Disaster Management

Disaster management involves the pillars of emergency management: planning and preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery. An emergency is a serious event that threatens health, life and property and can be managed within the capabilities of the affected organization. Disasters, on the other hand, are hyper-complex emergencies, requiring resources that are not immediately available.

Disaster management follows the principles of emergency management, and emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and teamwork. Lack of resources will challenge people and organizations in both the impact of disasters and their ability to manage them. Poverty, climate change, governance and education are the foundations for capacity building. Hospitals play an important role in disaster response and can prepare accordingly. Plans, to be effective, must be implemented through appropriately targeted exercises. Building an all-hazards approach, with a more specific consideration of hazards can improve disaster preparedness as well as day-to-day efficiency. Disaster management is complex and crucial.

These principles are explored through the fictional story of Tucci1, a coastal town in the worst flood anyone can remember. Well, almost everyone…

Understanding the Risks in Disaster Management

Oftentimes, problems such as a poorly maintained embankment system or other neglect can worsen a catastrophic outcome. That's what happened when Hurricane Katrina flooded the New Orleans embankment in 2005.

By addressing delayed infrastructure maintenance and other contributing factors, governments and organizations can often prevent, or at least reduce, the impact of disasters.

Disaster management involves examining and managing causal factors. This requires an assessment of the extent to which a community can withstand a disaster. Some communities are more vulnerable than others. For example, poor communities have fewer resources to prepare for storms or bounce back from flood damage.

Disaster management also involves analyzing exposure to losses. For example, a house built below sea level may face greater exposure to flooding if a storm hits it.