SILENT TSUNAMI: THE REAL DISASTER

ASSIGNMENT

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Mentor:
Submitted by: Phurpa Wangdi
M.Sc. Environment Management
III semester
 CONTENTS

Abstract..........................................................................................................................................iii

1. Introduction............................................................................................................................1

1.1. Objective..........................................................................................................................2

1.2. Goals.................................................................................................................................2

2. Problem statement..................................................................................................................3

3. Significance.............................................................................................................................4

4. Scope........................................................................................................................................5

5. Literature review....................................................................................................................6

5.1. Poverty and Hunger............................................................................................................6

5.1.1. Causes of hunger..........................................................................................................1

6. Unsafe drinking water and sanitation..................................................................................1

6.1. Causes of unsafe drinking water problem........................................................................1

7. Plague......................................................................................................................................1

8. Silent tsunami in Himalaya...................................................................................................2

8.1. Silent Tsunami in Kedarnath:..........................................................................................3

8.2. Silent Tsunami in Bhutan...............................................................................................5

9. Conceptual framework for silent tsunami...........................................................................1

9.1. Preparedness........................................................................................................................1

9.2. Response...............................................................................................................................1

9.3. Recovery...............................................................................................................................2

9.4. Development........................................................................................................................2

10. Conclusion...........................................................................................................................3

references........................................................................................................................................4
Abstract

Silent tsunamis death figure is worrisome and how many would die in future is a question that
calls global commitments to eradicate. Extreme hunger, unsafe drinking water, plague and
Himalayan silent tsunami are dreaded causes to jeopardize the humanity. People of south Asia
and African region are the most victims of silent tsunami, which outnumbers the natural
calamities death. The theoretical based research depending on literature reviews points out
numerous causes and effect of these disasters. Commitments made by United Nations through
millennium developing goals (MDGs) have reduced numbers of calamities however more efforts
is needed to address the problems. The result of the assignments points out causes such as
poverty, negligence from government and climate change are stoppable and the causes are
mostly the result of anthropogenic activities. This concludes that more efforts in terms of both
financial supports, responsibility of people and conceptual frameworks are needed to weaken the
strength of silent tsunami, which is called as holistic approach.

Keywords: Himalayan silent tsunami, Hunger, Millennium development goals, Plague, Silent
tsunami and unsafe drinking water.
 CHAPTER 1

1. Introduction

Recent tsunami in 2004 and 2012 brought waves of cataclysmic destruction, where the entire
world was put into mourns. Tsunami destructions were enormous claiming lives of million
people, properties and to recover from disaster is taking herculean effort viz. human power,
resource and money (Mondal et al., 2011). Yet another disaster with equal potent as tsunami was
metaphorically termed as Silent Tsunami. Silent tsunami has been a dreaded problem time
immemorial claiming lives each and every day, yet it is not properly addressed despite national
and international efforts (NGOs). Food crisis, unsafe drinking water, flood, and plague are silent
killers; its destruction to humanitarian is dreadful as tsunami (Reilly et al., n.d.).

Silent tsunami was first termed by Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations
World Food Program referring global food crisis as a silent tsunami (The silent tsunami, 2008).
Silent tsunami is picking up the pace, after the industrial revolution particularly the effect of
climate change resulting poor yield of agriculture, glaciers retreat, drying of perennial fresh
water and plague outbreak and its either termed as the post disaster as a result of natural disaster
(earth quake). Many countries with less economic opportunities and naturally un-favoring are
prevalent victims (The Economist, 2015). In many undeveloped and developing countries,
hunger, unsafe drinking water and plagues are prevalent that takes lives of human every day
(Hill, 2011). The destructive potential of silent tsunami is not immediate and sudden but long and
gradual that jeopardizes humanity. Silent tsunamis threat is very constant in Himalayan region
due to faster retreat of glaciers and glacier lake outburst causing flood to down valleys thus
termed as Himalayan tsunami (Sharma et al., 2009).

