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Editorial

Disasters: Implications, Mitigation, and Preparedness

“I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity” populated cities/towns, and extremes of hot and cold climatic
areas. Thirty major disasters have struck in India since
–John D. Rockefeller
the 1970s.[5] Super cyclone caused death of about 15,000
Disaster means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity, or grave people in Odisha in 1999. Gujarat earthquake killed around
occurrence in any area, arising from natural or anthropogenic 20,000 people in 2001. Tsunami in 2004 killed nearly 11,000
causes, or by accident or negligence, which results in people and displaced 150,000.[6] 1094 people were killed in
substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, Maharashtra floods (2005). Heavy rainfall/landslides caused
and destruction of property or damage to, or degradation of large‑scale destruction of houses, structures, and 4094 deaths
environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be in Uttarakhand in June 2013.[7]
beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected
area.[1] The World Health Organization defines disaster as, “a Implications of Disasters
sudden ecological phenomenon of sufficient magnitude to The implications of a disaster depend on its type and severity,
require external assistance. ”[2] vulnerable population, and the capacity of the community or
The disaster may be natural and anthropogenic. the local organization to cope up with the disaster. Some of the
factors contributing to the impact are the immediate reactions
Natural: Volcano eruption, earthquake, wild fire, snow of the people, population migration, outbreak of communicable
avalanche, heat wave, cold weather, hurricane, floods, drought, diseases, availability of food and potable water supply, climatic
landslide, blizzard, epidemics, etc. conditions, and damage to the infrastructure such as roads,
Anthropogenic: Nuclear, biological, chemical, industrial and electric supply, and housing.
transport accidents, mining disasters, dam breaks, oil spills, Physical, environmental, and social implications
explosions, terrorist attacks, wars, etc. Socioeconomic consequences of a disaster are represented by
the number of fatalities and economic damage. There is lot
Major Natural Disasters of disaster‑related suffering, morbidity, hardship, stress, and
Disasters are increasing globally in frequency and severity due feeling of helplessness. The consequences could be direct,
to rising population, earth warming, earthquakes, and increase such as damage to buildings, roads, electricity and water
in disease‑carrying vectors causing colossal loss of lives and supply, food supply, railways, bridges, hospitals, schools,
material damage. About 772,000 people died worldwide from industrial installations, irrigation channels, private property,
disasters during 2006 to 2015 according to the World Disasters loss of jobs, disruption of telephones. Indirect effects are
Report 2016.[3] felt over a longer period of time due to nuclear explosions
or chemical disasters.
Notable natural disasters during the last 100  years are
Spanish flu pandemic (1918–1919) causing 25–30 million Health implications
deaths and Tokyo earthquake (1923) that killed 1.5 lakhs Elderly population, children, pregnant women, low
people; China floods (1931) took a toll of 3.7 million lives. socioeconomic groups, high‑density populations, and
In Bangladesh 1, 40,000 people died in a cyclone in 1991. migrants are more vulnerable to the vagaries of disasters.
The short‑term health effects are deaths and outbreaks of
Tsunami caused 230,000 deaths and displaced 1.7 million
communicable diseases such as cholera and viral hepatitis. The
people in 14 countries in 2004. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
long‑term effects include depression, anxiety, substance abuse,
was the costliest disaster in the USA causing one trillion
physical disabilities, posttraumatic stress disorder  (PTSD),
USD damage.[4]
e.g.,  insecurity, fear of another calamity, fatigue, poor
India is prone to natural disasters due to large mountainous concentration, nervousness, sleep, and appetite disturbances.
tracts, 7500 km coastline, vast deserts, forests, rivers, thickly
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Website:
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Submitted: 22-Jan-2020 Accepted: 24-Jan-2020
Revised: 19-Feb-2020 Published: 16-Mar-2020
DOI:
10.4103/ijph.IJPH_40_20 How to cite this article: Singh Z. Disasters: Implications, mitigation, and
preparedness. Indian J Public Health 2020;64:1-3.

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Singh: Disasters

A longitudinal study found that 15%–20% of people affected • Siting of building on leeward side of hillsides
by a disaster had symptoms of PTSD.[8] • Good‑quality construction of wind‑resistant buildings
• Provision of safety shelters and evacuation plans.
Mitigation Strategies Fires
Mitigation is aimed at preventing the disaster or reducing • Vulnerability analysis of areas and population clusters
adverse personal, socioeconomic, and environmental impact prone to high risk of fires
on the community. This could be achieved by proper land use • Capacity development for firefighting in terms of
planning; developing emergency preparedness and response equipment, infrastructure, and human resource
guidelines; and their dissemination at national, regional, and • Use of fire‑resistant material for buildings
local levels to all stakeholders. A comprehensive mitigation • Remove branches and leaf litter around houses
strategy should be inclusive of all government and private • Provision of sufficient water supply, hoses, and protective
organizations, all social groups, and local community. clothing
• Fire evacuation plan.
Disaster Risk Reduction Tsunami
Losses to a disaster‑affected region disrupt almost all sectors • Digital mapping of Tsunami hazard vulnerable areas
of the economy and quality of life of the people. Investment • Development of early warning systems
of every dollar in disaster risk reduction (DRR) could save • Promote research on seismic activity and methods for
six dollars in disaster aftermath.[9] Specific risk reduction Tsunami risk assessment.
measures are needed for various disasters. However, the
Cold waves
key thematic areas for mainstreaming DRR are improving
• Monitoring of cold wave situation in coordination with
risk awareness, effective risk management strategy ensuring
the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and rapid
social inclusiveness, mutual reinforcement under major
dissemination of the warnings to the public
global frameworks, capacity development, intersectional
• Maintain good nutrition, wear several layers of warm
coordination, adequate financing, setting targets, timelines,
clothing, change wet clothing frequently, avoid exertion,
performance indicators, monitoring mechanisms, scrutiny of
stock up on food, water and watch for signs of frostbite/
development plans, early warning systems, adequate legal
hypothermia, and seek early medical care.
support, enhanced research, etc.[10]

