Assignment Code: MSWE-003/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: MSWE-003

Assignment Name: Disaster Management

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Answer all the five questions. All questions carry equal marks. Answers to question no. 1 and 2 should not exceed 600 words each.

Q1) List the major natural hazards affecting your region and describe in what way these hazards can affect your city/region/country?

Ans) Natural hazards is a natural phenomenon that might have a negative effect on humans and other animals, or the environment. It is a natural event that is very bad and hurts people or other things we care about, though people are usually the main focus. If a risk isn't handled well, it can turn into a disaster. So, hazards can be seen as natural, but disasters are usually caused by people. Earthquakes, cyclones, and other natural disasters can be stopped before they get out of hand.

Below is an entire list of the more than thirty hazards:

Group 1: Water and Climate related Hazards

1. Floods and Drainage Management

2. Cyclones

3. Tornadoes and Hurricanes

4. Hailstorm

5. Cloud Burst

6. Heat Wave and Cold Wave

7. Snow Avalanches

8. Droughts

9. Sea Erosion

10. Thunder and Lightning

Group II: Geologically related Hazards

1. Landslides and Mudflows

2. Earthquakes

3. Dam Failures/Dam Bursts

4. Mine Fires

Group III: Chemical, Industrial and Nuclear Hazards

1. Chemical and Industrial Disasters

2. Nuclear Disasters

Group IV: Accident-related Hazards

1. Forest Fires

2. Urban Fires

3. Mine Flooding

4. Oil Spill

5. Major Building Collapse

6. Serial Bomb Blasts

7. Festival related disasters

8. Electrical Disasters and Fires

9. Air, Road, and Rail Accidents

10. Boat Capsizing

11. Village Fires

Group V: Biologically related Hazards

1. Biological Disasters and Epidemics

2. Pest Attacks

3. Cattle Epidemics

4. Food Poisoning

Flash Flood Disaster in Almora, Uttarakhand: In 2012, the flash flood in Himalaya happened at midnight on August 3. All of India's Himalayan states were hurt by the same thing. The cloudburst killed 31 people and caused flash floods and landslides throughout the whole area. The disaster such as flash flood is common phenomena in the mountains like Himalaya. Because the uneven land structure of the Himalayan range makes it easier for flash floods to happen.

During the monsoon season, flash floods happen every year in Uttarakhand. In the past few years, rain has become much stronger. So, the damage to property and loss of life also increases. In 2010, Almora was hit by one of the worst flash floods ever seen during the monsoon season. It was the worst flash flood Almora had seen in the last twenty years, and it killed a lot of people. This flash flood has hurt villages, towns, and other places, and some have been washed away by the river Kosi's water and mud. The goal of this paper is to look at the role of hydroclimatic events in flash floods in Almora, as well as their effects and ways to stop them in the Himalayan region.

Almost every year, a number of people die because of a flash flood that causes a disaster. From what the government knows about the last six years, every year 15 to 20 people die in flash floods caused by monsoon rains. Every year, people die in Almora because of flash floods. In 2010, when it was the worst flash flood for people in this area, the most people died. Based on the information provided by the government offices of Almora, 47 people died in the flash flood of 2010, 17 people died in 2011, 13 people died in 2013, and 7 people died in 2012.

Q2) Describe the components of community-based disaster management?

Ans) The components of community-based disaster management includes:

Village Disaster Management Plan

If the community is viewed as a village, then the creation of a village disaster management plan by the community provides ownership and takes into account regional circumstances. The strategy must be created using a collaborative method with external resource individuals serving as facilitators. The plan should include contact information for key individuals involved in the management of disasters as well as a description of the process for hazard, vulnerability, risk, and resource analysis.

The village disaster management plan is a document that outlines a village's historical hazard profile and current vulnerability state so that we can be ready to stop potential hazards from developing into disasters. The plan is simply a readiness tool that the administration and the community can use in an emergency to have an understanding of the placement of personnel and material local resources in the village.

Disaster Management Committees and Teams

For the process of community-based disaster preparedness to be facilitated, disaster management committees and teams must be established at the village level. The formation of teams to perform crucial tasks like warning, evacuation, and response, first aid, damage assessment, water and sanitation, carcass disposal, shelter management, psycho-social counselling, relief management, and rehabilitation is possible while the disaster management committees can plan the disaster management process in the village.

BDO or his representative, Engineer, member of a Panchayati Raj institution, member of a supporting organisation or NGO, Gram Mukhiya or the village chief, a representative from the Mahila Mandal and a representative from the women's group, as well as youth representatives from organisations like NYKS, NCC, NSS, self-help groups, and village members, may all be included on the committee. Disaster Management Teams can be formed by a motivated group of 5-7 community volunteers. There are roughly 10 different DMTs working for various sectors that must be serviced before, during, and after a disaster. In each of the three phases of a disaster, the DMTs will follow a set of SOPs.

Mock Drills

On the basis of the community's plan, mock drills must be carried out at regular intervals. The fake drills will serve as a sort of practise where the community's response and the administration's effectiveness will be evaluated. The local disaster management strategy will also be put to the test during the simulated exercise.

