disaster management degree

disaster management degree

The Importance of Disaster Management Education: Building Resilient Communities

1. Introduction to Disaster Management

Based on the survey of the 2002 World Conference on Disaster Reduction and the 2005 World Conference on the Centralization of the Hyogo Framework for Action, disasters have a unifying capacity when they affect the whole community and can have an effect on all sectors in a country and in the world. No country and community are safe from disaster, and one community can learn from the available experiences of another community. There are a number of international programs and conferences that are working towards the unification of the disaster management educational processes or learning experiences. Such programs and conferences indicate that the international community has one common objective, which is to achieve disaster resilience and lessen vulnerability and disaster risk. With all the resources and experiences of various countries working together to achieve complex disasters and sustainability objectives, international disaster experts believe that not only are educated professionals needed to work within the different areas of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, but more importantly, the entire community should be educated to better understand, plan, and respond to disasters. The community should be the primary actor and responder in the event of a disaster, and community disaster resilience should be based upon disaster management knowledge, skills, community empowerment, and government support. The focus of the paper is to stress the importance and timeliness of disaster management education, community-based international educational initiatives, government support, and the community role in creating disaster-resilient societies.

Introduction As global threats from disasters increase in terms of frequency, severity, and impact due to environmental changes, vulnerabilities of the communities also heighten. This results in more and more widespread devastation, untold suffering, and inestimable amount of losses to life, properties, and livelihoods. Quality education in disaster management can help the communities be prepared, develop protection, and ensure proper response measures when dealing with disasters. Disaster management education enables learners to understand the complexities of various disasters and sustainability of communities in the midst and after these types of emergencies. It helps develop informed and skilled individuals who will be able to take proactive steps to address the possible risks of future disasters. These individuals can have a positive impact on the formulation of policies, application of technologies, and development of regulations that can enhance the capability of the communities to withstand and recover from disastrous events.

2. Theoretical Foundations and Key Concepts in Disaster Management

Disaster management begins with the acceptance that a hazard exists and that it can lead to disasters. A hazard is anything or phenomenon with the potential to cause harm to human life. It exists due to certain environmental conditions and will cause a disaster if adequate levels of humanitarian assistance are not provided. Vulnerability, on the other hand, is the relative susceptibility to the disaster causative agents and the degree of exposure to the implicated hazard. Furthermore, the capacity to cope is determined largely by various internal and external resources, structures, or institutional arrangements designed for coping and responding to crisis situations and disasters. The intensity and magnitude of a disaster are dependent on the people’s level of preparedness, both in terms of response and preventive measures before it impacts. The significance of disaster management, however, lies in the physical, psychological, and social impacts of disasters on the affected communities and the vulnerabilities inherent in given areas of disasters.

Central to our conceptualization of this study is the disaster management cycle, which is based on the philosophy that disaster management is a continuum beginning from prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Prevention and mitigation are generally given less focus as they involve long-term strategies to prevent or lessen the impact or effects of disasters. Preparedness, on the other hand, involves systematic planning and preparation to avoid harm or danger to individuals and/or property in a dangerous and emergency situation. Response involves the immediate activities before, during, and after the impact of a disaster aimed at saving lives, re-establishing the environment, conditions for affected communities, and eventually establishing a means for coping and recovery. Recovery goes beyond the initial post-impact phase, envisaging the long-term impact of the disaster on the local population.

3. Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies and Practices

Disaster Risk Reduction practitioners employ a number of strategies to take action to prevent or reduce negative impacts of disasters. Often these strategies are used in combination for better, more effective results. By adopting several integrated strategies, Disaster Risk Reduction practitioners are most successful in increasing the safety and security of communities. Some common strategies used include: 1) prevention; 2) mitigation; 3) preparedness; 4) response; and 5) recovery. Measures applied within each of these areas and linked to one or more elements of disaster management are recognized as having the potential to minimize the impact of natural and human-generated hazards. Preventing, reducing, or managing risk provides the potential for making societies more sustainable, safe, and secure.

Section 3 will discuss a few of the most common disaster risk reduction strategies and practices. It is important to note that disaster risk reduction aims to promote a culture of prevention and sustainable development. Vulnerability to disasters is one of the main features that must be tackled. Risk reduction must also be prioritized and mainstreamed into sustainable development policies and practices.

4. Role of Technology in Disaster Management

Nowadays, different space technology has enhanced the concept of integrated use of remote sensing data, GPS data, and GIS data in disaster management. The advance warning and hazard mapping of the disaster-affected area is essential for disaster management officials for planning, preparedness, response, and recovery of the victims. In various kinds of emergencies, geospatial technology tools have the ability to multi-spectrum data that have helped in providing effective management of disasters. The technology should be implemented in such a way that poor people of the affected area receive essential services in terms of disaster management. Such technology-enhanced messages of early warning and knowledge about shelters and safety routes and other important measures are essential for people pre, during, and post-disaster.

In today’s advancing world, technology plays a vital role in the field of disaster management. Emerging concepts of geospatial technology tools and techniques have become a catalyst in disaster management. This technology helps in the systematic collection, review, process, store, dispose data and disseminate relevant data to the target area. The multi-hazard maps help in the effective planning, managing the various aspects of disasters. Geospatial technology is useful in minimizing the destruction from natural and human-induced hazards.

5. Case Studies and Best Practices in Disaster Management

Central to the theme of best practices in disaster management—the lessons learned from disaster is effective disaster management education and public engagement. Numerous examples and several models of effective public engagement for disasters are available throughout the literature, developed from a variety of institutional backgrounds and approaches. Many of these examples point to a series of vital capacities shared by the most successful models: the ability to engage the public in an inclusive manner, the ability to structure and institutionalize the outcomes of public participation over the long term, and the ability both to integrate these outcomes into decision making and to act on the conclusions that derive from improvements to existing plans and institutional resources.

Case studies and best practices in disaster management. The literature on disaster management has numerous examples from many different countries of successful practices and actions taken to mitigate the impacts of disasters. Most often in disaster management, success is attributed to a proactive and informed general public and policymakers. Numerous best practices have been identified as lessons to be learned from as well. Many of these best practices address important issues such as governance for disasters, development of social capital, gender considerations, and addressing the needs of marginalized groups.