Introduction hellooo

Disaster is an accident or catastrophe which causes great

damage. comes from the Ancient Greek word, (dus-) "bad" and
(aster), "star". The root of the word disaster ("bad star" in Greek)
comes from an astrological sense of a calamity blamed on the
position of planets.
“A disaster is a serious disruption to the functioning of a
community, which causes human, material, economic and
environmental losses beyond a community's ability to cope” - Is
the United Nations definition of a disaster. “ A disaster is a
sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning
of a community or society and causes human, material, and
economic or environmental losses that exceed the community's
or society's ability to cope using its own resources.” Is the
IFRC(International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies) definition. Disasters are classified into two : a) Man
made disasters and b)Natural disasters
Natural Disaster
A natural disaster is a disaster caused by natural events. Floods,
earthquakes, landslides, etc are some examples of natural
disasters.
Human-made disasters
Human-made disasters are caused by the consequence of
human actions. Nuclear explosion, Fires, Industrial disasters etc
are some examples of human-made disasters.

Disaster management
Disaster management is the management of resources and
responsibilities during a disaster. On 1 June 2016, Narendra
Modi, the Prime Minister, launched the Disaster Management
Plan of India, which seeks to provide help and direction to
government agencies for prevention, mitigation and management
of disasters.National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is
an agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs which is mainly
involved in disaster management.
Various activities involved in disaster management include:
● activities designed for permanent protection from some
disasters (Disaster Prevention)
● Activities designed to minimise loss of life and
damage.(Disaster preparedness).
● coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the impact of a
disaster and its long-term results. Relief activities include
rescue, relocation, providing food and water, preventing
disease and disability, repairing vital services such as
telecommunications and transport, providing temporary
shelter and emergency health care.(Disaster Relief)
● Other activities include rebuilding infrastructure, health care
and rehabilitation. (Disaster Recovery)

Communication During Disasters.

Natural disaster preparation is very important and it has to be
done in advance, especially when it comes to communication.
Communication during and immediately after a disaster situation
is an important component of response and recovery, in that it
connects affected people, families, and communities with first
responders, support systems, and other family members.
Reliable and accessible communication and information systems
during natural disasters such as landslides also are key to a
community’s recovery. Usually power is down and landline
communications are interrupted due to tower loss and other
technical difficulties. There are many situations when traditional
and modern communications fail all together(Laptops, Mobile
Phones, Landlines etc). That’s why alternative communication
systems are absolutely necessary during natural disasters.

Alternative Communication Systems

Alternative communication systems are a crucial part in disaster

management. They ensure that victims affected by natural
calamities and those who are trapped can be detected by rescue
operations and can communicate with them.
An alternative communication system must have the following
attributes:
● Time efficiency and speed : time efficiency is important for
such communication systems because the affected people
must be able to communicate with rescue operation officers
quickly so that immediate action can be taken.
● Affordability –A good communication system must be
affordable for the large public in order to be useful.
● Sender and receiver – When in an emergency situation, one
needs not only to send out notifications but also to receive
instructions .

Different types of Alternative communication systems:

1.Radio waves:llo
Radio waves are transmitted based on Earth’s ionosphere.They
can also work on backup powers such as batteries or solar power
which makes them more useful for people affected by landslides.
The different types of radio communications are :
a) Short-wave radio
Short-wave (or Amateur) radio is a relatively long range
method of communicating using radio waves. Because of the
nature of radio wave propagation, communications made via
 short-wave radio can be intercepted and heard by anyone
with the proper equipment and knowledge. However, due to
their reliance only on electrical power (which can be obtained
via batteries, solar, and other alternative means) and Earth's
ionosphere, they are ideal for some of the worst case
emergency scenarios. One disadvantage may be that one
requires training and licensing to transmit using a short-wave
radio, in many countries.
b) Two-way Radio
Two-way radio consists of at least two devices (typically
portable and hand-held) that are capable of transmitting and
receiving communications to each other, using radio waves.
Similar to short-wave, this type of communication is also able
to be intercepted and heard by anyone with the proper
equipment. However, unlike short-wave, this communication
equipment is restricted by range , but is relatively simple to
operate and the main power source is usually provided by
batteries. Two-way radios are in-use by many emergency
responders on a daily basis, so they require minimal
concentration to operate in the stress of an emergency
situation, since the person operating it is already familiar with
it. Additionally, many non-professionals may use unlicensed
two-way radios, as is common with CB radio, Family Radio
Service.

2. Internet based communication:

During a disaster, some Internet connections may still be
available. Websites, such as Twitter and Facebook, have been
crucial points of communication for some people in the midst of
natural disasters. Social networking has also proven to be a
beneficial avenue for communicating needs and raising funds
during natural disasters.
3. satellite communication system
So, when landlines and power are down and no modern or
traditional system is working satellites are fine. This allows rescue
teams and emergency responders to meet immediate
communication needs, using satellites and satellite
systems.Communication towers usually get destroyed during
these kinds of situations leaving people in the dark during
landslides.
There are two main types of satellite communication that
someone could use in case of emergency: Geostationary Satellite
Systems (GEO) and Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEO).
a)GEO : They sit in a fixed position and are usually owned by a
country or an organization responding to special (fixed or mobile)
equipment located on Earth (antennas and mobile terminals).
They are not just an alternative communication system during
disaster they are also very useful at warning people about
seismic activity that could transform in a catastrophic situation
and floods.
b)LEO:They are situated on the low orbits between 780 and 1500
km and they are used to deliver low speed data and voice. They
are easier to contact using a mobile unit, the size of a cellular
phone. The fact that terrestrial units are so easy to carry allows
rescue teams to use these satellites in any situation.

Conclusion

Like everything else, when it comes to a natural disaster, finding

the right alternative communication system requires preparation
in advance. Every person must be aware of the fact that disasters
are called this way because they tend to flatten everything down
in their way starting with houses, cars, trees and ending up with
communication towers. If this happens you can’t rely on
traditional systems to alert authorities and rescue teams – you
must have an alternative.Developing countries suffer the greatest
costs when a disaster hits. Hence, countries like our own need to
have better disaster management protocols in order to recover
from these calamities.