ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose two questions

Each question carries 30 marks

Use APA style of referencing

ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS

Question one compulsory

DEADLINE 25 FEBRUARY 2022

1a) Giving examples. Discuss the Most Common Causes of:

i. Natural disasters (choose one type of disaster (10 Marks)

ii. Human caused disasters (choose one type of disaster (10 Marks)

b) Explain the effects of the above disasters on information centers and suggest counter
measures to their effects including ways to prevent them (10 Marks)

2a). Discuss five major emerging global disaster risks today and explain the implications of
these disasters on information centers in this region( 15 Marks )

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b). Discuss the various activities involved in the prevention/mitigation phase. Give
examples

( 15 Marks )

3a).Using examples discuss why it is necessary to involve local community in disaster

management endeavors( 15 Marks)

b) Discuss Various ways as a disaster information manager you would use to to create
community awareness to disasters and their management ( 15 Marks)

4a).Using suitable examples evaluate the application of social medial as a tool in disaster
management( 15 Marks)

b) what are the challenges and solutions faced in the use of social media in disaster
management? (15 Marks)

5.An effective and successful community-based approach in reducing disaster risks is often
attributed to the spontaneous participation and involvement of the following stakeholders:

 Government
 Non-governments (NGOs)
 Regional and International Organisations/Donor Agencies
 Island council (Local government)
 National/Local Organisations (women committees, youth groups, schools, etc)
 Community workers
 Trainers
 Disaster Managers (Local and National)
 Policy Makers

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  Grass-roots people
 Religious Denominations etc

Discuss the role of FIVE of the above organizations in Disaster Management and state the
challenges they face as well as the counter measures to the named challenges( 30 Marks)

7).Disaster management is a cyclical process; the end of one phase is the beginning of
another.Discuss this statement giving examples(30 marks)

8)Identify a recent national disaster in your country (natural or man-made) and discuss
specific ways that the media helped and/or detracted from the Preparation and public
education process before the disaster ( 15 Marks)

B Discuss the Response and recovery effort after the occurrence of the event( 15 Marks)

9a). Discuss the challenges faced in disaster management and suggest solutions to the
challenges. Give examples( 15 Marks)

b). Discuss the role of the PREPARATION phase in Disaster Management ( 15 Marks)

Course Description
ALLQ4213: DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Environmental Hazards & Disasters. Meaning of Environmental hazards, Environmental
Disasters and Environmental stress, Natural hazards and Disasters Man induced hazards &
Disasters, Human adjustment, perception & mitigation of earthquake, Emerging approaches in
Disaster Management, Pre- disaster stage (preparedness),Preparing hazard zonation maps,
Predictability/ forecasting & Warning, Preparing disaster preparedness plan, Preparedness
through (IEC) Information, education & Communication Pre-disaster stage (mitigation
Awareness, Emergency Stage, Rescue training for Assessment surveys, Post Disaster stage-

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Rehabilitation, Natural Disaster Reduction & Management. Measures of adjustment to natural
hazards, Disaster Management- disaster preparedness, mitigation & awareness. Monitoring
Management, Various U.N agencies like UNCRD, IDNDR, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNEP.
Insurance policy and cover, damage assessment and salvage procedures. Disaster action plan,
ICT disaster emerging trends.

LECTURE 1

INTRODUCTION AND DEFINATIONS OF TERMS

 Disaster

A state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune is a disaster. It is also an event
resulting in great loss and misfortune. It is an act that has disastrous consequences. But people
say that hazard plus vulnerability make a disaster.

Disaster Management:

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 The body of policy and administrative decisions and operational activities which pertain to the
various stages of a disaster at all levels. “Disaster management” is better split up in two: ‘disaster
prevention’ and ‘emergency management’. By definition, disasters cannot ‘be managed’. One
prevents a disaster and manages an emergency. Emergency management (EM) deals with all
activities from preparedness to rehabilitation. Recovery goes from impact to reconstruction. Risk
reduction goes from reconstruction to preparedness. Relief is all what is on the right side of the
cycle while development is all what is on the left side.

Disaster Management Objectives:

 To equip the Organisation to handle all aspects of disasters

 To create awareness on disasters through intensive public education;
 To ensure disaster prevention, risk and vulnerability reduction, as a means of reducing the impact
of disasters on society;
 PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

 Disaster management is the responsibility of all spheres of government

 Disaster management should use resources that exist for a day-to-day purpose
 . Organizations should function as an extension of their core business
 Individuals are responsible for their own safety.
 Disaster management planning should focus on large-scale events
 DM planning should recognize the difference between incidents and disasters.
 DM planning must take account of the type of physical environment and the structure of
the population.
 DM arrangements must recognise the involvement and potential role of non-
government agencies.

Resilience and Emergency

There is yet another word, as well. It is resilience. Resilience is the higher capacity to recover
and adapt to a new situation. For example, the owners of the house threatened by a landslide
have a second house in town. One can be susceptible but if one’s resilience is high, one is not

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necessarily vulnerable. Yet again, more and more people seem to be affected by disasters, partly
because the population is increasing, people live more and more in urban settings with over-
crowding and poor living conditions. There are actually three conditions to have a disaster:

1.   Disrupting the normal condition;

2.   Exceeding the local capacity; and

3.   Affecting people (and people matter most).

Without people, there would be no disaster. It may just be a physical phenomenon. An

earthquake in the middle of the desert where no people are involved is not a disaster but only a
geological incident.

Emergency: Disasters often lead to emergencies. The definition of ‘Emergency’ has

administrative implications: normal procedures are suspended and other measures are put into
place to control a situation, avert a disaster, and respond to a crisis. The emergency is
declared caution: another definition of emergency is ‘ a sudden and usually unforeseen event
that must be countered immediately to minimize the consequences’, but (a) not all emergencies
are ‘sudden’ and (b) there are ways to ensure that they are not ‘unforeseen’.

The Disaster-Development Continuum (DDC)

There is a disaster-development continuum. It is called so (disaster-development continuum)

because disasters disrupt development, and the way to get out of this vicious circle is
development. The DDC forms the basis for any analysis, and it can be developed for any type of
disaster.

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Hazard- is a source of danger. It is an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an
event to result one way rather than another. For example, it is an obstacle on a golf course. Even
if these hazards materialize one has not a disaster if the community is not vulnerable; that is, if it
has the capacity to respond or adjust. Hazards have the potential to cause disasters. Hazards
cause disasters only when they meet with vulnerable people: when affecting

(a) human life,

(b) property, and

(c) human activities.

What is the main vulnerability? It is poverty. Population growth is a major factor of

vulnerability. One can combine any vulnerability factor, add a hazard and understand that a
disaster is created. For example, poverty + landslide = a disaster for poor people whose house is
destroyed and who have no means to build it again. The poorer one is, the more one is
predisposed to suffer damage when an event occurs. But the more one spends on development,
the less people die because of disasters. On the other hand, if countries give more money for
warfare and neglect development, when disasters strike these countries cannot respond; if
countries invest in disaster prevention, they will cope better when an emergency happens and
their susceptibility will be higher.

Vulnerability: Degree of loss (for example, from 0 percent to 100 percent) resulting from a
potentially damaging phenomenon.

Vulnerability Types
Vulnerability varies significantly within a community and over time. This definition
identifies vulnerability as a characteristic of the element of interest (community, system or
asset) which is independent of its exposure. However, in common use the word is often used
more broadly to include the element’s exposure. There are four (4) main types of vulnerability:

 Physical Vulnerability: may be determined by aspects such as population density levels,

remoteness of a settlement, the site, design and materials used for critical infrastructure and for
housing (UNISDR).

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Example: Wooden homes are less likely to collapse in an earthquake, but are more
vulnerable to fire.

 Social Vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations and societies to

withstand adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social interactions,
institutions and systems of cultural values. It is linked to the level of well-being of individuals,
communities and society. It includes aspects related to levels of literacy and education, the
existence of peace and security, access to basic human rights, systems of good governance,
social equity, positive traditional values, customs and ideological beliefs and overall collective
organizational systems. Example: When flooding occurs some citizens, such as children, elderly
and differently-able, may be unable to protect themselves or evacuate if necessary.

 Economic Vulnerability. The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic
status of individuals, communities and nations The poor are usually more vulnerable to
disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put other engineering
measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively impacted by disasters. Example:
Poorer families may live in squatter settlements because they cannot afford to live in safer (more
expensive) areas.

 Environmental Vulnerability. Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are

key aspects of environmental vulnerability. Example: Wetlands, are sensitive to increasing
salinity from sea water, and pollution from stormwater runoff containing agricultural
chemicals, eroded soils, etc.

Disaster Prediction and Warning

Although predictions are quite possible as to the nature of weather and climate, and even to
a certain extent, hazards and disasters, it is rather difficult to predict accurately the disasters that
occur periodically on the surface of the earth. Hence, the people and communities vulnerable to
disasters must helped and the first ever help we may render is the warning. The warnings must
be comprehensive as to include the following activities:

=      Identify location where a hazardous event will likely occur.

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=      Determine probability that an event of a given magnitude will occur.
 

=      Mitigate, Anticipate, Prepare.

=      Observe precursor events.

=      Forecast the event.

=      Warn the public.

There is a gap in the knowledge gained by hazards researchers and that of emergency
planners and the general public. Why? It is because:

=      Public are largely uneducated scientifically;

=      Difficulty in communicating in a language, the general public can comprehend;

 

=      Economic issues (lack of tourism if volcano expected to blow); and

 

=      Liability.

Risk
In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty
about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value, often
focusing on negative, undesirable consequences

Risk Assessment

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 Towards determining human response to disasters, it is necessary to assess risk and, once
assessed, use the understanding arising out of it to develop strategies for averting the disaster.
As we have seen before, if people are prepared, know how to respond to it, then half the risk is
eliminated. The other half can be eliminated by being prepared for meeting the risk headlong.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction will entail the risk assessment. Risk assessment is made using
/ considering the following logic.

a) =      Risk determination = probability event occurs x consequences should it occur (risk

= hazard + exposure).

b) =      Acceptable risk assessment.

c) =      Problems and opportunities for risk assessment in a commu-nity context.

 

Emergency Management: Emergency management actually deals with hazards in four phases

of disaster management i.e

1) Mitigation - Minimizing the damage hazards can cause.

2) Preparation - Tasks performed immediately before disaster occurs.
3) Response - Actions taken after the disaster has occurred.
4) Recovery - Repairing the damage, leads into mitigation, and makes a cycle.

CHARACTERISTIC OF DISASTER

 Predictability

 Controllability

 Speed of onset

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  Length of forewarning

 Duration of impact

 Scope and intensity of impact

DISASTER-EFFECTS

The effects of a disaster vary depending on the characteristics of the exposed elements and on the
nature of the event itself. In general, the elements at risk are the population, the environment and
physical structures in housing, industry, trade and public services.