The issues of silent tsunami is mentioned in Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015),

however it remained as a problem that has to be addressed with extra effort and unity amongst
the worlds nation to eradicate the jeopardy. The civil war and climate change are the prime
reasons that have made the effort more difficult. This assignment will discuss on problem
statement, significance, scope and recommendation to the issues following the disaster
management framework. The primary discussion will be on Himalayan silent tsunami, global
good crisis, unsafe drinking and sanitation and its potential that has been damaging and claiming
the lives every day.
1.1. Objective
a. To understand silent tsunami appropriately.
Silent tsunami word has been used flexibly to describe the problems in different
context but its inner depth meaning corresponding to scale of problems has to match.
This would call the global attention to put effort to improve the humanity. Thus to
understand the silent tsunami is salient.

b. To discuss silently tsunami, following the disaster management framework.

The approach towards eradicating the problems has to follow conceptual frame
framework; preparedness, response, recovery and development.

1.2. Goals
a. To implement the framework suggesting the solution.
The objective should be followed by implementation of framework designed to
achieve the followed goal.
b. To eradicate the global problems related to silent tsunami.
The long time focus is to eradicate by following framework and suggesting solution
by precise comprehension of problems.

CHAPTER 2

2. Problem statement
Gigantic waves - like those that surged across the Indian Ocean in 2005 taking countless lives
are now sweeping through the poorest nations of the world. The waves of hunger and anger
caused by the dramatic rise in prices for food staples, poor yield have spawned deadly riots in
many countries (Mitchell and Roter, 2005). The riots implications for spreading political unrest
understandably worry world leaders. 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to
lead a healthy active life. That's about one in nine people on earth. The vast majority of the
world's hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is
undernourished. Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children, 3.1 million of
children every year. More than a natural disaster, the silent tsunami claims the lives of
unprivileged people (World Food Programme, 2014).

An estimated 801,000 children younger than 5 years of age perish from diarrhea each year,
mostly in developing countries. This amounts to 11% of the 7.6 million deaths of children
under the age of five and means that about 2,200 children are dying every day as a result of
diarrheal diseases (World Health Organization, 2015). Unsafe drinking water, inadequate
availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about
88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases (Central for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
Mountain having less arable land, improper ecosystem services management and traditional
farming led to food crisis (The state of food insecurity in the world, 2013).

Most people became the climate refugee particularly mountain people and requires the global
attention to mitigate the change (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). The recent report
from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) reported 0.76 oC increase in
temperature and CO2 conc. increased from a pre-industrial value of 278 parts per million to 379
parts per million in 2005 has made the Faster receding of glacier in Himalayan Mountains has
posed a serious threat in Bhutan called GLOF (Glacial Lake Out-burst Flood), which would be
disastrous to lower valleys to claim lives and properties, which would let to silent tsunami; a
poor yield and hunger and unsafe drinking water (Global environmental facility, 2009).

3. Significance
Problem statement states the jeopardy of silent tsunami, which is sweeping through poor nations
and continents. The death toll as a result of hunger, unsafe drinking water and plague is claiming
a million lives, thus it calls a global attention to prepare response and mitigate the issues. World
hunger is an issue that has been pondered for many years. The root of the problem is not the lack
of food available to feed the worlds population (World Food Programme, 2009). The core of the
issue is rooted in complex political and economic policies. This issue is exacerbated by
centuries-old cultural rivalries that are not easily addressed or erased. These problems are
perceived as natural and hope of response to the problem is not taken care. One criticism states
that hunger cannot kill the rich and left the problem unattended.

However, as per human right, everyone has right to inherit and share the common resources and
space. The loss of lives violates the national and international interest to save humanity and as
well the potential human resources are lost. The proper understanding of death and suffering
figure will let know, the response and mitigation measures to put into and diversion of focus
based upon the severity. It will also let the proper planning of medical facilities for different aged
groups, for example childrens shows different hunger sickness than adults and requires different
treatment. Precise intervention of cause and effect of hunger will also help to frame policies and
developmental paradigm. One of the reasons for climate changes is due to poverty, which cannot
afford to use green technology and this issue can be curb improving economic strategies and
philosophies.

