Disaster Managemenet

Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.

There are four stages in a Disaster Management Cycle:

• Preparation: activities prior to a disaster.

Examples- preparedness plans; emergency exercises/ training; warning systems.

• Response: activities during a disaster.

Examples- public warning systems; emergency operations; search and rescue.

• Recovery: activities following a disaster.

Examples- temporary housing; claims processing and grants; long-term medical care and counselling.

• Mitigation: activities that reduce the effects of disasters.

Example- building codes and zoning; vulnerability analyses; public education.