The effects can be classified as direct and indirect losses. Direct losses are related to physical
damage, expressed in the number of victims, in damage to the infrastructure of public services,
damage to buildings, the urban area, industry, trade, and deterioration of the environment, that is,
physical alteration of the habitat.

The indirect losses can usually be broken down into social effects such as the interruption of
transportation, public services, and the media, and the unfavorable image that a region may
acquire with respect to others; and economic effects such as disruption of trade and industry as a
consequence of the decline in production, disincentives for investment, and the expense of
rehabilitation and reconstruction.

In numerous developing countries, such as the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean,
there have been disasters in which thousands of people have died and hundreds of millions of
dollars have been lost in twenty or thirty seconds. Often the direct and indirect costs cannot be
calculated, but amount to a huge percentage of a country's gross domestic product. Due to the
recurrence of different types of disasters, in several countries of the Region average annual
losses due to natural disasters amount to a significant percentage of the gross national product.
Obviously, this translates into impoverishment of the population and stagnation, because it
entails unforeseen expenditures that affect the balance of payments and in general the economic
development of a country.

If existing levels or risk are to be reduced, preventive measures against the effects of disasters
should be considered a fundamental part of comprehensive development at the regional and

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urban level. Given that disasters of the magnitude referred to above can have a serious impact on
the development of affected communities, the cost of carrying out preventive measures ought to
be measured against that of recovery from disasters, and risk analyses ought to be included in the
assessment of the social and economic aspects of every region or country.

THUS THE EFFECTS INCLUDE

 Deaths

 Disability

 Increase in communicable disease

 Psychological problems

 Food shortage

 Socioeconomic losses

 Shortage of drugs and medical supplies.

 Environmental disruption

LECTURE 2

TYPES OF DISASTERS

All disasters are related to specific hazards and the hazards may be categorized

. (1) Natural

(2) Mixed (Natural + Man Made)

(3) Man Made

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 Disasters or emergencies can be caused or produced by a variety of natural and manmade
agents.The natural agents or reasons of disasters can be climate and weather with their different
phenomena such as clouds, precipitation, avalanches, blizzards, dust storms, drought,
earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, wildfires, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions and
many more. The man made reasons may vary from the poor design and quality of the buildings
and properties to no or very poor maintenance, leakages, electric short circuits, burglary,
vandalism, arson, wars etc.

NATURAL DISASTER CATEGORIES, TYPES, AND SUBTYPES

1.Biological

Epidemic – e.g Viral infectious disease, Bacterial infectious disease, Parasitic infectious disease,
Fungal infectious disease

 Insect infestation and

 Animal stampede

2..Geophysical

 Earthquake,
 Volcano
 Mass movement (dry) e.g Rockfall , Landslide,Avalanche and Subsidence

3.Hydrological

 Flood e.g General flood and Storm surge/coastal flood

 Mass movement (wet) e.g. Rockfall , Landslide, Avalanche and Subsidence

4.Meteorological

 Storm e.g Tropical cyclone, Extra-tropical cyclone and Local storm

 Climatological e.g Extreme temperature, Heat wave, Cold wave and Extreme
winter condition
 Drought
 wildfire e.g Forest fire and Land fire

N.B No. 3 and 4 are referred to as Hydrometeorological

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HUMAN CAUSED DISASTER/MAN MADE

Man-made disasters can include

 Technological crises

 Confrontation

 Malevolence

 Organizational Misdeeds

 Workplace Violence

 Rumors

 Terrorist attacks

 hazardous material spills,

 groundwater contamination,
 transportation accidents,
 structure failures,
 mining accidents, explosions

  Man-Made and Technological Types of Disasters

 Hazardous materials
 Power service disruption &  Chemical
blackout threat and biological weapons

 Nuclear power  Cyber attacks

plant and nuclear blast  Explosion

 Radiological emergencies  Civil unrest

Technological crisis

Technological crises are caused by human application of science and technology. Technological
accidents inevitably occur when technology becomes complex and coupled and something goes
wrong in the system as a whole (Technological breakdowns). Some technological crises occur

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when human error causes disruptions (Human breakdowns. People tend to assign blame for a
technological disaster because technology is subject to human manipulation whereas they do not
hold anyone responsible for natural disaster. When an accident creates significant environmental
damage, the crisis is categorized as megadamage. Samples include software failures, industrial
accidents, and oil spills.

Examples: Chernobyl disaster, Exxon Valdez oil spill, Heartbleed security bug

Confrontation crisis

Confrontation crisis occur when discontented individuals and/or groups fight businesses,
government, and various interest groups to win acceptance of their demands and expectations.
The common type of confrontation crisis is boycotts, and other types are picketing, sit-ins,
ultimatums to those in authority, blockade or occupation of buildings, and resisting or disobeying
police.

Crisis of malevolence

An organization faces a crisis of malevolence when opponents or miscreant individuals use

criminal means or other extreme tactics for the purpose of expressing hostility or anger toward,
or seeking gain from, a company, country, or economic system, perhaps with the aim of
destabilizing or destroying it. Sample crises include product tampering, kidnapping, malicious
rumors, terrorism, cybercrime and espionage.

Example: Chicago Tylenol murders

Crisis of organizational misdeeds

Crises occur when management takes actions it knows will harm or place stakeholders at risk for
harm without adequate precautions.[8] Lerbinger[9] specified three different types of crises of
organizational misdeeds: crises of skewed management values, crises of deception, and crises of
management misconduct.

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Crises of skewed management values

Crises of skewed management values are caused when managers favor short-term economic gain
and neglect broader social values and stakeholders other than investors. This state of lopsided
values is rooted in the classical business creed that focuses on the interests of stockholders and
tends to disregard the interests of its other stakeholders such as customers, employees, and the
community

It has 3 stages -precrisis -acute -chronic and -conflict resolution

Crisis of deception

Crisis of deception occur when management conceals or misrepresents information about itself
and its products in its dealing with consumers and others.

Crisis of management misconduct

Some crises are caused not only by skewed values and deception but deliberate amorality and
illegality.

Workplace violence

Crises occur when an employee or former employee commits violence against other employees
on organizational grounds.

Example:[example needed]

Rumors

False information about an organization or its products creates crises hurting the organization's
reputation. Sample is linking the organization to radical groups or stories that their products are
contaminated.

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Hazardous Material Incidents
causes
Hazardous materials are chemicals that if accidentally released can cause damage to the
environment and health. Many chemicals that used in industry, agriculture, medical research, and
in our homes can become hazardous if properly used. Many hazardous materials are transported
by rail or road and can be subject to accidental release.
Preventive measures against the effects/preparation measures
If there is a hazardous materials incident in your area, be prepared to evacuate the area or to
Shelter-In-Place. Follow the instructions from Police, Fire and other authorities. If you see an
accident that involves a hazardous materials release, call 911 immediately and report it. Keep
away from any substance that is leaking, do not touch any substance, and do not breathe any
fumes that might be present.

The most important thing you can do is to follow the instructions of authorities so you do not
mistakenly put yourself in danger.

Terrorism

No one is immune from terrorism. Terrorism can come from outside your country or it can be the
result of the actions of fellow country men.(Give examples)Terrorism is designed to disrupt our
lives and to scare us into making changes in our national goals. Terrorism does not always have
to mean large number of causalities but as we have seen, terrorism can result in large numbers of
deaths.
Preventive measures against the effects/preparation measures
Preparing for terrorism is generally the same as what you should do to prepare for any
emergency. Have a Home Disaster Plan and a Home Disaster Kit, and learn how to Shelter-In-
Place. Also, be aware of your neighborhood. If you see something unusual, report it to the proper
authorities.

Biological attacks involve the release of germs or other biological substance that results in
illness. Some of these substances are not contagious (anthrax) while others (small pox) are very

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contagious. If we were to experience a biological terrorist attack, the Wichita Falls/Wichita
County Public Health Department will provide instructions on what you will need to do to
protect yourself and your family. Terrorist chemical attacks are the deliberate release of a toxic
chemical. If you suspect a chemical release, take immediate action to get away from the effected
area. You may be instructed to Shelter-In-Place. In some cases, it is safer to Shelter-In-Place than
to evacuate. You need to listen to the proper authorities to find out what you need to do to keep
yourself and your family safe.

A terrorist radiological attack is the release of radiological material. This could be done by
placing radiological material in a public place or spreading radiological material by combining it
a conventional explosive. Again, listen for instructions on what you need to do to protect
yourself and your family. Generally, the best way to protect yourself from radiation is to increase
your distance from the source of the radiation, keep something between you and the radiation
and limit the time you are exposed to the radiation.

Gas Leaks

Gas leaks tend to be some of the most dangerous disasters, because they seem innocuous until
it’s too late. Gas can directly and indirectly poison people and the environment — spreading
rapidly, being unobserved, potentially igniting, causing death. Unfortunately, gas leaks are
preventable man-made disasters that stem from the world’s expanding reliance on gas. These
disasters have resulted in an egregious amount of deaths.

The most serious gas leak occurred in Bhopal, India in 1984. Known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy,
it began with the leakage of methyl isocyanide (MIC), a colorless gas used in pesticides, from the
Union Carbide of India Ltd. The gas formed a deadly cloud causing severe body irritation,
coughing, lung swelling, bleeding, and even death from direct concentrated inhalation. It killed
roughly 5,000 people, affected 50,000 more people, and left at least 1,000 blind.

Another gas leak occurred recently in 2015, at the Aliso Canyon Facility near Los Angeles.
Claimed as the largest single gas leak, the facility released 5 billion cubic feet of methane into
the atmosphere over a 112-day period. While there were no immediate deaths from this unusual
leak, it released a concerning amount of methane, equivalent to a year’s worth of heat-trapping
emissions from 600,000 cars.

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Oil Spills

Oil spills are some of the most familiar man-made disasters, devastating to people, the
environment, animals and global socioeconomics.

2010 saw the worst and largest oil spill: the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
A sudden explosion on a BP oilrig not only ruptured a pipe, but left the well unregulated. The
explosion killed 11 workers and injured 17 others. The underwater well leaked 40,000 to
162,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf until it was capped a full 89 days later. A disaster of
this proportion makes it difficult to measure the amount of environmental damage, but it can be
assumed to be quite extensive. Gulf fishing has not rebounded, large amounts of oil are still
present, the surrounding environments have been choked to death, and at least 3,500 volunteers
suffered liver and kidney damage from prolonged contact with the oil.

Besides the Deepwater spill, there have been 44 other oil spills globally since 1969.

Nuclear Meltdown

While nuclear energy is clean and sustainable, the consequences of a meltdown can be
devastating and wide reaching.