Awareness

The community must be made aware of the issue via a variety of media, including print, radio, and television. Rallies, street plays, school competitions, the distribution of IEC materials, and wall murals on the dos and don'ts for various hazards are all used to carry out these programmes. Meetings with influential villagers, such as the head of the village, a health worker, teachers, elected officials, and members of youth clubs and women, inspire the villagers to carry out their plans for a safer way of life.

Training

Training plays a crucial role in CBDM. To enable them to lead the disaster management process in their community and make it a way of life, critical stakeholders like PRIs, village volunteers, disaster management committees, and disaster management teams must get training.

Community Contingency Fund

A crucial element of CBDM is the Community Contingency Fund. The availability of resources for a variety of tasks to be carried out at various stages of the cycle is quite important. The community must actively participate in resource creation and funding for the entire exercise in community-based disaster preparedness, even when the initial resources may come from an outside entity.

Q3) Answer any two of the following questions in about 300 words each: 10x2

a) Explain the various tools for risk assessment.

Ans) The various tools for risk assessment are as follows:

Risk Analysis: The tool is based on determining the risk by analysing the vulnerabilities and capacities of the community related to each hazard. On the basis of analysis, the risk is determined for a particular hazard in a ranking order.

While conducting the risk assessment one should keep the following points in mind:

1. Determine the risk by ranking

2. Ask the community about the hazard which poses the highest risk.

3. Explore the reasons due to which a particular hazard poses the risk.

SWOT Analysis: It is an analysis to measure the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to a project. This tool can be used to identify risks as well. The first step is to start with the strengths of the project. Then team members need to list out all the weaknesses and other aspects of the project that could be improved.

Risk Data Quality Assessment: It is used to improve the project manager’s understanding of the risks the project could face as well as collect all the information about the risk possible. By examining these parameters, they can come up with an accurate assessment of the risk.

Variance and Trend Analysis: It helps when project managers look for variances that exist between the schedule of the project and cost and compare them with the actual results to see if they are aligned or not. If the variances rise, uncertainty and risk also rise simultaneously. This is a good way of monitoring risks while the project is underway. It becomes easy to tackle problems if project members watch trends regularly to look for variances.

b) Discuss the psychosocial issues of disaster affected vulnerable people.

Ans) People who have experienced a disaster go through distinct psychological reactions. These responses occur immediately after the occurrence, whereas socioeconomic effects like unemployment, homelessness, environmental destruction, and disarray appear as a result of the destruction brought on by the disaster.

Individual community members' emotional responses to a disaster may differ from one another, and these reactions typically shift over time based on the community's ability to cope and socioeconomic situation. Therefore, psychological interventions following a disaster should be adaptable and founded on a continuous assessment of requirements. Generally, most children recover from the frightening experiences associated with a disaster without professional intervention. Most simply need time to experience their world as a secure place again and their parents as nurturing caregivers who are also again in charge.

The understanding of emotional reactions should be based on the manifestation of different stress reactions, the amount of effort people put into self-reconstruction, the pattern and degree of handicap caused by these psychological stresses, etc. Nature and severity of the disaster, level of exposure to the disaster, availability of adequate social support, age, gender, status of the person, separation/displacement from the locality, separation from family/primary support group, and individual losses of the survivor are some factors that may affect how people react.

Symptoms associated with PTSD could represent normal adaptive reactions and that for many people the effects of a disaster may still be observed beyond one to two years after the event. In trying to determine what made the various symptoms persist and the daily hassles of routine life in the weeks and months following the incident interacted with the severity of the trauma experienced making it difficult to recover. The strains of ongoing life events also impact the availability of a supportive environment.

Q4) Answer any four of the following in about 150 words each: 5x4

a) Explain the different causes for drought.

Ans) The different causes of drought are as follows:

1. Failure or unpredictable behaviour of the monsoon can result in significant pressure, which may lead to conditions resembling drought.

2. Water availability may be significantly reduced throughout the summer due to overuse of surface and groundwater and insufficient water conservation measures, which could result in drought-like conditions.

3. Changes in agricultural methods could result in drought-like conditions as well. Cropping patterns that shift from low to moderate water demand crops to high demand crops result in increased water use to grow the crops, placing stress on the sparse irrigation systems and other water supply resources already in place.

4. Such circumstances may be caused by the overuse, misuse, or inadequate management of water supplies for irrigation and residential purposes.

b) List down Do's and Don'ts for man-made disaster emergencies.

Ans) The Do's and Don'ts for man-made disaster emergencies are as follows:

Before and During

1. Prepare an emergency supply kit containing essential and specialty medications, heaters, fireplace wood, and enough warm clothing.

2. When you need important weather information, tune in to your local radio station.

3. Remain inside. Reduce your journey during the coldest part of the day.

4. Remain dry. To avoid losing body heat, often switch out wet garments.

5. Keep an eye out for symptoms of frostbite, such as numbness and a white or pale appearance in the fingers, toes, ear lobes, and tip of the nose.

6. To prevent the accumulation of harmful fumes when using coal ovens or kerosene heaters, maintain sufficient ventilation.

