Disaster Management

Disaster management refers to the process of planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing measures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural or man-made disasters. It involves various activities and strategies aimed at minimizing the impact of disasters on human lives, infrastructure, and the environment. Here are the key components of disaster management:

These characteristics can help in categorization of different types and levels of floods as well as it enables us to compare different hazards with each other. Simply, these characteristics can be translated as what, when, where, why, how, how much and who.

The hazard assessment should begin with the identification of what natural hazards can be expected and how they might change in the short and medium term as a result of climate change. First of all, all of the potential hazards are identified. Then the areas that could be affected by the hazard are marked, this is called Hazard Mapping. The magnitude, intensity and frequency of the hazards are determined and the causes of the hazards are investigated. Hazards could include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, drought, cyclones and epidemics.

This research study is based on Disaster (Flood 2010) Impact Assessment for District Nowhshera Pakistan. The study analyses the causes of the flood in the area, intensifying factors for the flood and the physical, social, attitudinal, economic and environmental impacts of the flood in the research area.

It also includes the structural and non-structural measures taken to avoid the disaster impact and the challenges faced in Disaster Impact Assessment in the area.

A process of disaster risk management in which at risk communities are actively engaged in identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in order to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities.

A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or the effects of a disaster. Capacity may include physical, institutional, social or economic means as well as skilled personal or collective attributes such as leadership and management. Capacity may also be described as capability. Some examples of capacity are: permanent houses, ownership of land, adequate food and income sources, family and community support in times of crisis, local knowledge, good leadership etc.

PRA is an exercise in communication and transfer of knowledge. Regardless of whether it is carried out as part of project identification or appraisal or as part of country economic and sector work, the learning by doing and teamwork spirit of PRA requires transparent procedures. For that reason, a series of open meetings (an initial open meeting, final meeting, and follow up meeting) generally frame the sequence of PRA activities. Other tools common in PRA are

A set of prevailing conditions which adversely affect the community’s ability to prevent, mitigate, prepare for or respond to a hazard. Absence of coping strategies is also a part of vulnerability and has to be considered in vulnerability assessment e.g. living in hazard prone locations like near to a sea or river, above the fault lines, at the base of a mountain etc