One of the most famous nuclear meltdowns occurred in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. One of the
reactors in the power plant exploded, resulting in more fallout than the Hiroshima and Nagasaki
atomic bombs combined. While 350,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area,
nearly 500,000 workers labored to end the meltdown, 31 of which died during the attempt.

The true devastation is attributed to the radiation exposure, which has killed an estimated 4,000
people and deformed countless others.

America had its own meltdown in 1979 known as the 3 Mile Island Nuclear Explosion. The plant
experienced a partial meltdown, but only a small amount of radiation was released. This was due
to the successes of a working containment system, resulting in no immediate consequences.
However, over time there were deaths and birth defects in livestock from the area.

Industrial Fires

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Fires may be natural or man-made, depending on what originally caused the disaster. Lightning
may cause a natural fire, but leaked gas or faulty mechanical equipment is considered a man-
made cause.

For example, in 1944 leaked gas from a Cleveland gas company found its way into a sewer,
where it ignited. The explosion blew manholes into the air and ignited funnels of fire, which set
homes on fire. The disaster ended with 130 dead and many more homeless.

In 1991, a food chicken processing plant in North Carolina saw 25 deaths due to a fire caused by
a faulty hydraulic piece. This fire was particularly eye-opening as the workers would have
survived were it not for fire doors that were locked. The plant had operated for 11 years without
submitting to a safety inspection.

It is difficult to blame a natural disaster on anyone because it is an ‘act of God,’ but shoddy
safety and prevention measures are no excuse for the loss of life in man-made disasters. Safety is
maintained through equipment management, operational planning, diligent preparation and
detailed prevention.
Unfortunately, man-made
disasters have many more
causes now than ever before. Fortunately, there are people who commit their lives and careers to
help others when disasters occur, man-made and natural alike.

MIXED NATURAL + HUMAN CAUSED

 Drought
 Desertification
 Floods
 Erosion
 Landslides/mudslides
 Fire
 Health related – Infectious disease – Genetic – Other

LECTURE 3
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EFFECTS AND COUNTER MEASURES OF SPECIFIC DISASTERS

EXAMPLES

Earthquake Characteristics

 Occurs with no warning

 Sudden onset
 Major effects arise mainly from land movement, fracture or slippage;

Volcanic Eruption Characteristics

 Usually major eruptions can be predicted

 Destroy structures and environment and
 Land surface cracking, resulting from volcanic explosion, may affect buildings and
other structures
 Lava flow bury buildings and crops. It may cause fires and render land unusable

Volcanic Eruption Characteristics

 Ground deposit of ash may destroy crops and affect land use and water supplies
 Ash may also cause respiratory problems
 Mud flows may arise from associated heavy rain

Volcanic Eruption Counter-measures

 Land-use regulations
 Lava control systems
 Development of monitoring and warning system
 Evacuation plans and arrangements
 Relocation of population
 Public awareness and education programs

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Landslide Characteristics

 Warning period may vary.

 Speed of onset is mostly rapid
 Damage to structures and systems can be severe (buildings may be buried or villages
swept away)
 Rivers may be blocked, causing flooding
 Crops may be affected.
 Landslides combined with very heavy rain and flooding may cause high levels of damage
and destruction.

Landslide General Countermeasures

 Land-use and buildings regulations

 Monitoring systems
 Evacuation and/or relocation of communities.
 Relocation has proved successful where cropgrowing land areas have been lost
 Public awareness programs

Floods Characteristics

 Long, short or no warning, depending on type of flood

 Speed of onset may be gradual or sudden
 There may be seasonal patterns to flooding
 Major effects arise mainly from inundation (to flood; cover or overspread with water)
and erosion.

Floods General Countermeasures

 Flood control (e.g. by walls, gates, dams, dykes, levees)

 Land-use regulations
 Building regulations
 Relocation of population
 Evacuation plans and arrangements

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  Emergency equipment, facilities and materials, such as special floodboats, sandbags,
supplies of sand Public awareness and education programs
 Forecasting, monitoring and warning system(s)

Epidemic Characteristic

Disaster-related epidemic arises from the disrupted living conditions following disasters

Epidemic may arise from:

- food sources

- malnutrition

- water sources

- vector-borne sources

- inadequate medical and health facilities/standards

Epidemic General Counter - measures

 An effective medical and health sub-plan,

 Close post-disaster monitoring of medical and health aspects
 Reinforcement of medical resources and supplies
 Public awareness and education,

THE GLOBAL DISATER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 8th - 14th May 2021

Coronavirus

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Regional Hazards
Pacific
Tropical Storm 'Andres'ť forms as eastern Pacific's earliest named storm on record

Country Hazards
Afghanistan
Heavy rainfall and flash floods kill at least 84, destroy 2,600 homes in Afghanistan

Argentina
Trichinosis outbreak sickens more than 100 in Argentina, Linked to chacinados (salami)

Australia
Queensland's skies blackened by unseasonal thunderstorms, lightning strikes produce green hue
over Brisbane

China
Severe thunderstorm hits Wuhan, turning day into night, China

China reports additional H9N2 avian influenza case in Guangdong Province

Iceland
Lava flow at Fagradalsfjall increases by 70 percent amid ongoing eruption, Iceland

Madagascar
At least 1m people facing starvation as Madagascar's drought worsens

Mexico
What was Mexico's second largest lake now a cemetery of abandoned fishboats

Pakistan
Pakistan: Human rabies death reported in Karachi

Philippines
Tropical Storm 'Crising'ť to make landfall over Davao Oriental - Surigao del Sur area,
Philippines

Rwanda

24
Rwanda: Dozens killed as heavy rains trigger floods, landslides

Somalia
Heavy rains leave 25 people dead, more than 150,000 at risk in days ahead, Somalia

South Africa
Giant sinkholes lead to the closure of two major roads in Gauteng and Western Cape, South
Africa

Taiwan
Water reservoirs drop to critical levels as Taiwan suffers worst drought on record

United States of America

Houston-area reports 250% increase in congenital syphilis cases

White-nose syndrome reported in bats in New Mexico

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 1st - 7th May 2021

Coronavirus

Regional Hazards
Middle East
Locust swarms from Middle East may reach Turkey, expert warns

Country Hazards
Afghanistan
Widespread flooding hits Afghanistan, leaving 22 people dead, 10 missing

Burundi
Malaria epidemic in Burundi

China
Violent storm hits China"s Jiangsu Province, claiming the lives of 11 people and leaving 102
injured

25
Finland
"snow chaos" - Finland braces for severe snowstorm, up to 30cm (12 inches) of snow expected

Iceland
Huge lava fountains at Fagradalsfjall, biggest since the eruption start, Iceland

Iran
At least 10 people killed after severe flash floods hit Iran

Singapore
High mosquito population, less common dengue serotypes increase surge risk

Spain
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever case confirmed in Salamanca province

Q fever cases reported in climbers

St Vincent
Multiple lahars observed at St Vincent, public advised to be vigilant and exercise caution

La Soufrière Volcano: Humanitarian needs remain urgent, as ongoing volcanic activity

prevents return home

United States
Tornado outbreak: Destructive tornados sweep through Mississippi, U.S.

E-Coli Outbreak reported, 7 children affected

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin: 24th-30th April 2021

Coronavirus

Country Hazards
Brazil
Paraná reports increase in chikungunya cases

Oropouche fever confirmed in the city of Teresina, Brazil

26
Canada
Massive landslide at Great Whale River, Quebec, Canada

France
Frost Damage Could Cut French Wine Output By A Third: Farm Office

Guatemala
Lava flows from Guatemala's Pacaya volcano

India
India: M6.4 Earthquake Strikes Assam Region

Indonesia
Phreatic explosion at Dieng volcano, Indonesia

Kenya
Mombasa on alert over dengue fever

Russia
Wildfires reach record high in Omsk as air pollution grips Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, Russia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Floods wash away cars and people in Mecca

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Flooding and mudslides add to St. Vincent's volcano woes

Sweden
Sweden salmonella outbreak over, Linked to chocolate wafers

United Kingdom
April 2021 on track to be frostiest in the UK for 60 years

Human-to-cat COVID-19 transmission in the UK

United States of America

27
Destructive hail and tornadoes slam southern U.S., causing billion dollars worth of damage

Destructive Hail Storm Hits Norman

Global Health Security

WHO launches an Emergency Medical Team Training Centre in Addis Ababa

Emerging lessons from Africa's COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Climate Change
FAO and WFP launch global consultation to help alleviate hunger and transform agri-food
systems

COP26 & THE GLASGOW FINANCIAL ALLIANCE FOR NET ZERO

Other Items of Interest

The impact of disasters and crises on agriculture and food security 2021

Agriculture on the proving grounds

Damage and Loss methodology to monitor Sendai Framework Indicator C2

77th session of the Commission | ESCAP (unescap.org)

Call to Action on Emergency Alerting

Back to menu
Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 10th - 23rd April 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situational Report - 23rd April 2021

Regional Hazards
Africa
Severe Tropical Storm Jobo tracking westward in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Oceania

28
Historic, Category 3 Tropical Cyclone 'Seroja' batters Western Australia, causing widespread
damage

Country Hazards
Angola
At least 14 dead, 8,165 displaced after flash floods hit Luanda, Angola

France
Historic freeze wreaks havoc on the majority of this year's fruit harvest in France

Iran
Strong and shallow M5.9 earthquake hits Iran's southern province of Bushehr

Mauritius
Widespread flooding hits Mauritius after two months' worth of rain in a day

Philippines
Typhoon 'Surigae' leaves 3 dead, 230,000 displaced in the Philippines

Singapore
Heaviest rainfall in 40 years triggers flash flooding in Singapore

South Africa
Wildfire scorches buildings, leave two people injured in Cape Town, South Africa

St Vincent
New massive eruption at Soufriere St. Vincent, SO2 emissions spreading over two continents

Volcano on St. Vincent still erupting

United Kingdom
Large coastal landslide at Nefyn Bay in north Wales, UK

Yemen
Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 15 April 2021

29
Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 3rd - 9th April 2021

Coronavirus

Regional Hazards
Europe
March temperature records tumble across Europe ahead of new widespread cold blast

Country Hazards
Australia
Deadly downpour triggers severe flooding in Queensland, Australia

Western Australia under rare weather threat of three tropical systems

Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea: Bata explosions

Guinea
Guinea Ebola outbreak grows to 23 overall cases

Hong Kong (SAR)

Hong Kong officials investigate ciguatoxin poisoning cases

Indonesia
More than 40 people killed, hundreds missing after severe floods and landslides hit Indonesia

Italy
17th paroxysmal eruptive episode at Etna forces closure of Catania International Airport, Italy

Paraguay
Paraguay dengue: DEN-2 predominates the country

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Red alert issued for La Soufriere volcano, evacuation ordered, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

