Disaster Studies

1. An Essay on
Effective Disaster Risk Management can ensure Sustainable Development
Course Title: Disaster Studies
Course Code: DS 2205
SUBMITTED TO:
Md. Ashikuzzaman
Lecturer
Development Studies Discipline
Khulna University
Khulna, 9208
SUBMITTED BY:
Md. Ayatullah Khan
Student ID: 152119
2nd
Year; 2nd
Term
Development Studies Discipline
Khulna University
Khulna, 9208
Date of Submission: February 05, 2017

2. Effective Disaster Risk Management can ensure Sustainable Development
Disasters resulting from natural hazards such as floods, drought, earthquakes, cyclones, fires,
desertification and insect infestation impact development in several ways. The level of disaster
risk is measured in terms of the probability of occurrence of natural hazards of varying severity
in a particular area.
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) refers to the processes of designing, implementing, and
evaluating strategies, policies, and measures to improve the understanding of disaster risk, foster
disaster risk reduction and transfer, and promote continuous improvement in disaster
preparedness, response, and recovery practices, with the explicit purpose of increasing human
security, well-being, quality of life, and sustainable development. Disaster risk management
involves actions both to reduce disaster risk and to manage the remaining residual risk, with the
goal of strengthening long-term disaster resilience. The purpose of Disaster Risk Management is
to reduce the underlying factors of risk and to prepare for and initiate an immediate response
should disaster hit.
Achieving sustainable development is of vital importance to every country. Sustainable
development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Various impediments
such as political or social conflicts, financial crises, diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS), environmental
degradation and natural disasters hinder efforts to create a sustainable world. Disaster risk
management is therefore essential for the realization of sustainable development.
Sustainable development and disaster risk management are closely linked. Disaster risk
management as a remedy to avoid or mitigate disaster risks is a key element in establishing and
maintaining sustainable development and societies. Disaster risk management that enhances
sustainable development means the systematic management of administrative decisions,
organization, operational skills and responsibilities to apply policies, strategies and practices for
disaster risk reduction. As a result, disaster risk management considerations in sustainable
development would add marginally to the cost of the development activity.
There is a number of ways in which DRM financing can be used to advance sustainable
development. In particular, governments and their development partners can:
i. integrate disaster risk in the design of development policies, national and subnational
development plans;
ii. establish direct and indirect incentives for incorporating disaster risk reduction measures
into both public and private investment decisions;

3. iii. ensure that post disaster relief, early recovery and reconstruction financing is provided in
a sufficient and timely fashion, minimizing the indirect consequences of direct physical
losses and therefore the development costs of disasters;
iv. strengthen post disaster damage, loss and needs assessments, including retrospective
longitudinal studies to explore the long-term impacts of disasters on human development;
v. enhance the coordination and monitoring of disaster response resources, ensuring that
identified relief, early recovery and reconstruction needs are met.
Thus, there is an international acceptance of the role of disaster risk management in the
sustainable development attempts of countries, organizations as well as communities at the
national and local levels.
So, we can say that effective disaster risk management can ensure sustainable development.