This ppt describes in short about fundamental definitions of disasters and the ways of mitigation. It also covers the role of veterinarian in such disasters.

1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY
PUBLIC HEALTH AND
EPIDEMIOLOGY
RANCHI VETERINARY COLLEGE
BIRSA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY,
KANKE
BY :- ANAL BOSE, 3rd Year

2. The World Health Organisation has defined “disaster” as ‘any occurrence
that causes damage, economic destruction, loss of human life and deteoriation
in health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary
response from outside the affected community or area.’
 It is an event concentrated in time and space, which causes social,economic,
cultural and political devastations and which affects both individual people
and communities. Livestocks and birds are affected and thus their producers
may invite an economic shock.

3. FLOODS
CYCLONES
TORNADOES
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
EARTHQUAKE
TSUNAMIS
STORMS
DROUGHT
OTHER GEOLOGIC PROCESSES
BOMB EXPLOSION
POLLUTION
INDUSTRIALIZATION
DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL HABITATS
RADIOACTIVE DISASTER

4. THE IMPACT OF DISASTERS
DIRECT IMPACT INDIRECT IMPACT TERTIARY IMPACT
• HUMAN LIVES
• LIVESTOCK AND OTHER
ANIMALS
• POWER AND
TELECOMMUNICATION
INFRASTRUCTURES
• EXPORTS/IMPORTS
• INDUSTRY/SERVICE
OUTPUT
• UNEMPLOYMENT
• HEALTH HAZARDS
• OVERALL INVESTMENT
• COMMUNITY
MIGRATION/RELOCATIO
N
When animals are affected by disaster, the main implications are:-
• The spoilage of food and or the water supply.
• Zoonoses (Animal-man or vice versa)
• Animal bites (closed associations and mental agony)
• Public mental health due to emotional involvement of the owners with the animals.
• Reduced livestock and dairy productions due to scarcity of feed and water, high
mortality rates.
• The damage to both domestic and wild animal species, due to lack of feed and
water and due to illnesses which spreads during and after the disasters.

5.  India is one of the top four disaster prone regions of the world. India, being a vast
country with a tropical climate experience all types of natural disasters, except
volcanic activities.
 The frequency of droughts, floods, earthquakes and cyclones is increasing every year.
Out of all states and union territories in india, 22 are disaster prone. 28% of the total
cultivable land is prone to drought, 58% of the total area is prone to earthquakes.
Densely populated construct areas cause indescribable damage.

6. THE DISASTER DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM
4 PHASES OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
• PREVENTION (mitigating or
minimizing the effects of future
emergencies)
• PREPAREDNESS (preparing to
handle an emergency)
• RESPONE (recovering from an
emergency)
• RECOVERY (recovering from an
emergency)

7. Features of PREVENTION, MITIGATION
and PREPAREDNESS
 Be familiar with and raise public awareness about national disaster policies of that region.
 Get acquainted with diseases (e.g. cholera) and social behaviors (e.g. theft) associated with
the disasters.
 Be aware of associated physical and mental impact, socio-economic and emergency
requirements.
 Ask institutions to provide prediction and warn about the disasters periodically.
 Urge upon for the development and implementation of relevant policies, procedures and
legislations.
 Make network with professional disciplines , govt. and ngos at local regional and international
level.
 At short term, assist in efforts to mobilise the necessary resources (food, water, sanitation,
shelter), including helping with emergency medical assistance, giving special attention to
vulnerable groups, ill, handicapped, children, women, elderly and livestock.
 In the long term, assist with resettlement programmes, psycho-social, economic, and legal
needs. (e.g- counselling, documentation, mobility)
 Care for those providing direct services.

8. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
 The main responsibility of disaster relief lies with the state management. The nodal ministry is
Ministry of Home Affairs.
 The GOI supplements the efforts of the state government by offering logistics and financial
support.
 As per the recommendtions of the 11th finance commission, two schemes namely the Calamity
Relief Fund (CRF) scheme and National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) scheme have been
established. Both these funds are available for meeting the cost providing immediate relief to
the victims of natural disasters.
 The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the
purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster
Management Act, 2005. The "Apex Body for Disaster Management in India is the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Chairman of the NDMA is the Prime Minister.
 National Disaster Management Authority, abbreviated as NDMA, is an apex Body of Government of
India, with a mandate to lay down policies for disaster management. The phrase disaster
management is to be understood as a continuous and integrated process of planning, organising,
coordinating and implementing measures, which are necessary or expedient for prevention of
danger or threat of any disaster mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or severity of its
consequences, capacity building, preparedness to deal with any disaster, prompt response, assessing
the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster, evacuation, rescue, relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction'. NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act enacted by
the Government of India on 23 December 2005.

9. ROLE OF VETERINARIANS
 To ensure high standards of animal health and to reduce mortality among
animals.
 They play major role in promoting local pre-disaster planning at community
level , which plays a high priority on facilitating livestock and pet evacuation.
 Veterinarians have a role to play in all stages of disaster mitigation and
management , but it is during relief efforts that they can play a crucial role in
increasing the survivability of animals that are victims.
 Main areas of contribution are :- 1) animal heath, 2) food hygiene 3) farm
hygiene.
 Veterinarians job is to ensure :- 1)disinfection and disinfestation, 2) capture
and care of stray animals (housing, feeding), 3) health care of animals, 4)
disposal of carcass, 5) storage of food, 6) training of personnel.

10.  The priorities in veterinary health care vary with each disasters. In case of high
winds, cyclones and hurricanes traumatic injuries will predominate, whereas in
droughts and in severe winter weather, starvation and dehydration may be the
problem. Following fires, smoke inhalation burn wounds will be issues that require
veterinary attention. In disasters farm animals may be forced to congregate that
result in spreading of contagious diseases.
 There are certain primary emergency actions must be taken at disasters to prevent
the injuries and loss of animals. They include:-
1) Evacuation
2) Feeding and watering
3) Identification of animals
4) Treatment
5) Prophylactic measures