30
United States of America
CDC investigating Salmonella outbreak linked to wild songbirds

Texas 2021 deep freeze left nearly 200 people dead, new analysis shows

Washington: Campylobacter infections linked to unpasteurized raw milk

Vietnam
Hand, Foot and Mouth disease cases up in Vietnam in first 3 months of 2021

Climate Change
Discover the landscape of natural hazard risk in the United States

Addressing the infrastructure failure data gap: A governance challenge

Global Health Security

March 2021 update on Evidence Aid's COVID-19 project

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic - an opportunity for a systemic approach to

disaster risk for the Caribbean

2021 Global Conference on Health and Climate Change

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 20th March - 26th March 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situational Report - 26th March 2021

Regional Hazards
Europe
Equine herpes outbreak in Europe

Country Hazards
Australia
Worst floods since 1971 hit parts of New South Wales

31
Bangladesh
Bangladeshi authorities, aid agencies and refugee volunteers rush to respond as massive fire
leaves some 45,000 Rohingya refugees without shelter

Colombia
Severe weather leaves 45 people dead, more than 2,000 homes damaged in Colombia

Guatemala
Strong explosions at Pacaya volcano producing thick ash columns

Guinea
Guinea's Ebola outbreak: Last patient discharged, Countdown begins

Iceland
Eruption starts near Fagradalsfjall on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula

High level of volcanic gases measured close to the eruption site at Fagradalsfjall

Japan
Powerful M7.2 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan - Tsunami warnings issued

Niger
Niger: Attacks on children and families must stop, once and for all

UNHCR outraged by deadly attack against displaced population in Western Niger

Palestine
Vaccines urgently needed as Palestine struggles under surge of COVID-19

Peru
Persistent heavy rains trigger flooding and landslides, affecting more than 3,000 homes in Peru

Somalia
Somalia appeals for urgent funding to aid 2.7m people

Severe water shortages in Somalia leave 70% of families without safe drinking water

32
Spain
Q fever confirmed in Biological Mechanical Treatment plant employees in Bilbao

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Change in seismic activity associated with the eruption of La Soufriere volcano

Syria
Thousands of foreigners unlawfully held in NE Syria

Taiwan
Taiwan reports 1st imported chikungunya case of the year

United States
Very bright fireball over Pennsylvania

Yemen
MSF calls on international actors to increase COVID-19 support as second wave overwhelms
medical facilities

Yemen: a quarter of all civilian casualties are children

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 13th March - 19th November 2021

Coronavirus
Regional Hazards
East Asia
Six dead, dozens missing as Beijing, northern China and Mongolia hit by worst sandstorm in a
decade

Sandstorm from Mongolia affects many parts of Japan

West Africa
West African health ministers in joint fight against Ebola

33
Country Hazards
Algeria
Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes off Algeria

Australia
Flood evacuation orders issued in NSW as Sydneysiders warned to stay indoors

Brazil
Additional monkeys die from yellow fever in Santa Catarina, Two human cases in 2021

Colombia
Persistent heavy rains leave 7 people dead in Colombia, significant increase in precipitation
expected

Democratic Republic of Congo

Deadly floods sweep through Kinshasa and Brazzaville in Congo and DR Congo

Italy
Etna Volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: ERUPTION AT 20210314/2230Z STRONG ACTIVITY
IS OBSERVED AT CRATER to 18000 ft (5500 m)

Malaysia
Two additional human rabies fatalities in Sarawak

Mongolia
Massive sandstorm forms over Mongolia, hits China's capital Beijing as the worst in a decade

Nigeria
Nigeria reports 25 additional Lassa fever cases, one death

Paraguay
Dengue cases continue to increase

Russia
Russian authority: H5N8 avian influenza mutating strain has fairly high degree of probability of
human-to-human transmission forecasts

34
Sweden
Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak over, Iceberg lettuce is the suspected source

Taiwan
Typhoid: Taiwan reports 1st domestic case of 2021

United States of America

Damaging tornado outbreak hits South U.S., severe weather shifting into the Southeast

Powerful snow storm with high winds headed toward western US

A major severe weather outbreak is forecast across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley into
Alabama, U.S.

Negative polarity CH HSS sparks G1 - Minor geomagnetic storm and auroras in the lower 48

Small magnitude 3.1 earthquake 44 miles northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Legionnaires' Disease cluster reported in north New Jersey

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 6th March - 12th March 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situational Report - 12th March 2021

Regional Hazards
Oceania
Extensive damage in New Caledonia after passage of Tropical Cyclone "Niran"

Country Hazards
Algeria
Flash floods leave 7 dead, 3 missing in Chlef

Argentina
Wildfires ravage Argentine Patagonia, leaving 250 homes destroyed and 15 people missing

35
Ecuador
Significant explosive eruption at Sangay volcano, ash to 12.5km, Ecuador

Guinea
Guinea: Ebola outbreak grows to 17 cases

Iceland
Magma chamber continues to expand, more than 35000 earthquake hits Reykjanes Peninsula in
two weeks

Ireland
Mysterious dolphin and whale strandings reach record high in Ireland

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia health officials report two additional MERS cases in Riyadh

Malaysia
Severe flash floods hit Malacca

Nicaragua
San Cristobal volcano erupts, heavy ash blankets the city of Chinandega

Norway
Norway reports salmonella outbreak, 10 people hospitalized

Philippines
Taal volcano alert status raised to Alert Level 2

United Kingdom
Brazil P.1 COVID-19 variant cases reported in the UK

United States of America

Evacuations ordered as heavy rains cause flooding and dam breach in Maui, Hawaii

Houston: U.K. COVID-19 variant virus (B.1.1.7) detected at most wastewater treatment plants

36
Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 27th February - 5th March 2021

Coronavirus
Regional Hazards
Africa
COVID-19 vaccines touchdown in Sudan and Rwanda

Country Hazards
Australia
Tropical cyclone developing near the coast of Queensland, Australia

Guinea
Ebola outbreak grows to 17 cases

Iceland
Sudden increase in seismic tremor southwest of Keilir at Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland

Indonesia
Major eruption at Sinaburg volcano produces large pyroclastic flows with ash up to 12.2km

New Caledonia
Severe Tropical Cyclone "Niran" heading toward New Caledonia

New Zealand
Very strong M7.2 earthquake hits off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand

Powerful earthquakes, including M8.1, M7.4 and M6.1 hit the Kermadec Islands - Tsunami
warnings issued

Sweden
Salmonella outbreak in Sweden sickens 12

Ukraine
1st human dirofilariasis case reported in Ukraine this year

United Kingdom

37
Brazil P.1 COVID-19 variant cases reported in the UK

United States of America

Maryland reports death in multistate Listeria outbreak

Yemen
20 die after human traffickers force migrants into sea en route to Yemen

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 20th February - 26th February 2021

Coronavirus
Regional Hazards
Asia
UNHCR appeals for immediate rescue of Rohingya refugees in distress on the Andaman Sea

South America
Battered by climate shocks and bruised by economic crisis millions more in Central America
face hunger

Country Hazards
Brazil
Record flooding affects more than 100,000 people in Acre, northwestern Brazil

Guinea
Guinea starts Ebola vaccine campaign as cases emerge

Iceland
Very intense earthquake swarm shaking Reykjanes peninsula

Indonesia
Extreme monsoon rains submerge parts of capital Jakarta under 2.7m of water

Israel
Israel hit by worst environmental disaster in decades

Italy

38
Powerful eruption at Etna volcano

Philippines
More than 59,000 people flee as Dujuan brings widespread flooding and disruption to
Philippines

South Sudan
Floods, fighting, famine: Inside South Sudan's triple crisis

Sudan
Sudan declares states of emergency after protests over soaring food prices

Sweden
Salmonella outbreak in Sweden sickens 12

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 13th - 19th February 2021

Coronavirusi

Regional Hazards
Middle East
Disruptive snow falling over Syria, Lebanon and Israel

North America
Extreme cold hits United States - electricity and heating prices surge as infrastructure fails to
deliver

Country Hazards
Greece
Historic snowstorm leaves 3 dead in Greece

Guinea
Ebola outbreak in Guinea: Efforts being ramped up to get ahead of virus

Italy
Spectacular eruption at Etna volcano

39
Japan
Severe snowstorm hits northern Japan, JMA warns it could become the strongest in years

Libya
Libya sees first snow in 15 years as cold snap hits parts of northern Africa and Middle East

Mozambique
Tropical Cyclone "Guambe" intensifying over the Mozambique Channel

New Zealand
Series of short-lived steam explosions at White Island following increase in volcanic tremor
levels, New Zealand

South Africa
Weeks of heavy rains leave more than 30 fatalities in South Africa

United States of America

More than 3.8 million homes without power as unprecedented winter storm hits Texas

United Kingdom
Scotland reports H5N1 avian influenza in flock of gamebirds

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 6th - 12th February 2021

Coronavirus
Regional Hazards
Asia
Strengthening severe weather forecasting capabilities in South and Southeast Asia

Europe
Saharan dust plume with high values moving over Europe

IOM calls for end to pushbacks and violence against migrants at EU external borders

Oceania

40
Shallow M7.7 earthquake hits southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia - Tsunami Watch
in effect

Country Hazards
Central African Republic
'It is time to end the violence in the Central African Republic'

Democratic Republic of the Congo

New Ebola case reported in North Kivu Province

The 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Democratic Republic of Congo will provide
urgent assistance to 9.6 million vulnerable people. A budget of US$1.98 billion will be required
to meet these needs

Ethiopia
Children in Tigray in acute need of protection and assistance

Guatemala
Increased explosive activity at Pacaya volcano, Alert Level raised to Yellow

India
Catastrophic rock and ice avalanche hits Uttarakhand, leaving more than 150 people missing

Mozambique
Aid workers warn on COVID-19 in camps for Mozambique cyclone victims

Myanmar
The United Nations continues lifesaving humanitarian assistance in Myanmar

Philippines
Strong and shallow M6.1 earthquake hits Mindanao

Russia
Moscow braces for major winter storm and record snow

Rwanda
WFP cuts refugees' food rations in Rwanda as funding declines

41
Somalia
Joint communication on the critical desert locust situation and emergency response in Somalia

South Africa
Brakpan Fire Engulfs 9 Stores While Flames Lick Nearby Hotel and Flat

Tanzania
Fears over unexplained deaths of Lake Victoria fish

United Kingdom
Mass disruption after 'extreme freeze' hits the UK

United States
At least 15 dead as the US sees the deadliest week of avalanches in over a century

Significant ice accumulation from the mid-Mississippi Valley to Ohio and Tennessee valleys

Yemen
Over two million children expected to go hungry or starve in 2021 - Save the Children

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 30th January - 5th February 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Situational Report - 5th February 2021

Regional Hazards
Europe
Europe braces for significant continent-wide cold outbreak

North America
Major winter storm slams Northeast U.S. with heavy snow and freezing rain

Pacific
Category 2 Tropical Cyclone "Lucas" affecting Vanuatu and New Caledonia

Country Hazards

42
Australia
Perth bushfire: Evacuations as dozens of homes destroyed

Victoria drenched by a month's worth of rain in 12 hours while historic rains hit NSW, Australia

Central African Republic

Monkeypox returns to the Central African Republic

Chile
Severe storms hit Chile with hail and record rainfall

Cook Islands
Dengue outbreak declared in Cook Islands

Fiji
Tropical Cyclone "Ana" hits Fiji, leaving at least 1 person dead and 5 missing

Paraguay
At least 10 dead as severe floods and landslides hit Paraguay

Turkey
Destructive flash floods hit Izmir after more than a month's worth of rain in just 6 hours, Turkey

United States
Ice jam pushes St. Clair River to record levels, triggers devastating floods in Michigan, U.S.

