| DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE |
| Lets discuss about the definition: "Collection actions/measures taken before, during and after any situation to predict, prevent, reduce or cope with its impact. These measures may be taken at community or household levels." 1. Disaster Response: Activities that take place when a disaster strikes to reduce loss of life and to deliver relief as quickly as possible to the affected people. The following are the examples: --- 1. Search and Rescue 2. Need for assessment. 3. Provide the victims Psychological support. 4. Emergency food, water, medicines are required 5. There should a provison for temporary shelters and other relief activities. 6. There should also be a scope for restoring the family links. 2. Recovery (Rehabilitation): After a disaster, there are scenes, which are very heart-rending. The people needs psychological support. Measures taken after a disaster, to bring back the condition within the community to normal even better than before are given below: a. Psychological Rehabiltation: The affected people needs counseling. Their primary needs have to be met. They will be best, when they are in surroundings of their relatives. The affected have to be slowly involved in matters which will help them to see Life in a new way. The best thing is proper follow up of the matter. b. Financial Rehabilitation: The most important thing is that if the disaster is big, then the affected victims loses all there finances and this result in more tension. Plans should be made in advance for 'DISASTER INSURANCE' in areas, where natural disasters are very common. It will help. The distribution of livelihood kits should be distributed. c. Social Rehabilitation: Places such as Welfare Centers should be established. More emphasis shoould be given to self help groups. Places like 'HOMES' should be built, so that the affected people can get traumatic councelling and make a new living. 3.Risk Reduction (Mitigation): Its actually a long term measure to reduce the risk of a disaster. This means; Strengthening of existing buildings and infrastructures. Raised earth platform in flood prone areas. Taking out insurance policies. Plantation of drought resistant crops. Building of cyclone shelters, reinforcement of river banks in flood prone areas. Public awareness programs should be run. That is the most important part of risk reduction activities. There should be also community based health care/health promotion. 4. Disaster Preparedness: Its the effort to enable a community to cope with and respond quickly and effectively to any further disaster. These can be done by the following: a. By Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) of the community through mapping exercise. b. Deveopment of Early Warning Systems. These can be done with the help of satellite data, through Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing. c. Formation of community disaster preparedness and response committee and plan. d. Emphasis also should be given to community based first aid, disaster preparedness and response commitee and plan. e. Increasing community disaster awareness. f. Improve the basic training skills. g. Understanding information flow channels and develop information and reporting system. |