Disaster Management Issues Research Articles

Role of social protection in disaster management in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has witnessed a striking increase in both the frequency and intensity of natural disasters over the last few decades. Natural disasters have caused human, physical, financial and environmental losses and made substantial impacts on the economy of Sri Lanka. The impacts of natural disasters are not homogeneous across various segments of the society. The distribution of impacts depends on the degree of physical vulnerability of a particular region to natural disasters and the socio-economic vulnerability. The poor, especially those who are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, such as farmers and fishermen are highly vulnerable to the negative impacts of natural disasters. Given the significant economic costs of natural disasters, disaster management issues have received high policy priority. Apart from reducing the physical vulnerability of the population, social protection systems do have an important complementary role in minimizing the effects of natural disasters. Sri Lanka is well-known to have an extensive social protection system. However, the degree to which the present system provides protection against natural disasters remains unexplored. Thus, the present study assesses the degree of protection provided by the present social protection system in Sri Lanka against natural disasters, identifies gaps in doing so, and thereby suggests suitable recommendations to strengthen the system. The study reveals that the present social protection system in Sri Lanka is not adequate to address the socio-economic vulnerability due to external shocks created by natural disasters. All the disaster-related socio-economic measures in place are highly skewed towards immediate relief, whereas long-term economic well-being of the disaster vulnerable groups has received minor attention. The disaster insurance schemes are also not properly developed and the existing crop insurance schemes show a low coverage. Microfinance services also do not adequately respond to the needs of the disaster vulnerable groups. The study recommends the need for making reforms in the existing programmes, thereby to suggest better protection against natural disasters without introducing new measures and increasing the complexity of the system. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljss.v35i1-2.7297 Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 2012/2013 35/36 (1&2) : 1-8

Global policy and local actions for vulnerable populations affected by disaster and displacement

Global policy and local actions for vulnerable populations affected by disaster and displacement

Disasters in Nigeria: A Public Health Perspective

Background: Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth with some fragile demographic, socio-economic and health indices. The country has been having its own share of both natural and man-made disasters. This paper discussed an overview of disasters and some socio-demographic characteristics of Nigeria, factors in vulnerability of disasters, public health impacts and issues in disaster management in Nigeria among others from a public health perspective and the way forward. Methods: The authors undertook full searches (September-November, 2012) of original research, reports and reviews using Medline, pubMed, Embase and World Health Organisation (WHO) database. Search words were disaster, disasters in Nigeria, and public health impacts. Part of the data used was personal communications and in-press publications. Results: The results revealed significant number of disasters in Nigeria, such as plane crashes, oil pipeline fire explosions, collapsed buildings, terrorist attacks, civil strife, and flood, among others. Some of the identified issues that hampered quick response and recovery included poor and ineffective search and rescue operations, poverty, poor public and community education on disaster management, among others. Conclusion: There is need for public and community education on disaster and its management, disaster preparedness, wellcoordinated and effective search and rescue operations, capacity building, tackling corruption and poverty reduction. Keywords: Disaster, Public Health, Public Education, Disaster Mitigation, Nigeria

Unidirectional Sound Signage for Speech Frequency Range Using Multiple-Loudspeaker Reproduction System

Human safety is the most important issue in disaster management. Speech is a sound signal containing information that is easily and quickly understood by humans. Using speech as sound signage in emergency systems can effectively increase human safety in low or poor visibility conditions such as in smoke-filled situations. However, reflections of sound through walls, floor surfaces, and ceilings will affect clarity of speech. Unfortunately, because of the characteristics of sound reproduction systems, a single loudspeaker propagates sound waves omni-directionally at low frequencies. This paper proposes a simple multiple-loudspeaker system for reproducing sound with uni-directional characteristics. The proposed system consists mainly of a primary loudspeaker for introducing sound in the desired beam, a secondary loudspeaker for reducing gain in the undesired direction, and digital filters. An adaptive finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter is used to produce the controlling sound by implementing a filtered-x least-mean-square algorithm, and a delay filter for adjusting the time alignment of sound propagation between primary and secondary sources at the control point. Several operational conditions for illustrating real situations and reflections were considered in an anechoic chamber. Experimental results show the directivity patterns of the proposed multiple-loudspeaker system for the required conditions. In a low frequency range, the system is able to control unidirectional propagation; there is a sound beam in the desired direction and, conversely, reduction of gain in the undesired direction around the control point.

