Disaster Risk Management

Lecture 1

L 3 IMPACTS OF DISASTERS

Niyati Jigyasu
Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture

RECAP
CLASSIFICATION OF DISASTER
FLOOD
EARTHQUAKE
TSUNAMI
TROPICAL CYCLONES
DROUGHT

Analysis of Event
Primary and secondary hazards
Primary and secondary effects
Impacts
Vulnerabilities (Social, political, geographical, climatic, economic)

L 3- Impacts of Disasters

Impacts of Disasters ( based on people)

(including social,
economic, political, health, psychosocial, etc. )
Differential impacts- in terms of caste, class, gender, age,
location, disability

Vulnerabilities of an individual or a group

or community

Economic Impact of Disasters

Direct reported economic losses from disasters have
multiplied fivefold in real terms to 629 million USD
(IFRC 2003)
Economic impact in developed countries is much
higher than in the developing world.

 However developing countries bear the heaviest

burden of these costs in terms of average annual
damage relative to GDP and strength of their
livelihoods.
11 Percent of the people prone to disasters live in
low income developing countries, but they account
for more than 53 percent of the total recorded
deaths resulting from natural disasters (UNDP 2004)

Which sectors are economically vulnerable to disasters?

Agriculture (Primary)

Animal Husbandry (Primary)

Inland and Marine Fishing (Primary)
Manufacturing (Secondary)
Trade and Hospitality (Secondary)
Services (Tertiary sector)

Economic Impacts of Disasters

Some of the impacts are more visible and tangible
(impacts we can assign a monetary value to) than the
others.
Some impacts are short term, while others are long
term.
Some impacts are direct, while others are indirect.

What are the potential direct economic losses to

various sectors?
Destroyed or Uninhabitable Buildings
Death/casualty of earning members
Destroyed or damaged productive assets
Loss of Valuable Records and Inventory

Need to consider social vulnerability along with economic

vulnerability = Socio-economic Vulnerability
Social Vulnerability is
the potential impact
from a particular event
on people and
communities that are at
different levels of
preparedness.

Which social groups are vulnerable to disasters?

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Challenged and disabled (visually / orthopedically / mentally)
Children
Women
OLD AND YOUNG MOST AT RISK
-Less mobility
-Less resistance to disease
-More dependent
-Fewer resources

Which economic groups are vulnerable to disasters?

Non Workers / Unemployed
Marginal / Small Farmers

So does these vulnerability affect at every

phase of the Disaster cycle???

PHASES OF THE DISASTER CYCLE

1. The warning phase: indicating the possible occcurence of a
catastotrophe and the threat period during which the
disaster is impending.
2. The impact phase: when the disaster strikes
3. The emergency phase: when rescue, treatment and salvage
activities commence
4. The rehabilitation phase: when essential services are
provided on a temporary basis
5. The reconstruction phase: when a permanent return to
normal is achieved.

The Warning phase

Telecommunication systems
-At international level(PTWC)
-Awareness of people receiving,
understanding, educated for
warnings
Policies of the state ..who
informs whom???

Who gets affected???

The target group

Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004

Received signals three minutes,
thirty seconds after the quake
began

The Impact Phase

Financial condition i.e. Quality of
settlements... Money can buy design
and engineering that minimises
Location
-Due to choice
-Caste
-Occupation, e.g. fishermen
-Gender

ABOVE ALL .TYPE OF HAZARD

The Emergency Phase

Awareness of help
Accessibility of aids due to
--Location
-Hierarchy
of caste/ economic status
-Religion
-Gender
safety and equality

The Rehabilitation Phase

Awareness of rights, aids, government benefits
-Hierarchy of caste/ economic status

Possibility of Insurance and reserve resources

Acceptance of new attitudinal changes in policies, reconstruction,
re
re-planning
PSCYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT...very important

Psychological impact
MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS, 26TH NOVEMBER, 2008
Level 1 Large group meetings for morale building and provision
of information.
Level 2 Small group meetings for ventilation, assessment,
provision of support and information.
Level 3 Small group therapy sessions and individual counselling
sessions.

Survivors Support and Rehabilitation Project

Units for Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

Note: Vulnerability is expressed in percentage

loss, while the corresponding risk is estimated
in Rupees million