) in states of seismic
zones IV and V and training of masons in earthquake-resistant constructions.
Case Studies of Earthquake :
A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck northern Nepal, on April 25, 2015, injuring over
22,000 people and killing over 8,000 in addition to causing significant infrastructure damage. The
quake caused an avalanche on Mount Everest that killed at least 18 climbers, injured 41 others and
trapped hundreds , making it the deadliest day on the mountain to date. Hundreds of impacted
people required safeguarding and evacuation. In addition, intermittent electricity, cell tower and
landline outages meant a number of people were stranded without a means of contacting help.
Continued aftershock occurred throughout Nepal at the intervals of 15–20 minutes, with one shock
reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April .
Cyclones
➢ A cyclone is a huge strong wind system which blows around the centre of intense low pressure area of the
ocean.
➢ Tropical cyclones develop over the warm waters of the ocean typically between the latitude of 300N and 300
S, cyclonic storms with wind speed surpassing 74 mph [118 kph] are termed tropical cyclones
➢ Cyclones are the local name of the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, but in the Northwest Pacific
Ocean they are known as typhoons, and in the Northeast Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic, they are known as
hurricanes. Since the cyclones form in the tropical region, they are also known as tropical storms.
➢ Indian coasts are highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and the consequent recurrent loss of life and property.
It is now well recognized that by taking long and short term mitigation measures, the loss of life and property
can be minimized
➢ Cyclones take time to build hence satellite imagery can track their formation and movement. Very accurate
predictions may not be possible but the Indian Meteorological Department issues warnings a few hours in
advance.
➢ The east and south coasts of India which include West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Andaman and Nicobar Islands frequently experience cyclones.
➢ Cyclones cause physical damage to building structures, They also cause flooding and break down the public
health system resulting in loss of human life and property
Case study on Orissa Cyclones
• 1. The super cyclone that hit Orissa in October 1999 is the most destructive
natural calamity of the present century with a wind speed of nearly 250 km/hr
and incessant rain fall for about 48 hrs with a total down pour between 447 and
995 mm; storm surge reaching to 7.2 meters height persisted for a period of 8-10
hrs. penetrating Inland about 15-20 km washed away everything which came in
its path. Caused extensive inundation in the coastal and inland areas submerging
several villages, maximum in case of Jagatsingpur ,Orissa .
• 2. The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm 'FANI' made landfall on the Odisha
Coast south of Puri on 3 May, 2019 and the eye of the system was completely
moved into land by 1000 hrs at the wind speed of 175-185, gusting up to 205
kmph. Fani originated from a tropical depression that formed west of Sumatra in
the Indian Ocean on 26 April. Fani rapidly intensified into an extremely severe
cyclonic storm and reached its peak intensity on 2 May with 1-minute sustained
winds equivalent to a high-end Category 4 major hurricane. Prior to Fani's
landfall, authorities in India and Bangladesh moved at least a million people each
from areas within Fani's projected path onto higher ground, and into cyclone
shelters, which is thought to have reduced the resultant death toll and casualties .
 Cyclone Mitigation Strategies
• The Government of India has initiated the National cyclone risk mitigation project (NCRMP) with a view to address cyclone risks in the country
.. The project has identified 13 cyclone prone states and UT’s . These states /UT has further been classified into two categories based on
frequency of occurance of cyclone , size of population and existing institutional mechanism for disaster management . These categories are :

• Category 1 : High vulnerability states ie Andhra Pradesh , Gujrat , Odisha , Tamil Nadu and West Bengal .
• Category 2 : Low vulnerability states ie Maharashtra , Goa , Puducherry , Karnataka , Kerala Lakshadweep , Daman and Diu , Andaman and
Nicobar islands .Various mitigation strategies are :

