disastermanagementunitiv-220213181314.pptx

1. Disaster management
Aswini A
AP/Civil/SMVEC

2. Syllabus
UNIT - I DEFINITION AND TYPES
• Hazards and Disasters, Risk and Vulnerability in Disasters, Natural and Man-made disasters,
earthquakes, floods drought, landside, land subsidence, cyclones, volcanoes, tsunami, avalanches,
global climate extremes. Man-made disasters: Terrorism, gas and radiations leaks, toxic waste
disposal, oil spills, forest fires.
UNIT – II STUDY OF IMPORTANT DISASTERS
• Earthquakes and its types, magnitude and intensity, seismic zones of India, major fault systems of
Indian plate, flood types and its management, drought types and its management, landslide and its
managements case studies of disasters in Sikkim (e.g. Earthquakes, Landslide). Social Economics
and Environmental impact of disasters.
UNIT - III MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT
• Concepts of risk management and crisis management - Disaster management cycle - Response and
Recovery - Development, Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness- Planning for relief.
UNIT – IV SAFETY PROCESS
• Coping with Disaster: Coping Strategies; alternative adjustment processes - Changing Concepts of
disaster management - Industrial Safety Plan; Safety norms and survival kits - Mass media and
disaster management.
UNIT - V PLANNING AND ACT
• Planning for disaster management: Strategies for disaster management planning - Steps for
formulating a disaster risk reduction plan - Disaster management Act and Policy in India -
Organizational structure for disaster management in India - Preparation of state and district disaster
management plans.
2

3. UNIT – IV SAFETY PROCESS
Coping with Disaster: Coping Strategies;
alternative adjustment processes - Changing
Concepts of disaster management - Industrial
Safety Plan; Safety norms and survival kits -
Mass media and disaster management
3

4. COPING
Coping is a capacity, a capacity to RESPOND and
to RECOVER from something stressful: e.g. a
disaster.
The concept of coping mechanisms and/or
strategies is closely related to the idea of survival,
and threat. It is a key concept of emergency
management.
4

5. Coping with Disaster
● The philosophy of coping with disasters can be better understood if
we comprehend the elements of risk, hazards and vulnerability
conditions that go into determining the intensity of disasters.
● The definition of a disaster must include a consideration of the
effect of a hazardous event on the target population.
● The impact of a hazardous event on a community is partially
determined by the mechanisms and adaptations that the population
has developed to deal with the effects of potentially damaging
events.In some communities, natural hazards occur with such
regularity that effective. methods have already been developed to
cope with them.
● In such cases, the occurrence of a Hazardous event might trigger
emergency activity, but would not result in a disaster. 5

6. ● The number of deaths and injuries and the
extent of destruction to infrastructure are often
used as criteria for defining a disaster, but this
may be somewhat misleading.
● A ten-victim multiple vehicle collision might
overwhelm a rural community hospital, whereas
the same event may not cause undue problems
at a large urban trauma centre
6

7. Coping Strategies
● There are no standards for coping strategies, they vary
depending on, and are influenced by socio-cultural
factors.
● E.g. some cultures have food taboo, irrespectively of
their level of deprivation, certain societies may recur to
violence more easily than others may.
● Be cautious before condemning practices that are new to
you.
● People can adopt new coping mechanisms on the basis of
lessons learned in the past and these mechanisms can
consolidate in what we call culture
7

8. ● Some disaster plans identify three levels ,of
disaster.
● A typical version is described in the Student
Manual for Disaster Management and Planning for
Emergency Physicians Course
● Level I: A localised multiple casualty emergency
wherein local medical resources are available and
adequate enough to' provide for field medical
treatment and stabilisation, including triage. The
patients will be transported to the appropriate local
medical facility for further diagnosis and treatment
8

9. ● Level II: A multiple casualty emergency where
the large number of casualties and/or lack of
local medical care facilities are such as to
require multi-jurisdiction (regional) medical
mutual aid
9

10. ● Level III: A mass casualty emergency wherein
local and regional medical resource capabilities
are exceeded and/or overwhelmed. Deficiencies
in medical supplies and personnel are such as to
require assistance from the State or Federal
Agencies
10

11. Coping stages:
● There are three stages of coping.
● The first is called ‘nonerosive’, because it
leaves behind little or no permanent damage.
● One step further down is erosive coping:
permanent harm is done.
● In the last stage, coping has failed, and the door
is open for destitution.
11

