PROJECT ON

Disaster Management
SUBMITTED BY

Mr. Tanmay Kate

M.com Management Part I (Semester 2)

Roll No. 26

*2015-2016*

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

PROF. SMT Dr. K.S. Fulmali

DECLARATION

I extend my gratitude to our Subject Teacher PROF. SMT Dr. K.S. Fulmali for providing
guidance and support during the course of project. She has been a great help through the
making of the project. I thank the University of Mumbai for giving me the opportunity to work
on such a relevant topic. I also want to thank the college faculties, the librarian and the Principal
Dr. Madhavi Pethe for their help and others who are indirectly responsible for the completion of
this project.

Date-

Signature of Student

Mumbai

Mr Tanmay Kate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank the University of Mumbai and my college for giving me this opportunity
for taking such a challenging project, which has enhanced my knowledge about Strategic
Management I express my sincere gratitude to the principal, course coordinator, Guide Dr. K.S.
Fulmali and our librarian and other teachers for their constant support and helping for completing
the I am also grateful to my friends for giving support in my project. Lastly, I would like to thank
each and every person who helped me in completing the project especially my parents. NO
ENDEAVOUR ACHIEVES SUCCESS WITHOUT THE ADVICE & COOPERATION OF
OTHER

INDEX

SR.NO

TOPIC NAME

1.

Introduction of Strategic Management

2.

Introduction to Disaster Management

3.

Need of Study

4.

Review Of Literature

5.

Objective of Study

6.

Hypothesis

7.

Facts And Findigs

9.

Conclusion

10.

Bibliography

Strategic management

Strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and
initiatives taken by a company's top management on behalf of owners, based on consideration of

resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organization
competes.
Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise and involves specifying the
organization's objectives, developing policies and plans designed to achieve these objectives, and
then allocating resources to implement the plans. Academics and practicing managers have
developed numerous models and frameworks to assist in strategic decision making in the context
of complex environments and competitive dynamics. Strategic management is not static in
nature; the models often include a feedback loop to monitor execution and inform the next round
of planning.
Michael Porter identifies three principles underlying strategy: creating a "unique and valuable
[market] position", making trade-offs by choosing "what not to do", and creating "fit" by
aligning company activities with one another to support the chosen strategy. Dr. Vladimir Kvint
defines strategy as "a system of finding, formulating, and developing a doctrine that will ensure
long-term success if followed faithfully."
Corporate strategy involves answering a key question from a portfolio perspective: "What
business should we be in?" Business strategy involves answering the question: "How shall we
compete in this business?" In management theory and practice, a further distinction is often made
between strategic management and operational management. Operational management is
concerned primarily with improving efficiency and controlling costs within the boundaries set by
the organization's strategy.

Michael Porter identifies three principles underlying strategy: creating a "unique and valuable
[market] position", making trade-offs by choosing "what not to do", and creating "fit" by
aligning company activities with one another to support the chosen strategy. Dr. Vladimir
Kvint defines strategy as "a system of finding, formulating, and developing a doctrine that will
ensure long-term success if followed faithfully.

Corporate strategy involves answering a key question from a portfolio perspective: "What
business should we be in?" Business strategy involves answering the question: "How shall we
compete in this business? In management theory and practice, a further distinction is often made
between strategic management and operational management. Operational management is
concerned primarily with improving efficiency and controlling costs within the boundaries set by
the organization's strategy.

Definition
Strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and
initiatives taken by a company's top management on behalf of owners, based on consideration
of resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the
organization competes. Strategy is defined as "the determination of the basic long-term goals of
an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for
carrying out these goals. Strategies are established to set direction, focus effort, define or clarify
the organization, and provide consistency or guidance in response to the environment.
Strategic management involves the related concepts of strategic planning and strategic thinking.
Strategic planning is analytical in nature and refers to formalized procedures to produce the data
and analyses used as inputs for strategic thinking, which synthesizes the data resulting in the
strategy. Strategic planning may also refer to control mechanisms used to implement the strategy
once it is determined. In other words, strategic planning happens around the strategic thinking or
strategy making activity.
Strategic management is often described as involving two major processes: formulation and
implementation of strategy. While described sequentially below, in practice the two processes are
iterative and each provides input for the other.

Formulation
Formulation of strategy involves analyzing the environment in which the organization operates,
then making a series of strategic decisions about how the organization will compete. Formulation
ends with a series of goals or objectives and measures for the organization to pursue.
Environmental analysis includes the:

Remote external environment, including the political, economic, social, technological, legal and
environmental landscape (PESTLE);
Industry environment, such as the competitive behavior of rival organizations, the bargaining
power of buyers/customers and suppliers, threats from new entrants to the industry, and the
ability of buyers to substitute products (Porter's 5 forces); and
Internal environment, regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the organization's resources
(i.e., its people, processes and IT systems).

Implementation

The second major process of strategic management is implementation, which involves decisions
regarding how the organization's resources (i.e., people, process and IT systems) will be aligned
and mobilized towards the objectives. Implementation results in how the organization's resources
are structured (such as by product or service or geography), leadership arrangements,
communication, incentives, and monitoring mechanisms to track progress towards objectives,
among others.

Running the day-to-day operations of the business is often referred to as "operations

management" or specific terms for key departments or functions, such as "logistics management"
or "marketing management," which take over once strategic management decisions are
implemented.

Introduction

Disaster management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding both natural and manmade
disasters. It involves preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of
disasters. All aspects of emergency management deal with the processes used to protect
populations or organizations from the consequences of disasters, wars and acts of terrorism.