1. Early warning systems to alert the public in advance to move to safer locations.
2. Provision of cyclones shelter houses to which people can take shelter during cyclones.
3. Trained and well equipped disaster management force to handle the disaster. Also, enhanced capacity of local communities to respond to
disaster .
4. Protecting the coast by planting trees and mangroves forests along the coast. They can reduce the intensity of cyclone falling on the land.
Proper urban planning in which the low lying areas are not heavily populated.
5. Drainage system in urban areas should be revamped so that the cyclone water can exit easily.
6. Wetlands should be conserved since they act as buffers in case of cyclones.
7. Since most often during cyclones, the normal communication lines are disrupted, the provision of satellite communication should be
strengthened in the cyclone prone areas to effectively handle the cyclone disaster.
Landslides
• The sliding of mud, rock and earth debris down the mountain slopes or river banks due to gravitational action results in
landslides, both gradual and sudden. They are often associated with earthquakes or volcanoes. Heavy rainfall and
deforestation in steep-sloped areas also cause landslides Timely warnings of land slides may not be possible, the study of
geology, hydrology, vegetation cover and past occurrences can help in identifying risk areas
• Hazards like the destruction and burial of settlements, destruction of transport, communication and electricity services,
flooding of low-lying areas and loss of human lives and property. Casualties depend on the place and time of occurrence.
Strong landslides may destroy many homes and kill thousands of people.
Landslide Hazard Mitigation:
The government has designated the Geological Survey of India (GSI) as the nodal agency responsible for
coordinating/undertaking geological studies; landslides hazard zoning, monitoring landslides/avalanches, studying the
factors responsible and suggesting precautionary and preventive measures. The states/UTs (Union Territories) have been
requested to share a list of habitations close to landslide-prone areas in order to facilitate the GSI’s ongoing assessment of
such areas based on the Survey of India’s toposheet and their existing database on landslides for the purpose of landslide
hazard zoning being carried out by them. A national strategy for mitigating landslide hazard in the country is being drawn
up in consultation with all the agencies concerned
➢ A National Core Group has been constituted under the chairmanship of the secretary, Border Management and
comprising secretary, Department of Science and Technology, secretary, Road Transport & Highways and the heads of
Geological Survey of India and National Remote Sensing Agency for drawing up a strategy and plan of action for
mitigating the impact of landslides, providing advice and guidance to the state governments on various aspects of
landslide mitigation, monitoring the activities relating to landslide mitigation including landslide hazard zoning and to
evolve early warning systems and protocols for landslide risk reduction.
 Tsunami
❑A tsunami is a wave train or a series of waves generated in a body of water by an impulsive disturbance
that vertically displaces the water column.
❑Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions and even the impact of cosmic bodies such as
meteorites can generate tsunamis.
❑Tsunamis can savagely attack coastlines causing devastation. Tsunamis have a low height while travelling
over the deep ocean. Thus, vessels in the ocean that fall in their path may not even notice them.
Tsunamis occur when shallow water reaches near coastlines. The word tsunami is actually a combination
of two Japanese words meaning harbour wave (Tsu-harbour, nami-wave).
❑Tsunamis usually occur along the Pacific Ocean coasts of the Ring of Fire and a warning system has been
in place since 1965. Tsunamis are rare in the Indian Ocean and the warning system there had not been a
priority.
❑Consequently, we were hardly aware of the devastating effect of tsunamis till December 26, 2004, when
a mega undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.15 on the Richter scale struck at 07:58:53 local time in the
Indian Ocean just off the western coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia resulting in a tsunami that left 2,
32,000 people dead and missing in 13 countries adjoining the Indian Ocean. It was one of the worst
natural disasters in modern history.
 Pandemic Emergencies

• A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.

• Pandemics are large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease that can greatly increase
morbidity and mortality over a wide geographic area and cause significant economic,
social, and political disruption. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of pandemics
has increased over the past century because of increased global travel and
integration, urbanization, changes in land use, and greater exploitation of the natural
environment which bought humans in contact with wild animals .
• Most new pandemics have originated through the “zoonotic” transmission of
pathogens from animals to humans . Zoonoses enter into human populations from
both domesticated animals (such as farmed swine or poultry) , hunting ,
consumption of wild species , the wild animal trade, and other contact with wildlife
• An animal influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges and
spreads around the world, and most people do not have immunity . As per various
studies , these viruses are likely to emerge and re emerge .
Pandemics / WHO health emergencies of 21st
centuary

• 2002–2004 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Probable host is bat

• 2009 Swine flue pandemic H1N1/09 flue Swine host

• 1947,2012 &2014-2018 Zika virus Epidemic Rhesus monkey and infected Aedes Mosquito host
•
• 1976 &2013 Ebola virus fruit bat , monkey species and baboons host

• 2015-16 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS CoV) Bat and Camel host
•
• 1999 &2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala(2018) Fruit bat host

• 2019-2020 Corona virus (Covid 19) genetic similarity with Bat coronavirus .