DISASTER OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (DOM)

The management of "activities that are performed before, during, and after the occurrence of a disaster with the goal of preventing loss of human life, reducing its impact on the economy, and returning to a state of normalcy".

Phases of DOM
1. Disaster Mitigation 2. Disaster Preparedness 3. Disaster Recovery

1. Disaster Mitigation
The process of designing and implementing procedures for reducing the risk associated with the occurrence of a disaster, typically by reducing either the likelihood or the impact of a potential disaster event.

2. Disaster Preparedness
Improving the expected capabilities of response and recovery efforts in advance of an actual disaster event, often by providing relevant information to help individuals and organizations prepare themselves for its occurrence. improving the expected capabilities of response and recovery efforts in advance of an actual disaster event, often by providing relevant information to help individuals and organizations prepare themselves for its occurrence.

3. Disaster Recovery
Minimizing the long-term effects of a disaster situation and facilitating restoration. Recovery typically begins immediately after urgent health and safety issues have been addressed, and it is the phase towards which the largest shares of costs in the disaster management process are directed.

INTRODUCTION TO RISK ASSESSMENT

Disasters in general, can broadly be grouped under three categories viz. (i) Water and Climate related (ii) Geology / Geomorphology related and (iii) Accident related.

RISK ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT

I. WATER AND CLIMATE RELATED i) Cyclone/Storm ii) Flood II. GEOLOGY / GEOMORPHOLOGY RELATED i) Earthquake ii) Tsunami III. ACCIDENT RELATED i) Fire ii) Accidents iii) Industrial / Chemical

IV. SECONDARY HAZARDS i) Epidemics

I. WATER AND CLIMATE RELATED

i) Cyclone/Storm
Potential Impacts Apart from injury and loss of life and damage to public and personal properties, cyclones and storms have also impacts on the environment by way of soil erosion, silting, water pollution and increase in water salinity in general. The resultant economic and social consequences include loss of livelihood, loss/ disruption in production and markets, family disorganisation triggering out-migration, law and order problem, etc. Secondary effects may also cause water borne epidemics.

ii) Flood
Possible impacts of floods include damage/loss of human life, livestock and property. Environmental impacts of flood include soil erosion, silting, water pollution, denudation of land, ingress of saline water in cultivable land increasing soil salinity. Socio-economic consequences include loss of livelihood, loss/ disruption in production and markets, family disorganisation triggering outmigration, law and order problem, spread of epidemics as secondary effect.

II. GEOLOGY / GEOMORPHOLOGY RELATED

i) Earthquake Potential impacts of earthquake may be massive involving huge loss of human life and livestock, damages to public and personal properties. Damages to the environment may be caused by landslide and land subsidence, loss of vegetative cover due to soil erosion and siltation (due to flash flood owing to shoring tides), alteration in river flows and natural landscape, liquefaction, etc.

ii) Tsunami
Tsunami involves huge loss of life and property and damages to the environment and socio-economic order. The impacts of tsunami are almost identical to the impacts as discussed for floods and earthquakes.

III. ACCIDENT RELATED

i) Fire Potential impacts of fires are the burns, injuries and even loss of human life and property. Fire may disrupt services like overhead power and communication lines. Economic consequences may include disruption in productive activities and loss of livelihood. Environmental impacts include air pollution due to emission of obnoxious gases which may affect nearby settlements.

ii) Accidents
Potential impacts due to accidents include injuries and burns which demand surgical interventions, poisoning or exposure to toxic material, trauma and even loss of human life. Property damage includes damage/loss of fishing vessels/crafts and other surface vehicles, mechanical devices and equipments used during construction and operational phases. Apart from loss of life and property, accidents may lead to partial or complete disruption of activities duringthe construction phase and harbour operations after its commencement. Fire and release of obnoxious gas from the accident spot are the immediate secondary effects.

iii) Industrial / Chemical

The potential impacts of industrial / chemical induced accidents may be pollution of the surface / river / estuarine water quality and significant damage to aquatic life and serious air pollution due to release of obnoxious gases.

IV. SECONDARY HAZARDS

Epidemics are mostly localised and confined to water borne diseases like gastro enteritis, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, etc. The incidence of such diseases generally occurs during monsoon, which gets compounded at times of floods.

DISASTER RESPONSE
Disaster response is the reaction and activity involved in helping people who have involved in some kind of catastrophe. Overall disaster management plan is usually focused on disaster avoidance, The creation of an action plan that details the necessary response if one occurs. Once an incident has taken place, these plans for response and recovery are then set into motion, to best remedy the situation.

 Disaster response takes the action plan and puts it into motion when necessary. According to it and in a disaster situation, emergency personnel are ready to be deployed for search and rescue missions. Citizens may be advised to either evacuate or seek shelter. In the case of evacuation, transportation is typically pre-arranged to quickly and safely remove citizens from the affected area. Also, supplies can be brought in by humanitarian groups or emergency management authorities to aid those impacted by the incident.

CONT

CONT
During this phase, the condition of the area hit by the disaster is usually assessed, and a plan for the future is formulated. This can be as simple as returning people to their homes, or as complicated as setting up temporary, long-term housing and providing necessities for those affected. This phase can also include plans that outline the repair of damaged areas, and the restoration of living conditions. Prevention of future, similar incidents is usually discussed, and a new planning phase can begin.

Key Activities during the Response Phase

Monitoring Committee(s) Objective of Relief Rescue & Medical care Relief Personnel Food & Shelter Health and Sanitation Trauma Counseling Surface Communication Security Information Sharing Rapid Damage Assessment Transparency Early transition to rehabilitation

WHAT ARE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs)?

In the current context: A civic or public advocacy organization, which generates, transfers, or administers humanitarian and other aid (development / relief) Generally, NGO's are organized as nonprofit corporations (charities) Can be local or international (INGOs) May work with or independent of government Generally, do not include professional associations, businesses, and foundations

Examples of NGOs involved in disaster & humanitarian crisis response Care MSF Oxfam Red Cross (not ICRC) Save the Children St John Ambulance World Vision

Who are the other players in disaster health management?

Government National State / Provincial Local United Nations Donors Hybrid organisations with own defined status International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

How do NGOs operate?

NGOs vary greatly Organizational structure is similar to businesses Usually non-rigid hierarchy; significant flexibility and authority at the field level International NGOs often team up with local NGOs or have regional or local branches

What do they do?

Operational verses Advocacy Grassroots, long-term projects, development work Willing to work in high risk areas; not constrained by sovereignty In theory, emphasis on sustainability Full integration with local population Good positioning for disaster response

Who pays them?

Funding sources Private Donations (citizens, businesses and foundations) International Organizations (UN) National Governments Perceptions are important Importance of public relations and the Media

Where international assistance required in disasters?

Donors also rely on NGOs, because of their access to the populations in need and again, their access is dependent on their neutrality NGOs, as implementing partners of donor organizations, are the legs on which disaster response stands Accountability How do we know that NGOs are doing the right thing? Who monitors NGOs?

Who Monitors NGOs?

Little External Monitoring Self-Regulation: NGO Standards Red Cross Code of Conduct InterAction PVO Standards Sphere Minimum Standards in Disaster Response Sphere Project www.sphereproject.org Launched in 1997 Humanitarian NGOs and related organizations, including Red Cross and Red Crescent movements Three elements Handbook Collaboration Expression of commitment to quality and accountability

NGO Culture
Independent: need to cooperate Decentralized authority On-the-job training (changing however) Often develop a range of field guidelines, e.g. MSF, Red Cross Hopefully develop long-term perspective