American Center Bulletin
August 2005
Disaster Management
Disaster Management
Disaster Management Support - An India U.S. Collaboration
Notes from the AIRC
A Word from the Center
Disaster Management
The Indian subcontinent is highly vulnerable to disasters. India has an 8000 km. long coastline, mountains and rivers as well as distant islands. Many of the states are vulnerable to cyclones floods and earthquakes. It is very important to have proactive disaster mitigation plans to save humans and the infrastructure built over the years. It is necessary to learn the methods of proven proactive planning systems to face disasters in India scientifically.
In the United States of America, a number of institutes and universities are engaged in disaster research and documentation. Through these research papers along with the papers presented at different international conferences, the agencies specializing in disaster management keep themselves aware of existing disaster-related information. The most important aspect in disaster management is saving and protecting human life, the environment and bio- diversity in that area. Institutions in the U.S. develop proactive plans to mitigate the unexpected and also care for overall knowledge management. Universities, institutions and government departments keep track of disasters around the world, encourage research and documentation and conduct a number of regional, national and international symposiums. In these symposiums and workshops, the ideas of academicians and practitioners in a disaster situation are deliberated upon to arrive at a proactive disaster mitigation plan, with the least number of loopholes.
Around the year, interactions among researchers and policymakers make the disaster mitigation plan more down to earth, simple and easy to follow by citizens in all states.
Another important characteristic of disaster mitigation in the U.S. is the clear-cut hierarchy in decision-making.
If a state faces a disaster situation, the governor of the state activates the coordinated efforts of different government and nongovernmental agencies to combat the situation. The control room is activated. The committee consists of all the decision-makers in the town, country, as well as the fire brigade, police, volunteer rescue groups, transport companies, power, water supply, highway patrols and observatories. Further, if the emergency is of a grave nature, the governor can request the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to depute experts for this situation. If the situation worsens and the local and country police find it difficult to handle, the governor requests the assistance of the National Guard. In such cases, the President of the United States declares the affected state as a Disaster Area.
Thus, through the clearly defined disaster management plan and command chain, the activation of response is swift and coordination effective.
Organizations like the Salvation Army also have their well-defined hierarchy and discipline. When they were involved in the 9/11 tragedy, the local administration had only to tell them of their requirements and the entire force of the Salvation Army, along with their counselors, activated to relieve the anxiety and trauma of the survivors.
The agencies entrusted with disaster management prepare proactive Hazard Profile Maps so that in the event of a disaster, methodological action is possible. Tsunami, flood, coastal storm, wildfire, and earthquake maps of the same area are prepared. Further, these agencies prepare overlapping maps of Vulnerability Risk Assessment. The vulnerability maps are useful to planners, builders and decision-makers to establish residential areas, schools and hospitals. These maps are overlapped with Loss Estimation Criteria as Moderate (Yellow), High (Orange) and Extreme (Red). Together, the map becomes a Composite Loss Map. With all the information on hazard plus vulnerability plus loss estimation of a particular area, it is easier for decision-makers to use the information for a specific disaster situation. The overlaying results of individual hazard maps determine areas with relatively more assets at risk than others. The process is best accomplished with GIS but manual overlays with transparencies also work well.
In Indian situations, the lack of such maps and overlaying of them for a Composite Disaster Risk Map is the key problem for most of the decision-makers.
In a typical Indian scenario, when a disaster strikes, the central, state and district administrations swing into action. However, the Incident Commander, triage and overall logistics of supply management are missing, resulting in delay in response. The district administration, the government of the affected state and officials from the national capital and armed forces come together somehow, and on a first-come, first-served basis, they determine the action plan. The district-level hospitals gear up for the situation, other private hospitals also come forward to help but there is no proactive mitigation plan available with civil hospitals at the district level to link all private nursing homes or for informing doctors and qualified nurses in the district. The absence of coordinated efforts at central, state and district levels further deteriorates at municipal and village levels.