Disaster management doesn't necessarily avert or eliminate the threats themselves, although the
study and prediction of the threats is an important part of the field. The basic levels of emergency
management are the various kinds of search and rescue activity. Disaster management can be
defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all
humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order
to lessen the impact of disasters.

Disaster management (or emergency management) is the creation of plans through which
communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Disaster management does
not avert or eliminate the threats; instead, it focuses on creating plans to decrease the effect of
disasters. Failure to create a plan could lead to damage to assets, human mortality, and lost
revenue. Currently in the United States 60 percent of businesses do not have emergency
management plans. Events covered by disaster management include acts of terrorism,
industrial sabotage, fire, natural disasters (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.), public disorder,
industrial accidents, and communication failures.

Types of Disasters
There is no country that is immune from disaster, though vulnerability to disaster varies. There
are four main types of disaster.
Natural disasters
These disasters include floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcano eruptions that can have
immediate impacts on human health, as well as secondary impacts causing further death and
suffering from floods causing landslides, earthquakes resulting in fires, tsunamis causing
widespread flooding and typhoons sinking ferries.

Environmental Emergencies
These emergencies include technological or industrial accidents, usually involving hazardous
material, and occur where these materials are produced, used or transported. Large forest fires
are generally included in this definition because they tend to be caused by humans.

Complex Emergencies

These emergencies involve a break-down of authority, looting and attacks on strategic

installations. Complex emergencies include conflict situations and war.

Pandemic Emergencies
These emergencies involve a sudden onset of a contagious disease that affects health but also
disrupts services and businesses, bringing economic and social costs.

Man-made Disaster
Disasters caused by chemical or industrial accidents, environmental pollution, transport accidents
and political unrest are classified as human-made or human-induced disasters since they are
the direct result of human action.

Pre-incident training and testing

A team of emergency responders performs a training scenario involving anthrax.
Emergency management plans and procedures should include the identification of appropriately
trained staff members responsible for decision-making when an emergency occurs. Training
plans should include internal people, contractors and civil protection partners, and should state
the nature and frequency of training and testing.
Testing of a plan's effectiveness should occur regularly. In instances where several business or
organizations occupy the same space, joint emergency plans, formally agreed to by all parties,
should be put into place.

Communicating and incident assessment

Communication is one of the key issues during any emergency, pre-planning of communications
is critical. Miscommunication can easily result in emergency events escalating unnecessarily.
Once an emergency has been identified a comprehensive assessment evaluating the level of
impact and its financial implications should be undertaken. Following assessment, the
appropriate plan or response to be activated will depend on a specific pre-set criteria within the

emergency plan. The steps necessary should be prioritized to ensure critical functions are
operational as soon as possible.

Prevention
Prevention was recently added to the phases of emergency management. It focuses on preventing
the human hazard, primarily from potential natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Preventive
measures are taken on both the domestic and international levels, designed to provide permanent
protection from disasters. Not all disasters, particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but
the risk of loss of life and injury can be mitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental
planning and design standards. In January 2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10-year global plan
for natural disaster risk reduction called the Hyogo Framework.

Mitigation
Personal mitigation is a key to national preparedness. Individuals and families train to avoid
unnecessary risks. This includes an assessment of possible risks to personal/family health and to
personal property, and steps taken to minimize the effects of a disaster, or procure insurance to
protect them against effects of a disaster.

Preventive or mitigation measures take different forms for different types of disasters. In
earthquake prone areas, these preventive measures might include structural changes such as the
installation of an earthquake valve to instantly shut off the natural gas supply, seismic retrofits of
property, and the securing of items inside a building. The latter may include the mounting of
furniture, refrigerators, water heaters and breakables to the walls, and the addition of cabinet
latches. In flood prone areas, houses can be built on poles/stilts. In areas prone to prolonged
electricity black-outs installation of a generator ensures continuation of electrical service. The

construction of storm cellars and fallout shelters are further examples of personal mitigate
actions.
On a national level, governments might implement large scale mitigation measures. After the
monsoon floods of 2010, the Punjab government subsequently constructed 22 'disaster-resilient'
model villages, comprising 1885 single- storey homes, together with schools and health centers.

Preparedness
Preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and procedures for use when a disaster occurs.
This equipment and these procedures can be used to reduce vulnerability to disaster, to mitigate
the impacts of a disaster or to respond more efficiently in an emergency. The Federal (FEMA)
has set out a basic four-stage vision of preparedness flowing from mitigation to preparedness to
response to recovery and back to mitigation in a circular planning process. This circular,
overlapping model has been modified by other agencies, taught in emergency class and discussed
in academic papers. FEMA also operates a Building Science Branch that develops and produces
multi-hazard mitigation guidance that focuses on creating disaster-resilient communities to
reduce loss of life and property. FEMA advises citizens to prepare their homes with some
emergency essentials in the case that the food distribution lines are interrupted. FEMA has
subsequently prepared for this contingency by purchasing hundreds of thousands of freeze dried
food emergency meals ready to eat (MRE's) to dispense to the communities where emergency
shelter and evacuations are implemented.
Emergency preparedness can be difficult to measure. CDC focuses on evaluating the
effectiveness of its public health efforts through a variety of measurement and assessment
program
Preparedness measures can take many forms ranging from focusing on individual people,
locations or incidents to broader, government-based "all hazard" planning. There are a number of
preparedness stages between "all hazard' and individual planning, generally involving some
combination of both mitigation and response planning. Business continuity planning encourages
businesses to have a Disaster Recovery Plan. Community- and faith-based organizations
mitigation efforts promote field response teams and inter-agency planning.