Major winter storm brings damaging mudslides to California, may become a potential Nor'easter

E-coli outbreak sickens 16 on 5 states, One death in Washington

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 23rd - 29th January 2021

Coronavirus

Regional Hazards
Antarctica

43
Shallow M7.1 earthquake hits South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Africa
India malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, now widespread in the Horn of Africa

Country Hazards
Argentina
Argentina reports 145 confirmed Salmonella cases in Salta province

Australia
Victoria drenched by a month's worth of rain in 12 hours while historic rains hit NSW, Australia

Canada
Pertussis outbreak reported in Northwest Territories, Canada

Fiji
Tropical depression near Fiji to intensify into a tropical cyclone

Indonesia
Significant eruption at Merapi volcano, ash to 12.2 km (40 000 feet)

Mozambique
At least 12 killed after Tropical Cyclone "Eloise" makes landfall near Beira, Mozambique

Nigeria
Nigeria issues Lassa fever Public Health Advisory

Spain
Storm Hortense hits Mallorca with wind gusts up to 170 km/h (105 mph)

United States of America

Large tornado hits Fultondale, causing significant damage, Alabama

Strong winter storm slams California with floods and blizzard conditions

Rabies alert issued for Fairmount Heights, Maryland

44
Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin: 16th - 22nd January 2021

Coronavirus
Scientists tackle vaccine safety, efficacy and access at global R&D forum

Single Covid vaccine dose in Israel 'less effective than we thought'

WHO: just 25 Covid vaccine doses administered in low-income countries

Regional Hazards
Africa
Tropical Storm "Eloise" forecast to strike Madagascar and Mozambique

Country Hazards
Argentina
Very strong and shallow M6.4 earthquake hits San Juan, Argentina

Australia
Tropical Cyclone "Kimi" to make landfall over Queensland, Australia

China
Trapped Chinese miners say thanks for medicine, call for sausages

India
Serum Institute: Fire at world's largest vaccine producer kills five

Indonesia
15 dead, 24 379 houses inundated as worst floods in 50 years hit South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Massive pyroclastic flow at Semeru volcano, Indonesia

Italy
New paroxysmal eruptive episode at Etna's Southeast Crater, Italy

Japan
Snowstorm causes 134-car pileup along Japanese highway; one dead

45
Peru
Peru reports worst dengue epidemic since 2017

Syria
Child dies as heavy rains turn Syria IDP camps into 'lakes'

Ukraine
Ukraine fire: Fifteen dead as blaze guts home for elderly

United Kingdom
Thousands evacuated as Storm Christoph hits UK with disruptive snow and historic flooding

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 9th - 15th January 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Regional Hazards
Europe
Southeastern Europe - Floods Prompt Evacuations in Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania and Kosovo

North America
Deadly windstorm rolls through Pacific Northwest, more than 600 000 customers without power

Country Hazards
Argentina
Light magnitude 4.2 quake hits 16 km northwest of Chilecito, Argentina in the morning

Bangladesh
Large fire devastates Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh

Indonesia
30 Dead, Thousands Caught in Flooding in Indonesia's Capital

46
At least 37 people killed, hundreds injured as M6.2 earthquake hits West Sulawesi, Indonesia

Madagascar
Humanitarian crisis looms in Madagascar amid drought and pandemic

Mali
Three UN peacekeepers killed, six wounded in attack in Mali

Namibia
Namibia - Heavy Rain Continues, Flash Floods in Windhoek

Pakistan
Dozens killed by avalanches in Pakistani and Indian Kashmir

Peru
New variant of COVID-19 detected in Lima, Self-medication with dexamethasone warning

Spain
Slow recovery after worst snowstorm since 1971 hits Spain
Mad Cow disease case reported in Spain

United States of America

Powerful winter storm hits southern U.S., leaving more than 150 000 customers without power
Category 5 atmospheric river brings flooding rain and strong winds to Oregon and Washington,
U.S.

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin

26th December 2020 - 8th January 2021

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID -19)

Regional Hazards
Europe
Devastation and alarm caused by the 6.4M earthquake in Croatia across Central Europe

47
Storm Bella hits Europe, leaving tens of thousands without power

North America
Powerful winter storms bring severe winds and snow to Alaska, Pacific Northwest and Canada

Country Hazards
Australia
Tropical Cyclone "Imogen" brings floods and disruptions to Queensland, Australia

Canada
Thousands of Nova Scotia Power customers left without electricity Sunday after storm

Chile
Strong and shallow M6.7 earthquake hits off the coast of Los Lagos, Chile

Croatia
Croatia earthquake: Strong aftershocks hit after quake kills seven

Ethiopia
Ethiopia deploys planes, helicopters to fight locust invasion

India
Loss of USD 10 Billion, over 2000 dead: India bore brunt of 2020â's weather disasters
Heavy snow engulfs Jammu and Kashmir, cuts it off from the rest of the country, India

Japan
Severe weather conditions, up to 2 m (6.5 feet) of fresh snow through New Year's Day, Japan

Mozambique
Tropical Cyclone "Chalane" to make landfall over Beira, Mozambique

Norway
Norway landslide: Three bodies recovered and several people still missing

Papua New Guinea

Landslide engulfs Papua New Guinea village with at least 12 people feared dead

48
St Vincent and the Grenadines
No evacuation orders issued for residents living near Soufriere volcano, St. Vincent and The
Grenadines

United Kingdom
Crawley gas leak: 700 people evacuated from flats in 'major incident'

United States of America

How Trump Supporters Stormed the US Capitol: A Timeline of Events

Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin - 12th - 18th December 2020

Coronavirus
WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID -19)

Regional Hazards
Europe
SARS-CoV-2 in minks in Sweden not the same variant found in Denmark
Europe: More than 500 avian influenza detections, Most in Germany

Mediterranean
Severe Medistorm "Elaina" forms near Cyprus, landfall expected in Lebanon on December 17

Country Hazards
Australia
Severe storm brings massive rains to Queensland and NSW, Australia

Brazil
Yellow fever: More monkey deaths in Paraná state

Canada
Massive landslide causes major destruction to wildlife in Bute Inlet - British Columbia, Canada

China
China reports H5N6 avian influenza death in Jiangsu Province

49
Fiji
Category 5 Tropical Cyclone "Yasa" makes landfall over Vanua Levu, Fiji

India
Delhi hospital reports 13 cases of COVID-19-triggered mucormycosis

Italy
Strong explosive eruption at Etna volcano, Italy

Japan
Snow piling up at an unprecedented rate in Japan
Japan: Snow traps 1,000 drivers in frozen traffic jam

Mexico
Mexico reports first Candida auris cases in Nuevo LeĂłn hospital

New Zealand
Rare earthquakes detected near Mount Taranaki, New Zealand

South Sudan
South Sudan: Floods intensify impact of hunger and insecurity

United Kingdom
England reports new variant of SARS-CoV-2

United States of America

Exceptionally cold air expected after major winter storm hits the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
with heavy wet snow and freezing rain, U.S.
US cyber-attack: US energy department confirms it was hit by Sunburst hack

DISASTERS IN KENYA

Over the years and like any other parts of the world, Kenya has been exposed to a variety of
both man-made and natural disasters such as fires, droughts, floods, landslides, HIV/AIDS,
human conflicts, drug abuse, traffic accidents, oil spill, industrial accidents and terrorism. The
diversity, frequency of occurrence and magnitude of the disasters has been on the rise in the last

50
two decades resulting in increase in number of people affected. However, over 70% of the
disasters are hydro-meteorological in nature. These comprise of droughts, floods and landslides.
In some parts of the country, particularly the northern corridor, droughts are a norm rather than
exception. Though less frequent compared to droughts, when they occur floods displaces
thousands of people and lead to loss of life and property.

Droughts Droughts can generally be defined as a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall.
However, droughts have been defined from various viewpoints depending on the interest of the
end user of climate information. Various types of droughts have been suggested and can be
broadly categorized as meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought. Meteorological
droughts occur when the amount of rainfall received is below normal. It is based on the degree of
dryness in comparison with the normal (average) rainfall conditions and the duration of dryness.
Hydrological drought occurs following a prolonged period of precipitation shortfall that
negatively impacts on water supply leading to water shortages. When precipitation shortfall
results to soil water deficits affecting agricultural productivity, the drought is categorized as
agricultural. As such, meteorological drought can occur without necessarily having agricultural
drought. In the last two decades, Kenya has experienced several episodes of drought, both short-
term (2 years and below) and long-term (above two years). Some of the notable droughts
occurred in 2004 and 2008 -2011. The severe drought of 2008 – 2011 had overall effect of about
Ksh 968.6 billion (Ksh 64.4 billion for the destruction of physical and durable assets and Ksh
904.1 billion for losses in the flows of the economy across all sectors) (GOK, 2012). The impact
of the drought was sector dependent with livestock experiencing the largest damages and losses
as shown Table 2 below. Failure of the long rains (March–May) in 2004 caused a severe drought
which led to crop failure. As a result, over 2.3 million were people in need of humanitarian
assistance . Other droughts that had significant impact in livelihoods and economy in general
include the 1999- 2000 La Nina drought that led to power rationing in Kenya leading a loss of
approximately US $20 million to Kenya Power and Lightening Company (KPLC) and serious
disruption of economic activities. The national gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by
about 0.3% as the aftermath of the drought. By June 1999, an estimated 1.7 million people were
in dire need of food assistance with the figure rising to 4 million by December 2000). The
drought was declared a national disaster

Effects on information centers

51
Drought affects access and use of information especially in the nomadic areas where people have
to keep moving looking for greener pastures

Flood and Landslide

Floods, just like droughts, are recurrent phenomenon affecting many parts of the country.
However, the worst affected areas are the low-lying swampy tracts in Lake Victoria Basin
namely Budalangi and the Kano Plains and the Tana River floods. The subsequent effects are
loss of lives, infrastructure, food reserves and erosion. In recent times, episodes of urban
flooding have been observed in Nairobi City and Narok town.

Occasional floods are also experienced in drylands where heavy storms fill up the dry river
valleys causing flash floods downstream. Such episodes are common in Turkana,Samburu and
eastern Kenya. The 1997/98 El Niño floods remain the most remarkable floods in the history of
Kenya. Over 1.5 million people were affected in different parts of the country. Like floods,
landslides are triggered by heavy rainfall and are common in hilly areas of the country. They
result from the weakening of slope stability due to increased soil moisture. They are common in
central and western Kenya. Landslides are not frequent and are highly localized affecting a
handful of people. However, they lead to loss of live and livelihood source of the affected
families. In 2000 for instance, about 2000 people were affected by landslides that occurred in
Meru Central, Murang’a and Nandi. Five deaths were reported during the 2004 Landslides in
Nyeri, Othaya and Murang’a. Table 4 shows some recent floods and landslide disasters in
Kenya.

Fire Disasters

Fires accidents have the most diverse causes of all the disasters. As a result they occur
frequently ranging from damage of a single item to large areas such as forests or agricultural
lands. Wildfires are more frequent in ASAL areas. The extent of damage however, depends on
the type of fire (nature of the material ablaze), the meteorological conditions (wind) and the
effectiveness of the intervention. As long as fire is under control, it is very useful to man but
once out of our control, it causes massive destruction. Kenya has not been an exception to fire
disasters. For instance, in 1977, an electrical fault in the telephone system at the original African
Heritage House in Nairobi sparked an inferno that destroyed the entire gallery, workshops,

52
stores, the restaurant and the garden café. In addition to the huge damage, the loss of preserved
African culture was incalculable. One of the worst fire disasters in the 1990s was the Langoni
fire in Lamu that occurred in 1982. This fire, though led to very few deaths, it left 4, 000 people
homeless and destroyed businesses. In 2009,Lamu had also another fire incident that rendered 80
% of entire settlement burnt and left over 2,500 people homeless. Fire disasters have also been
recorded in learning institutions some of which are as a result of arsonist attacks or electrical
failure. For instance, arsonist started fire in Bombolulu Girls High School in Mombasa in 1998
destroying property and killing 25 girls. In March 26th2001, the Kyanguli Mixed Secondary
School arson fire shocked many in the country. A school dormitory was set ablaze by arsonists
leading to loss of about 68 students. Though the dormitory had two exits, by the time of the
tragedy, only one exit was operational. The other exit was locked and keys misplaced. In January
28, 2009, an inferno caused by an uncovered generator razed down Nakumatt Downtown
Supermarket in Nairobi leading to loss of tens of lives and hundreds of millions worth of
property (Figure 7). During the incident, the guards and the management locked the main doors
to prevent looting. This led to more deaths. After the inferno at least 29 people were confirmed
dead with 47 missing with a likelihood of them being charred beyond recognition. Ironically, the
supermarket was located just a hundred meters away from Nairobi’s only public fire station.

The Sinai Pipeline Fire tragedy occurred in Mukuru-Sinai slum in Nairobi in September 12, 2011
when a failed gasket at a nearby fuel tank leaked about 19 million cubic meters of petrol into an
open storm drain that flowed right through the slum. The inferno razed hundreds of slum shanties
and killed about 120 people with 116 people being hospitalized. The exact total number of deaths
remains as estimates due to the congestion in the slum. In March 2009, forest fire razed about
30,000 hectares of Mau forest in a single arson attack. Later in January 2012, Kiptagich area of
Western Mau Forest caught fire destroying approximately 1500 hectares.

Structural collapse

Disasters associated with collapse of buildings have been on the rise in the recent past in Kenya
becoming death traps and causing huge financial losses. For instance, in January 23, 2006, a
five-storey building under construction in the central business district in Nairobi, Kenya

53
collapsed killing 11 and trapping over 200 workers under the debris. Other incidences involving
collapse of buildings include: October 2009 and January 2010 in Kiambu town, June 2011 in
Embakasi, June 2011 in Langata Southern Bypass, September 2011 in Luanda, June 2012 in
Mlolongo along Mombasa Road (5 people killed and 10 injured), January 2013 in Nairobi CBD
(11 people killed and 200 trapped), December 17, 2014 in Nairobi (1 person killed) and May 12
2015 in Mukuru Fuata Nyayo area of South B (9 people killed). Such disasters occur due to
structural failure.

Transportation accidents

In Kenya, road accidents are the third leading causes of death after malaria and HIV/AIDS. With
over 3,000 deaths annually from road accidents (Figure 9), the World Health Organization
(WHO) has placed Kenya as among the countries with the highest rate of accidents globally and
the leading in East Africa. Ironically, like other developing countries, Kenya has a low
motorization level of about 1.3 million vehicles. About 85% of the road accidents are caused by
human factors, 11% is associated with vehicle conditions while 4% are as a result of the
environment. Speeding and drunken driving are the major human factors that lead to road
accidents. As such, most accidents occur on Saturday when most people take alcohol. According
to NTSA, Wednesday is the safest day to travel on Kenyan roads recording an average of 200
victims. An average of 400 people gets involved in accidents on Saturdays and 320 on Sundays,
Tuesdays and Fridays. All in all, majority of the accidents occur between 6 and 10 pm. In
addition to speeding and drunken driving at this time of the day, reduced enforcement of traffic
rules and pedestrians crossing at undesignated areas has been the major cause of the accidents.

Disease Outbreaks

Episodes of cholera, malaria and Rift Valley fever outbreaks are reported in Kenya. HIV/ AIDS
is pandemic and has been declared as a national disaster by the Kenya government. Disease
outbreaks in Kenya are closely associated with extreme climates. More often than not, outbreaks
occur during heavy rainfall and droughts periods. Table 6 shows some of the disease outbreaks in
Kenya.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact throughout the world. It is a public
health and economic crisis that amounts to a super disaster, as it is not confined to a specific

54
geographic area of the country like an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or fire. It has been a truly
global experience, which has illuminated as well as exacerbated existing inequities.

Terrorism Attacks

Incidences of terror attacks in Kenya are not new phenomena. However, the frequency of recent
terror attacks has brought into the limelight the magnitude of the attacks. A notable sharp
increase has been witnessed since the Kenya Government launched a military offensive against
Al- Shabaab militants dubbed as "Operation Linda Nchi" in October 15, 2011. Like the
bodaboda (motor cycle and bicycle) accidents, terror attack is now an emerging disaster. It is
estimated that since 2012, the Al-Shabab terror groups have claimed lives of over 600 people in
Kenya and destroying millions worth of property

FACTORS INFLUENCING DISASTERS IN KENYA

Whereas disasters attack when least expected, the frequency of both natural and man-made
disasters can be attributed to human causes. This include: increasing poverty levels, corruption,
lack of political will, beliefs/ culture, lack of adequate resources and blatant ignorance of the law.
The main natural factor influencing occurrence of disasters is climate change.

Poverty

Poverty is the spring board of all disasters in the country. A combination of falling household
income, rising cost of living and poor governance have worked to escalate poverty in Kenya
where about 46% live below poverty line. In Nairobi for instance, about 60% of residents live in
slums with no or limited access to even the most basic services. This makes the poor the most
vulnerable to disasters. To eke a living, the poor work in very dangerous environment that are
prone to disasters. In most cases, they dash to accident scene with an aim of looting. For
instance, the need to siphon fuel in Sachang’wan oil tanker tragedy led to loss of lives.
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is common in poverty stricken areas. A study by Huho (2005) on
socio-cultural and economic impacts of floods in Budalangi revealed that, the area having a
semi-arid climate, residents of the flood prone area did not want to be evacuated since they will
lose on relief assistance. More so, the vulnerable poor are easily corrupted by the rich minority,
particularly the politician dividing them along tribal lines.

Corruption

55
Even though corrupting is not a stand-alone cause, it cuts across all other causes increasing the
frequency and severity of the disasters, may it be natural or man-made. Opinion polls in Kenya
have consistently indicated corruption as the leading cause of underdevelopment. Bribing of
traffic officers by rogue motorists and cyclists has largely contributed to ever increasing road
accidents. Corrupt government engineers have in various occasions authorized construction of
sub-standard buildings which eventually collapse. Corruption on issues of disaster management
such as procurement and distribution of relief food to hunger stricken people have aggravated
problem of malnutrition and starvation in drought stricken areas.

Lack of political will

The politics of Kenya are based along tribal lines causing hatred amongst citizen. As a result,
Kenya has experienced politically instigated violence which arises every election year since 1992
with exception of 2013 elections. The worst violence occurred in 2007 where over 1300 lives
were lost. Political incitement against people evacuating conservation areas have led to increased
destruction of forests such as Mau. An example of such incitements was a statement by the
former President Moi in 2009 that "Rain comes from the sky not forests." The aftermath of
continued destruction has been increased runoff and occasional flash floods as experienced in
Narok town. The former Prime Minister Raila Odinga attempts to conserve Mau forest between
2007 and 2013 were thwarted by politician from the communities to be evicted. The 2015
National Youth Service politics that led to demolition of sanitation facilities in Kibra, Nairobi is
a sure way of triggering diseases.

Ignorance of law

The major disasters associated with ignorance of law include road accidents and structural
collapse. Statistics indicates that most bodaboda transport accidents result from blatant disregard
of traffic rules and lack of safety regulations. Whereas it is a requirement that the rider and the
passenger wear reflective jackets and helmets, over 70% of the bodaboda users do not adhere to
these safety regulations. In most cases, the cyclists carry more than one passenger. Drunk driving
and over speeding has been the major cause of road accidents both to motorists and cyclists. In
addition, more often, there are warnings over an upcoming drought /floods given by
meteorological department, but seldom do people heed.

56
Inadequate Resources

Coupled with increasing human population, low technology, inadequate infrastructure and
human resource are some of the resources influencing the occurrence of disasters. During the
Sinai fire tragedy for instance, limited knowledge in the management of fire disasters among the
community members hampered their efforts to rescue the victims. Poor roads hindered
accessibility to Sinai fire site. The tragedy was also compounded by poor coordination from the
response teams. The 2009 Mau forest fire went out of control in most affected areas due to lack
of firefighting equipment. In order to reduce the impacts of droughts and flooding, it is necessary
to have relevant instruments that aid in early warning signs. It is important for the government to
invest in modern weather forecasting instruments.

Beliefs and Culture

Traditional beliefs and culture can be associated with some of the disasters. For instance, the
practice of wife inheritance and cleansing ceremonies among some communities in Nyanza and
western Kenya has led to spread of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the belief that sleeping with a virgin
girl will cure HIV/AIDs has also led to new infections in Nyanza. Attachment to ancestral land
has thwarted the efforts of relocate communities living in areas prone to floods in Nyanza,
western and coast. Similarly, the Ogiek community living in the forest has resisted relocation by
the government.

Climate Change

Disasters associated with extreme weather events linked to climate change account for up to 70%
of all disasters in Kenya. These disasters cancel progress made on poverty reduction exposing
people to disaster risks. Droughts are the most common leading to loss of livelihood source.
However, only few deaths are reported emanating from droughts. This is because droughts are
slow in onset and therefore people seek for coping strategies. More deaths are reported as a result
of floods Vis a Vis droughts. Landslides occur as a result of heavy rains and are common in
central and western parts of Kenya.

57
MAJOR DISASTERS IN INFORMATION CENTRES

Examples of Disasters in Information centres

Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

The perpetrator,
rebelling against
emperor Qin Er
Shi, led his
troops into
Xianyang in 206
BC. He ordered
Xianyang
the destruction
Palace and Qin
Xianyang 206 BC Xiang Yu of the Xianyang
State China
Palace by fire.
Archives
 (Qin
[7]
Shi
Huang had
ordered
the burning of
books and
burying of
scholars earlier.)

58
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Disputed,[8][9] se
Library of Ancient e destruction of
Alexandria Disputed Disputed
Alexandria Egypt the Library of
Alexandria.

The library had

been heavily
stocked by the
aid of the
Library of Ancient Emperor
Antioch 364 AD perpetrator's
Antioch Syria Jovian[10]
non-Christian
predecessor, Em
peror Julian (the
Apostate).

The library was

burned and
Library of Theophilus looted at the
Ancient
the Serapeu Alexandria 392 of perpetrator's
Egypt
m Alexandria decree, who was
ordered to do so
by Theodosius I.

59
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

The books were

Library of Ctesiphon, K Ancient thrown into
651 Caliph Umar
Ctesiphon hvârvarân Persia the Euphrates.[11]
[12]

All books
Al-Mansur consisting of
Al- Ibn Abi "ancient
Library of
Córdoba Andalu 976 Aamir & science" were
al-Hakam II
s religious destroyed in a
scholars surge of ultra-
orthodoxy.[13]

Burned the
Sultan Mah
Library of library and all
Rayy Persia 1029 mud of
Rayy books deemed
Ghazni
as heretical.[14]

Following
Library of
Fatimid Sharaf al-
Banu
Tripoli Calipha 1109 Crusaders Daulah's
Ammar
te surrender
(Dar al-'ilm)
to Baldwin I of
Jerusalem,

60
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Genoese
mercenaries
burned and
looted part of
the city. The
library, Dar
al-'ilm, was
burned.[15]

City was sacked

and burned for
seven days.
Library of Ghurid 'Ala ad-Din Libraries and
Ghazna 1151
Ghazna empire Husain palaces built by
the Ghaznavids 
were destroyed.
[16]

City partially
Library of destroyed,
Nishapur 1154 Oghuz Turks
Nishapur libraries sacked
and burned.[17]

61
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Nalanda
University
complex (the
most renowned
repository of
Buddhist
knowledge in
the world at the
time) was
Bakhtiyar
Nalanda Nalanda India 1193 sacked by
Khilji
Turkic Muslim
invaders under
the perpetrator;
this event is
seen as a
milestone in
the decline of
Buddhism in
India.[18]

Imperial Constantinop Byzanti 1204 The In 1204, the

Library of le ne Crusaders library became a
Constantino Empire target of the
ple knights of the

62
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Fourth Crusade.
The library itself
was destroyed
and its contents
burned or sold.
The great part of
the library that
was saved later
became
absorbed into
the Ottoman
Sultan's library
after the Muslim
forces of
Mehmed II,
Sultan of the
Ottoman Turks,
captured
Constantinople
at the end of the
siege of 1453.

House of Baghdad Iraq 1258 Mongol Destroyed

Wisdom Invaders during the Battle

63
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

of Baghdad

The library was

attacked by
troops of the
perpetrator in
late 1499, the
Crown
Madrassah Cardinal books were
Granada of 1499
Library Cisneros taken to
Castile
the Plaza Bib-
Rambla, where
they were
burned in
public.

Ottoma Troops of Library was

Bibliotheca
Ofen n 1526 the Ottoman destroyed by
Corviniana
Empire Empire. Ottomans.[19]

64
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

The smashing
and looting of
the Cornish
colleges at
Glasney
and Crantock br
ought an end to
Glasney Penryn, Corn Englan Royal
1548 the formal
College wall d officials
scholarship
which had
helped to sustain
the Cornish
language and
the Cornish
cultural identity.

65
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Maya Maní, Yucatá Mexico 1562- Diego de Bishop De

codices of n and 07-12 Landa Landa,
the Yucatán Guatem a Franciscan mo
ala nk and
conquistador
during
the Spanish
conquest of
Yucatán, wrote:
"We found a
large number of
books in these
characters and,
as they
contained
nothing in
which were not
to be seen as
superstition and
lies of the devil,
we burned them
all, which they
(the Maya)
regretted to an
amazing degree,

66
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

and which
caused them
much
affliction." Only
three extant
codices are
widely
considered
unquestionably
authentic.

The Earl of
Worcester's
library was
burnt during
Raglan Raglan Parliamentar the English
Wales 1646
Library Castle y Army Civil War by
forces under the
command
of Thomas
Fairfax[20]

67
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

The library was

destroyed
during the War
of 1812 when
Troops of
Library of Washington, United British forces
1814 the British
Congress D.C. States set fire to
Army
the U.S.
Capitol during
the Burning of
Washington.[21]

University Tuscaloosa, United 1865- Troops of During

of Alabama Alabama States 05-04 the Union Ar the American
my Civil War,
Union troops
destroyed most
buildings on the
University of
Alabama
campus,
including its
library of
approximately
7,000 volumes.

68
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

[22]

The British loot
ed the palace at
the end of the
3rd Anglo-
Burmese War
(some of the
Royal artefacts which
Troops of
library of Mandalay 1885 – were taken away
Burma the British
the Kings of Palace 1887 are still on
Army
Burma display in
the Victoria and
Albert
Museum in
London)[23] and
burned down the
royal library.

Hanlin Hanlin China 1900- Disputed. During

Academy Academy 06-23/4 Possibly the Siege of the
Library the Kansu International
Braves besie Legations in Bei
ging the jing at the

69
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

west of the height of

Legation the Boxer
Quarter, or Rebellion, the
possibly by unofficial
the national library
international of China at the
defending Hanlin
forces. Academy,
which was
adjacent to the
British
Legation, was
set on fire (by
whom and
whether
deliberately or
accidentally is
still disputed)
and almost
entirely
destroyed. Many
of the books and
scrolls that
survived the
flames were

70
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

subsequently
looted by forces
of the victorious
foreign powers.

The Germans
set the library
on fire as part of
Library of the burning of
German
the Catholic Belgiu 1914- the entire city in
Leuven Occupation
University m 08-25 an attempt to
Troops
of Leuven use terror to
quell Belgian
resistance to
occupation.[24]

Public Dublin Ireland 1922 Disputed. The Four

Records Poss. Courts was
Office of deliberately occupied by
Ireland by Anti- the Anti-Treaty
Treaty IRA at the start
IRA or of the Irish Civil
accidental War. The
ignition of building was

71
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

their stored
explosives bombarded by
due to the Provisional
shelling Government for
by Provision ces
al under Michael
Government  Collins.[26]
forces.[25]

Institut für Berlin Nazi 1933- Members of On 6 May 1933,

Sexualwisse Germa 05-?? the Deutsche the Deutsche
nschaft ny Studentensc Studentenschaft 
haft made an
organised attack
on the Institute
of Sex
Research. A few
days later, the
Institute's
library and
archives were
publicly hauled
out and burned
in the streets of

72
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

the Opernplatz.

National China 1937 – World War During World

University 1945 II Japanese War II, Japanese
of Tsing Troops military forces
Hua, Univer destroyed or
sity Nan- partly destroyed
k'ai, Institut numerous
e of Chinese
Technology libraries,
of He- including
pei, Medical libraries at
College of the National
He-pei, Agri University of
cultural Tsing
College of Hua, Peking (los
He-pei, Uni t 200,000 of
versity Ta 350,000 books),
Hsia, Univer the University
sity Kuang Nan-k'ai, T'ien-
Hua, Nation chin (totally
al destroyed,
University 224,000 books
of Hunan lost), Institute of

73
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Technology of
He-pei, T'ien-
chin
(completely
destroyed),
Medical College
of He-pei, Pao-
ting (completely
destroyed),
Agricultural
College of He-
pei, Pao-ting
(completely
destroyed),
University Ta
Hsia, Shanghai
(completely
destroyed),
University
Kuang Hua,
Shanghai
(completely
destroyed),
National
University of

74
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Hunan
(completely
destroyed).[27]

Caught fire
Library of
German during German
the Catholic Belgiu 1940-
Leuven Occupation invasion of
University m 05-??
Troops Louvain,
of Leuven
Belgium.[28]

Destroyed
National Nazi during
Yugosl 1941-
Library of Belgrade GermanLuft the World War
avia 04-06
Serbia waffe II bombing of
Belgrade.

SS. Cyril
and Allied
Bulgari 1943–
Methodius Sofia bombing All
a 1944
National ied air forces
Library

75
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

The library was

burned down
during
the Nazi suppres
sion of
the Warsaw
Nazi Uprising of
Załuski
Warsaw Poland 1944 German troo 1944. The
Library
ps burning of this
library was part
of the general
setting on fire of
a large part of
the city of
Warsaw.[29]

Lebanese Beirut Lebano 1975 Lebanese The 1975 war

National n Civil War fighting began
Library in Beirut's
downtown
where the
National Library
was located.
During the war

76
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

years, the
library suffered
significant
damage.
According to
some sources,
1200 of most
precious
manuscripts
disappeared, and
no memory is
left of the
Library's
organization and
operational
procedures of
that time.