Disaster Management Issues in Ad-Hoc and WSNs with Healthcare and Communications Viewpoints

In recent years wireless ad-hoc and sensor network’s applications in disaster have drawn a lot of attention from both research and industry. Therefore, in order to improve the estimations that necessary for useful decision making for disaster personnel; this paper addresses disaster management issues in ad-hoc and WSNs with healthcare and communications viewpoints. We attempt to lift and discuss these issues and get some solutions to them. Accordingly, the theoretical bit error rate (BER) performances of four modes of quadratic-amplitude modulation (QAM) versus phase shift keying (PSK) is obtained, in which QAM performance is better than PSK. Moreover, the simulation results showed the BER performance of 16-mode for the two modulation techniques under AWGN and fading channel. According to the simulation results, we observed that at and in AWGN, the 16-QAM required 4dB less than PSK, but its performance in the fading channel not efficient. Furthermore, the evaluation of performance proves that the using of diversity order enhances the performance in the fading channel more and more.

Natural Disasters and Asia: Introduction

Natural disasters inflict tremendous social, economic and human costs. They have the potential to affect the economic development not only of a domestic economy, but also the rest of the world, given the extent of interconnected production networks in this globalized era. The main objective of this special issue is to highlight the real issues of natural disaster management. This special issue focuses on key policy issues and case studies of recent events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). We believe the lessons learned from past natural disasters should help to alleviate both the direct and indirect impacts of future disasters.

Digital repository: preservation environment and policy implementation

Distributed digital repositories can be used to address critical issues of long-term digital preservation and disaster management for large data centers. A policy-driven system provides an ideal solution for managing distributed repositories that require high flexibility and high configurability. Recent studies demonstrate that the integrated Rule-Oriented Data System, a peer-to-peer server middleware, provides the requisite dynamic extensibility needed to manage time-varying policies, automate validation of assessment criteria, manage ingestion processes, manage access policies, and manage preservation policies. The policy management can be implemented underneath existing digital library infrastructure such as Fedora.

Disaster management issues of Pakistan : An analytical view for a viable way forward

Disaster management is a dilemma in Pakistan; despite having experienced number of natural and manmade disasters in its short history, we are far off from the satisfactory arrangements. With all the policies and strategies worked out in apparent details/claims, we fall prey to paralysis at the time of occurrence. The point of concern is collapse of the system when it is required to put to practice. This leads to chaotic situation whereby despite having abundance inflows of resources/ means, our management system at the site of occurrence fails to respond. This research paper aims at detailed analysis of the issue and put forward solution in the management domain through which we can attain optimum results under resource constraints. On one hand, where the paper highlights drawbacks in the existing system; it also beings under discussion the strong points of the systems being followed in the contemporary world. At the end, the paper presents viable options and measures for improving our own system while remaining within our resource constraints.

Role of ICTs in early warning of climate-related disasters: A Sri Lankan case study

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have increasingly been recognised as innovative ways of managing environmental challenges, including climate change. As shown in the existing literature, ICTs have contributed to face the negative impacts of climate change in numerous ways, in varying degrees, and in various contexts. Although it has been evident that the growth of the ICT sector is remarkable during the past few decades in Sri Lanka, little is known about its applications and roles in facing the challenges of climate change. It is an important development in this regard that ICTs are used as an adaptation tool in disaster early warning in Sri Lanka. Being an island nation, located in the lower latitude of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is particularly vulnerable to acute impacts of climate change. As the country has been experiencing increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as storms, cyclones, floods etc, there is an essential need for having an effective early warning system to disseminate timely and important information to vulnerable groups to enable them to take immediate response measures and thereby minimize potential negative impacts.Early warning is a ‘public good’ and developing countries in most of the cases are faced with resource constraints for the establishment and implementation of disaster early warning systems. Although a number of research studies have recommended public-private partnerships to overcome such constraints, there is lack of research-based evidences to show the successfulness of such initiatives in effectively disseminating disaster information especially in the case of developing country contexts. In the backdrop, the proposed case study is expected to shed light on the said research gap, based on the Disaster and Emergency Warning Network (DEWN), which is a mass alert emergency warning system, established and undertaken by a private sector mobile subscriber in collaboration with the Disaster Management Centre, the key government agency responsible for undertaking disaster management issues in Sri Lanka. There has been no or little research conducted to assess the system so far in a comprehensive manner. The objective of the proposed case study is to evaluate the DEWN in terms of ways of ICT application, role of DEWN in adaptation and coverage, stakeholders involved, costs and benefits to the stakeholders, degree of success and constraints (both in the supply side and receiving side) faced by them. The study finds that the DEWN presents an ideal illustration for using public-private partnership in adapting to the disaster related impacts brought about by global climate change. It is based on a developing country context, where the government does not have adequate capability to provide effective disaster early warning systems using ICTs. As the mobile telecommunication sector of the country has been showing considerable developments in terms of the number of subscribers, the DEWN has become much more suitable to the context, although it requires further expansions in terms coverage.