After

1. Wearing layers of warm, loose-fitting clothing will help you avoid hypothermia and frostbite in the future.

2. If an avalanche warning is issued and you reside in an avalanche zone, stay inside unless instructed to leave.

c) What is the difference between a forecast and warning?

Ans) Typically, a forecast involves speculating on a future event, such as rain, clouds, an escalation of a low-pressure system, the stock market, etc. In that it contains some risk information that necessitates preventative measures, a warning differs from a forecast. As a result, not every forecast has to be taken seriously. A prognosis that calls for moderate rainfall the following day, for instance, does not always qualify as a warning on its own. The prognosis of a severe downpour, however, may suggest a warning if the rivers are already out of their course and a flood-like condition is already in place. In essence, a warning denotes a specific level of risk to people's lives and property, necessitating immediate care.

d) Why are women considered to be more vulnerable to disasters?

Ans) Women considered to be more vulnerable to disasters because:

1. Biologically, women are weaker than men. The last tsunami in Cuddalore killed 391 women and 146 men. The women were physically stronger than the men, but their saris prohibited them from running as swiftly to save themselves or their children.

2. Due to lower earnings, unpredictable employment, dependency on men's money, lack of respect for their productive labour, and restricted access to revenue-generating resources, women are in a worse economic situation than males.

3. In patriarchal Indian society, women are viewed as equals. In some locations, members devalue women's culture. Female infanticide and foeticide support this devaluation. One-fourth of the five million girls born each year don't reach age 15.

4. Psychologically, women are more sensitive and emotional than men and experience more daily stress. Multiple tasks and low social status increase her stress. It lowers her illness resistance and impairs her economic and family activities.

Q5) Write short notes on any five of the following in about 100 words each: 4x5

a) Do's & don'ts in disaster psycho-social care.

Ans) The following advice would be helpful when interacting with/providing psycho-social counselling to the disaster-affected population:

Do say

1. These are typical responses to unusual circumstances.

2. I can appreciate why you could feel this way.

3. You weren't at fault.

4. You're not crazy.

5. Things might never return to as they were before the incident.

Do not say

1. It might have gone far worse.

2. You can always buy a second home and vehicle.

3. It's ideal if you keep active.

4. God should handle everything.

5. You work to restrain your feelings.

6. You don't have to act in this manner because it has happened to others as well.

7. Try to block out the catastrophe.

8. One can do this as a community counsellor.

9. Encourage the client to pick up his daily tasks and employment as soon as possible.

10. Encourage them to communicate and breathe.

11. Allowing and assisting them in carrying out the rites and rituals

12. Encourage them not to use tranquillizers carelessly.

13. Watch out for any addictions your clients may choose.

14. Reassure them sympathetically.

b) Concept of Disaster Management Cycle

Ans) Disaster management is a field that focuses on reducing potential losses from disasters and avoiding risks. Additionally, it provides great emergency care and prompt and effective early recovery. The concept of the disaster management cycle illustrates how to handle a catastrophe successfully and methodically. If carried out correctly, the cycle produces ready early warning systems and activities to reduce vulnerabilities.

Additionally, the cycle results in an effective recovery that encompasses the repair and rehabilitation of the affected society. Pre-disaster management consists of actions including preparedness, mitigation, and prevention that are typically taken before a disaster occurs. Post-disaster management includes tasks like response and recovery that are typically started after a disaster has already occurred.

c) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Ans) Post-traumatic stress disorder is a delayed psychological consequence of exposure to overwhelming disaster event. PTSD is a serious mental health condition associated with significant problems and disabilities in the areas of psychological, biological, volitional, social, vocational, academic, and interpersonal functioning. After experiencing a startling, terrifying, or deadly event, some persons may acquire post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fear is a normal emotion both during and after a terrible event. Fear causes the body to go through a number of split-second modifications that aid in defending against or avoiding danger. This normal fight-or-flight response is aimed to defend a person from harm. After trauma, almost everyone will have a variety of reactions, although the majority of individuals naturally get over the initial symptoms. PTSD may be identified in those who continue to have issues. Even when they are not in danger, those with PTSD may experience worry or fear.

d) Risk Mapping

Ans) Risk mapping is using figures based on a particular hazard or combination of hazards to present the likelihood and consequence components in the form of a physical map. Risk maps are an essential component of disaster management and are an excellent tool for reducing risk. Using risk maps, governments and other organisations can more efficiently allocate resources to areas with the greatest needs and plan ahead for incidents so that sufficient response resources can quickly and safely reach those high-risk locations.

e) Mitigation

Ans) A prolonged effort to lower a hazard risk through a reduction in the likelihood and/or consequence component of that hazard's risk is known as mitigation. In other words, mitigation aims to either lessen the possibility of hazard occurrence or to lessen the consequences should it happen. Each risk has a different effect on people, the built environment, and the natural environment. Disaster managers can choose from a distinct set of mitigation measures for each type of hazard that have been created or are still being thought of. Each choice has a price, a level of viability based on a number of variables, and an anticipated success rate for actually lowering the risk as intended.