Classroom response kit

School-based response teams cover everything from live shooters to gas leaks and nearby bank
robberies. Educational institutions plan for cyberattacks and windstorms. Industry specific
guidance exists for horse farms, boat owners and more.

Family preparedness for disaster is fairly unusual. A 2013 survey found that only 19% of
American families felt that they were "very prepared" for a disaster. Still, there are many
resources available for family disaster planning. The Department of Homeland Security's
Ready.gov page includes a Family Emergency Plan Checklist, has a whole webpage devoted to
readiness for kids, complete with cartoon-style superheroes, and ran a Thunderclap Campaign in
2014. The Center for Disease Control has a Zombie Apocalypse website.

Kitchen fire extinguisher

Disasters take a variety of forms to include earthquakes, tsunamis or regular structure fires. That
a disaster or emergency is not large scale in terms of population or acreage impacted or duration
does not make it any less of a disaster for the people or area impacted and much can be learned
about preparedness from so-called small disasters. The Red Cross states that it responds to nearly
70,000 disasters a year, the most common of which is a single family fire.

Items on shelves in basement

Preparedness starts with an individual's everyday life and involves items and training that would
be useful in an emergency. What is useful in an emergency is often also useful in everyday life as
well. From personal preparedness, preparedness continues on a continuum through family
preparedness, community preparedness and then business, non-profit and governmental
preparedness. Some organizations blend these various levels. For example, the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement has a webpage on disaster training as well as offering
training on basic preparedness such as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and First Aid. Other nonprofits such as Team Rubicon bring specific groups of people into disaster preparedness and
response operations. FEMA breaks down preparedness into a pyramid, with citizens on the
foundational bottom, on top of which rests local government, state government and federal
government in that order.

Non-perishable food in cabinet

The basic theme behind preparedness is to be ready for an emergency and there are a number of
different variations of being ready based on an assessment of what sort of threats exist.
Nonetheless, there is basic guidance for preparedness that is common despite an area's specific
dangers. FEMA recommends that everyone have a three-day survival kit for their household

Children are a special population when considering Emergency preparedness and many resources
are directly focused on supporting them. SAMHSA has list of tips for talking to children during
infectious disease outbreaks, to include being a good listener, encouraging children to ask
questions and modeling self-care by setting routines, eating healthy meals, getting enough sleep
and taking deep breaths to handle stress. FEMA has similar advice, noting that "Disasters can
leave children feeling frightened, confused, and insecure" whether a child has experienced it first
hand, had it happen to a friend or simply saw it on television. In the same publication, FEMA
further notes, "Preparing for disaster helps everyone in the family accept the fact that disasters do
happen, and provides an opportunity to identify and collect the resources needed to meet basic
needs after disaster. Preparation helps; when people feel prepared, they cope better and so do
children."
To help people assess what threats might be in order to augment their emergency supplies or
improve their disaster response skills, FEMA has published a booklet called the "Threat and
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide. (THIRA) This guide, which outlines the
THIRA process, emphasizes "whole community involvement," not just governmental agencies,
in preparedness efforts. In this guide, FEMA breaks down hazards into three categories: Natural,
technological and human caused and notes that each hazard should be assessed for both its
likelihood and its significance. According to FEMA, "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that could plausibly occur" and "Communities should consider only those
threats and hazards that would have a significant effect on them." To develop threat and hazard
context descriptions, communities should take into account the time, place, and conditions in
which threats or hazards might occur.
Not all preparedness efforts and discussions involve the government or established NGOs like
the Red Cross. Emergency preparation discussions are active on the internet, with many blogs
and websites dedicated to discussing various aspects of preparedness. On-line sales of items such
as survival food, medical supplies and heirloom seeds allow people to stock basements with
cases of food and drinks with 25 year shelf lives, sophisticated medical kits and seeds that are
guaranteed to sprout even after years of storage.
One group of people who put a lot of effort in disaster preparations is called Doomsday Preppers.
This subset of preparedness-minded people often share a belief that the FEMA or Red Cross
emergency preparation suggestions and training are not extensive enough. Sometimes
called survivalists, Doomsday Preppers are often preparing for The End of the World as We
Know It, abbreviated as TEOTWAWKI. With a motto some have that "The Future Belongs to
those who Prepare," this Preparedness subset has its own set of Murphy's Rules, including "Rule
Number 1: Food, you still don't have enough" and "Rule Number 26: People who thought the
Government would save them, found out that it didn't."