12. ● Non-erosive Coping: insurance, risk-
minimising, loss management, loans, reduction
in dietary intake, cheaper foods, reduction of
meals, sale of small stack and non-productive
assets
12

13. ● Erosive coping: disposal of productive assets.
Shark loans, sale of large livestock, land and
tools, Bonded labour arragements, Child labour
13

14. ● Failed coping: destitution, Dependency on
charity, out-migration. Prostitution, sale of
children.
14

15. Coping mechanism:
Before an Emergency:
• They must be researched
• Strengthened
• Monitored for early warning
15

16. During an Emergency: ′it is the individuals and
the community that will provide the first relief ′ :
• They must be utilized
• protected
• monitored & controlled
16

17. After an Emergency: ′it is the individuals and the
community that will provide the first relief ′
• supporting the people’s coping mechanisms is
the priority
17

18. The strategy focused on:
● Development of a global culture of prevention
● Adoption of a policy of self-reliance in each vulnerable
country and community
● Education and training in disaster prevention, preparedness
and mitigation
● Development and strengthening of human resources and
material capabilities and capacities of research and
development institutions
● Involvement and active participation of the people
● Priority to programmes that promote community based
approaches to vulnerability reduction
● Effective national legislation and administrative action
● Integration of private sector on disaster reduction efforts
● Involvement of non-governmental organisations; and
● Strengthening the capacity of the United Nations system in
disaster reduction
18

19. alternative adjustment processes
● It has been stated that 'coping' is the manner in
which people act within existing resources and
the range of expectations of a situation to
achieve various ends.
● For them, this involves no more than 'managing
resources' in unusual, abnormal, and adverse
situations
19

20. ● Coping strategies refer to a set of measures taken
by the communities for obtaining resources in time
of adversity and disaster.
● They are based on their experience, social
structures, resources and their capacities to
combine them.
● Coping strategies are often complex and involve a
number of sequenced mechanisms we will refer to
in the text as “coping mechanisms”.
● They can include preparation, mitigation, and
response or rehabilitation measures
20

21. ● Coping strategies are often transmitted from
generation to generation within communities
and households.
● They depend on the assumption that reoccurring
disasters “will follow a familiar pattern, and that
people's earlier actions will be a reasonable
guide for similar events”.
21

22. ● However, coping strategies are not static and
linear.
● Under the change of their internal and external
environment, communities and households have
developed progressively different livelihood
patterns and subsequently the community coping
methods evolve over periods of time to suit the
local socioeconomic, cultural and political
environment best.
● “Strong external influence may act, often
inadvertently, to break up internal coping
mechanisms and their effectiveness”.
22

23. Alternative Approaches to Disaster Analysis
(a) Sociological Approach
(b) Anthropological Approach
(c) Development Studies Approach
(d) Disaster Medicine and Epidemiology Approach
(e) Geographical Approach
(f) Technical Approach
23

24. Sociological Approach
● Over the years Sociologists have agreed on the definition of
disaster.
● They have “interpreted disasters as special types of social
phenomena, in part because they are dramatic historical
happenings (events), and also because they compel collective
reactions (social catalysts)”.
● The sociologists study a range of different types of events.
● They are natural hazards (tornadoes, floods, hurricanes,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), accidents (air disasters,
explosions, large scale fires, breaking of dams).
● Not lots of sociological disaster studies have been done on
famines, epidemics, economic depressions, political
revolutions and wars.
24

25. ● According to the sociologists, there are different
dimensions in thinking disaster as events.
(a) Length of Forewarning: This is the gap between the
identification of hazardous conditions and the actual
effects on a particular location. This gap in time can be
very short or long.
(b) Magnitude of Impact: This is the magnitude of social
disruption and physical harm.
(c) Scope of Impact: This is the geographical and social
boundaries of the physical harm and social disruption.
The scope can be a regional one or a global one.
(d) Duration of Impact: This is the time between the
staring of social disruption and physical harm to the
end. This duration can be short or long.
25

26. Anthropological Approach
● According to the Anthropologist “Disaster is
seen as a process leading to an event that
involves a combination of a potentially
destructive agent from the natural or
technological sphere and a population in a
socially produced condition of vulnerability”
26