In Himalayan nations, the source of economy is fresh water from glaciers; agriculture, drinking
water and hydro energy, however the source of economy put a serious threat of flash floods by
rapid retreat of glaciers. To prepare for threat early warning system has be put and has to look
funding opportunities to mitigate the problems such as lowering the lake level by draining out
the water, which was carried out by Bhutan (Global environmental facility, 2009). Unsafe
drinking water is another cause of water borne diseases which kills millions. Being it as
preventive and curable diseases, proper sanitation and municipality can be planned after looking
into the matter of drinking water problem. Most of the drinking water problem is due to
municipality problems such as improper drainage of sewages and industrial effluents. Therefore
proper planning and action is needed to address the death and suffering issues related to drinking
water problem.
4. Scope

This assignment will look into wider spectrum of silent tsunami, mainly hunger and poverty,
unsafe drinking water and sanitation and Himalayan silent tsunami; flash floods as a result of
climate change in an theoretical approach. The review on silent tsunami will tell about the
national and international commitments to reduce the severity by addressing through Millennium
Developments Goals and other NGOs. The commitment were made by many developed
countries through monetary aid, however the allocated money were not used to benefit the poor,
thus the assignment will look upon the criticisms and shortcomings of the aid. Disaster
management follows strategic frameworks; preparedness, response, recovery and development.
The silent tsunami has to follow the frameworks to successfully achieve the common goals
(MDGs) and to uplift the humanitarian.

Hunger and unsafe drinking threats are long lasting despite affords yet the term silent tsunami
has been newly coined. This limits the study of the problem in newer spectrum but it also creates
new funding opportunities. The assignment will cover in broader review and will not be able
address the specific problems, however the reader will know how and why information regarding
silent tsunami as a disaster that requires more attention. The focus of the study will be given to
poorer countries that cannot afford the proper meals and description of Himalayan nation
susceptible to silent tsunami. The information used will be relevant to topic and recent
information to accurate the study.

CHAPTER 3

5. Literature review
5.1. Poverty and Hunger

Optimism: Poverty in its various forms has increasingly occupied the attention of the
international community during the last decade. Successive Summits have made commitments to
drastically reduce the misery from which so many humans suffer throughout their lives (Global
issues, 2014). Such attention is in itself an encouraging step forward, but actual progress is still
painfully slow, even though measures to improve the livelihoods of the poor are affordable.
Hunger and food insecurity - the most serious forms of extreme poverty - have now become
international priorities, and participants in the 1996 World Food Summit made a solemn
commitment to halve hunger in the world by 2015. The Millennium Declaration of 2000
consolidates and restates the commitments agreed during the preceding decade, and can be seen
as the final stage of the Summit process (Millennium project, 2015).

In the new era, without policies and mechanisms to mobilise private and public resources on a
much larger scale, the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for
reducing poverty and hunger and for social and sustainable development cannot be achieved. The
Declaration is thus a starting point for renewed action in the twenty-first century. The
International Conference on Financing for Development can redress the failures and biases of the
past by making its prime objective that of ensuring adequate funding for the achievement of the
MDGs. The International Conference on Financing for Development offers the opportunity to
put an end to a paradox that characterized the 1990s: that, while global commitment to progress
in the fight against poverty seemed to be gaining strength and the means to tackle the problem
were increasing, the volume of resources actually mobilized fell year after year (Millennium
project, 2015).

Pessimism: Despite the enormous effort and commitments, many un-privileged dies, there are
795 million undernourished people in the world today. That means one in nine people do not get
enough food to be healthy and lead an active life. Hunger and malnutrition are in fact the number
one risk to health worldwide greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Giving
Figure.1. Hungry children in Africa.
monetary benefits alone cannot solve the hunger as there are many other causes besides poverty
such as war, natural calamities, gender and cast discrimination and policies.