Emergency Preparedness
Disaster Preparedness
• Ensuring that all stakeholders work together as per
Disaster preparedness measures for risk reduction are required standing operative procedures
to be taken depending on the type of threat of various disasters • Establish rapid deployable communications
and the geographical areas likely to be affected.[11] • Clear and nonambiguous distribution of tasks and
Floods responsibilities. Develop rosters of personnel who are
• Reliable flood risk forecasting and warning system prepared to assist in disaster relief
• Rigorous implementation of zoning, e.g.,  land use for • Develop technology to give advance notification of
human settlements and industrial infrastructure disasters and emergencies
• Relocation of riparian inhabitants and structures out of • Provide adequate funds to states for preparation and
flood prone areas implementation of plans
• Making structures to withstand flood forces (dams, storm • Review state evacuation plans and essential emergency
water drainage system, floodwalls etc.,) services
• Building designs, elevation of f loor levels, use of • Establish adequate help lines in case of emergencies.
water‑resistant materials, strong foundations, etc.,
• Flood evacuation plans: Identifying shelters and preparing Disaster Response, Recovery, and Rehabilitation
boats and rescue equipment
• Watershed management for storage of water.
Strategies
The United  Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Earthquakes defines response as, “Actions taken directly before, during
• Seismic zoning or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce
• Avoid structures in loose soils and reclaimed land health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic needs
• Structural design to withstand strong vibrations of the people affected.”[12]
• Strengthening of existing buildings (retrofitting).
The recovery framework includes institutional mechanisms clearly
Cyclones defining roles and responsibilities at all levels, public–private
• Planting of windbreaks and trimming of tree branches participation, effective use of information and communication

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Singh: Disasters

technology, pooling of professional skills from diverse areas, DRR and management entails coordinated preparedness and
and proactive involvement of communities in outreach programs. mitigation plans and their implementation at international,
regional, national, and local levels by pooling of technology,
Rehabilitation is an integral part of recovery. The rehabilitation
resources, and rapid dissemination of early warnings to reduce
package should include reconstruction of damaged
the adverse impact of disasters on the affected populations.
infrastructure and psychological rehabilitation of the affected
people. The vulnerable groups would need special support to Zile Singh
survive the impact of disasters. Educational activities for the Member, Journal Advisory Board, Indian Journal of Public Health;
children should be revived on priority. Anganwadis and old‑age Former Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine,
homes should be activated as early as possible. Vocational Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and Pondicherry Institute of Medical
training camps should be setup to improve the skills of children. Sciences, Puducherry, India
E‑mail: drzile_singh@yahoo.com
Self‑help groups should be promoted. Counseling for stress
management due to loss of relatives and friends should be a
part of disaster rehabilitation plan.
References
1. Government of India. Disaster Management Act 2005. Government
of India; 2005. Available from: https://www.ndmindia.nic.in/
Health Warning Systems images/TheDisasterManagement Act, 2005.pdf.  [Last accessed on
2020 Jan 09].
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various departments to monitor the risk of various disasters and Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2001;14:144‑9.
setup early warning systems. These agencies such as Snow and 3. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. World
Disaster Report 2016. International Federation of Red Cross and Red
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have spurred central and state Governments as well as other Disaster Data and Statistics, Some Major Disasters in India. New Delhi;
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8. Ohl CA, Tapsell S. Flooding and human health. BMJ 2000;321:1167‑8.
people using electronic media and modern technologies which 9. Porter  K, Scawthorn  C, Dash  N, Santos  J. Schneider  P. Natural
have been helpful in minimizing the adverse impact of disasters Hazard Mitigation Saves, 2017 Interim Report: An Independent Study.
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10. Government of India, National Disaster Management Plan;
Conclusion 2018. p.  90‑1. Available from: https://ndma.gov.in/images/pdf/
NDMP‑2018‑Revised‑Draft‑1‑2018OCT16‑A.pdf.  [Last accessed on
Disasters whether natural or anthropogenic are highly complex 2020 Jan 09].
events resulting in mass sufferings due to immediate medical 11. Government of India. National Disaster Management Plan; 2018.
problems as well as long‑term public health and psychological p.  112‑228. Available from: https://ndma.gov.in/images/pdf/
disruptions. The frequency and severity of disasters is NDMP‑2018‑Revised‑Draft‑1‑2018OCT16‑A.pdf.  [Last accessed on
2020 Jan 09].
increasing due to global warming, rising populations, 12. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Terminology; 2017.
deforestation, rapid urbanization, enhanced human conflicts, Available from: https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology.  [Last
use of weapons of mass destruction, etc. accessed on 2020 Jan 09].

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