Question

Impact and aftermath of disaster management in India

Answer 1

Answer:

Disasters and their management generally get discussed in their aftermath but practically it should result in planning and preparing the strategy to tackle and mitigate disasters in a responsible and effective manner. Disasters, both natural and unnatural, are macro level events or processes, which induce disturbances and turmoil for a prolonged life-threatening environment for a community.

World Development Report (IFRCRC, 2001) categorizes natural disasters into hydro meteorological (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc) and geophysical (landslides, droughts, etc) categories. The scope of unnatural disasters broadly encompasses conflicts, civil strife, riots and industrial disasters.

In the past decade (1991-2000), natural disasters have killed 66,59,598 people, accounting for 88 percent of all deaths due to disasters. Similarly, unnatural disasters have killed 86,923 people during the decade. Nearly two-thirds of the people killed in these disasters hail from developing countries like India, with only four percent of the casualties being reported from highly developed countries (IFRCRC, 2001).

Disaster management is essentially a dynamic process. It comprises the classical management functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. It also involves many organizations, which must work together to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of disaster. Disaster management would therefore include immediate response, recovery, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and …..the cycle goes on.

India is considered as the world’s most disaster prone country. Like many other countries in this region, India is plagued by various kinds of natural disasters every year, such as floods, drought, earthquakes, cyclones and landslides. Millions of people are affected every year and the economic losses caused by natural disasters amount to a major share of the Gross National Product (GNP). Natural Disasters are huge economic burdens on developing economies such as India. Every year, huge amount of resources are mobilized for rescue, relief and rehabilitation works following natural disaster occurrences.

In India, a closer analysis of what transforms a natural event into a human and economic disaster reveals that the fundamental problems of development that the country faces are the very same problems that contribute to its vulnerability to the catastrophic effects of natural hazards. The principal causes of vulnerability include rapid and uncontrolled urbanization, persistence of widespread urban and rural poverty, degradation of the environment resulting from the mismanagement of natural resources, inefficient public policies, and lagging (and misguided) investments in infrastructure.

Development and disaster-related policies have largely focused on emergency response, leaving a serious under-investment in natural hazard prevention and mitigation.Disasters and their management generally get discussed in their aftermath but practically it should result in planning and preparing the strategy to tackle and mitigate disasters in a responsible and effective manner. Disasters, both natural and unnatural, are macro level events or processes, which induce disturbances and turmoil for a prolonged life-threatening environment for a community.

World Development Report (IFRCRC, 2001) categorizes natural disasters into hydro meteorological (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc) and geophysical (landslides, droughts, etc) categories. The scope of unnatural disasters broadly encompasses conflicts, civil strife, riots and industrial disasters.

In the past decade (1991-2000), natural disasters have killed 66,59,598 people, accounting for 88 percent of all deaths due to disasters. Similarly, unnatural disasters have killed 86,923 people during the decade. Nearly two-thirds of the people killed in these disasters hail from developing countries like India, with only four percent of the casualties being reported from highly developed countries (IFRCRC, 2001).

Disaster management is essentially a dynamic process. It comprises the classical management functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. It also involves many organizations, which must work together to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of disaster. Disaster management would therefore include immediate response, recovery, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and …..the cycle goes on.

Explanation: