Unit 2
Unit 2
• A hazard can cause the full range of natural disasters, major man-made
incidents, and resource crises that become the concern of the entire
community.
• The ideal is for communities to be prepared at all times for all types of
hazards. In practical terms however, this is not possible.
• Preparedness for one hazard or disaster may increase your risk to another.
• For example, structures designed to withstand hurricane force winds may
incur or cause greater damage if there is an earthquake.
• The more logical solution would be to adapt best practices as much as
possible for the most likely scenario.
Hazard identification and vulnerability
analysis
• The most critical part of implementing a mitigation strategy is a full
understanding of the nature of the threat as the hazards faced vary
between locations and from hazard to hazard.
• Some countries are prone to floods and drought; others have histories of
tropical storm damage; and others are at risk from earthquakes.
• Most countries are prone to at least some combination of hazards and all
face the possibility of technological disasters as industrial development
progresses.
• The effects these hazards are likely to have and their potential damage is
dependent on the risks, the people, their livelihoods and the existing
infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies or measures
1. Adjusting normal development programmes to reduce losses.
For instance, varieties of crops that are more wind, flood or
drought resistant can often be introduced in areas prone to
floods, drought and cyclones.
2. Economic diversification. In areas where the principal or sole
source of the income may be threatened, attempts should be
made to diversify the economy and introduce the economic
activities that are less vulnerable. Diversification is extremely
important where economies are dependent on a single cash
crop.
Mitigation strategies or measures
3. Developing disaster resistant economic activities. Some
economic activities are relatively unaffected by disasters.
• For instance, situating warehouses in flood plains may be more
appropriate than manufacturing plants in the same location.
• Coconut palms could be more suitable than other fruit trees in
cyclone-prone coastal areas.
Disaster Mitigation and Infrastructure
Considerations
a. Operations
• To maintain operations during a disaster, ensure that a backup
generator is available in case of power failure and that a battery-
operated radio is at hand as well as a back-up supply of critical
goods/needs – a continuous supply if at all possible.
b. Critical Information and Communication
• Ensure that there is a backup copy of all critical information – namely
employee data, customer list, production formulas, a list of software
and hardware and logon and passwords – in an accessible yet safe
place; regularly update the backup copy of all files.
Disaster Mitigation and Infrastructure
c. Insurance
Ensure that all critical assets, including business interruption are
insured and be aware of the content of the insurance policy.
d. Infrastructure planning
• For most infrastructure projects, natural hazard mitigation should be
addressed during the conceptual development of the project.
• The preliminary design should take into consideration the prevalent
hazards and methods to avoid or to minimize the effects of the
extreme natural events. These factors include:
Disaster Mitigation and Infrastructure
• Situating the facility to avoid flooding, soil erosion,
exposure to high winds and unstable soils, and to
minimize exposure to storm surge and high waves for
harbors, docking facilities and coastal buildings;
• Designing the shape of the buildings and structural
systems to minimize effects of high winds and
earthquake effects, tornados, and, in the case of
protection works, to avoid unwanted effects such as
beach erosion
Disaster and Development
• Disasters and development are closely linked in that disasters can both destroy
development initiatives and create development opportunities and that
development schemes can both increase and decrease vulnerability.
• The prevailing attitude has been that disasters, especially natural ones, were an
act of nature and as such were beyond human control; accepting death and
damage to property was part of the costs.
• With such an attitude, most development plans were designed without
consideration for the effect disasters would have on community plans and vice
versa.
• When a disaster did occur, the response was directed at meeting emergency
needs and cleaning up. Now it is realized that much more can and need to be
done to reduce the severity of hazards and disasters.
Disaster and Development
A growing body of knowledge on the relationships between disasters
and development indicates four basic themes as follows:
1. Disasters set back development programming, destroying years of
development initiatives.
2. Rebuilding after a disaster provides significant opportunities to
initiate development programmes.
3. Development programmes can increase an area’s susceptibility to
disasters.
4. Development programmes can be designed to decrease the
susceptibility to disasters and their negative consequences.
The impact of disasters on development programmes