Disaster Risk Management

Case Studies in South Asian Countries

Huong Ha, R. Lalitha S. Fernando, Sanjeev Kumar Mahajan

• Publisher: Business Expert Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781949443073
• Topic: Économie
• Subtopic: Économie internationale

This book provides a framework for making administration effective and improving mitigation and rehabilitation measures with a view to ensuring a safer life for citizens.

It is an outcome of research studies carried out by eminent scholars and practitioners in South Asian countries in the field of disaster risk management. The authors discuss how different South Asian countries manage disasters and address challenges associated with them. The case studies presented in this book reflect reality versus myth. In the quest to improve the ground-level situation, it is pertinent to understand the interdisciplinary nature of approaches used to tackle the aftermath of disasters.

The key features of this book include (i) the adoption of critical and multidisciplinary approaches in discussing disaster-related problems and emerging issues; and (ii) the provision of insights into the approaches to address the challenges and issues of disaster risk management. The different stakeholders, practitioners, policy makers, and researchers will acquire a fuller and richer understanding of the various issues related to disaster risk management.

CHAPTER 1

Disaster Risk Management

Case Studies in South Asia—An Introduction

Huong Ha

School of Business, Singapore University of Singapore, Singapore

R. Lalitha S. Fernando

Department of Public Administration, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

Sanjeev Kumar Mahajan

Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India

Introduction

Disasters are “frequent affairs” of any country, and they are unavoidable and non-negotiable. Thus, disaster risk management (DRM) is an ongoing, challenging and multidimensional process that requires continuous attention, effort, and resources. Effective systems and strategies are necessary in mitigating disaster risks.

The latest statistics pertaining to natural disasters in South Asia show an increasing number of casualties and physical damage. According to Guha-Sapir et al. (2016), there are four types of natural disasters, namely meteorological disasters, hydrological disasters, geophysical disasters and climatological disasters, and the total number of natural disasters in 2016 was 342 in South Asia. Although one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on strengthening resilience to respond to climate-related hazards and disasters, the outcomes of the current measures to prepare for and mitigate disaster risks are not satisfactory (Hoffmann and Muttarak 2017). Two South Asian countries (Bangladesh and Pakistan) are in the list of the top 10 countries that have been affected by climate-related risk (Kreft et al. 2016). This raises the question of “How can disasters be better managed? And how can risks be better mitigated?” given the resource constraints. Hence, this volume endeavors to provide insights into DRM in different contexts in some South Asian countries. Different countries have tried to adopt various approaches, new and old, to prepare for and manage disaster risks. Yet, the negative effects and damage caused by such disasters have not been contained. It is imperative to search for novel approaches to prepare for, manage, and mitigate disaster impacts at all levels. Thus, this edited volume aims to examine (i) the effects of different types of disaster risks, (ii) how different disaster risk and related issues have been managed, and (iii) different approaches adopted by countries to mitigate and prepare for disaster risk in the context of South Asia.

The 10 chapters, excluding the Introduction and the Conclusion chapters, covered in this volume were contributed by researchers, academics, and industry practitioners from different countries in South Asia from various disciplines and interests. This has enriched the depth and the breadth of the discussion. The uniqueness of this volume is the focus on special topics, such as nuclear disasters, e-waste disasters, psychological factors, medicinal plants in disasters that have been rarely discussed in the literature.

Issues and Challenges Associated with Disaster Risk in the Context of South Asian Countries

South Asia, in the twenty-first century, continues to be afflicted by a variety of natural disasters. The frequency and intensity of natural disasters has significantly increased in the last decade. The fact that 481 disaster-related events occurred during 2005 through 2015 in South Asia claiming about 135,000 lives leading to economic losses underlines the issue at hand (Bhatt et al. 2017). The extreme weather events along with unplanned human settlements, unsafe building practices, high population densities across South Asian countries, etc. have compounded and aggravated the effects of natural and man-made disasters in the recent time leading to vulnerability of people at large.

Apart from this, the damage resulting from natural disasters have strained the development opportunities because the loss of infrastructure results in increased pressure on the economy. Evidence has been reported that natural disasters have caused the death of thousands of civilians, loss of and damage to assets, breakdown of businesses, and interruption of the development process for income-generating activities and ending people’s livelihoods, and so forth (Dominguez et al. 2018; Sanderson and Sharma 2016). Despite all the debates, discussions, and statistics related to disaster risks and events, the focus on people is still not adequately established, leaving them displaced and in utter poverty. Sustainable and inclusive development is a failure in disaster-stricken areas, and impact the affected victims and their families.