Not all emergency preparation efforts revolve around food, guns and shelters, though these items
help address the needs in the bottom two sections of Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Emergency preparedness also includes more than physical items and skill-specific training.
Psychological preparedness is also a type of emergency preparedness and specific mental health
preparedness resources are offered for mental health professionals by organizations such as the
Red Cross. These mental health preparedness resources are designed to support both community
members affected by a disaster and the disaster workers serving them. CDC has a website
devoted to coping with a disaster or traumatic event.[38] After such an event, the CDC, through
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), suggests that
people seek psychological help when they exhibit symptoms such as excessive worry, crying
frequently, an increase in irritability, anger, and frequent arguing, wanting to be alone most of the
time, feeling anxious or fearful, overwhelmed by sadness, confused, having trouble thinking
clearly and concentrating, and difficulty making decisions, increased alcohol and/or substance
use, increased physical (aches, pains) complaints such as headaches and trouble with "nerves."
Sometimes emergency supplies are kept in what is called a Bug-out bag. While FEMA does not
actually use the term "Bug out bag," calling it instead some variation of a "Go Kit," the idea of
having emergency items in a quickly accessible place is common to both FEMA and CDC,
though on-line discussions of what items a "bug out bag" should include sometimes cover items
such as firearms and great knives that are not specifically suggested by FEMA or CDC. The
theory behind a "bug out bag" is that emergency preparations should include the possibility
of Emergency evacuation. Whether fleeing a burning building or hastily packing a car to escape
an impending hurricane, flood or dangerous chemical release, rapid departure from a home or
workplace environment is always a possibility and FEMA suggests having a Family Emergency
Plan for such occasions. Because family members may not be together when disaster strikes, this
plan should include reliable contact information for friends or relatives who live outside of what
would be the disaster area for household members to notify they are safe or otherwise
communicate with each other.
Along with the contact information, FEMA suggests having well-understood local gathering
points if a house must be evacuated quickly to avoid the dangers of re-reentering a burning
home. Family and emergency contact information should be printed on cards and put in each
family member's backpack or wallet. If family members spend a significant amount of time in a
specific location, such as at work or school, FEMA suggests learning the emergency preparation
plans for those places. FEMA has a specific form, in English and in Spanish, to help people put
together these emergency plans, though it lacks lines for email contact information.
Like children, people with disabilities and other special needs have special emergency
preparation needs. While "disability" has a specific meaning for specific organizations such as
collecting Social Security benefits, for the purposes of emergency preparedness, the Red Cross

uses the term in a broader sense to include people with physical, medical, sensor or cognitive
disabilities or the elderly and other special needs populations. Depending on the particular
disability, specific emergency preparations might be required. FEMA's suggestions for people
with disabilities includes having copies of prescriptions, charging devices for medical devices
such as motorized wheel chairs and a week's supply of medication readily available LINK or in a
"go stay kit." In some instances, lack of competency in English may lead to special preparation
requirements and communication efforts for both individuals and responders.
FEMA notes that long term power outages can cause damage beyond the original disaster that
can be mitigated with emergency generators or other power sources to provide an
Emergency. The United States Department of Energy states that 'homeowners, business owners,
and local leaders may have to take an active role in dealing with energy disruptions on their own.
This active role may include installing or other procuring generators that are either portable or
permanently mounted and run on fuels such as propane or natural gas or gasoline. Concerns
about carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution, flooding, fuel storage and fire lead even small
property owners to consider professional installation and maintenance. Major institutions like
hospitals, military bases and educational institutions often have or are considering extensive
backup power systems. Instead of, or in addition to, fuel-based power systems, solar, wind and
other alternative power sources may be used. Standalone batteries, large or small, are also used
to provide backup charging for electrical systems and devices ranging from emergency lights to
computers to cell phones.
Emergency preparedness does not stop at home or at school. The United States Department of
Health and Human Services addresses specific emergency preparedness issues hospitals may
have to respond to, including maintaining a safe temperature, providing adequate electricity for
life support systems and even carrying out evacuations under extreme circumstances. FEMA
encourages all businesses to have businesses to have an emergency response plan and
the Administration specifically advises small business owners to also focus emergency
preparedness and provides a variety of different worksheets and resources.
FEMA cautions that emergencies happen while people are travelling as well and provides
guidance around emergency preparedness for a range travelers to include commuters, Commuter
Emergency Plan and holiday travelers. In particular, Ready.gov has a number of emergency
preparations specifically designed for people with car

Response
The response phase of an emergency may commence with Search and Rescue but in all cases the
focus will quickly turn to fulfilling the basic humanitarian needs of the affected population. This
assistance may be provided by national or international agencies and organizations. Effective

coordination of disaster assistance is often crucial, particularly when many organizations respond
and local emergency management agency (LEMA) capacity has been exceeded by the demand or
diminished by the disaster itself. The National Response Framework is a United States
government publication that explains responsibilities and expectations of government officials at
the local, state, federal, and tribal levels. It provides guidance on Emergency Support Functions
that may be integrated in whole or parts to aid in the response and recovery process.

On a personal level the response can take the shape either of a shelter in place or an evacuation.
In a shelter-in-place scenario, a family would be prepared to fend for themselves in their home
for many days without any form of outside support. In an evacuation, a family leaves the area
by automobile or other mode of transportation, taking with them the maximum amount of
supplies they can carry, possibly including a tent for shelter. If mechanical transportation is not
available, evacuation on foot would ideally include carrying at least three days of supplies and
rain-tight bedding, a tarpaulin and a bedroll of blankets.
Donations are often sought during this period, especially for large disasters that overwhelm local
capacity. Due to efficiencies of scale, money is often the most cost-effective donation if fraud is
avoided. Money is also the most flexible, and if goods are sourced locally then transportation is
minimized and the local economy is boosted. Some donors prefer to send gifts in kind, however
these items can end up creating issues, rather than helping. One innovation by Occupy
Sandy volunteers is to use a donation registry, where families and businesses impacted by the
disaster can make specific requests, which remote donors can purchase directly via a web site.
Medical considerations will vary greatly based on the type of disaster and secondary effects.
Survivors may sustain a multitude of injuries to include lacerations, burns, near drowning,
or crush syndrome.