27. ● Pre-Disaster Risk and Vulnerability: Within the
same social system, a group of people are more
vulnerable to disasters than others.
● This inequality increases discrimination as well as
tensions both during the times of crisis and relief.
● The severity of disaster impact is increased by
conditions like poverty, racism, gender inequality,
history of colonial exploitation, global inequities,
imbalances of trade and underdevelopment.
27

28. ● Responses to Disaster: The anthropology of disaster has
focused on changes occurring within cultural institutions
like religion, ritual, economic organization, politics
(local cooperation or conflict), the ability of local
institutions to mitigate the impact of a disaster , and the
differential capabilities of response due to ethnicity,
gender, age and socioeconomic status.
● They have shown adaptive coping strategies that have
been used traditionally to cope with disasters.
● They have noted how disasters change political
organizations and power relations between individuals,
the state and international actors.
● They have also looked at the changes that disasters bring
to economic system in the form of employment, sharing
etc.
28

29. ● Providing Relief: Development and Power:
They supported a more developmental approach
to prevent future disasters than a top-down
strategy
29

30. Development Studies Approach
● This approach looks at the problems of providing
aid and relief to Third World Countries.
● Mainly it addresses the problems of refugee
management, health care and the avoidance of
starvation
● Most of the disaster impact occurs in developing
countries.
● This increases poverty and human vulnerability.
● This approach is more concerned about the issues
of vulnerability and livelihood security
30

31. Disaster Medicine and Epidemiology Approach
● This approach mainly focuses on the management of mass
causalities, treatment of physical trauma and the
epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases.
● The incidence of such disease generally increases after a
disaster as there is a disruption of public health
● Medical support is the first priority after initial search and
rescue phase
● For example disasters like floods can create epidemic in the
form of diarrhea, respiratory and infectious diseases.
● Disasters like earthquakes and technological accidents create
problems like bone fractures and psychological trauma.
● If medical facilities are delivered to the victims in the first
few hours of disaster, that saves more number of lives
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32. Geographical Approach
● This approach has used the social science
methods and emphasis is given to the spatio-
temporal distribution of hazards, impacts and
vulnerability.
● They have discussed how choices are made
between different types of adjustment to natural
hazards
32

33. Technical Approach
● This is the approach of physical and natural
scientists. They give more stress to seismology,
volcanology, geomorphology and other
geophysical approaches.
● The emphasis here is on nature, scale, intensity
and impacts on human structure or engineering.
It may have some elements of human ecology.
33

34. Changing Concepts of disaster management
● Disasters, pose a threat to the development strategies of nations as
they destroy the productive capacity, interrupt economic and social
activities and create irreversible changes in the natural resource base.
● Hence, disaster management traditionally has been viewed as a
strategy for preparing and managing the aftermath of the sudden
events.
● It was always felt that disasters overwhelm the capacity of the nations
and communities by causing severe hardships and loss. Gradually by
1990s, a change in the perception about disasters was visible.
● They are no longer considered as sudden occurrences that can be
handled by emergency response and rescue services.
● Disaster prevention, which earlier was not a development priority,
added a new dimension to disaster management.
● A general awareness is beginning to be generated that disaster impact
can be minimised through improved development planning and
implementation
34

35. ● Risk reduction as a significant disaster management strategy is
gaining importance.
● Disaster policies, it was perceived, can identify the probable risks the
community face and its capacity to withstand these.
● Hazards, it was realised need to be looked upon as an integral part of
development process.
● The developmental perspective to disasters, as we have already
discussed in Unit 16 of this Course, views disasters as not random
acts of nature but as an outcome of poor risk management that has
occurred over time.
● Hence risk reduction strategy is being embarked upon for achieving
sustainable development and protection of people and livelihoods.
● Disasters currently are being seen as opportunities to capitalise on the
inflow of resources for relief to promote long-term development.
● In a traditional sense, disaster relief and development were looked at
as two distinct entities.
● Relief was in a way top-down in nature.
● The affected communities were considered helpless and passive
receivers of aid without being involved in the process of relief and
rehabilitation.
35

36. 36
From To
Helplessness of the victims Awareness of the ability to cope
International response National reliance
Outside response Community self reliance
Emergency agency responsibility Everyone’s responsibility
Individual aid Restoration of social system
Victims as receivers Victims as actors
Good dole out Training and Institution building
Donor focused Victim focused

