HAZARDS AN DISASTERS

HUMAN RESPONSE

Responses to the risk of hazard events – adjustments before

• Discuss the usefulness of assessing risk before deciding the strategies of adjustment and response to a hazard.

• Describe attempts that have been made to reduce vulnerability by spreading the risk (aid, insurance) and by land-use planning (zoning) before the event

• Describe strategies designed to limit the damage from potential hazard events and disasters.

Short, medium and long-term responses after the event

• Describe the range of responses, at the community, national and international levels, during and after a hazard event or disaster.

• Distinguish between rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction responses.

• Explain how these responses are affected by individual and community perceptions.

• Examine the factors that affected the choice of adjustments before, and responses to, actual hazard events or disasters.

• Discuss the importance of re-assessing risk, and re-examining vulnerability, following any major hazard event or disaster.

“People respond to natural hazards and the threats they pose to human life and possessions in a way that is designed to reduce risk” (Bishop 2001)

The response occurs at a range of spatial scales form local to global.

Key thoughts and ideas

Hazard event response cycle

The risk management cycle showing sequence of assessment, response, and education which is essential for successful disaster reduction (Smith 1996 from Hazard and Responses)

Integrated Risk Management – assessing risk before deciding response;

Framework for disaster risk reduction

Reducing vulnerability - three main responses

• Movie: Hurricane prediction

Modify the Event – these are management strategies that aim to control the physical processes ideally by preventing them (unrealistic), controlling the impact (e.g. alleviating floods by diverting water elsewhere), or by hazard resistant design (protect people from the impacts).

Modify vulnerability –• this aims to change people’s attitudes and behavior towards hazards by prediction (not always possible or accurate).•Warning: so people can prepare and/or evacuate•community preparedness: public education, evacuation procedures and emergency relief • land-use planning: prevent new development from occupying hazard areas.

•Modify the loss – •people simply accept the losses caused by the hazard (rarely acceptable, more common to share losses). •Losses can be shared through aid for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction and through insurance (MEDCs) to spread the cost.

How do people, organizations, governments and the international community respond during and after a hazard event or disaster?

How does this response change and vary over time?

Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Phases

How is the response affected by individual and community perceptions – acceptance, domination, adaptation?

Human Use systems

Natural systems

Actual NaturalHazard

HazardPerception“filter”

PerceptionOf

Hazard

HumanResponse

Modification & Adjustment

Modification & Adjustment

MODEL OF HUMAN PERCEPTION & REPONSE ( Kates, 1992) ()

What factors affect the choice of adjustments before, and responses to, actual hazard events and disasters?

Responses chosen will depend on:• Type of hazard• Past experience of the hazard• Economic status and ability to take action• Technological resources• Hazard perceptions of decision makers• Knowledge of the options available• Social and political framework

How does the response vary between places?

People and organizations may not adopt all the available strategies since they require resources of time and money.

The threats and risks from hazards will compete (at all levels) with other concerns such as jobs, money, education.

People and governments must make a commitment to investing resources into reducing hazard impacts through enhancing hazard resilience

Case Studies

• US Hurricanes – Katrina; risk management through modifying the event (levees), modifying vulnerability (warnings) and modifying the loss (insurance)

Responding to Drought

• What options are there to modify the event, the vulnerability and the loss?

Asian Tsunami• What was done in the days and weeks after the

event in terms of rescue and rehabilitation?• How has the process of reconstruction

proceeded – how well recovered are the communities and people effected 5 years on?

• You should research the Tsunami warning system that has been implemented in the Indian ocean since the disaster

Haiti Reponses

• A great case study of the challenges and problems faced by all involved in the hours, days and weeks after a disaster?

• You can compare the Haiti successes and failures with the Asian Tsunami.

• Also consider where now for Haiti – how does the longer process of rehabilitation and reconstruction develop?