Need of Study

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous and unfortunate event that brings with it great damage, loss,
destruction and devastation to human life as well as property and also hampers the ongoing
developmental projects in a particular area being affected by the disaster. Disaster has been
defined in many ways; World Health Organization has defined disaster as any sudden occurrence
of the events that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of
health and health services, on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside
the affected community or area. Disaster management is very important to survive in the case of
a natural or a major man-made disaster and can be defined as the organization and management
of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in
particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of a sudden disaster.
The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies with the geographical location,
climate and the type of the earth surface/degree of vulnerability. At times there can be disasters
where there is no loss of human life and at times these can also cause a huge loss of life and
property. This influences the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected
area. A disaster can be caused by human activities or due to some natural changes. Disasters are
events that are unpredictable most of the times. It is important for any government, state or
community to manage disasters by being prepared for it in advance. Government provides
legislation, allocates resources and does rational planning and sustainable development. Disaster
management and planning is a key part of government work and an issue to be taken up seriously
by the concerned authorities.
Disasters and their management generally get discussed in their aftermath but practically it
should result in planning and preparing the strategy to tackle and mitigate disasters in a
responsible and effective manner. Disasters, both natural and unnatural, are macro level events or
processes, which induce disturbances and turmoil for a prolonged life-threatening environment
for a community.
World Development Report (IFRCRC, 2001) categorizes natural disasters into hydro
meteorological (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc) and geophysical (landslides, droughts, etc)
categories. The scope of unnatural disasters broadly encompasses conflicts, civil strife, riots and
industrial disasters.
In the past decade (1991-2000), natural disasters have killed 66,59,598 people, accounting for 88
percent of all deaths due to disasters. Similarly, unnatural disasters have killed 86,923 people
during the decade. Nearly two-thirds of the people killed in these disasters hail from developing
countries like India, with only four percent of the casualties being reported from highly
developed countries (IFRCRC, 2001).

Disaster management is essentially a dynamic process. It comprises the classical management

functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. It also involves many
organizations, which must work together to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover
from the effects of disaster. Disaster management would therefore include immediate response,
recovery, prevention, mitigation, preparedness and the cycle goes on.
India is considered as the worlds most disaster prone country. Like many other countries in this
region, India is plagued by various kinds of natural disasters every year, such as floods, drought,
earthquakes, cyclones and landslides. Millions of people are affected every year and the
economic losses caused by natural disasters amount to a major share of the Gross National
Product (GNP). Natural Disasters are huge economic burdens on developing economies such as
India. Every year, huge amount of resources are mobilized for rescue, relief and rehabilitation
works following natural disaster occurrences.
In India, a closer analysis of what transforms a natural event into a human and economic disaster
reveals that the fundamental problems of development that the country faces are the very same
problems that contribute to its vulnerability to the catastrophic effects of natural hazards. The
principal causes of vulnerability include rapid and uncontrolled urbanization, persistence of
widespread urban and rural poverty, degradation of the environment resulting from the
mismanagement of natural resources, inefficient public policies, and lagging (and misguided)
investments in infrastructure.
Development and disaster-related policies have largely focused on emergency response, leaving
a serious under-investment in natural hazard prevention and mitigation.
A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving
widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the
ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately managed
risk. These risks are the product of a combination of both hazards and vulnerability. Hazards that
strike in areas with low vulnerability will never become disasters, as is the case in uninhabited
regions.
Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits more than 95 percent of all
deaths caused by hazards occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural hazards are 20
times greater (as a percentage of GDP) in developing countries than in industrialized countries.

Review of Literature

Most of the worlds worst disasters occur between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Asia
being the most affected continent with 39% of the total disasters reported from 1992-2001,
accounting for 74.5% of the total casualties (IFRC 2002). The state of India covers an area of 3.3
million sq. km., extending from the Himalayas in the north to the tropical ram forests in the
south. It lies entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extending between latitudes 84
and 376 north and longitudes 687 and 9725 east. Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the
east, Arabian Sea to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south, the total length of the coastline
of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km. The
Himalayas form a natural barrier for the peninsula from mainland Asia.
Extending 2,500 km over northern India, the three parallel ranges, the Himadri, Himachal, and
Shivahks, have deep canyons gorged by rivers flowing into the Gangetic Plain. The topography
varies from high mountains in the north, to flat rolling plains and the Deccan Plateau in the
south. The record of earthquakes in India is patchy prior to 1800 and its improvement is much
impeded by its dispersal in a dozen local languages, and several colonial archives. Despite a
written tradition extending beyond 1500 BC very little information is available on records about
Indian earthquakes earlier than 500 years before the present, and records are close to complete
only for earthquakes in the most recent 200 years.
Seismic experts have found characteristic similarity between the Earthquakes in Kutch district in
1819 and that in 2001. Damage reports from Bhuj and Anjar are distressingly similar to the
damage reports of the 1819 earthquake when fewer than 2000 were killed. The population of
Kutch is now many times greater than it was in 1819 but the percentage of the local population
killed is roughly the same. Over all 7633 villages in 21 (out of 25) districts of Gujarat were
affected to varying degree.