37. Industrial Safety Plan
Most of the industries are facing with various problems as :
• Primarily industries have been located beyond city
dwelling but during course of time human migration
surrounded industries with hutments and even permanent
structured dwellings creating rows of colonies posing
threats to human population and live stock. Relocation
steps are in progress.
• Some industries have no environmental and other safety
clearances but they are still functioning.
• Multiple industry location concept should ensure
segregation of hazard prone and vulnerable industries and
be located aloof from human habitation
37

38. List of Vulnerabilities
● Improper location of Communities
● Poor developmental planning
● Lack of knowledge
● Lack of mitigation measures
● Lack of evacuation expertise
● Transportation risks
38

39. Industrial Hazards
● Fire: This is the most frequent of the hazards
however the consequences are generally less.
● The effect of fire on people usually takes the form
of skin burns and is usually dependent on the
exposure time and the intensity of the heat.
● Fire can also produce toxic fumes like Acrolein,
Carbon monoxide and Cyanides.
● Physical structures can be damaged either by the
intensity of the heat or combustion.
● It may also have an effect on essential services like
power and instrumentation which can cause an
escalation of the incident
39

40. ● Explosion: Explosions are usually heard from far away
as a ‘bang’. This is the result of a shock wave.
● This overpressure can kill people but usually the indirect
effects of collapsing buildings, flying glass and debris
causes far more loss of life and severe injuries.
● There are different types of explosions which include gas
explosions and dust explosions.
● Gas explosions occur when a flammable gas mixes with
air and is exposed to an ignition source.
● Dust explosions occur when flammable solids, especially
metals, in the form of fine powders are intensively mixed
with air and ignited.
40

41. ● Toxic/Chemical release: Sudden releases of
toxic vapours have the potential to cause death and
severe injuries several miles from the release point.
● They are carried by water and air.
● Their release into public sewage systems, rivers,
canals and other water courses, either directly or
through contaminated water used in fire fighting
can result in serious threat to public.
● The number of casualties depends on the weather
conditions, population density in the path of the
cloud and the effectiveness of the emergency
arrangements.
41

42. ● Environmental Damage: As well as having the
potential for causing injury, loss of life and damage to
property, the hazards of fire, explosion and toxic releases
may pose a severe threat to the environment.
● Release of other substances, not directly toxic to humans
can cause major pollution problems.
● It is becoming increasingly recognized that damage to
natural resources such as plant and animal life can have
serious long term consequences.
● E.g. destruction of trees is increasing the effect of global
warming and extinction of animals are severely
disrupting food webs and causing an increase in pests
42

43. Industrial safety
● Occupational health and safety.
● Workplace safety.
● Technical equipment safety related to electrical
safety and fire safety.
● Cyber security.
● Safety in general, including installations following
existing building codes.
● Building and structural safety.
● Environmental safety as a direct or indirect impact
of industry
43

44. Safety plans
● Design and Pre-modification review: this involves proper layout, facilities and
material selection. Research should be done try to substitute extremely toxic
chemicals with safer ones. Less chemicals should be stored; a reduction in
inventory will automatically mean less damage if an accident is to occur.
● Chemical Risk Assessment: Chemicals are assessed based on compatibility,
flammability, toxicity, explosion hazards and storage.
● Process Safety Management: HAZOP studies, reliability assessment of process
equipment, incorporating safety trips and interlocks, scrubbing system, etc.
should be done before effecting major process changes. Management should try
to develop a culture of safety in industrial organizations
● Safety Audits: Periodical assessment of safety procedures and practices,
performance of safety systems and gadgets along with follow up measures should
be carried out.
● Emergency Planning: A comprehensive risk analysis indicating the impact of
consequences and specific written down and practiced emergency procedures
along with suitable facilities should be done. This can be done by communities as
well as national or regional corporation authorities
44

45. ● Training: Proper training of employees and protective services should
be done.
● Special times and escorts for dangerous vehicles
● Public Cooperation on the road: The public should cooperate with
the police and any tankers and heavy duty vehicles to avoid accidents
and allow for the shortest possible on road time for dangerous
vehicles.
● Public awareness: Everyone should be aware of potential disasters
and informed of protective and safety measures. Cautions must be
placed to standout on dangerous household and car care products.
● Proper storage of hazardous Materials: All chemicals and
hazardous materials should be kept at proper storage temperature and
in locked cupboards away from children and animals. Also, if reactive
substances are stored, it should be stored is a watertight container.
45