5.1.1. Causes of hunger

a. Nature and natural disaster: despite the good yield and food reserves, the natural disaster will
destroy in a huge impact that recovery from it will take longer time. Thus in a period of recovery,
it will cause hunger (World Food Programme, 2013).

b. Poverty: poverty in world is defined by earning less than $ 1.25 in a day and in a world 1.4
billion people earns less than $ 1.25 per day. Poor people in developing world countries spend
between 50% - 80% of the income on food. Poor people are not able afford both quality and
quantity of food thus compromising both the units is leading to hunger and malnutrition.

c. War and Conflict: War and conflict cause injury, cost money and also cause
people and communities to flee. It gets worse. Systems that deliver food
often break down or are purposely disabled in the process of the conflict.
Livestock and crops are often destroyed during war and in dangerous
environments. Communities in war-torn areas are unstable. Farming and food
production become unstable as well. This leads to hunger and malnutrition
amongst the people. War and conflicts are scary and can cause a lot of food-
related problems during and potentially for generations following.

d. Physical infrastructure: refers to the basic and bigger things that keep cities and town
running like roads, bridges warehouses, sewer systems, electric systems and cable systems.
When roads, bridges and other physical infrastructure are non-existent, food, water and supplies
cannot get where they are needed. This impacts trade and can even stop it all together, leading to
hunger issues among the population.

e. Discrimination: Discrimination is one sole reason for the cause of hunger, the discrimination
of age, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, religion and more. Discrimination is an indirect way to
hunger as it led to biases in job selection, medical treatment and safe and clean place to live
(World Food Programme, 2013).
6. Unsafe drinking water and sanitation

During the past two to three decades there has been relative success in providing new rural water
infrastructure building the physical systems and driving increased coverage levels. However,
despite this positive trend, there has to a large extent been a failure to achieve sustainable
solutions. Tens of millions of rural people face continuing problems with systems that fail
prematurely, leading to wasted resources and false expectations. For many of those who
supposedly already enjoy an improved service, the reality is one of poor continuity, poor quality
and premature failure. Between 1990 and 2006, the absolute number of un-served people across
19 sub-Saharan African countries increased from 29 million to 272 million (Gleick, 2002). In
part this is due to population growth, but many of those who supposedly count as having been
served actually have systems that are now not working properly or have failed completely.

Both population expansion and migration patterns have led to more urbanisation, but also an
increase in more densely populated rural villages or rural growth centres, with accompanying
increased demand for higher levels of service. However, it is still the rural population that
continues to suffer most from poor services; the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) reports that
84% of people without access to improved drinking water sources live in rural areas
(WHO/UNICEF, 2010). Already in the early 1990s, estimates suggested that at any given
moment, 3040% of rural water supply systems in developing countries were not working
(Evans, 1992). This rate has not changed much since then and although figures vary, studies from
different countries indicate that somewhere between 30% and 40% of systems, particularly hand
pumps, still either do not function at all or are working at sub-optimal levels. The Rural Water
Supply Network indicates an average rate of 36% non-functionality for hand-pumps in sub-
Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2015).

A more recent study by Water Aid in Tanzania indicates that only two years following installation
25% of systems are already non-functional (Taylor, 2009). Failures on this scale represent
significant levels of wasted investment, probably many hundreds of millions of dollars over the
last 20 years. Poor sustainability of rural water supplies has been recognised for some time, and a
number of management approaches have come and gone with the aim of addressing these
problems.
Figure.2. Stream used for multi purposes; for bathing, drinking and laundry.
the predominant model of community management has been adopted as formal sector policy in
many countries. At the same time, most efforts and resources in the Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene (WASH) sector continue to go into the construction of new infrastructure, which
undoubtedly is needed. However, such investment often appears to be at the expense of the
sustainability of services already in place. A tipping point may now have been reached with more
and more national governments and development partners beginning to recognise the scale of the
problems associated with poor sustainability and the real threat this presents to achieving the
WASH Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Millennium project, 2015).

