Disaster management is the practice of managing and organizing resources to deal with disasters or hazardous events. Depending on the type and intensity of a disaster, its coping strategies or methods can vary. In India, the National Disaster Management Authority is the apex body to govern all types of natural disasters. Before knowing what disaster management is and how the coping strategies are implemented, it’s important to understand the types of disasters that have occurred. Some of the most prevalent disasters are Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wars, and many more.
Table of Contents
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Types of Disaster Management
There are different types of disaster management practices adopted by concerned authorities. The National Disaster Management Authority has set out certain mitigation strategies, policies, and guidelines depending on what type of disaster has occurred.
Disasters are of two types: Natural and Man-made.
- Natural Disasters include earthquakes, cyclones, heat waves, landslides, urban floods and floods, and volcanic eruptions.
- Man-made disasters include terrorist activities and wars, chemical, biological, and Nuclear hazards.
To deal effectively with disasters, NDMA has five major divisions: Policy & Plans, Mitigation, Operations & Communications & Information & Technology, Administration and Finance.
Let us have a look at these 5 major divisions:
- Policy and plans include risk assessment, preparedness measures, and response and relief strategies.
- Mitigation measures include land-use planning, building codes and regulations, infrastructure improvements, and environmental conservation measures.
- Operations and Communication for public safety, managing expectations, and coordinating relief efforts.
- Information and Technology includes early warning systems with the help of satellite imagery, weather forecasting, and sensors.
- Administration and Finance to manage all the disaster management practices.
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Effects of Disaster Management
A disaster not only damages life and property but causes significant economic impacts in the affected areas. Therefore, proper and effective disaster management practices are necessary for timely response and to reduce the damage of the disaster.
To learn more about important Disaster Management Practices, let us consider the following points:
- Early warning and evacuation plans are necessary to reduce loss of life and injury.
- Mitigation measures like risk assessments, resilient infrastructure planning, and pre-disaster mitigation measures can help minimize the damage to buildings, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.
- Disaster management planning facilitates the recovery and reconstruction process so that developmental activities are not on halt for long.
- Enhanced community resilience can withstand and recover from the impacts of disasters. This can be done by proper training and education programs.
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National Disaster Management Authority
The NDMA not only manages all the disaster management practices but also makes people aware of what disasters are and how to act to reduce their impacts. The Prime Minister of India is the Chairman of the NDMA. The sustained and collective efforts by NDMA are meant to mitigate the damage and destruction caused by natural and man-made disasters.
NDMA has laid down guidelines to mitigate all types of disasters. For example, the mitigation methods for floods are:
- Install check valves in sewer traps to prevent flood water backup.
- You can construct an interior barrier to stop floodwater from entering your home and basements.
- Elevate all electronic items like air conditioners, water heaters, etc.
- Make your basement walls waterproof by sealing them with compounds to avoid seepage.
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Paragraph on Disaster Management
Disaster Management is the practice of coping with natural and man-made disasters. There are multiple tasks involved in disaster management, such as planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing measures to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of disasters. There are four main phases of disaster management: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation. Every country has its disaster management authority. In India, the National Disaster Management Authority is the apex body to govern and manage all types of disaster-related activities. In the USA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages and promotes disaster management practices. In recent years, the frequency of natural disasters has increased, which not only causes loss of life and property but leads to significant economic and psychological impacts on the people. Therefore, it is necessary to plan and implement effective disaster management practices. |
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FAQs
Ans: Disaster management is the practice of managing and organizing resources to deal with disasters or hazardous events. Depending on the type and intensity of a disaster, its coping strategies or methods can vary. There are 4 disaster managing practices: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation. It is important to implement necessary disaster management practices to mitigate and faster recovery from any calamity.
Ans: The disaster management practices are Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation.
Ans: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is the head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
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