The number of human lives lost was 13805 people. About 167000 injured and over a million
houses were 66 damaged or destroyed (Misra, 2004). Aggregate losses valued for more the Rs
20000 crores (appox $ 4 billions) occurred in the 26th Jan 2001 Earthquake. Same percentage
(appox) of deaths in 1819 and 2001 despite the facts that there exists - technology advancement
in building constructions, disaster mitigation plan , safety and rescue system and availability and
implementation of a seismic resistant building code! The ferocity and impact of natural disasters
in recent years has exceeded even the worst history.
Disasters occurred in areas that had not been previously seen to be vulnerable to that particular
disaster, or struck a traditionally vulnerable area with more intensity. In 2001 as a whole, India
suffered 73.1% of all disaster-related deaths in Asia (IFRC 2002). Disaster management has
proceeded with several levels of evolutions in concepts and applications in the Government
network system.
Traditionally, Government has played a critical and major role in emergency & disaster
management (in earlier context relief management) everywhere in the world. But vast variation
is noticed in effectiveness of Governments role during disaster. Very little is described on the
differential effectiveness of disaster management between two different systems or two
different countries. Uncertainties involved in the subject matter associated with social-political
and economic situation, which influence priorities, can be attributed to the differential disaster
management patterns. A measure of 6.9 on the Richter scale is not so very extraordinary in
itself. Earthquakes of that severity are not very uncommon in India and in California earthquakes
of this magnitude cause little or no mortality. In the last century there have been more than 250
earthquakes above 6.0, many of them comparable with 2001 Bhuj earthquake.
North-East India experiences an earthquake measuring over 5.0 on the Richter scale every 4
months and over 6.0 every 9 months. Assam experienced a colossal earthquake measuring 8.6 in
1950, - one of the severest recorded anywhere in the world. But the Gujarat earthquake was
unexpected, and had not been prepared for. The mortality caused by earthquakes in India is not
well recorded but seems to vary widely. Human factors, notably building methods as well as
severity, timing, extent and population density play major role m deciding the severity of the
incident.
The earthquake destroyed 90 percent of the homes in Bhuj, several schools and 67 the hospitals
were flattened. Considerable damage occurred also at Bhachau, Anjar and Rapar. In Ahmedabad,
Gujarat's commercial capital and a city, with a population of about 4.5 millions, as many as 50
multistoried buildings collapsed and several hundred people were killed1. In one of the most
heartbreaking events, about 400 school children on a Republic Day march through a street lost
their lives. Many others were injured by collapsing walls of nearby buildings. This chapter takes
an overview of the journey and progress made in disaster management and identifies gaps in the

literature. The literature review also devotes some discussions on the domain of inquiry, i.e.,
Disaster Management policy frame work available for National (India) , State (Gujarat) and
Local level Emergency Response Plan, role & responsibility of various stake holders in Disaster
Management, Organization structure , and use of modem technology tools and their influence on
the performance of Disaster Management.
Any disaster can interrupt essential services, such as health care, electricity, water,
sewage/garbage removal, transportation and communications. The interruption can seriously
affect the health, social and economic networks of local communities and countries. Disasters
have a major and long-lasting impact on people long after the immediate effect has been
mitigated. Poorly planned relief activities can have a significant negative impact not only on the
disaster victims but also on donors and relief agencies. So it is important that physical therapists
join established programmes rather than attempting individual efforts.
Local, regional, national and international organizations are all involved in mounting a
humanitarian response to disasters. Each will have a prepared disaster management plan. These
plans cover prevention, preparedness, relief and recovery.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent societies define disaster management as the organization and
management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of
emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of
disasters.

Objective of Study

Natural Disasters are very frequent this days and it brings immense loss to lives and property.
Not only that, it brings along with it unforgettable trauma, which ever remains memorable in the
minds of the people. So, we should have pre-disaster management policies to tackle this types of
situations before, so that precious lives of our brothers and sisters of our planet can be saved in
advance. I have tried to create a website only on Disaster management, where contributions from
readers in the form of articles, letters are requested, so that we can put it on the website. In case,
you have experienced a disaster, please do forward your experience in our e-mail address. Your
experience can save the lives of someone else, facing similar situations in some other part of the
world. Below is given an article on disasters and at the last, our website address. Please do have
a look into it.

From a rampage of broken houses, a child came out crying, with blood in her face. As the drops
of blood poured down, drop by drop from that innocent soul, she suddenly discovered that she
has become an orphan. With her tiny hands, she removed the bricks, to search her mom and dad.
But Alas! They have become dearer to God. She has lost everything. From a distance, a soldier
came and hold her tiny hands and took her to a shelter; meant for earthquake victims. Thanks to a
local non-governmental Organization. Alone she stood, looking at the horrendous picture of her
worst nightmare that became a reality. Everywhere, one looks, one can see the cries, the pain and
the sufferings. She is one among them. A soul victimized by a deadly Richter of 7.2. She is not
alone, but hundreds like her lost their identity. The question that will always bother her, is : Who
is She ? A Child, with just a name. Rest lost in the rubbles of that broken city.
In another part of the world, people are busy, with statistics with pictorial diagrams of the
number of deaths and living. News started showing the economic losses the nation had
undergone may be it amounted to 25$ billion, making the costliest disasters ever happened.
Aids started to flow from all across of the world, as the news of the catastrophe spreads. But can
any count the real value of these disasters? This are the questions which will ever remain
evergreen. Does anyone has the cost for his/her mother? Does a bereaved mother have a cost for
her own son or daughter? Do a husband or wife have a cost value in terms of money about
his/her soulmate? The answer will be obviously negative. Love and its bonding are not costs
which can be counted. Its very true that natural disasters are a potentially serious shock to
economy but nevertheless, it is more shocking to lose their loved ones in front of them, in the
journey of life. Helpless, they see the horrendous picture of their near and dear ones getting
closer to death. The surviours with serious health conditions can see the thin red line existing
between them and death, only to succumb to their injuries.