The authorities need to have a complete database on private hospitals, NGOs and volunteer squads belonging to various organizations. The coordination of all these in peacetime, when there is no disaster, is required. The Incident Command system, a highly propagated disaster management pattern being developed by the Government of India , has not sought to integrate NGOs, the National Cadet Corps, the National Service Scheme or the civic population in their highly complicated mitigation plans. Most of the civilians in India are unaware of this disaster mitigation system.
What we can learn from the U.S. is the proactive planning for all perceived threats – natural and man-made.
The most important aspect of the proactive plan is to integrate all players – government, local government, NGOs, other specialized agencies, universities, and people – at various levels.
There has to be a permanent control room in every town, tehsil, district, and two control rooms in every state and at central government, which should be activated at least thrice a year in a mock exercise. That will keep officials and other agencies ready to face disasters.
There are many educational and research institutions such as Colorado University, Delaware University, Columbia University, and Washington University, which are engaged in disaster research. It is necessary to have a constant dialogue and exchange of know-how between the universities and Indian agencies and Indian NGOs. The academic and scientific interaction will prove beneficial to Indian agencies and people at large.
The advantage of information technology, satellite communication and introducing the scientific proactive approach of U.S. agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Pan American Health Organization, World Institute for Disaster Risk Management, U.S Geological Survey, National Transport Safety Board, USAID, the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. National Guard, Salvation Army and International Association of Emergency Managers will certainly help decision-makers and NGOs in India to prepare plans and face disasters in an organized manner.
Useful Sites for Further Information and Serious Study
1. http://www. drmonline.net
2. http:/ www. usgs.gov
3. http:/ www.usaid.gov/hum_response /ofda
4. http:/www.epa.gov
5. http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
6. http://www.fema.gov
7. http://www.fema.gov/mit/planning.htm
8. http://www.ibhs.org
9. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
10. http://www.nist.gov
11. http://www. disastercenter.com
12. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov./seg/hazard/resource
13. http://www.pmel.noaa.gov
14. http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/
15 http://www.nfpa.org
16. http://www.nmnh.si.edu/gvp
17. http://www.esri.com/.hazards
The author of the above article, Sufi Pore, former Senior Research Officer at the Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies of the All India Institute of Local Self Government, is well-known for his work in disaster management, evacuation and relief operations in natural and man-made disasters. Frequently consulted by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and state governments, Pore has been involved in relief operations of 21 major disasters – earthquakes, floods, landslides, building collapses, and communal riots. Using the training he received in the U.K. on "Environmental Impact Assessment," the first-hand knowledge gained during the U.S. Government-sponsored exchange program on "Disaster Management in Democracies" and his extensive field experience, Pore seeks to minimize risk and maximize relief operations when calamities occur, while also ensuring respect for the protection of human rights. Working with both government agencies and grass-roots NGOs, he tries to ensure the basic human right of disaster victims to timely assistance in the event of natural or technological or other human-caused catastrophes, and their right to adequate housing and secure living conditions. Pore, whose manual on rescue and relief operations, is used by both government agencies and voluntary organizations has presented a number of papers on disaster preparedness and management at a number of national and international seminars in India, Japan and The Netherlands.
The American Center thanks Sufi Pore for his valuable contribution to this month’s issue on disaster management, which he sent from the Nicobar Islands where he is working on various rehabilitation projects for victims of the tsunami.
A Word from the Center
August comes roughly midway in both India’s monsoon season and North America’s hurricane season, with torrential rains often bringing violent winds and severe floods such as those recently experienced by many residents of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the southern United States. With those disasters fresh in our memories, along with the terrible man-made disaster that rocked London on July 7 and the unforgettably horrific tsunami of last December 26, we have focused this issue of The American Center Bulletin on disaster management. I am particularly grateful to Mr. Sufi Pore, who provided this month’s excellent essay by drawing in part on observations he made while on a specialized U.S. Government-sponsored exchange program in April 2002.