Though disaster risk in the South Asia region has increased, the level of understanding and awareness of disaster risk seems low. Exposure, and vulnerability to natural hazards and their consequential impact, are not yet at the forefront of development agendas (World Bank 2012). Hence, to facilitate disaster preparedness, one critical need is better access to robust and accurate data on disaster risks. Developing a comprehensive database at the South Asia and regional and country level will help countries have long-term planning and capacity building to make better decisions to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Thus, this volume endeavors to provide insights into issues associated with DRM in South Asian countries.

An Overview of the Chapters

This edited volume starts with a chapter focusing on the practices of countries in South Asia with regard to disaster risk reduction and adaptation strategies (Chapter 2) by Dr. Md Nurul Momen. The main purpose of disaster risk reduction (DRR) is to mitigate the damages and losses caused by natural disasters. The author explains that the process of DRM should be people centric and inclusive, that is, involving local communities and vulnerable groups. Also, some countries may have more experience in managing and preparing for disasters; whereas other countries may have less experience. Thus, sharing experience and good practices would help countries improve the effectiveness of their DRM strategies. Also, any initiatives to prepare for disaster risks, disaster mitigation, and recovery should address the issues associated with social inequalities and vulnerabilities of people who are the regular victims of disasters on a regular basis (World Bank 2009). Finally, local communities should be engaged as strategic partners in the disaster management process (FEMA 2011). Thus, DRR is possible if one could prevent causal factors of disasters. Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events are all examples of DRR (UNISDR, n.d.).

Professor Mahfuzul Haque in Chapter 3 suggests that local communities are key beneficiaries and contributors to the DRM process. Thus, a bottom-up approach should be adopted, instead of the traditional top-down approach, to prepare for disasters and mitigate damages during and after disasters. Some best practices are observed from a comparative analysis of the four major cyclones in Bangladesh. They include (i) a paradigm shift from relief and rehabilitation to risk reduction would help to mitigate damages by disasters, (ii) an early warning at the community level would be more effective than late warning, (iii) community empowerment and building community resilience is an important task. Such best practices have contributed to reducing risk factors and loss of lives (Gero, Meheux, and Dominey-Howes 2011; Ha 2014, 2017; Ha, Fernando, and Mahmood 2015a, 2015b. In the process of DRR, communication and coordination among stakeholders including citizens are of paramount importance.

Chapter 4 discusses an interesting topic, that is, psychological impacts of disasters. Dr. Evelyn Gay explains that not only survivors of disasters, but also their family members, social workers, and other stakeholders are mentally affected by disasters in some ways (Sajid 2007). Marcelo et al. (2018) proposed a model to explain four types of psychosocial impact: resilient, traumatic, sensitive, and witness. The authors noted that people are more prone to illness when they are exposed to a disaster, and less when they are protected. Gay proposes that psychological support and counselling to people who are affected by disasters can help to mitigate the adverse effect after disasters. Such support includes informal social support networks via social media, or small support groups in the community, formal support by local and state governments, and civil society organizations (Juvva and Rajendran 2000). It is also important to have screening to detect post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and provide sufferers with social support, mental health, and counselling services (Sajid 2007). In a nutshell, both physical and psychology damages by natural disasters should be mitigated by different channels.

In Chapter 5, Professor Neena Joseph explains how women in India have been affected by disasters. Also, women can play an important role in the process of DRR by contributing various ways; namely, protect their children’s safety, prevent them from diseases and ensure family members’, particularly children’s, health and nutrition. This chapter also explores alternatives for DRR, for example, adoption of Gj/cPW technology. Overall, technology can enhance the income of local women, and thus can also be considered the future of DRR (Mu 2016). The findings suggest that women should be engaged in the DRR and DRM processes in order to be able to contribute to solving disaster-related problems, and also reduce their vulnerability during and after disasters (Nasreen 2012). Women should be empowered and well-equipped with information, knowledge, and skills to deal with disaster-related issues within their capacities (Ha, Fernando, and Mahmood 2015a, 2015b).