46. Prevention and Preparedness
● Provision of personal identification system, bio matric etc. at
main gate.
● Road clearance for Ambulance, fire brigade and other relief.
● Adequate working space in the industrial units.
● Strong store rooms for storing inflammable solids or liquids.
● Equipment control room and safety alarming system.
● PA system connecting all locations.
● Fire extinguishers, water jets, water hydrants and hose at
suitable places.
● CCTV/GPS for surveillance. Inter communication system with
all rooms. Efficient communication system be developed.
● Dump yards with separate type of waste dumped.(Waste
management)
● Up dated Disaster management plan with maps. 46

47. Mitigation
● Hazard mapping
● Hazard risk and vulnerability analysis
● Land use planning. Relocation of damaged unit to safer
location.
● Community participation programs.
● Community preparedness with training.
● Internal and external functioning surveillance.
● Holistic approach through technical up gradation.
● Waste water management and rain water harvesting for
storing water in sumps for emergency usage.
● GIS,GPS
● Procurement of failsafe equipment only
47

48. Rescue
● Protect your customers, infra structure, management records
and systems against potential threats.
● Organize a system to indicate levels of alert to alert
customers and staff in time and it will also help expiate
positive help as per requirement from all agencies .
● Minimize disruption and operational losses.
● Manage the recovery operation in an organized and effective
manner with cooperation of government, non government
agencies and other stake holders. System integration with all
agencies specially essential service agencies.
● Restore and build back confidence of customers, investors,
and stakeholders to maintain brand image and reputation of
the organization.
● Fully observe survival procedures
48

49. Safety norms
● To present the regulatory standards on
occupational safety & health for workplace
safety and their enforcement in the country.
● To assess the extent of coverage offered by non-
regulatory standards on OSH.
● To evaluate the extent of their use in the
industries.
49

50. Regulatory Standards
● The statutory provisions, which are mandatory
serve as a minimum standard to ensure safety at
workplace but its process of amendment is so
lengthy & time consuming that it is very difficult
to keep it matching with the state of the art.
● In view of the above, some standards /codes are
essential to support & provide
information/guidelines on state of art on the subject
● Rules under the Act are intended to such a purpose,
but those too are not revised frequently
50

51. Regulatory Standards in India
51
Act Purpose
The Factories Act, 1948 Umbrella legislation to regulate the working conditions
in factories.
The Industrial Disputes
Act, 1947
To facilitate investigation and settlement of all
industrial disputes related to industrial employees and
employers
The Industries Act, 1951 To empower the Government to take necessary steps
for the development of industries; to regulate the
pattern and direction of industrial development; and to
control the activities, performance and results of
industrial undertakings in the public interest.
Indian Electricity Act,1910 To amend the law retaining to the supply and use of
electrical energy.

52. 52
Act Purpose
Manufacture, Storage & Import
of Hazardous Chemicals Rules
1989
To regulate the manufacture, storage and import of
hazardous chemicals in India.
Indian Explosive Act, 1984 to regulate the manufacture, possession, use, sale,
transport, import and export of explosives
Indian Petroleum Act ,1934 to consolidate and amend the law relating to the
import, transport, storage, production, refining and
blending of petroleum.
Building & Other Construction
Workers Act 1996
to regulate the employment and conditions of service
of building and other construction workers
Boilers Act,1923 to provide mainly for the safety of life and Property
of persons from the danger of explosions of steam
boilers and for achieving uniformity in registration
and inspection during operation and maintenance of
boilers in India.

53. Non regulatory Standards
● The non regulatory standards as promulgated by BIS and
many other national and international organisations
/agencies may serve as dynamic guidelines if the
organisations controlling the trade or industry make such
provisions.
● Otherwise the standards can only be used voluntarily for
the sake of product quality or organisational repute.
● It is presumed by the industry that OSH standards are not
directly linked with the product quality or organisational
repute hence the managements are reluctant to use them
unless related with trade compulsion or are made
compulsory
53

54. ISO Standards & International Trade
● Conformity to ISO Standards related to Safety,
Health and Environment have been made
compulsory by the some international trade control
agencies for the commercial participants.
● This decision was reluctantly accepted initially by
Indian industries but to facilitate the trade ISO
Standards are applied now are proving to be an
important incentive for better safety & health
conditions in industry
54

55. Survival kits
● Personal Protective Equipment
● Head Protection
 Class A hard hat
 Class E hard hat
 Class C hard hat
● Eye and Face Protection
● Hearing Protection
● Hand and Foot Protection
● Protective Clothing and Personal Hygiene
55

