MANAGING DISASTERS BEFORE THEY MANAGE YOU

1
MANAGING DISASTERS BEFORE THEY MANAGE YOU
Dr. David Ratnavale
2
December 26, 2004 WHAT HAPPENED ?
3

• WHAT IS A TSUNAMI?
• Japanese, for Harbor Wave
• Sweep the oceans when earthquakes occur at the
  bottom of the sea
• Disturbance emanates below sea level
• Pulses are massive walls of water.
• Could travel at 800 kilometers per hour
• Overall force so great causing damage in
• Indonesia Sri Lanka Thailand India,
  Maldives, Malaysia, Seychelles, Kenya and Somalia

4
(No Transcript)
5
Statistics Sri Lanka About 38,000 people
dead 6,000 missing 1,060 children lost both
parents 3,414 lost one parent 150,000 families
displaced 160 Km of railroad tracks
damaged hundreds of miles of coastal highways
damaged or destroyed 1,117,000 houses damaged or
destroyed 161 schools damaged or destroyed 22,600
households lost power 80 of coastal fishing
areas destroyed
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10

• In an article Apocalypse, a Lanka journalist
  notes
• The tsunami was a revelation
• Showed how powerless we are in the face of
  natures forces
• How unprepared we were in the face of a crisis of
  unprecedented dimensions
• What divine or bestial levels humanity can rise
  to or sink to

11
What are the lessons identified? What was the
total response and the relief effort to
date? What have we learnt? What must we do?
12
WHAT IS A DISASTER? Two words, DIS
failure or opposite, and ASTRUM
Astrological notion, ill starred,
Major planetary upset. Like
Disease, Displaced and
Disconnected, we have Disaster STRESS
REACTIONS Individual and collective
responses Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly
(Shakespeare)
13
(No Transcript)
14
DEFINING Sudden event causing Great
damage Ecological disruption Suffering Loss of
human life and property Circumstances? Needs
exceed the coping capacity of communities and
require external assistance
15
ASSYMETRIC THREATS Markedly
disproportionate to the effects they
bring Chemical Biological Digital
Radiological Nuclear USA in the context
of 9/11 - A small group attacking a big country
in a way that harms thousands. Physical or
Mental and Psychological Fear and anxiety rapidly
spreading through the society Spreading
Rumorssuicide bombing impacting large groups or
poisoning source of water or food
16

• ALL-HAZARD APPROACH TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• An integrated hazard management strategy -
  incorporates planning for and consideration of
  all potential disasters
• Natural and technological hazard threats,
  including terrorism
• September 11, 2001 (9/11) and December 26th 2004
  (12/26), reveal that the critical issues and
  lessons identified are basically the same?
• NEEDS OVERWHELM AVAILABLE RESOURCES

17
COMMON DENOMINATOR The crisis is of such
magnitude that the available resources for
prevention and resolution are inadequate.
Therefore, to be unprepared is to be deficient in
available resources. Existing resources within an
individual, a community or nation may be
temporarily unavailable (inaccessible) during the
throes of a disaster Local Disaster Management
Capacity level of preparedness Extent of
infrastructure disruption Leadership stress and
political stability The speed of delivery of
external aid Local conditions for aid
distribution Disaster side effects
18
DISASTER VULNERABILITY Compare - Developing
Countries versus United States Of the nearly 2500
disasters in the 20th century, nearly 84
occurred in developing countries. People have
far fewer resources to help them cope Death toll
and damage is greater High population density
Poverty United States Exposed to a wide range
of natural hazards. Extraordinary natural,
climatic, and geographical diversity - 20
billion annually, that includes Loss of life
and property Disruption of commerce Response
and recovery costs
19

• IN DISASTER CIRCUMSTANCES
• Routine procedures and resources are insufficient
  to meet the demands
• Lack of reliable information and limitations on
  accurate assessment of need compromise relief
  capability
• Incremental increase in the number and types of
  responding groups, agencies and jurisdictions
• Requires alterations in traditional divisions of
  coordination among responding participants

20

• IN DISASTER CIRCUMSTANCES
• Multiple organizations, disciplines and
  volunteers operate under high tension and
  fluctuating conditions
• Often results in flawed command control and
  communication
• Duplication of effort
• Turf issues get very heated over chain of command
  and weak linkages
• Omission of essential tasks
• Some activities could actually worsen the
  situation
• A wrong decision may lead to an ill-timed
  strategy
• Obstruction
• Overreaction could compromise community safety

21
IMPACT Individuals and also the societies in
which they live will experience various forms of
Stress reactions Physical Mental
PSYCHOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT The psychological
footprint exceeds the size of the medical
footprint
Psychological Footprint
Medical Footprint