6.1. Causes of unsafe drinking water problem

a. Loss of hope opportunities: Many efforts were made to improve the standard of drinking.
The budget allocated for safe drinking of water was sometime missed used/corrupted. The
facilities given are not properly maintained and taken into grated. Illiteracy is another
problem and therefore to improve the safe drinking, there are many other to improve as a
holistic approach.

b. Improper municipality: the seeping of pipes, drainage, untimely emptying of septic tank,
improper design of sewage channel, people not using proper toilet are the cause of
contamination of streams.

c. Laws: without the stringent law or lack of implementation of laws are making people
complacent about sanitation.

d. Poverty: Poverty is main factor that leads to unsafe drinking, poor people are not able to
afford education, standard maintenance and other requirements for clean and safe water.

e. Natural disaster: natural disaster leads to the damage of infrastructure maintained for clean
and safe drinking water.

7. Plague
The Asian tsunamis provided world with horrifying images of physical destruction and
anguished survivors facing the realization of how little they had left with which to rebuild their
lives. While the tsunamis highlighted that issue in Asia, Africa suffers a silent tsunami every
week. That's right: More than 130,000 Africans die every week of preventable causes - the
equivalent of a tsunami disaster every seven days. Yet, because these deaths are dispersed,
occurring far from the media's cameras, because there is no single cataclysmic event, they are
almost forgotten. But, week after week, the disasters pound away at the continent. Take AIDS:
Next week in Africa, 44,000 people will die of AIDS, a disease that is universally acknowledged
to be overwhelming the continent (UNICEF, 2015). Take malaria: Next week in Africa, 19,000
people will die of malaria. Add to that another 200 million to 300 million new cases a year. In the
next 12 months, almost one in two people in Africa will have the disease. Take tuberculosis:
Next week in Africa, 8,000 people will die of TB; millions more may be stricken.

We have ways to solve these problems. A simple mosquito bed net effectively prevents malaria,
and costs just a few dollars. TB is treatable where medicines are available. Thanks to increased
availability of drugs, we are beginning to make progress on AIDS. But there's more. Next week,
unsafe water in Africa will kill another 14,000, most of them children. We know the solutions:
proper hygiene promotion, access to sanitation and clean water. It would cost $15 a person a year
to implement them in the worst affected areas. So far, we haven't done it. What else will happen
next week in Africa? About 15,000 mothers and babies will die from childbirth-related causes.
About 9,500 children will die from preventable illnesses, including measles and tetanus.

Nations should be front in helping the world meet the Millennium Development Goals set by the
United Nations in 2000. The eight goals mean ameliorating hunger, economic poverty, AIDS,
access to water, children's education all of which will make people less vulnerable to Mother
Nature. They represent a consensus on what the world needs to do but is not doing. The world
community recently set up the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria (diseases
that, combined, kill more than five million people a year). However the fact that silent tsunami
kills more than tsunami, the fund is less than $1-billion to disperse but world has pledged $4-
billion in two weeks to help the tsunami survivors. Studying the figure, it says more fund is
needed to rescue from the mercy of silent tsunami.
8. Silent tsunami in Himalaya

As the planet warms, mountain glacial melt threatens people downstream. The people of the
lower valleys/downstream engage in a valiant race against time to prevent an environmental
disaster high in the Himalayan Mountains, and find economic opportunity in the process. The
threat posed by GLOF (glacial lake outburst flood) is an extreme, which will cause live, property
and sanitation problem down valleys, where dense settlements are near the banks of river. The
constant flow of water from glacier is source of life to the mountain people, and people called it
as white gold. It is a key to development providing good economic opportunities; agriculture and
hydroelectricity (Global environmental facility, 2009).

