What is Disaster Management ?

These are activities designed to provide permanent protection from disasters. Not all disasters, particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but the risk of loss of life and injury can be mitigated with good evacuation plans, environmental planning and design standards. In January 2005, 168 Governments adopted a 10-year global plan for natural disaster risk reduction called the Hyogo Framework.

It offers guiding principles, priorities for action, and practical means for achieving disaster resilience for vulnerable communities.

These activities are designed to minimise loss of life and damage – for example by removing people and property from a threatened location and by facilitating timely and effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

Preparedness is the main way of reducing the impact of disasters. Community-based preparedness and management should be a high priority in physical therapy practice management.

This is a coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the impact of a disaster and its long-term results.

Relief activities include rescue, relocation, providing food and water, preventing disease and disability, repairing vital services such as telecommunications and transport, providing temporary shelter and emergency health care.

Once emergency needs have been met and the initial crisis is over, the people affected and the communities that support them are still vulnerable. Recovery activities include rebuilding infrastructure, health care and rehabilitation.

These should blend with development activities, such as building human resources for health and developing policies and practices to avoid similar situations in future.

Disaster management is linked with sustainable development, particularly in relation to vulnerable people such as those with disabilities, elderly people, children and other marginalised groups.

Volunteers Overseas publications address some of the common misunderstandings about disaster management.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies , supported by the International Federation, work with communities to reduce risk, mitigate the effects of, prepare to respond, respond to and recover from disasters.

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.

The first people to respond to a disaster are those living in the local community. They are the first to start rescue and relief operations.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies therefore focus on community-based disaster preparedness, which assists communities to reduce their vulnerability to disasters and strengthen their capacities to resist them.

When the capacity of a community or country to respond and recover from a disaster is overwhelmed, and upon request from the National Society, the International Federation uses its regional and international networks, assets and resources to bring assistance to the communities and National Red Cross Red Crescent Society which is assisting them.

At an international level the International Federation advocates with Governments, international organisations and humanitarian donors for better practice and accountability in disaster management and greater respect of the dignity of the vulnerable people.

Save lives and reduce human suffering
Protect and restore livelihoods
Reduce the risks faced by communities affected by disaster and conflict.

Whether natural or man-made, children are the most vulnerable when a disaster strikes. More than half of the people who are affected by disasters are children. It is our calling to protect the well-being of children affected by disasters.

DM2020 (Disaster Management 2020) is our child-focused disaster management strategy, designed to meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable children.

Our teams monitor signals and indicators of both natural and man-made threats. This information warns of emerging events, such as typhoons, flooding, the precursors of famine and stirrings of conflict, so we can anticipate and reduce the impact of a humanitarian emergency.

We work with families and individuals as well as local, national and international partners across the world to ensure communities are aware of the risks they face and how to properly prepare and respond in the event of an emergency.

Reduce vulnerabilities – including physical, social, economic and environmental factors that increase susceptibility.

Lessen the impacts of natural and man-made conditions that have the potential to adversely impact the lives and livelihoods of communities.

Develop and enhance the capacity of individuals, communities and institutions to reduce risk and build up resilience. The better the capacity the more resilient to risk.

In addition to helping communities and families prepare for disasters, our own preparedness means we are ready to help communities when a disaster strikes.