An emergent framework of disaster risk governance towards innovating coping capability for reducing disaster risks in local communities

An emergent framework of disaster risk governance is presented as an implementation strategy for integrated risk management that incorporates innovative local coping capabilities that reduce disaster vulnerability. This framework calls for enhancement of self-support and mutual-assistance through strengthening informal or social networking efforts in local communities, rather than depending on formal or institutional governmental-assistance. The framework is supported by a societal platform of disaster risk information, called DRIP, which the NIED (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Japan) has developed since 2006 as a tool that promotes improved disaster risk governance. With the help of DRIP, residents, communities, and other stakeholders, linked horizontally or vertically with social networks, can (1) improve their awareness of disaster risks and management issues by sharing risk information as scientific expertise, experiential knowledge, and local/folk wisdom; (2) customize risk communication through analytic deliberation of risk information by employing risk-scenarios developed by residents themselves; (3) develop collaborative activities for informed decision-making that can fully utilize local resources to reorganize coping capability against disaster risks; and (4) disseminate the generated risk scenarios with action plans to other residents who have not participated in the risk communication process.

Negotiation Support for Environmental Disaster Management: Drama Theory II and the Survival of Louisiana's Indigenous Gulf Coast Tribes

Abstract A formal group decision and negotiation framework known as Drama Theory II(DT II) is put forth in order to systematically model environmental disasters and to examine ways to improve the resilience of Louisiana's indigenous Gulf Coast tribes that have lived on the bayous of the Mississippi delta for centuries. A mathematical treatment of key drama theoretic concepts (i.e. positions, intentions, doubts, and dilemmas) is provided, the dynamics of the drama theoretic process are discussed and theoretical results are applied to the ongoing oil spill disaster in the US Gulf Coast. While game theoretic tools have been widely applied to disaster management issues, traditional decision analysis assumes that decision-makers, options, and preferences are fixed. On the other hand, DT II, a theory of mutual interactive game design, allows for the redefinition of the conflict and emphasizes that decision-makers engage in a rational-emotional process of redefining both the game and their ‘positions’ in it until agreement on a satisfactory resolution is reached. Results show that drama theory constitutes an adaptive and powerful tool for modelling the Gulf Coast oil spill and for helping to strengthen the resilience of Louisiana's Gulf tribes which are on the brink of disaster. By identifying transformative natural resources policy options, it is shown how environmental health risks can be reduced and a more sustainable future can be promoted.

Pediatric issues in disaster management, Part 3: Special healthcare needs patients and mental health issues

Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. We discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs, mental health issues, and overcrowding/surge capacity. Specific policy recommendations and an appendix with detailed practical information and algorithms are included. The first part of this three part series on pediatric issues in disaster management addresses the emergency medical system from the field to the hospital and surge capacity including the impact of crowding. The second part addresses the appropriate set up and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification. The third part deals with special patient populations: the special healthcare needs patient and mental health issues.

Disaster management in University Libraries: perception, problems and strategies

The paper investigated disaster management in University Libraries in South Eastern Nigeria; perceptions, problems and strategies. The design of the study was a descriptive survey. The population of the study...