National Phnom Penh Cambo 1976 – The Khmer Burnt most of

Library of dia 1979 Rouge[27] the books and
Cambodia all
bibliographical
records. Only
20% of

77
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

materials
survived.[27]

In May 1981 a
mob composed
of thugs and
plainclothes
police officers
went on a
rampage in
minority Tamil-
dominated
Plainclothes
Jaffna northern Jaffna,
Sri 1981- police
Public Jaffna and burned
Lanka 05-?? officers and
Library down the Jaffna
others
Public Library.
At least 95,000
volumes – the
second largest
library
collection
in South Asia –
were destroyed.
[30]

78
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Before its
destruction, the
library
contained rare
books and
handwritten
manuscripts on
Sikh religion,
Troops history, and
Sikh acting under culture[31] It
1984-
Reference Punjab India Indira could have been
06-07
Library Gandhi's a desperate act
orders on failure to
locate letters or
documents that
could have
implicated the
then Indian
government and
its leader Indira
Gandhi[32][33]

Central Bucharest Romani 1989- Romanian Burnt down

University a 12-2? Land Forces during

79
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

!
Library of the Romanian
Bucharest Revolution.[34][35]

Destroyed by
Bosnia
Oriental the shellfire
and 1992- Bosnian
Institute in Sarajevo during the Siege
Herzeg 05-17 Serb Army
Sarajevo of Sarajevo.[36]
ovina [37][38]

National
The library was
and Bosnia
completely
University and 1992- Bosnian
Sarajevo destroyed
Library of Herzeg 08-25 Serb Army
during the Siege
Bosnia and ovina
of Sarajevo.[36]
Herzegovina

Abkhazian Sukhumi Abkhaz 1992- Georgian Destroyed

Research ia 10-?? Armed during the War
Institute of Forces in Abkhazia.[39]
History,
Language
and

80
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Literature & 
National
Library of
Abkhazia

Pol-i-
It held 55,000
Khomri Afghan Taliban milit
Pol-i-Khomri 1998 books and old
Public istan ia
manuscripts.[40]
Library

Iraq Baghdad Iraq 2003- Unknown Several libraries

National 04-?? members of looted, set on
Library and the Bagdad fire, damaged
Archive, Al- population and destroyed in
Awqaf various degrees
Library, Cen during the 2003
tral Library Iraq War.[41][42][43]
of the [44][45]

University
of
Baghdad, Li
brary of
Bayt al-
Hikma, Cent

81
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

ral Library
of the
University
of
Mosul and
other
libraries

A first estimate
says that only
Egyptian
2011- 30,000 volumes
Scientific Cairo Egypt
12-?? have been saved
Institute
of a total of
200,000.[46]

Ahmed Timbuktu Mali 2013- Islamists mil The library was

Baba 01-28 itia burned down, it
Institute (Ti contained over
mbuktu 20,000
library) manuscripts
with only a
fraction of them
having been
scanned as of

82
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

January 2013.[47]
[48][49]

Libraries Canada 2013 Government Digitization

of Fisheries of effort to reduce
and Oceans Canada head the nine original
Canada ed by prime libraries to
minister Step seven and save
hen Harper $C443,000
annual cost.
[50]
 Only 5–6%
of the material
was digitized,
and that
scientific
records and
research created
at a taxpayer
cost of tens of
millions of
dollars was
dumped,
burned, and
given away.

83
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

 Particularly
[51]

noted are
baseline data
important to
ecological
research, and
data from 19th
century
exploration.

The Christian
library was
burned down, it
Saeh Lebano 2014-
Tripoli Unknown contained over
Library n 01-03
80,000
manuscripts and
books.[52][53][54][55]

National Sarajevo Bosnia 2014- Seven During the 2014

Archives of and 02-07 Bosnian unrest in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzeg rioters and
Herzegovina ovina suspected of Herzegovina lar
(partially) having ge amounts of
started the historical

84
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

fire; two documents were

(Salem destroyed when
Hatibović sections of the
and Nihad Archives of
Trnka) Bosnia and
[56]
were Herzegovina,
arrested.[57] housed in the
presidential
On 4 April building, were
2014, Salem set on fire.
Hatibović Among the lost
and Nihad archival
Trnka were material were
released documents and
(although gifts from
still under the Ottoman per
suspicion of iod, original
terrorism), documents from
on the 1878–
conditions 1918 Austro-
that they Hungarian rule
don't leave in Bosnia and
their places Herzegovina, as
of residence well as
and abstain documentations

85
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

from having of the interwar

any contact period, the
with each 1941–1945 rule
other. Both of
were also the Independent
mandated to State of Croatia,
report to the papers from the
police once following years,
every week. and about 15000
[56]
files from the
1996–2003 Hu
man Rights
Chamber for
Bosnia and
Herzegovina.[58]
[59]

In the
repositories that
were burnt,
about 60 percent
of the material
was lost,
according to
estimates by

86
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

Šaban
Zahirović, the
head of the
Archives.[60]

Mosul
University Ongoing ISI
2014- Book burning.
libraries Mosul Iraq S Book
12-?? [61]

and private Burning

libraries

Libraries in Ongoing ISI
Anbar 2014- Book burning.
Anbar Iraq S Book
Province 12-?? [61]

Province Burning

Institute of Moscow Russia 2015- Unknown. Fire spread to

Scientific 01-29 2000 m² in third
Information Floor. Roof
on Social caved in.
Sciences Additional
(INION) water damage.
(partially?) Ambient
temperature too
high for self-
freezing of
damaged
Works. Library

87
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

contains 14
million books,
including rare
texts in ancient
Slavic
languages,
documents from
the League of
Nations,
UNESCO, and
parliamentary
reports from
countries
including the
US dating back
as far as 1789.
[62]

Mosul Mosul Iraq 2015- ISIS Book 8,000 rare old

public 02-?? Burning books and
library manuscripts.
(Central Manuscripts
Public from the 18th
Library in century, Syriac
Ninawa) books printed in
Iraq's first

88
 Date Reason
Name of Cou of Perpetrat and/or
Image City
Library ntry Destr or Account of
uction Destruction

printing house
in the 19th
century, books
from the
Ottoman era,
Iraqi
newspapers
from the early
20th century.[63]

Natural disasters

Causes
and/or
Date of
Name of Cit Account
Image Country Destru
Library y of
ction
Destructi
on

262
Library of Ephes Southwest
Roman Empire 262
Celsus us Anatolia
earthquake

89
 Causes
and/or
Date of
Name of Cit Account
Image Country Destru
Library y of
ction
Destructi
on

Royal
Library of
Lisbo 1755-11- Great Lisbon
Portugal, Portugal
n 01 earthquake
Ribeira
Palace

Imperial
University
Library in
An earthqua
Tokyo, Max
1923- ke and the
Müller Japan
09-?? following
Library, Nish
fires.[27]
imura
Library, Hos
hino Library

National Nicaragua 1931, It was

Library of 1972 damaged in
Nicaragua the 1931
Rubén Darío earthquake.
Another
earthquake

90
 Causes
and/or
Date of
Name of Cit Account
Image Country Destru
Library y of
ction
Destructi
on

in 1972
caused
damages;
furthermore,
it was
looted.[64]

The 2004
Indian
Ocean
Several earthquake.
libraries, See Library
Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldive 2004-
archives, and damage
s, Thailand, Sri Lanka 12-??
museums[citati resulting
on needed]
from the
2004 Indian
Ocean
earthquake.

91
Fire

Duchess Anna Amalia Library burning

Imag Date of Account of

Name of Library City Country
e Destruction Destruction

Library of Celsus Ephesus Turkey 262

University of 1728
Copenhagen Denmark
Copenhagen Library October

United
Cotton Library Huntingdon 1731-10-23
Kingdom

Washington, United
Library of Congress 1814-08-25
D.C. States

Birmingham Central Birmingham United 1879-01-11 A fire broke out

Library Kingdom behind a wooden
partition serving as
a temporary wall
during building

92
 operations.[65] The
fire caused
extensive damage,
with only 1,000
volumes saved
from a stock of
50,000.[65]

University of Charlottesville, United

1895-10-27
Virginia Library Virginia States

New York State Albany, New United

1911-03-29
Library York States

Jewish Theological Jewish Theological

United
Seminary of New York City 1966-04-18 Seminary library
States
America library fire

Saint
Charles A. Halbert
Basseterre Kitts and 1982[66]
Public Library
Nevis

Dalhousie Halifax, Nova Canada 1985-08-16 A lightning strike

UniversityLaw Scotia caused a short in
Library the electrical
system which
started a fire that
destroyed the top

93
 floor of the
building which
housed the library.
[67]

1986-04-29
Los Angeles Central Los Angeles, United
& 1986-09-
Library California States
03

Academy of
Leningrad, USSR 1988-04-14
Sciences Library

Norwich, United 1994-08-

Norwich Library –
England Kingdom 01[68]

Iraq National
Baghdad Iraq 2003-04-15
Library

Duchess Anna
Weimar Germany 2004-09-02
Amalia Library

Glasgow School of
Glasgow, United
Art, Rennie 2014-05-23
Scotland Kingdom
Mackintosh Library

Institute of Moscow Russia 2015-01-31

Scientific

94
 Information on
Social Sciences
(INION)

Mzuzu 2015-12-
Mzuzu Malawi
University Library 18[69]

ASSIGNMENT

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose two questions

Each question carries 30 marks

Use APA style of referencing

ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS

Question one compulsory

DEADLINE 25 FEBRUARY 2022

1a) Giving examples. Discuss the Most Common Causes of:

95
iii. Natural disasters (choose one type of disaster (10 Marks)

iv. Human caused disasters (choose one type of disaster (10 Marks)

b) Explain the effects of the above disasters on information centers and suggest counter
measures to their effects including ways to prevent them (10 Marks)

2a). Discuss five major emerging global disaster risks today and explain the implications of
these disasters on information centers in this region( 15 Marks )

b). Discuss the various activities involved in the prevention/mitigation phase. Give
examples

( 15 Marks )

3a).Using examples discuss why it is necessary to involve local community in disaster

management endeavors( 15 Marks)

b) Discuss Various ways as a disaster information manager you would use to to create
community awareness to disasters and their management ( 15 Marks)

4a).Using suitable examples evaluate the application of social medial as a tool in disaster
management( 15 Marks)

b) what are the challenges and solutions faced in the use of social media in disaster
management? (15 Marks)

5.An effective and successful community-based approach in reducing disaster risks is often
attributed to the spontaneous participation and involvement of the following stakeholders:

96
  Government
 Non-governments (NGOs)
 Regional and International Organisations/Donor Agencies
 Island council (Local government)
 National/Local Organisations (women committees, youth groups, schools, etc)
 Community workers
 Trainers
 Disaster Managers (Local and National)
 Policy Makers
 Grass-roots people
 Religious Denominations etc

Discuss the role of FIVE of the above organizations in Disaster Management and state the
challenges they face as well as the counter measures to the named challenges( 30 Marks)

7).Disaster management is a cyclical process; the end of one phase is the beginning of
another.Discuss this statement giving examples(30 marks)

8)Identify a recent national disaster in your country (natural or man-made) and discuss
specific ways that the media helped and/or detracted from the Preparation and public
education process before the disaster ( 15 Marks)

B Discuss the Response and recovery effort after the occurrence of the event( 15 Marks)

9a). Discuss the challenges faced in disaster management and suggest solutions to the
challenges. Give examples( 15 Marks)

b). Discuss the role of the PREPARATION phase in Disaster Management ( 15 Marks)

97
98