HAZARDS AN DISASTERS
HUMAN RESPONSE
Responses to the risk of hazard
events – adjustments before
• Discuss the usefulness of assessing risk before
deciding the strategies of adjustment and
response to a hazard.
• Describe attempts that have been made to
reduce vulnerability by spreading the risk
(aid, insurance) and by land-use planning
(zoning) before the event
• Describe strategies designed to limit the
damage from potential hazard events and
disasters.
Short, medium and long-term
responses after the event
• Describe the range of responses, at the community,
national and international levels, during and after a
hazard event or disaster.
• Distinguish between rescue, rehabilitation and
reconstruction responses.
• Explain how these responses are affected by
individual and community perceptions.
• Examine the factors that affected the choice
of adjustments before, and responses to,
actual hazard events or disasters.
• Discuss the importance of re-assessing risk,
and re-examining vulnerability, following any
major hazard event or disaster.
Key thoughts and ideas
“People respond to natural hazards
and the threats they pose to human
life and possessions in a way that is
designed to reduce risk” (Bishop
2001)
The response occurs at a range of
spatial scales form local to global.
Hazard event response cycle
Integrated Risk Management – assessing
risk before deciding response;
The risk management cycle
showing sequence of
assessment, response, and
education which is essential for
successful disaster reduction
(Smith 1996 from Hazard and
Responses)
Framework for
disaster risk
reduction
Reducing vulnerability - three
main responses
• Movie: Hurricane prediction
Modify the Event – these are
management strategies that aim to
control the physical processes
ideally by preventing them
(unrealistic), controlling the impact
(e.g. alleviating floods by diverting
water elsewhere), or by hazard
resistant design (protect people
from the impacts).
Modify vulnerability –
• this aims to change people’s attitudes
and behavior towards hazards by
prediction (not always possible or
accurate).
•Warning: so people can prepare and/or
evacuate
•community preparedness: public
education, evacuation procedures and
emergency relief
• land-use planning: prevent new
development from occupying hazard
areas.
•Modify the loss –
•people simply accept the losses
caused by the hazard (rarely
acceptable, more common to share
losses).
•Losses can be shared through aid
for relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction and through
insurance (MEDCs) to spread the
cost.
How do people, organizations,
governments and the international
community respond during and after
a hazard event or disaster?
How does this response change and
vary over time?
Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Phases
How is the response affected
by individual and community
perceptions – acceptance,
domination, adaptation?
Human Use
systems
Modification & Adjustment
Actual
Natural
Hazard
Hazard
Perception
“filter”
Perception
Of
Hazard
Natural
systems
Modification & Adjustment
MODEL OF HUMAN PERCEPTION & REPONSE ( Kates, 1992)
()
Human
Response
How does the response vary
between places?
What factors affect the choice of
adjustments before, and responses to,
actual hazard events and disasters?
Responses chosen will depend on:
• Type of hazard
• Past experience of the hazard
• Economic status and ability to take action
• Technological resources
• Hazard perceptions of decision makers
• Knowledge of the options available
• Social and political framework
People and organizations may
not adopt all the available
strategies since they require
resources of time and money.
The threats and risks from hazards will
compete (at all levels) with other
concerns such as jobs, money,
education.
People and governments must
make a commitment to investing
resources into reducing hazard
impacts through enhancing hazard
resilience
Case Studies
• US Hurricanes – Katrina; risk
management through modifying the event
(levees), modifying vulnerability (warnings)
and modifying the loss (insurance)
Responding to Drought
• What options are there to modify the event,
the vulnerability and the loss?
Asian Tsunami
• What was done in the days and weeks after the
event in terms of rescue and rehabilitation?
• How has the process of reconstruction
proceeded – how well recovered are the
communities and people effected 5 years on?
• You should research the Tsunami warning
system that has been implemented in the Indian
ocean since the disaster
Haiti Reponses
• A great case study of the challenges and
problems faced by all involved in the
hours, days and weeks after a disaster?
• You can compare the Haiti successes and
failures with the Asian Tsunami.
• Also consider where now for Haiti – how
does the longer process of rehabilitation
and reconstruction develop?