Q: What is the Role of government in disaster management?

A: the gov does play an imp role in disaster management as the support during & after the disaster is mainly from the government , the providation of food till giving living space becomes the main load and question for the gov to which the gov often replies very efficiently. Q: What is the role of non government functionaries for disaster management in any locality? A: Many different types of NGOs are already working towards preparedness, relief and rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction and also in monitoring and feedback. Stage Activity Pre-Disaster: * Awareness and information campaigns * Training of local volunteers * Advocacy and planning During Disaster: * Immediate rescue and first-aid including psychological aid * Supply of food, water, medicines, and other immediate materials * Ensuring sanitation and hygiene * Damage assessment Post-Disaster: * Technical and material aid in reconstruction * Assistance in seeking financial aid * Monitoring (2) THE COMMUNITY the community as an institution in itself is emerging as the most powerful in the entire mechanism of disaster administration. It can reduce the damage caused by the disaster. Awareness and training of the community is particularly useful in areas prone to frequent disasters. e.g: Othe Village Task Force formed in villages of Andhra Pradesh (South Indian State prone to tropical cyclones) by the Church Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). The Village Task Force has been trained in emergency evacuation and relief within the village. It is elected by the people themselves and during disasters it serves as the nodal body at village level which has to mobilise resources for the community and disseminate necessary information passed on by the outside agencies.

INTRODUCTION:
National disasters such as that experienced in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina have the potential to create chaos within a region and exact a heavy cost both on lives and economically. Government's role in disaster management is to provide a central, coordinated plan of action to address the damage caused by such an event as well as the needs of the people affected.

1. Identification
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When a disaster such as a flood, hurricane, or earthquake occurs within the United States, the Federal Emergency Manangement Agency (FEMA) is responsible for coordinating assistance and resources to the particular region. FEMA, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, was created in 1979.

National Response Framework

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FEMA has established a set of procedures, the National Response Framework, that identifies the principles, roles, and structures to direct government response in times of disaster. The protocols provide coordination among state, local, and federal resources. Specialists from various fields are assigned specific roles and objectives. Rebuilding damaged areas and relief efforts are also part of the National Response Framework.

Emergency Management
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Government's role in disaster management is to address the degree of risk present within an emergency situation. Hazardous conditions may be present, such as polluted water supplies, damaged power lines, and inadequate housing. When needed, civil defense units such as the National Guard may be called to maintain order within a disaster situation. Emergency management also involves providing the support necessary to prepare and rebuild a community in the aftermath of a disaster.

Emergency Response Teams

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FEMA is made up of emergency response teams located throughout the country. These teams act as branches of the federal government during times of crisis. The National Disaster Medical System prepares and organizes these teams. Each team is trained within a different specialty area including search and rescue, medical assistance, mobile emergency support, and mortuary operations. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics provide medical assistance, while private organizations, public safety agencies, and hospitals sponsor the personnel and resources needed.

Communications
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FEMA's communications network team fulfills the government's role in providing communication resources in disaster areas. These groups provide the lines of communication needed to keep responders in touch with government and public officials. Communications teams manage the computers, phone lines, satellite uplinks, and power generators. When needed, teams can erect cell phone towers in cases where local

responders are unable to access telephone systems. Mobile communications systems can also be put in place to provide airlifted networks of communication throughout a particular region.

Causes & Effects of Disaster Management:

Some geographical areas are prone to certain types of national disasters. In others, large-scale accidents can occur without such natural precedent. In both types of situations, critical lessons have to be learned for the future while, at the same time, the effects of that disaster must be minimized as much as possible. Disaster management frameworks must address all of these concerns reflexively.

1. Identification
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The causes and effects of disaster management may be seen as operating cyclically. Disaster management techniques are not bred or prompted by a single incident, but evolve gradually both as a response to previous events and in a preparatory way towards future emergencies. In this sense. those stakeholders involved in the development of disaster management include a broad number of actors including politicians, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), civilian elements, academics and many others. Humanitarian agencies or organizations fit prominently among related NGOs.

Desired Effects
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Disaster management is concerned with a set of practices that must limit the range and level of the disaster's impact, not only on surrounding people, but on the physical landscape and local infrastructure. The first concept is mitigation, one that contains the impact of the disaster to minimal proportions through mechanisms such as structure inspections and building inspections. Mitigation is followed by emergency preparedness systems and personnel, response mechanisms and teams, and finally, recovery contingencies that help the local population return to a degree of normalcy in daily life.

Causes
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Disaster management and specific tools can be initiated by a number of emergency events. The Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project isolates five primary categories of emergency: water and climate-related (floods, tornadoes or hurricanes), geologically-related (earthquakes and dam destruction), chemical/industrial/nuclear, accident-related and finally, biologically related. Each of these requires its own specific approaches, organization, mitigation resources, strategies and tactics.

Assessing Vulnerability
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To learn from past causes and lessen the devastation of future effects, disaster management analysts must look at an area and determine its level of vulnerability. This can be based on surrounding geological features (such as fault lines) as well as the layout of the area in terms of structures, infrastructure, roads and other criteria. Additionally, vulnerability levels can be established based on socioeconomic conditions, how well those conditions prepare them for

response to an emergency and ultimately, how they are prepared to undergo recovery efforts.

References

International Association of Emergency Managers: An Overview of Disaster Management Global Development Research Center; Disaster Management Cycle; Corina Warfield Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project: Disaster Management -- Putting People First

PRICIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT:

Disasters leave a permanent mark on a community, destroying lives and property, and forever changing the area. Each principle of disaster management is designed to either prepare a community for a disaster, respond to the immediate needs of a community during a disaster, or to help rebuild and avoid future disasters.

1. Preparation
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Preparation is the early key to reducing the loss of life and destruction to physical property after a disaster. This includes training your personnel in your disaster protocols, moving necessary equipment into threatened areas, predicting potential dangers and developing collaborative systems between emergency personnel and even local communities, says FEMA. The goal of preparation is to decrease emergency response time and ensure that necessary equipment is available and on-site after a disaster.

Mitigation
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Mitigation is the collaborative attempt to reduce the overall cost in human life and property resulting from a disaster. This includes flood plans, evacuation strategies, floodwalls and trained emergency personnel who are on-site and working to minimize the effects of the disaster, according to FEMA. Additionally, as part of the mitigation principle, emergency personnel are responsible for responding to potential dangers that could pose long-term hazards within a community, such as corrosion of the land, disease from poor conditions or severe risks to the wildlife in the area.

Protection
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Protection is a two-step procedure that includes relaying critical information to people in the affected area, and teaching them how to reduce their individual risks. Information is the key to protecting human lives and reducing potential property loss. During a disaster situation, emergency alerts help warn people about status of a situation, and instruct them on how to

respond. This may include an order to evacuate an area, or a set of preventive measures citizens can take within their own homes.

Response
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Active response plans are responsible for addressing the moment-to-moment needs of individuals during a disaster. This includes providing food, emergency needs, shelter and access to emergency personnel throughout a disaster situation. Response teams act quickly, addressing the changing needs during a disaster to reduce the loss of human lives and property damage.

Recovery
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Recovery begins when the disaster is finished and serves the community, establishing longterm medical care for those in need after a disaster, rebuilding and working to reduce the chance of future similar disasters from occurring. The recovery of an area requires long-term effort and a strict analysis of a disaster in order to avoid future recurrences of the situation.

References

The Federal Emergency Management Agency; The Federal Emergency Management Agency Publication 1; Nov. 2010 Emergency Management; Principles of Emergency Management Supplement; September 11, 2007