(English captions by Trisha Paul, University of Michigan)
In this session, we shall be introduced to disaster risk reduction as a key role in public
health emergency preparedness.
Remember, disaster risk is defined by hazard times vulnerability divided by capacity.
Vulnerability to natural disasters.
95% of national disaster deaths occur among 66% of the poorest countries.
From 1965-1992 more than 90% of all disaster victims lived in Asia and Africa.
Completing the disaster management cycle.
The cycle includes preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
There is an evolutionary approach from response and relief to risk reduction.
What is Disaster Risk Reduction then?
It is the conceptual framework of elements with possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities
and disaster risks to avoid, (that is prevent) or limit, (mitigate and prepare for) the adverse
impacts of hazards within the broad context of sustainable development.
Risk management includes mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Risk reduction, on the other hand, includes mitigation and preparedness.
Risk reduction is more efficient, more cost-effective, and more humane.
This is the risk reduction cycle.
From vulnerability analysis, hazard analysis, to risk assessment, to risk reduction, which
includes hazard mitigation and vulnerability reduction, and this results in sustainable
development and the cycle repeats.
The figure presents an approach to risk reduction.
The integrated emergency management approach includes hazard identification and risk assessment
plus vulnerability analysis which leads to setting priorities.
This goes to mitigation prevention strategies which goes to reduce impact of diseases.
This continues to getting ready to go if the hazard remains.
This results in preparedness education, contingency planning, effective response, and fast recovery.
All this is underlied by feedback at all stages.
Preparedness is actions that result in persons knowing what to do and how to respond after
disaster has occurred.
The approach to preparedness programs is that it is long-term, it is part of a larger risk
reduction program, comprehensive application of sustainable development, all-hazards planned,
it should be multi-sectoral, it should be user-friendly and culturally sensitive and
specific.
Objectives of emergency preparedness include preventing morbidity and mortality, care for
casualties, managing adverse climatic and environment conditions, ensuring restoration
of normal health, re-establishment of health services, protecting staff, and protecting
public health and medicinal assets.
Mark Keim of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) proposes 11 E's of emergency preparedness including economic incentive,
epidemiology, enforcement of codes, emergency plans, equipment stockpiling, education, exercise
and drills, early warning, evacuation, evaluation, and the use of electronics (e-health).
Risk management.
What is risk?
It is the probability of suffering damage to life, property, economic disruptions and
environment from a hazard for a given area and reference period.
Risk is the product of hazard and vulnerability.
Risk management is defined as the process of identifying, analyzing and quantifying
the probability of losses in order to undertake preventive and corrective actions.
It involves mainly two types of activities; planning actions to reduce vulnerability in
areas where risk can be controlled, and establishing protective mechanisms against the potential
economic losses from uncontrollable factors of natural hazards.
What is disaster risk management about?
Disaster risk management entails efforts and measures put in place to reduce risk in case
of a disaster happening.
It is also about commitments related to disaster and vulnerability reduction and improved early
warning.
Since little can be done to prevent occurrence of most natural disasters, actions and activities
should focus on reducing existing and future vulnerabilities to damage and loss.
There are three primary and interrelated categories in risk management: risk identification, risk
reduction, and risk transfer.
These are mostly related to pre-disaster phases of disaster management.
The pre-disaster phase of disaster risk management involves four distinct but interrelated components:
risk identification, risk reduction/mitigation, risk transfer and preparedness.
Risk identification is a thorough analysis of existing vulnerabilities, location, severity
& intensity of threat.
The following activities help to identify and understand natural hazard risk: hazard
data collection and mapping that is with regard to frequency, magnitude and location, vulnerability
assessment (population and assets exposed), risk assessment (probability of expected losses).
Risk reduction or prevention/mitigation are measures taken to eliminate or reduce the
intensity of a hazardous event.
These measures address existing vulnerabilities through measures like early warning that include
actions such as implementation and enforcement of building standards, environmental protection
measures, resource management practices, and control of population activities that predispose
to risk.
Key issues to note with risk management include: even when effective disaster reduction measures
are in place, there would often be an element of risk that is residual.
Preparedness is an important component of disaster risk reduction which deals with residual and unmanaged
risk.
Risk transfer are mechanisms which aim at reducing actual vulnerability in financial
risk in order to ensure that funds are available when loss occurs from a disaster happening.
Risk transfer mechanisms are often inefficient from cost perspective, so it is important
to take all the necessary measures to reduce the vulnerability of assets to be covered
before transferring the risk.
Without getting into the details, the main risk transfer/ risk financing methods include
market insurance and reinsurance.
This insurance provides coverage for damage and expenses that are beyond the potential
for budget self-insurance. It involves paying some premiums to an insurance
company.
And premiums are calculated in a way that they spread out the risk.
This is not yet possible in many developing countries.
Risk transfer methods also include budget self-insurance where a small proportion of
the budget is allocated to be spent on improved maintenance.
This can be done at the local government level, agency level, and even household level.
It also includes compensation policies, and they should target the most vulnerable populations
and causes of vulnerability.
Community insurance includes cooperatives, community savings groups, community granaries,
community policing, and resource conservation.
This is a viable mechanism of risk transfer in resource constrained countries and societies.
There are also household livelihood insurance mechanisms like savings, food security, proper
settlement, and modern methods of production.
The Hyogo Framework for Action assists the efforts of nations and communities to become
more resilient to and cope better with the hazards they face.
Although the primary responsibility for its implementation rests with governments, collaboration
and cooperation between all stakeholders in managing the risk is crucial.
The Hyogo Framework for Action commits governments as well as regional, international and NGOs
to; ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority, identifying,
assessing, and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early warning, using knowledge,
innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels, reducing
the underlying risk factors, and strengthening disaster preparedness for effective response
at all levels (community, sub county, district, regional and national levels).