Basic Concept and Terminologies in Disaster

MRS_Saleh_Disaster & Disability_2018

Basic Concept andTerminologies in
Disaster
Md. Saleh Ur Rahman
BSc in Occupational Therapy (DU)
Master in Disaster Management (BRACU)
Market Development Officer & Disaster Focal
M4C, SwisscontactWorldwide

DISASTER ????
???
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• The term disaster origin to the French word
“Desastre” which is a combination of two words ‘des’
meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star
• Thus the term refers to ‘Bad or Evil star’.

“A disaster is a result from the combination
of hazard, vulnerability and insufficient
capacity or measures to reduce the
potential chances of risk”- (ADPC)
A serious disruption of the functioning of a society,
causing widespread human, material, or
environmental losses which exceed the ability of
the affected society to cope using its own
resources (Definition by the UN)

• A disaster happens when a hazard impacts on the
vulnerable population and causes damage,
casualties and disruption.
• Thus, disaster occurs only when hazards and
vulnerability meet.

• But it is also to be noted that with greater
capacity of the individual/community and
environment to face these disasters, the impact of
a hazard reduces.
• Therefore, we need to understand the three
major components namely hazard,
vulnerability and capacity.

HAZARD

• “A dangerous condition or event, that threat or
have the potential for causing injury to life or
damage to property or the environment.”
• The word ‘hazard’ origin to the word ‘hasard’ in
old French and ‘az-zahr’ in Arabic meaning ‘chance’
or ‘luck’.
• Hazards can be grouped into two broad
categories called natural and manmade.

NATURAL HAZARDS
Natural hazards are hazards which are caused
because of natural phenomena.
Meteorological: Natural disasters of the atmosphere.
Types of Meteorological hazards: Hurricane,Typhoon,
Cyclones.
Characteristics: Hard rain, flooding, high winds.
Duration: 8 – 24 hours of full force

Geological or even: one of several types of adverse geologic
conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property and
life.These hazards consist two types of phenomena.
Sudden onset: avalanches, earthquakes landslide, flash
flood etc.
Slow onset: river bank erosion, ground settlement, sand dune
migration etc.
Biological origin: also known as biohazards, refer to biological
substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms,
primarily that of humans.

MAN MADE HAZARDS
Manmade hazards are hazards
which are due to human negligence.
• Manmade hazards are associated with: Industries
or Energy generation facilities and include
explosions, Leakage of toxic waste, Pollution, Dam
failure,Wars or civil conflict.

Vulnerability is a condition or sets of
conditions that reduces people’s ability to
prepare for, survive or respond to a hazard.
There is a
potential for
an event to
occur

CATEGORIZATION OF VULNERABILITY
Vulnerabilities can be categorized into:
• Physical (Loss of buildings, assets, infrastructure,
lifeline facilities etc.)
• Social (such as age, gender, poverty, culture,
attitude of population)
• Economical (potential loss of stock,
investments, crops etc.)
• Environmental (degradation, changes of state,
etc.)

CAPACITY
“Resources, means and strengths which exist
in households and communities and which
enable them to cope with, withstand,
prepare for, prevent, mitigate or quickly
recover from a disaster”.
• Those resources and strengths which exists in
households and communities enabling them to
cope with, withstand, prepare for, mitigate or
quickly recover from a disaster.

SO,,,,,,,

RISK
The probability that a community’s structure or
geographic area is to be damaged or disrupted by
the impact of a particular hazard, on account of
their nature, construction, and proximity to a
hazardous area.

COME TO THE POINT…..
A hazard turns into a DISASTER
when peoples in the danger zones
are vulnerable and do not have the
capacity to cope with the impacts
of the hazards.

DISASTER RISK
Hazard X Vulnerability
Capacity

GLOBAL DISASTER FACT SHEET
* In a year

CONT.….

CONT.…

SOUTH ASIA DISASTER FACT SHEET
Average annual income loss ($ million)Percentage of natural Disasters

CONT.…..

DISASTERS IN SOUTH ASIA
Top 10 natural disasters in South Asia region is:
1. Cyclone
2. Flood
3. Earthquake
4.Tornado
5.Tsunami
6. Drought
7. Landslide
And recently added Lightning as natural disaster.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE

RESPONSE
Actions taken
immediately following
the impact of a disaster
when exceptional
measures are required
to meet the basic
needs of the survivors.

RELIEF
Measures that are
required in search and
rescue of survivors, as
well to meet the basic
needs for shelter, water,
food and health care.

REHABILITATION
Actions taken in the
aftermath of a disaster
to:
Assist victims to repair
their homes; re-establish
essential services; revive
key economic and social
activities.

RECONSTRUCTION
Permanent measures
to repair or replace
damaged homes and
infrastructure and to
set the economy back
on course.

???

DEVELOPMENT
Sustained efforts
intended to improve or
maintain the social and
economic well-being of
a Community.

PREVENTION
Measures taken to
avoid a disaster from
occurring, if possible
(to delay a hazard so
that it does not have
any harmful effects).

MITIGATION
Measures taken prior to
the impact of a disaster
to minimize its effects
(sometimes referred to
as structural and non-
structural measures).

PREPAREDNESS
Measures taken in
anticipation of a disaster
to ensure that
appropriate and
effective actions are
taken in the aftershock.

SO, AGAIN WE RECAP…..

Thank you

Basic Concept and Terminologies in Disaster

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