However, the beloved water provides the serious threat and rising against time to prevent GLOF.
Report says, the Himalayan glaciers are retreating faster rate than ever and it means the greater
risk of Himalayan tsunami is in constant terror and people are in mercy of melting glaciers. The
receding glacier forms a lake which has potential of causing enormous flash floods. When heavy
downpour occurs or when two glacier lakes come in contact of each other, it burst and causes
flash floods causing destruction to lives and properties. The silent tsunami destruction happened
in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, which was later described as silent tsunami turned Kedarnath into
ghost town. Bhuntan is equally vulnerable to flash flood hit, however with the financial help
from GEF (Global Environment facility); Bhutan could mitigate the threat posed by lakes.

8.1. Silent Tsunami in Kedarnath (F. India, 2013)

The unprecedented rains turned Kedarnath into a ghost town with bodies strewn all over. Rain
water gushed into the town from the summit behind the famous shrine, carrying rocks and
boulders and destroying everything on its path. While the mobile phone towers remaining intact,
there is no electricity due to which people were unable to contact their families as their phones
ran out of charge.A senior Uttarakhand government official said 123 bodies have been recovered
from Kedarnath where a team of experts went to a take count of bodies strewn all over the place.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said Kedarnath has been totally evacuated of pilgrims now.
Having several brushes with death, survivors of the Himalayan tsunami which left a trail of
destruction in the hill state were all praise for Army, which they said has given them a second
life. After it was struck by flood, it got worse with passing time; bridge got swept away,
landslides has cut off the road connectivity other rescue facilities were destroyed. Now
Kedarnath is left with Hindu shrine that was left undestroyed and rest residential and shops were
all swept away by the flood, which was once Kedarnath was popular pilgrimage site.
Figure. Kedarnath destroyed by Himalyan silent Tsunami
8.2. Silent Tsunami in Bhutan

2671 meters above the mean sea level in Bhutan lies a permanently snow caped mountain chains
that is source of life to the Bhutanese people. As global warming is taking place, Bhutans
glaciers started to melt at speedy rate, forming numbers of lakes. Those lakes are susceptible to
burst due to earth quake, hydro-static pressure built within the lake. Bhutan has history of
experiencing Himalayan tsunami in the year 1994, which led to catastrophic disasters damaging
property and lives. In the year 2007, Bhutan lived in constant terror, as the two giant lakes were
formed at the base of Lunana Mountains (Global environmental facility, 2009).

The two lakes; Thorthomi and Rapstreng were just separated by morain wall. The morain wall is
constantly eroded by Thorthomi Lake, as glacier continues to melt. If the lake Thorthomi
overtops the morain wall and pour into Rapstreng Lake, 53 million cubic meters of water will
burst, which would cause 3 times the size of 1994 flood. However, with funding from GEF and
man power, the situation was handled before the catastrophe. The lake Thorthomi was drained
out manually (no access of machines due to no connectivity of raod and remoteness of location)
using 300 workers. The location was so hard for labourers, due to thin air, icy cold and without
proper facility to work. The works were carried out enormously to fight against time and nature,
within the span of three years. After the herculean effort, Thorthomi Lake was totally drain out
leaving only gravel and sands. ICIMOD reported that Hindu-Kush Mountain glacier is receding
at the fastest rate and experts predicts that the whole glaciers would be gone within next few
years bringing, draught, halt to agriculture and Hydo-energy generation.

It calls world to come together to prevent/reduce the climate change and protect the fragile
mountain ecosystem. Mountains cover about 27 percent of the world's land surface and it
provides home to 718 million people (12% of total worlds population). 10 percent of worlds
population is dependent on mountain ecosystem services (Food and Agriculture Organization,
2011). Mountains holds 23 percent of the Earths forest cover and 25 of the 34 global
biodiversity are wholly or partially in mountain. Mountains are important source of water,
energy, timber, plant genetic resources of major food crops, minerals and recreation. Mountain
harbor a quarter of global terrestrial biodiversity and diverse ecosystems. Globally, mountains
provide 70 percent of the worlds freshwater (Moran and Price, 2011).
Figure.. The image of Lake Thorthomi after it was drained off completely.
9. Conceptual framework for silent tsunami