Australia has the federal government agency Emergency Management Australia (EMA) as the
key federal coordinating and advisory body for emergency management. Each state has their
own State Emergency Service. The Emergency Call Service provides a national 000 emergency
telephone number to state Police, Fire and Ambulance services. Arrangements in place for state
and federal cooperation.
Public Safety Canada is Canadas national emergency management agency. Each province has a
mandate to set up their Emergency Management Organizations. PSC also coordinates and
supports the efforts of federal organizations ensuring national security and the safety of
Canadians. They also work with other levels of government, first responders, community groups,
the private sector (operators of critical infrastructure) and other nations. PSCs work is based on
a wide range of policies and legislation. Through the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Act which defines the powers, duties and functions of PSEPC are outlined. Other acts are

specific to fields such as corrections, emergency management, law enforcement, and national
security.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management has statutory
authority for controlling any state of emergency declared by central government. Local
government bodies such as city and regional councils have their own emergency management
agencies to control localized states of emergency, but these all defer to the MCDEM in the event
of a national state of emergency. The Wellington Emergency Management Office utilize a
building that has been purpose built with its own water, electricity, communications, and
sewerage facilities to ensure operations in the event of an emergency or disaster.
The United Kingdom adjusted its focus on emergency management following the 2000 UK fuel
protests, severe UK flooding in the same year and the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis. This
resulted in the creation of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, which legislated the responsibilities
of all category one responders regarding an emergency response. The United Kingdoms
management of the CCA is through the Civil Contingencies Secretariat through regional disaster
centers and at the local authority level. Disaster Management training is generally conducted at
the local level by the organizations involved in any response. This is consolidated through
professional courses that can be undertaken at the Emergency Planning College. Furthermore,
diplomas and undergraduatequalifications can be gained throughout the countrythe first course
of this type was carried out by Coventry University in 1994. The UKs largest ever emergency
exercise was carried out on May 20, 2007 near Belfast, Northern Ireland, and involved the
scenario of a plane crash landing at Belfast International Airport. Staff from five hospitals and
three airports participated in the drill, and almost 150 international observers assessed its
effectiveness.[9]
In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) are the lead agencies for emergency management. The HAZUS
software package developed by FEMA is central in the risk assessment process in the country.
The United States and its territories are covered by one of ten regions for FEMAs emergency
management purposes. Tribal, state, county, and local governments develop emergency
management programs/departments and operate hierarchically within each region. Emergencies
are managed at the most local level possible, utilizing mutual aid agreements with adjacent
jurisdictions. If the emergency is terrorist related or if declared an "Incident of National
Significance," the Secretary of Homeland Security will initiate the National Response Plan
(NRP). Under this plan, the involvement of federal resources will be made possible, integrating
in with the local, county, state, or tribal entities. Management will continue to be handled at the
lowest possible level utilizing the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The Citizen
Corps is an organization of volunteer service programs, administered locally and coordinated
nationally by DHS, which seeks to mitigate disaster and prepare the population for emergency

response through public education, training, and outreach. Community Emergency Response
Teams are a Citizen Corps program focused on disaster preparedness and teaching basic disaster
response skills. These volunteer teams are utilized to provide emergency support when disaster
overwhelms the conventional emergency services.
A problem faced by FEMA in the United States is that there is no policy in the United States that
discourages people from moving into high risk areas. For example, flood insurance in high risk
flood areas has been restricted because the losses outweighed the premiums. When a flood
occurs, the federal government grants the community the money and resources to rebuild the
area bigger after disasters, but no money is allocated to flood prevention and protection. Some
argue that people would be more prepared for flooding if the federal safety net was not there,
others argue that disaster relief is an entitlement and should be mobilized no matter how prepared
the area is for disaster.

International Recovery Platform

The International Recovery Platform (IRP) was conceived at the World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan in January 2005. As a thematic platform of the
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) system, IRP is a key pillar for the
implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 20052015: Building the Resilience
of Nations and Communities to Disasters, a global plan for disaster risk reduction for the decade
adopted by 168 governments at the WCDR. The key role of IRP is to identify gaps and
constraints experienced in post disaster recovery and to serve as a catalyst for the development of
tools, resources, and capacity for resilient recovery. IRP aims to be an international source of
knowledge on good recovery practice.

Red Cross/Red Crescent

National Red Cross/Red Crescent societies often have pivotal roles in responding to
emergencies. Additionally, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC or The Federation) may deploy assessment teams, e.g. Field Assessment and
Coordination Team (FACT) to the affected country if requested by the national Red Cross or
Red Crescent Society. After having assessed the needs Emergency Response Units (ERUs) may
be deployed to the affected country or region. They are specialized in the response component of
the emergency management framework.

United Nations
Within the United Nations system responsibility for emergency response rests with the Resident
Coordinator within the affected country. However, in practice international response will be
coordinated, if requested by the affected countrys government, by the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), by deploying a UN Disaster Assessment and
Coordination (UNDAC) team.

World Bank
Since 1980, the World Bank has approved more than 500 operations related to disaster
management, amounting to more than US$40 billion. These include post-disaster reconstruction
projects, as well as projects with components aimed at preventing and mitigating disaster
impacts, in countries such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, Haiti, India, Mexico, Turkey and
Vietnam to name only a few. Common areas of focus for prevention and mitigation projects
include forest fire prevention measures, such as early warning measures and education
campaigns to discourage farmers from slash and burn agriculture that ignites forest fires; earlywarning systems for hurricanes; flood prevention mechanisms, ranging from shore protection