Pediatric issues in disaster management, Part 2: Evacuation centers and family separation/reunification

The leadership in each jurisdiction of the world has been described as legally, morally, and politically responsible for ensuring that necessary and appropriate actions are taken to protect people and property from the consequences of emergencies and disasters. As emergencies often evolve rapidly and become too complex for effective improvisation, a government can successfully discharge its emergency management responsibilities only by taking action beforehand. This requires preparedness in advance of the disaster event. Accordingly, preparedness measures should not be improvised or handled on an ad hoc basis.

Pediatric issues in disaster management, Part 1: The emergency medical system and surge capacity

Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. The authors discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients, including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs (SHCNs), mental health issues, and overcrowding/ surge capacity. Specific policy recommendations and an appendix with detailed practical information and algorithms are included.The first part of this three-part series on pediatric issues in disaster management addresses the emergency medical system from the field to the hospital and surge capacity including the impact of crowding.The second part addresses the appropriate setup and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification.The third part deals with special patient populations: children with SHCNs and mental health issues.

March/April 2010

Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. We discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs, mental health issues, and overcrowding/surge capacity. Specific policy recommendations and an appendix with detailed practical information and algorithms are included. The first part of this three part series on pediatric issues in disaster management addresses the emergency medical system from the field to the hospital and surge capacity including the impact of crowding. The second part addresses the appropriate set up and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification. The third part deals with special patient populations: the special healthcare needs patient and mental health issues.

The Transitional Medical Model: An innovative methodology for a community’s disease outbreak and pandemic preparedness and response plan

Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. The authors discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients, including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs (SHCNs), mental health issues, and overcrowding/surge capacity. Specific policy recommendations and an appendix with detailed practical information and algorithms are included. The first part of this three-part series on pediatric issues in disaster management addresses the emergency medical system from the field to the hospital and surge capacity including the impact of crowding. The second part addresses the appropriate setup and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification. The third part deals with special patient populations: children with SHCNs and mental health issues.

The Management of Mass Casualties in Case of Disasters

The problems faced by the immediate management of dealing with a mass influx of victims refer mainly to politrauma and severe pathology and their consequences on increasing intensive care needs in the context of a large and sudden influx of victims in an infrastructure potentially affected by severe logistics and often unprepared. Emergency plans should be well designed and then tested as together with the immediate response plans they constitute the only solution to deal with a situation where faced with a lack of personnel and overall logistical shortcomings. WHO and DHA continue to be the best organisations that provide advice based on evidence and previous experience in international health issues and disaster management and humanitarian issues. Doctors, who are trained in disaster medicine, should achieve an adequate level of education and training in the unique principles and practices of the medical management of disaster and of massive inflows of victims and to play a key role in this area. Key words: mass influx of victims, disaster, management

Preparing for Natural Disasters

This article is part of a collaborative effort by experts in the field of emergency preparedness to complete an overview begun by the late Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, on the current challenges and future directions in pediatric disaster readiness. This particular article, "Preparing for Natural Disasters," will address pertinent clinical and disaster management issues relating to caring for children and families impacted by natural disasters.

DISAST-CIR: Disastrous Incidents Systematic Analysis Through Components, Interactions and Results: Application to a Large-Scale Train Accident

Disasters or hazardous incidents, either natural or man-made, continue to increase in frequency and affect more and more citizens of the world community. Many of these are published in the medical literature, each being a “case report” of a single event. In clinical medicine, a common nomenclature and uniform reporting of data enables the collection of similar cases to series studies, with clinical conclusions being drawn. Such a platform is lacking in the field of disaster medicine, impairing the ability to learn from past experiences. In the Medical Department of the Israeli Home Front Command, we coordinate the operation of various medical units and forces in a wide array of events. By doing so, we collect and analyze the relevant data related to disaster management, various components of the medical response, interactions between different components, and the ensuing results. We developed a systematic method of analyzing and describing disaster management issues in various events—DISAST-CIR—Disastrous Incidents Systematic AnalysiS Through Components, Interactions, Results. In this article, we describe this method by presenting the components, interactions, and results of a large-scale train accident that resulted in 270 casualties, 35 of whom were evacuated by helicopters from the accident site. Casualties were distributed among 10 different hospitals. The death toll was 7 people, 5 of whom died at the scene and 2 who died in hospitals. We recommend this method as a standard for scientific reporting of hazardous incidents. Accumulation of data, reported in a similar standardized fashion, would enable comparison and reporting of series, improving our understanding regarding the optimal medical response to various events.