56. Personal Protective Equipment
● PPE is used to protect a person’s eyes, face,
ears, head, extremities, respiratory system, and
other parts of his or her body.
56

57. Head Protection
 Class A hard hat - High Voltage resistance
 Class B hard hat - various electrical hazards and shocks
and burn
 Class C hard hat - No Voltage Protection
 Class D hard hat - fire resistant
57

58. Eye and Face Protection
● Eye and face PPE is required for all persons that are exposed to
hazards that include flying objects, molten metal, liquid
chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors,
potentially injurious light radiation, or dust.
58

59. Hearing Protection
● Hearing PPE shall be worn by persons whenever they
are exposed to noises above 90 decibels as measured
on the A-scale of a standard sound meter
59

60. Hand and Foot Protection
● Hand PPE shall be worn by persons who are exposed to hazards
such as those from skin absorption of harmful substances,
severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, chemical
burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes.
60

61. Protective Clothing and Personal Hygiene
● Protective clothing shall be worn by those persons who
are exposed to hazards such as solid and liquid
chemicals, high or low temperatures, open flames, and
large amount of ultraviolet light
61

62. Mass media and disaster management
Research and reviews of different cases has identified the four
primary ways that citizens use mass media technologies during
natural disasters
● Family and Friends Communication - To connect with family
members between affected and unaffected communities/areas (or
within affected communities) for situation updates and planning
responses.
● Situation Updates - Neighbours and communities share critical
information between each other such as; road closures, power
outages, fires, accidents and other related damages.
● Situational/Supplemental Awareness - in a number of cases
citizens rely less and less on authority communication, especially
through traditional channels (television, radio, phone.)
● Services Access Assistance - Citizens would use mass media
channels to provide each other with ways and means to contact
different services they may need after a crisis
62

63. The role of mass media in the wake of natural
disasters
● Provides valuable information to those in a disaster
area pre and post disaster (via Internet, if available,
or SMS updates).
● Drives awareness to those outside the affected
areas, generating volunteers and/or donors.
● Connects displaced family & friends.
● Provides information about unclaimed property,
and in worst case scenarios, bodies.
● Offers information about aid, centers and other
resources available to those affected.
63

64. Types of news in disaster
● descriptions of events and situations
● human interest stories
- plight of the survivors
- heroism of rescuers
- fortitude of victims
● political reactions to the disaster
● links to other problems (for example, crime)
● what the authorities say
64

65. Sources of news in a disaster
• journalists at the site
• journalists at the nearest centre of government
• press agency reports
• official communication
65

66. What do the mass media and the general
public want to know?
• what has happened?
• where and when?
• who is or was involved?
• what caused the situation?
• what can be done to put things right?
• why did it happen?
66

67. ● how serious is the damage?
● what safety measures are being taken?
● whose fault is it?
● who will take the responsibility for what
happened?
● what should be said to victims, survivors, and
people at risk? .
● has anything similar happened in the past?
67

68. The mass media in disaster
● 24-hour coverage
● They need press conferences and constant
supply of information
● They need a point of reference
● They need access to a senior official
● They look for observation points; their approach
is invasive.
68

69. The "targets" of the mass media
• witnesses
• injured people
• survivors
• people in mourning
• "heroes and villains"
69

70. Negative aspects of the mass media in disasters
● Reports of disaster tend to be unsustained and
unsystematic
● The sense of responsibility is lacking
● Prejudice, sensationalism, negligence
● Political bias
● Errors about the presence of panic and chaos.
● A chronicle of rumour and "myths"
70

71. ● Ethnocentric bias
● Information on risk is not given
● The media do not encourage people to reduce
their own risks
● Discrepancies between reports of disasters at
home and abroad
● The media are mainly interested in the short
term aftermath of disasters not in the long term.
71

72. Limitations of disaster reporting
● Visits by journalists to the disaster area tend to
be short and hasty
● Journalists may not understand local language,
culture and customs
● News may be filtered by the perceptions of
people who are interviewed and of the
journalists themselves
● Reality is distorted to the angle which seems
most interesting to, readers, viewers or listeners.
72

73. Positive aspects of the media in disaster
● Most journalists want to report with accuracy
and objectivity
● They are usually happy to collaborate with the
authorities and help give out good information
to people who need it
● They can be made to see their own role in
disaster management.
73