Hypothesis

A "disaster" is defined as Noun. A calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and
causing great loss of life, damage or hardship such as a flood, aircraft crash or a business failure.
"Response" is defined (in this context) as: Noun: An answer or reply, as in words or in some
action.
The Business Dictionary provide a more comprehensive definition for "disaster response";
[1] Aggregate of decisions and measures to (1) contain or mitigate the effects of a disastrous
event to prevent any further loss of life and/or property, (2) restore order in its immediate
aftermath, and (3) re-establish normality through reconstruction and re-rehabilitation shortly
thereafter. The first and immediate response is called emergency response.
The Johns Hopkins and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) state: "The word disaster implies a sudden overwhelming and unforeseen event. At the
household level, a disaster could result in a major illness, death, a substantial economic or social
misfortune. At the community level, it could be a flood, a fire, a collapse of buildings in
an earthquake, the destruction of livelihoods, an epidemic or displacement through conflict.
When occurring at district or provincial level, a large number of people can be affected. Most
disasters result in the inability of those affected to cope with outside assistance."
A recent case study of a disaster response undertaken by the IFRC can be viewed here.
The level of disaster response depends on a number of factors and particular situation awareness.
Studies undertaken by Son, Aziz and Pen a-Mora (2007) shows that initial work demand
gradually spreads and increases based on a wide range of variables including scale of disaster,
vulnerability of affected area which in turn is affected by population density, site-specific
conditions (e.g. exposure to hazardous conditions) and effects of cascading disasters resulting
from inter-dependence between elements of critical infrastructure.
In the British Government's Emergency Response and Recovery guidance, disaster response
refers to decisions and actions taken in accordance with the strategic, tactical and operational
objectives defined by emergency responders. At a high level these will be to protect life, contain
and mitigate the impacts of the emergency and create the conditions for a return to normality.
Response encompasses the decisions and actions taken to deal with the immediate effects of an

emergency. In many scenarios it is likely to be relatively short and to last for a matter of hours or
daysrapid implementation of arrangements for collaboration, co-ordination and
communication are, therefore, vital. Response encompasses the effort to deal not only with the
direct effects of the emergency itself (e.g. fighting fires, rescuing individuals) but also the
indirect effects (e.g. disruption, media interest).

Facts and Findings

NLM has a long history of providing health information to prepare for and respond to all types of
disasters, and has developed a number of tools and advanced information services designed for
disaster and emergency. NLM provided information for the Bhopal, India gas leak in 1984 and
helped create local disaster information centers following Hurricane Mitch in Central America.
NLMs Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), a comprehensive toxicology database,
provides the framework for the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders
(WISER), a resource used by emergency responders to assist with the management of
chemical, radiological, and biological emergencies. WISER was used in Louisiana after
Hurricane Katrina, and in Iraq to help identify potentially toxic substances. More recently, NLM
assisted public health officials responding to the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, Hurricane Sandy
recovery, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the Japanese radiation event, by providing timely,
evidence-based information.
DIMRC Activities
DIMRC is committed to help prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the adverse
health effects of disasters in conjunction with federal, state, and local governments,
organizations, and local communities. To accomplish this, DIMRC is focused on several areas:
Maintain access to health information during disasters
DIMRC collects, organizes, and disseminates health information for all stages of disasters. This
includes training classes, research reports, field assessments, after-action reports,
factsheets, lessons learned, and guidelines that are stored in the Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for
Disaster Medicine and Public Health database. NLM also worked with a number of publishers to
develop the Emergency Access Initiative web resource that provides full-text access, at no cost,
to over 650 medical journals and numerous e-books and databases following any widespread
disaster that is expected to severely limit libraries' abilities to function for at least several weeks.
In addition, NLM plans and trains for continuity of operations at its own facilities, its eight
Regional Medical Libraries, and the 6,000 member libraries of its National Network of Libraries
of Medicine. Finally, NLM trains and supports librarians to serve as Disaster Information
Specialists in support of meeting their communities' information needs.

Develop innovative products and services to serve health professionals and the public
NLM has developed several tools to assist emergency personnel prepare for and respond to
hazardous materials (Hazmat) incidents and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
(CBRN) events. WISER assists with the identification of and response to Hazmat incidents
involving chemical, biological, or radiological agents. WISER is available for multiple platforms
and can be downloaded to mobile devices or PCs. REMM, the Radiation Emergency Medical
Management web site, was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS/APSR), the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and NLM to provide health
professionals with critical information to manage all types of radiation events from dirty bombs
to nuclear reactor accidents. REMM can be downloaded to a computer and is available on the
web or on mobile devices. NLM also collaborated with HHS/ASPR on CHEMM, the Chemical
Hazards Emergency Medical Management web site. CHEMM is designed to assist emergency
responders and health care providers manage large-scale chemical incidents. NLM is also
investigating the use of new communication technologies in emergency and disaster situations
and uses social media to facilitate information sharing, communication, interoperability, and
collaboration concerning disaster-related issues.
Conduct research to support disaster health information management
Through grants, research contracts, and in-house activities, NLM supports emergency
preparedness and response research and development projects. This research and development
support is making a significant contribution to the field of disaster informatics and in the
development of new technologies.
Collaborate with other agencies and communities
Working with multiple federal agencies, international organizations, and educational institutions,
NLM participates in national and local partnerships to ensure that information needs receive
adequate attention in planning, responding to, and recovering from disasters.

Conclusion

Apart from loss of human lives, natural disasters inflict severe damage to ecology and economy
of a region. With installation of new technologies and by adopting space technology as INSAT
and IRS series of satellites, India has developed an operational mechanism for disaster warning
especially cyclone and drought, and their monitoring and mitigation. However, prediction of
certain events likes earthquake, volcanic eruption and flood is still at experimental level.
Disasters disrupt progress and destroy the hard-earned fruits of painstaking developmental
efforts, often pushing nations, in quest for progress, back by several decades. Thus, efficient
management of disasters, rather than mere response to their occurrence has, in recent times,
received increased attention both within India and abroad. This is as much a result of the
recognition of the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters as it is an acknowledgement
that good governance, in a caring and civilized society, needs to deal effectively with the
devastating impact of disasters.