Similarly to Chapter 5, Associate Professor Marzina Begum, in Chapter 6 also focuses on the impacts of climate change as a contributor to disaster risk on women’s health in Bangladesh. The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (n.d.) reported that women and children are more likely to die or be injured in a disaster 14 times more than men. Disasters, including climate change, have affected women’s health in different forms, such as miscarriage, mental and physical health risks, maternal mortality risk, hypertension, and more (Rahman 2008). Thus, Begum argues that governments should focus on building women’s capability to respond to disaster risks and vulnerabilities. Women should not be marginalized in the society, especially in Bangladesh. Hence, women should be engaged in disaster risk preparation and mitigation processes, as well as climate change adaptation strategies and initiatives (Nasreen 2012). Finally, community participation is too important to be ignored because it plays an important part in the battle against climate change incidents, which relate to health risks and vulnerabilities in Bangladesh (Ha and Ahmad 2014). Sohrabizadeh, Tourani, and Khankeh (2016) noted that the impact of disasters on the lives of women is different from other groups in a community and women’s fundamental rights to health and safety are often violated after disasters.

Another interesting topic, e-waste (electronic-waste) in the context of Bangladesh, is covered in Chapter 7. E-waste has been considered as a hazardous substance. It is noted that developed countries are the sources of e-waste, which are exported to developing countries (Breivik, Armitage, and Jones 2014; Perkins et al. 2014). These developing countries become a dumping ground of e-waste, creating not only an environmentally hazardous situation but also one that is hazardous to human welfare in Bangladesh. However, Nahian Nabila Hoque observed that there has been no particular law or regulation to deal with e-waste in the country. However, the government is introducing rules to manage e-waste because the current state of e-waste handling does not contribute to reducing environmental concerns (Environment and Social Development Organization 2014). As per World Health Organization (2018) recycling of valuable elements contained in e-waste, such as copper and gold, has become a source of income in mostly the informal sector of developing or emerging industrialized countries. However, primitive recycling techniques, such as burning cables to retain the copper, expose both adult and child workers as well as their families to a range of hazardous substances. Thus, new approaches, including the adoption of advanced technology to manage e-waste may improve the country’s resilience toward risk (Lundgren 2012; Tanskanen 2013).

Associate Professor Vinay Sharma, Pramod Chandra and Associate Professor Rajat Agrawal in Chapter 8, approach disasters from another dimension, that is, how residents’ livelihood based on medicinal and aromatic plants is affected by disasters in Uttarakhand, India. This part of the country has a history of producing a significant amount of medicinal and aromatic plants that can treat human and livestock sicknesses (Bisht, Negi, and Bhandari 2016). Thus, they are one of the main sources of the livelihood for the residents (Chauhan 2010; Lesk, Rowhani, and Ramankutty 2016; Sati 2013). Yet, this area has also been prone to disasters that do affect the residents in many ways, such as the loss of biodiversity, natural resources, and the loss of high-value species as well as medicinal and aromatic plants (Kala 2014). This chapter examines the impact of natural disasters on the development and sustainability of medicinal and aromatic plants, which, in turn, affects the socioeconomic development and ecosystem in the area (Kala 2014). Many governance-related aspects emerge as sources of problems for the local residents. For instance, the unclear role of various institutions engaged in the management of local resources, and the lack of information during and after disasters. The chapter proposes a framework that can help respond to disasters to sustain the livelihood of local residents via sustainable development of medicinal and aromatic plants. This framework includes four main elements: (i) land use planning, that is, buffer plantations in the barren land should be available for the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in order to improve the production and create alternative spaces of the livelihood for local residents (Gautam and Anderson 2016); (ii) existing habit...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword: The Challenges of Disaster Risk Management
• List of Reviewers
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1 Disaster Risk Management: Case Studies in South Asia—An Introduction
• Chapter 2 The Process of Disaster Management: Practices from Disaster—Affected Countries
• Chapter 3 The Paradigm Shift in Disaster Management in Bangladesh
• Chapter 4 Psychological Impact of Disasters: Discussion and Lessons from India
• Chapter 5 Engendering Disaster Risk Reduction at Grassroots Level
• Chapter 6 Impact of Climate Change on Women’s Health in Bangladesh
• Chapter 7 Managing E-Waste in Reducing Vulnerability and Enhancing Resilience: The Case of Bangladesh
• Chapter 8 Disasters and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs): Preparing Governance for Resilient MAP-based Livelihood in Uttarakhand
• Chapter 9 Practical Knowledge in High School Students—Sufficient for Disaster Readiness or Not: The Bangladesh Perspective
• Chapter 10 IT, Sustainable Development Goals, and Disaster Management
• Chapter 11 Disaster Risk Management: What Have We Learned from the South Asian Experience?
• List of Contributors
• About the Authors
• Index