And as if we needed a reminder that monsoon clouds have silver linings, The American Center staff and I, as well as our colleagues at the U.S. Consulate General here in Mumbai, are looking forward to the mid-August arrival in India of incoming Consul General Michael Owen and his family. I hope you will join us, whenever your paths cross theirs, in making them feel truly welcome here!
Linda C. Cheatham
Director
Joint statement by USAID and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
Facts
• India has been very vulnerable to natural hazards
• The Orissa cyclone in 1999 and the Gujarat earthquake in 2001 together killed more than 22,000 people and damaged more than three million houses
• Most destruction and loss of life is caused by weather-related events
Bilateral Response
Expanded cooperation between the U.S. and India in science and technology related to disaster management is underway with the joint launch of a $16 million, five-year effort of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. The Disaster Management Support (DMS) activity supports the GOI’s multi-hazard, multidisciplinary approach to disaster management, and draws in new U.S. partners to share American experience and expertise to mitigate disasters. This is the result of a shared vision between the U.S. and India. New U.S. partners working with the Ministry of Home Affairs include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), now part of the Department of Homeland
Security, the U. S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). The effort focuses on the following national, state and local activities.
Incident Command System
The U.S. and India are sharing technology to improve disaster response. The sudden nature or sheer magnitude of a disaster can throw response mechanisms into disarray. The U.S. Forest Service is working with MHA to institutionalize training in the Incident Command System (ICS) so that response management is professional. The ICS provides a method for disaster response professionals to respond to complex incidents – earthquakes, floods or even terrorist attacks – by adopting a team of trained professionals to handle the response. A course on the ICS is being made a part of the instruction at India’s premier Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, where new recruits to the Indian Administrative Services and other central services are trained.
Early Warning
U.S. and Indian scientists will be looking at early warning systems for weather-related disasters such as floods, cyclones or droughts. Collaborators include the NOAA and USGS from the U.S., the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and the Central Water Commission (CWC), among others.
National Support for Local Emergencies
Exchanges between the U.S. FEMA and MHA will focus on such disaster mitigation approaches as developing earthquake-resistant building bylaws, cyclone tracking and monitoring, and guidelines for hazardous materials, among other activities. The MHA and FEMA will collaborate on business and industry preparedness, the start-up of emergency operations centers and setting standards for emergency decision-making.
Community Preparedness and Response
In addition, a $4 million grant to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from USAID will help carry out community-based disaster planning in high-risk areas of India – 20 multi-hazard prone districts of Orissa, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttaranchal and Assam. The effort is part of a larger disaster risk reduction program led by MHA. Communities and states will prepare action plans that define what to do and where to go when a disaster strikes. Planners keep in mind the special needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups in disaster situations. Informed communities can assist relief operations, ensure supplies reach the neediest first, and demand accountability for relief measures. Over 40,000 volunteers will receive information; 250,000 trained disaster
management teams will be formed; and information centers will be set up in 17 field locations to raise community awareness.
Notes from the AIRC
A Select Webliography on Disaster Management
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/
American Red Cross – Disaster Services
http://www.disasterlinks.net/
CBS News – Disaster Links
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Emergency Preparedness & Response
http://www.coe-dmha.org/
Center of Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance
http://www.cidi.org/
Center for International Disaster Information
http://www.disastercenter.com/
The Disaster Center
http://www.emforum.org/
Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/ceppoweb.nsf/content/index.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention
http://www.fema.gov/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.ndms.fema.gov/
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – National Disaster Medical System
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/hazards.shtml
National Geophysical Data Center – Natural Hazards Data
https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml
President’s Disaster Management Egov Initiative – DisasterHelp
http://www.ready.gov/index.html
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – ReadyAmerica
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/index.html
U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/
U.S. Fire Administration
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/
U.S. Geological Survey – Earthquake Hazards Program
http://www.firstgov.gov/Government/State_Local/Disasters.shtml
U.S. Government Gateway – Disasters and Emergencies
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/
University of Colorado – Natural Hazards Center
Note: Internet sites included in this listing, other than those of the U.S. Government, should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.
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