DISASTERS & EMERGENCIES DEFINITIONS Training Package WHO/EHA Panafrican Emergency Training Centre, Addis Ababa Updated March 2002 by EHA 1 WORLDWIDE Number of People Affected by Disasters Million 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Year 2000 IFRC World Disaster Report 2 Definition : DISASTER : A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community. 3 It is the people who matter most, and without the people we have no disaster. 4 THE DISASTER -DEVELOPMENT C O N T I N U U M DISASTER Response Preparedness Rehabilitation Prevention Reconstruction 5 RELIEF-DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM Disaster prevention, mitigation & preparedness safeguard development. Good response facilitates recovery and development. Africa’s hazards and vulnerabilities have been the targets of 30 years of development: their persistence testifies to as many failures. Today, ever-increasing resources are spent for disaster relief, at the expense of development. But only development can reduce vulnerabilities, and the hazards arising from the socio-economic structure. 6 THE DISASTER-DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM Disasters and crisis (“emergencies”) are not aberrant phenomena. They are reflections of the ways societies structure themselves and allocate their resources. (R. Kent, 1997) 7 DISASTER MORTALITY IN RELATION TO DEVELOPMENT STATUS deaths/1,000 population 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 low income middle income high income Gross Domestic Product per capita Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Belgium 8 Every year Western Governments spend USD 100 billion subsidizing power stations (i.e. Global Warming) USD 300 billion subsidizing agriculture (i.e. Deforestation and Overgrazing) USD 50 billion subsidizing fisheries (i.e. Overfishing) (Worldwatch Institute, 1996) 9 EMERGENCY a state in which normal procedures are suspended and extra-ordinary measures are taken in order to avert a disaster 10 Definition: HAZARD A natural or human-made event that threatens to adversely affects human life, property or activity to the extent of causing a disaster. 11 HAZARDS AND DISASTERS: CLASSIFICATION STORM HEAT WAVE SUDDEN OCCURRENCE FREEZE MONOCAUSAL EARTHQUAKE BY NATURAL CAUSES VOLCANIC ERUPTION INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY OF RESPONSE LANDSLIDE DROUGHT PROGRESSIVE OCCURRENCE FLOOD MULTICAUSAL EPIDEMIC PEST DISASTER FIRE EXPLOSION SUDDEN OCCURRENCE COLLISION MONOCAUSAL SHIPWRECK BY HUMAN STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE CAUSES ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION PROGRESSIVE OCCURRENCE WAR MULTICAUSAL ECONOMIC CRISIS 12 A disaster occurs when hazards and vulnerability meet VULNERABILITY DISASTER HAZARD Underlying causes Dynamic pressures Unsafe conditions Trigger event Poverty Lack of Fragile physical Limited access to - local institutions environment - power structures - education - dangerous locations Earthquake - resources - training - dangerous buildings, High winds, storm Ideologies - appropriate skills etc. Floods Economic systems - local investments Vulnerability Landslide Age - local markets Fragile local economy Volcanic eruption Sex - services - low levels of income + Hazard Drought Illness and disabilities - press freedom - livelihoods at risk =DISASTER War, civil strife Economic crisis Macro-forces Public actions Technological accident - population expansion - urbanization - environment degradation 13 VULNERABILITY the predisposition to suffer damage due to external events 14 SUSCEPTIBILITY exposure to danger RESILIENCE adaptability, capacity to recover 15 Poverty, population growth and urbanization force living in unsafe areas Site Site after pressures from population growth and urbanization 16 Disaster Management and Emergency Management EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Preparedness Response/Relief Rehabilitation Mitigation/ Prevention Reconstruction Pre-disaster: risk reduction Post-disaster: recovery DISASTER MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT RELIEF 17 AIMS OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT S reduce (avoid, if possible) the potential losses from hazards S assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims when necessary S achieve rapid and durable recovery 18 CAPACITY ability, ableness to do Capacity for emergency management is made of: S INFORMATION S AUTHORITY S INSTITUTIONS S PARTNERSHIPS S PLANS, RESOURCES AND PROCEDURES TO ACTIVATE THEM 19 MITIGATION: permanent reduction of the risk of disaster “Primary Mitigation” S reducing the PRESENCE of the Hazard S reducing VULNERABILITY “Secondary” Mitigation: S reducing the EFFECTS of the Hazard (Preparedness) 20 PREPAREDNESS the measures that ensure the organized mobilization of personnel, funds, equipment and supplies within a safe environment for effective relief 21 RESPONSE the set of activities implemented after the impact of a disaster in order to S assess the needs S reduce the suffering S limit the spread and the consequences of the disaster S open the way to rehabilitation 22 REHABILITATION: The restoration of basic social functions. RECONSTRUCTION: The full resumption of socio-economic activities plus preventive measures. 23 ELEMENTS OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT S disaster preparedness planning * vulnerability and risk assessment S disaster response * disaster assessment S rehabilitation & reconstruction S disaster mitigation 24 Disaster management: leading activities and related terms Disaster Management Disaster Mitigation Disaster Response Risk Assessment Prevention Preparedness Relief Rehabilitation Reconstruction Hazard Vulnera- Structural Non- Contin- Warning •Search assessment bility measures struct. gency and & rescue assessment measures planning evacuation •Security •Food •Water •Shelter & sanitation •Clothes & blankets Pre-disaster•Health care Post-disaster Reconstruction. Hazard assessment: Structural measures: Contingency planning: Immediate Rehabilitation. Disaster occurrence Full resumption of mapping, monitoring special building codes, plan of action in case intervention. Restoration of socio-economic dams, floodwalls, etc. of disaster, training Duration:… basic functions, plus Vulnerability assessment: of teams by definition, social functions. assessment of vulnerability Non-structural preventive short-term Duration:… weeks for all elements exposed measures: Warning and Evacuation: measures. to months to the hazard land use planning, laws, development of Duration:…months insurance, public indicators to years Risk assessment: education, etc. & early warning systems, calculation of expected simulation exercises losses 25 Comparing the natural history of disaster with the disaster- development continuum PRE-PATHOGENIC PERIOD PATHOGENIC PERIOD PRE-DISASTER DISASTER POST-DISASTER DISTANT IMMEDIATE LATECY EMERGENCY IMMEDIATE DISTANT deaths Population extintion disintegration disappearance of the community Level of suffering Hazards Political awareness the length of Environment the latency will IMPACT be a function recovery and of resumption Preparedness and Readiness of development VULNERABILITY ALERT READINESS R E L I E F REHABILITATION RECONSTRUCTION PREVENTION PREPAREDNESS R E S P O N S E RECOVERY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PREVENTION& MITIGATION RESPONSE & RECOVERY DISASTER MANAGEMENT (Health Promotion and) SECONDARY TERTIARY PRIMARY PREVENTION PREVENTION PREVENTION H E A L T H C A R E 26.