The conceptual framework for silent tsunami will be discussed in general which is applicable to
all type of silent tsunamis. The framework is very important for managing the disasters.
Basically the cycle is comprised of four phase and each phase has sub-phases (Khan et al., 2007)

9.1. Preparedness

a. Threat: The foremost thing is to identify the kind of threat, whether it is a biological, non
biological or chemical threat. Based on identification of threat, warning and preparedness can be
made. The time of occurrence of threat should be predicted, based on seasonal, sudden or other
timing.

b. Warning: Warning is very important in disaster management to save lives at first hand.
Warning can be made in different mediums, such as through media, newspaper, advocacy,
meeting and warning alarm. Warning should be precise as it can panic people, so it would
become unnecessary panicking the people if wrongly warned. There are chances of losing faith
in future if warning is not precise.

c. Preparedness: preparedness should be done both psychologically and materially.

Psychologically the susceptible victims should be strong and adamant to face the disaster.
Materially, the food reserves, drugs, emergency vehicles and man powers such as rescuers and
health personals are required.

9.2. Response

a. Emergency: Emergency comes in line with preparedness and responding to the disaster while
getting hit by d hand disaster. The prepared material should all work such as vehicle facilities to
treat people as well as to rescue the victims. Medical personals and rescuers play a significant
role in this operation. It comes in second hand to save lives. This phase includes a good
leadership and team work, because it is in continual face of disasters. E.g. improper distribution
of food and man power would lead to the advantage of disasters thus saving lives and
infrastructure would be not that effective.

9.3. Recovery

a. Rehabilitation: the recovery phase need lots of financial supports from government as well
from international who are committed in disaster management. The devastated area can be
rehabilitated into alternative use if human are not suitable for settlements.

b. Reconstruction: this includes repairing and making suitable for again human to live. It is
important task of government to play roles in it. Government should give subsidized facilities for
reconstruction and provide low interest loans. These schemes will led to quick recovery.

9.4. Development

a. Prevention: as there is a saying prevention is better than cure, it is act of preventing the
probability of getting hit by disasters. Mostly the prevention can be applied to the manmade
disasters such as taking care of biohazards and firm construction of infrastructures. Prevention
can be also applied to above phases such as preventing the warning system and emergency
vehicle from getting damaged.

b. Mitigation: this action would lead to less severe consequences of disaster. These phase include
reforestation and taking care of resources. It also includes the improvement of resources and
usage at optimum level to keep away from exploitation.
 Figure.1. The disaster management cycle.

10. Conclusion

It is convinced that silent tsunami is more life claiming disasters and demands the holistic
approach to face it. The figure of deaths is going down as per the WHO and WFP report,
however it is left with skeptics that silent tsunami occurs in remote area where media does not
reach and there isnt a proper documentation of silent tsunami. It is also reported that new silent
tsunami are gearing up in mountain ecosystems as a result of climate change. Since mountain
provides worlds most ecosystem services, it requires careful scrutiny to protect the fragile
ecosystem specially the melting glaciers, which is invaluable to mountain society. The
commitments are made by UN bodies through targeting the goals called millennium
developments goals to address the silent tsunami.

Millennium development goals is not fully achieve despite committing monetary supports,
because silent tsunami is not caused by single factors. All discrimination, poor management of
municipality, wars, negligence from governments, poor GDP of a country is some major causes
of the silent tsunami. Thus to achieve MDGs, the problems listed above should come into
mitigation. Not only understanding the causes is enough to face the disasters, it is also mandatory
to understand problems and its consequences to look for more funding opportunities. Efforts
have been put to manage disasters, by building conceptual framework. The frame work plays a
significant role before and after the disaster hitting on the people. The three main silent tsunamis
are Hunger, unsafe drinking water and plague. Silent tsunami in Himalayan region are reported
recently and had not claimed too much of lives when compared to above three.

Can we eradicate these silent tsunamis? The answer yes is too early and appropriately we can
reduce the severity of terror. Few suggestions can be made to fight against it by acting
holistically and undoing all the causes such as war, improper management of municipality,
discrimination and poverty. Above all it requires huge commitment of monetary assistance to
those suffers.

References

Central for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Global Water,

Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/glo bal/wash_statistics.html

Gleick, P.H. (2002). Dirty Water: Estimated Deaths from Water-Related Diseases 2000-2020.
Retrieved from http://www.pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/sites /21/2013/02/
water_related_deaths_report3.pdf

F. India. (2013). How 'Himalayan tsunami' turned Kedarnath into a ghost town. Retrieved from
http://www.firstpost.com/india/how-himalayan-tsunami-turned-kedarnat into-
a-ghost-town 897873.html

Food and Agriculture organization. (2011). Mountain forest in changing world. Retrieved from
http://www.mountainpartnership.org/fileadmin/user_upload/mountain_partn
ership/docs/FAO_Mountain-Forests-in-a-Changing-World.pdf
Global Environmental Facility. (2009). Bhutan: The silent tsunami. Retrieved from https://www.
thegef.org/gef/video/Bhutan_silent_tsunami

Hill. B.E. (2011). The silent tsunami: The environmental forum. Retrieved from https://www.el
i.org/sites/default/files/docs/silent_tsunami.pdf

Khan, H., Vasilescu, L.G., & Khan, A. (2007). DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE A
THEORETICAL APPROACH. Retrieved from http://www.mnmk.ro
/documents/2008/2008-6.pdf

Millennium Ecosystem assessment. (2005). A toolkit for understanding and action. Retrieved
from http://www.unpei.org/sites/default/files/PDF/ecosystems-economicana
lysis/MEA-A-Toolkit.pdf

Mitchell, P & Roter, G. (2005). Africa's weekly silent tsunami. Retrieved from
http://legacy.ewb .ca/ mainsite/pages/articles/silenttsunami.pdf

Mondal.P., Kumar. A., Bhangale, U.D., & Tyagi. D. (2011). A Silent Tsunami on Indian Road: A
Comprehensive Analysis of Epidemiological Aspects of Road Traffic
Accidents, British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 1(1): 14-23, 2011

Moran, M.R., & Price, M.F. (2011). Mountain forest in changing world: Places for health and
well-being. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Reilly , W. K., & Babbitt, H.C. (n.d.). A Silent Tsunami:The Urgent Need for Clean Water and
Sanitation. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Tsunami-Urgent-
Clean-Sanitation/dp/0898434351

Sharma, E., Chettri, N., Tse-ring, K., Shrestha, A.B., Jing, F., Mool, P., & Eriksson, M. (2009).
Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in the Eastern Himalayas. Retrived
from https://ww. cbd.int/doc/pa/tools/Climate%20change%20impacts%2 0and
%20vulnerabilities%20in%20the%20Eastern%20Himalayas.pdf978
The Economist. (2015). Food: The silent tsunami. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/no
de/11050146

The silent tsunami. (2008). America: The international catholic review. Retrieved from
http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/why-do-we-suffer

The state of food insecurity in the world. (2013). Food and Agriculture
Organization. Retrived from
http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3458e/i3458e.pdf

World Food Programme. (2015). Hunger Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.wfp.org/hunger/

stats

World Health Organization. (2015). Drinking water. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/media

centre/ factsheets/fs391/en/

World Food Programme. (2009), Silent tsunami' of hunger threatens world: WFP. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/silent-tsunami-of-hunger-threatens-world-wfp-
1.711284

Millennium project. (2015). What they are. Retrieved from

http://www.unmillenniumproject.org /goals/

World Food Programme, 2013). What causes hunger? Retrieved from https://www.wfp.org/
hunger /causes

UNICEF. (2015). Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/wash/

UNICEF. (2015). Eastern and Southern Africa. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/esaro/
5482_ HIV_AIDS.html