This document discusses disaster management concepts and applications. It defines a disaster and outlines the phases of disaster management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. It also categorizes different types of disasters as natural (meteorological, geological, environmental) or man-made (technological, industrial, warfare) and provides examples of specific disaster types like floods, earthquakes, chemical spills and attacks. Principles of disaster management are also outlined.

1. ENVIRONMENT
DISASTERMANAGEMENT CONCEPT
AND APPLICATION
SUBMITTED BY,
TESSA RAJU
M.Sc.ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE - S3

2. Disaster
.What is disaster ?
 “A disaster can be defined as any occurrence that
cause damage, ecological disruption, loss of human
life, deterioration of health and health services on a
scale, sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response
from outside the affected community or area”.
(W.H.O.)
 “A disaster can be defined as an occurrence either
nature or manmade that causes human suffering and
creates human needs that victims cannot alleviate
without assistance”. American Red Cross (ARC) ’

3. Disaster Management
The body of policy and administrative decisions and
operational activities that pertain to various stages of a
disaster at all levels.
An applied science which seeks, by systemic
observation and analysis of disasters, to improve
measures relating to prevention, emergency response,
recovery and mitigation.
Encompasses all aspects of planning for, and
responding to disasters, including both pre and post
disaster activities.

4. Disaster Management
A continuous and integrated process of planning,
organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which
are necessary or expedient for-
● Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster.
● Reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or
consequences.
● Capacity-building.
● Preparedness to deal with any disaster.
● Prompt response to any threatening disa-
ster situation or disaster.
● Assessing the severity or ma-
gnitude of effects of any disaster.
● Evacuation, rescue and relief.
● Rehabilitation and reconstruction .

5. TYPES OF DISASTERS
1 . Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are large-scale geological or meteorological events
that have the potential to cause loss of life or property. These types of
disasters include:
Tornadoes and Severe Storms
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
Floods
Wildfires
Earthquakes
Drought
Severe storms and floods are the most common types of natural
disasters reported in the United States. These meteorological events
are occasionally preceded by presidential “emergency declarations”
requiring state and local planning prior to the event, such as
evacuations and protection of public assets.

6. Tornadoes are outgrowths of powerful thunderstorms that
appear as rotating, funnel-shaped clouds. They extend from a
thunderstorm to the ground with violent winds that average
30 miles per hour. Also, they can vary in speed dramatically
from being stationary to 70 miles per hour. With a loud roar
that sounds similar to a freight train, tornadoes in the United
States typically are 500 feet across and travel on the ground
for five miles. Every state is at some risk from tornadoes and
the severe storms that produce them. These same destructive
storms also cause strong gusts of wind, lightning strikes,
and flash floods.
TORNADOES AND SEVERE STORMS

7. Hurricanes are types of tropical storms that
form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific
Ocean. Hurricanes affect millions of people
who live along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
coasts each year. Parts of the Southwest United
States and the Pacific Coast can also
experience severe weather associated
withhurricanes,whichinclude tornadoes, floods,
and heavy winds.
HURRICANES AND TROPICAL
STORMS

8. FLOOD
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. They occur
when land that is normally dry experiences an overflow of water. Several
events cause floods, including hurricanes and tropical storms, failed dams or
levees, and flash floods that occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive
rainfall.
Although coastal areas are more vulnerable to floods, particularly during
hurricane season, they can occur anywhere and can vary in size and duration.
Even very small streams, gullies, and creeks that may appear harmless in dry
weather can flood.
The physical destruction of a flood can vary, with some carrying away
everything in its path, including houses, bridges, cars, and even people who
may be trapped or wading in water. Further, the economic loss from hazardous
flood conditions can be significant.

9. WILDFIRES
Wildfires are usually triggered by lightning or
accidents and often go unnoticed at first.
•They can spread quickly and are especially
destructive if they occur near forests, rural areas,
remote mountain sites, and other woodland settings
where people live.
• While not reported as often as floods or tornadoes
and severe storms, they, too, can cause emotional
distress in people living in affected areas.
•In 2013, more than 47,500 wildfires were reported
in the United States. They destroyed thousands of
structures, including about 1,100 homes, and burned
more than 4 million acres of land.

10. DROUGHT
A drought is a normal, reoccurring weather event that can vary
in intensity and duration by region of the country and even by
location within a state. Drought occurs when there is lower
than average precipitation over a significant period of time,
usually a season or more. Other causes of drought can be a
delay in the rainy season or the timing of rain in relation to
crop growth.
Drought is a slow-moving hazardous event, so the
psychological effects of living through this type of disaster are
more subtle and last longer than with other natural disasters.
Low water availability creates shortages in water supplies that
impact various activities and the environment. The impact is
even greater as humans place demands on water supplies.
Additionally, drought conditions increase the risk of other
natural disasters, such as wildfires, and landslides.

11. EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake is the shifting of the Earth’s plates, which
results in a sudden shaking of the ground that can last for a
few seconds to a few minutes. Within seconds, mild initial
shaking can strengthen and become violent. Earthquakes
happen without warning and can happen at any time of year.
Certain states are more prone to higher frequency of
earthquakes, particularly California, Hawaii, Nevada, and
Washington.
Earthquakes are quite common and occur somewhere around
the world every day. However, the vast majority are
considered minor. The U.S. Geological Survey in 2015
reported more than 3,000 earthquakes in the United
States.Even minor earthquakes that cause little damage and
destruction can cause people to experience emotional distress .

12. MAN-MADE DISASTERS
• Anthropogenic hazards are hazards caused by human
action or inaction. They are contrasted with natural
hazards. Anthropogenic hazards may adversely affect
humans, other organisms, biomes, and ecosystems. The
frequency and severity of hazards are key elements in
some risk analysis methodologies.
• 6 Worst Man-Made Disasters in History
• 1) Bhopal Gas Tragedy, India:
• 2) Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico:
• 3) Chernobyl Meltdown, Ukraine:
• 4) Fukushima Meltdown, Japan:
• 5) Global Warming
• 6 ) Rape of the Amazon

13. What are man-made disasters?
Man-made disasters are extreme hazardous events that are
caused by human beings. Some examples of man-made
disaster emergencies include chemical spills, hazardous
material spills, explosions, chemical or biological attacks,
nuclear blast, train accidents, plane crashes, or
groundwater contamination.
CHEMICAL SPILL
Hazardous material spills can occur on land or in water. They
involve substances such as chemicals, radiation, biohazard
materials, oil and gas, propane, flammable materials,
industrial products and mixed waste.

14. Spills may occur in a lab manufacturing chemicals or in a nuclear
power facility. Sometimes they occur on the road when large
trucks transporting these materials overturn. Trains carrying
hazardous material can derail, spilling their contents.
• Biological attack?
• If a person deliberately releases a virus or bacteria that can lead to
sickness or death, this is known as a biological attack.
Anthrax could be used as a bioterrorism weapon because
it is easy to produce.
• CHEMICALATTACK ?
• Nerve gas, tear gas and pepper spray are three modern
examples of chemical weapons. Widely used during the
World War I, the effects of so-called mustard gas,
phosgene gas and others caused lung searing, blindness,
death and maiming.

15. I . NATURAL DISASTER
a) Meteorological disaster
Floods
Tsunami
Cyclone
Hurricane
Typhoon
Snow storm
Blizzard
Hail storm
b) Topographical disaster
Earthquake
Volcanic eruptions
Landslide and Avalanches
Asteroid
Limnic eruptions
C) Environmental disaster
Global warming
Ozone depletion
UVB radiation
El-nino Southern oscillation
Solar flare

16. II . MAN MADE DISASTER
a) Technological
• Transport failure
• Public place failure
• Fire
b ) Industrial
• Chemical spills
• Radioactive spills
c) Warfare
• War
• Terrorism
• Internal conflicts
• Civil unrest
• CBRNE

17. PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
• Disaster management is the responsibility of all spheres of
government.
• Disaster management should use resources that exist for a day-to-
day purpose.
• Organizations should function as an extension of their core
business
• Individuals are responsible for their own safety.
• Disaster management planning should focus on large-scale
events.
• DM planning should recognize the difference between incidents
and disasters.
• DM planning must take account of the type of physical
environment and the structure of the population.
• DM arrangements must recognize the involvement and potential

18. PHASES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

20. This phase includes actions taken to prevent or reduce
the cause, impact, and consequences of disasters.
Examples of hazard mitigation include:
 Tying down homes or barns with ground anchors to
withstand wind damage
 Digging water channels to redirect water and planting
vegetation to absorb water
 Constructing levees or permanent barriers to
 control flooding
 Reinforcing fencing to prevent animal escapes
 Buying insurance policies

21. PREPAREDNESS
This phase includes planning, training, and educational
activities for events that cannot be mitigated.
Examples include:
Developing disaster preparedness plans for what to do,
where to go, or who to call for help in a disaster
Exercising plans through drills, tabletop exercises, and full-
scale exercises
Creating a supply list of items that are useful in a disaster
Walking around a farm and identifying possible
vulnerabilities to high winds

22. RESPONSE
The response phase occurs in the immediate aftermath of a
disaster. During the response phase, business and other
operations do not function normally. Personal safety and
wellbeing in an emergency and the duration of the response
phase depend on the level of preparedness. Examples of
response activities include:
Implementing disaster response plans
Conducting search and rescue missions
Taking actions to protect yourself, your family, your animals,
and others
Addressing public perceptions about food safety

23. RECOVERY
During the recovery period, restoration efforts occur
concurrently with regular operations and activities.
The recovery period from a disaster can be prolonged.
Examples of recovery activities include:
Preventing or reducing stress-related illnesses and
excessive financial burdens
Rebuilding damaged structures based on advanced
knowledge obtained from the preceding disaster
Reducing vulnerability to future disasters