Response to Disaster - Term Paper Example

Response to Disaster Response to Disaster Response to disaster is the second stage of disaster management. It comprises of a number of aspects, for instance; evacuation/warning, seek and rescue, assessing damage, offering immediate assistance, continuing assistance, as well as the instantaneous reinstatement of infrastructure (Chien, Davies, Tran 2004 p. 13). The goal of emergency response is to offer direct assistance to sustain life, enhance health and endorse the self-esteem of the affected populace. Such help might vary from offering precise but restricted aid, such as helping refugees with transport, food and temporary shelter, to setting up partial settlement in camps plus other locations. It also might engross initial preservation to damaged infrastructure (NFPA 2010, p. 5). The spotlight in the response stage is on fulfilling the basic requirements of the population until more enduring and sustainable resolutions can be established. Humanitarian organisations are often powerfully present in this stage of disaster management (Chien, Davies, Tran 2004 p. 13). This essay will talk about the factors that influence individual and international response to disasters and what role should and does the media play. Factors That Lead To Natural Disasters Political Factors There is a proverb, which goes that every natural disaster is political (Business Continuity Institute 2013, p. 45). If people thoroughly study the issues and events circulating disasters, then they enthusiastically observe that politics is a key part of the disaster and that part has to be managed just like any other natural disaster effect (Rochon et al 2005, p. 34). If people are to sufficiently talk about this principle, it is essential to explore why disasters are obviously so fraught with political thoughts and to weigh the factors that determine how political a disaster may become. There are a minimum of three key reasons why disasters are considered political in nature (Rochon et al 2005, p. 34). First, disasters mainly affect human beings and the fundamental Emergency Management policy tells people that the purpose of what makes a disaster is the effect it has on human beings. The effect of a disaster is gauged in reference to how humans are concerned (Rochon et al 2005, p. 34). In circumstances where there is no significant, there is no disaster despite the actual happening of a hazardous event (e.g. a tremendously large and violent tornado happens in a totally unpopulated regions of a country.) Secondly, natural disasters are political since they entail public policy. How poorly or well people tone down, plan for, react to and get over disasters is openly related to how well disaster policy/emergency management is developed, maintained and executed (Ross et al 2009, p. 89). Through definition, politics is the method of establishing and executing public policy (Ross et al 2009, p. 89). Therefore, failures in its implementation or policy are the issues around which political debates rotate and political campaigns are prepared (Rochon et al 2005, p. 34). A natural disaster brings this policy debate directly into the political field. Third, and connected to the first two arguments, is the truth that disasters always attract public and mostly media interest. In today’s modern world of enveloping mass communications, natural disasters are considered as dramatic and newsworthy events that compel strong public interest (Shigeru 2013, p. 309). Therefore, politicians are forced appropriately to respond to this kind of concern and scrutiny. Events such as the 9/11 and Oklahoma City are exceedingly political (Ross et al 2009, p. 89). The meaning of terrorism presumes intent to influence political approach. If the basis of an event is to entail potential guilt, the politicisation of the event is drastically improved. People, therefore, do not tend to blame nature for natural events, but enhance the media attention, and; hence, the political “feeding frenzy” when there is likely a human basis for the disaster (Rochon et al 2005, p. 34). Social and Economic Factors According to NFPA (2010, p. 44), sea/water levels have risen from 10 to 20cm (4 to 8 inches) in the 100 years, and this is not stopping soon. How may this be connected to natural disasters? Researchers identify two likely mechanisms. One is the view of the decreasing of land-based glaciers and polar ice, which would increase the level of the oceans (Son, Aziz & Feniosky 2007, p. 415). The other aspect is thermal growth—as oceans become a bit warmer; their volume also increases (Ross et al 2009, p. 95). In numerous parts of the globe, populace growth signifies more urban sprawl, more environmental degradation and more shantytowns (Ross et al 2009, p. 95). These developments might tend to enlarge the harshness of natural disasters. Haiti is an island country with a high populace, as well as a past of deforestation. A recent report claimed that as bad as the island’s political, economic and social issues might be, nothing menaces the nation’s survival more than deforestation (Son, Aziz & Feniosky 2007, p. 415). This threat became sadly plain in 2004, when torrential downpour led to severe mud slides, which claimed thousands of lives all because of people’s social and economic endeavours. Business Continuity Institute (2013, p. 67) point out to global warming, deforestation, dams and slash-and-burn agriculture as aggravating elements in the natural disasters, which have overwhelmed South Asia. People’s migration into urban areas, which has also led to mass deforestation, has worsened drought through making soil to dry out much more quickly (Son, Aziz & Feniosky 2007, p. 415). In recent days, droughts in Brazil and Indonesia have opened the way for record-squashing fires in forests, which are usually excessively wet to burn (Shigeru 2013, p. 320). However, severe weather caused by human social activities is, by no means, the only basis of natural disasters (Ross et al 2009, p. 95). Various lands are exposed to disasters, which are caused deep within the earth (Ross et al 2009, p. 95). How to Manage Natural Disasters Countries have come up with disaster management techniques, which are basically the processed of tackling an event that has the likelihood to gravely upset the social fabric of a society (Balz 2008, p. 15). Therefore, this implies an entire governmental loom to utilising community resources to conquer the impacts of an incident and presumes the community will be independent for periods of time till the condition can be stabilised (Neumayer et al 2012, p. 5). Through disaster management, people cannot entirely counter the damage, but it is likely to minimise the dangers by early warning, offer growth plans for recovery from the disaster, produce medical and communication resources, and help in post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation (Statoil 2013, p. 78). The communication of accurate information after the event is vital so as to guarantee the resources essentially to support response and resurgence activities (Balz 2008, p. 15). The 72 hours following a substantial incident is the most difficult period due to a lack of organisation among relief groups (Neumayer et al 2012, p. 5). Problems that disrupt instead of direct the rescue attempts of all groups concerned frequently take place due to hasty decision-making under difficult conditions and the numerous organisations that are hesitant of their positions during operations (Statoil 2013, p. 78). Countries have tied disaster prevention with programs and policies, which prevent the repetition of natural disasters and envelop the long-standing elements of such disasters. They consider that little price to pay for any technique of protection and prevention rewards in the long run (Neumayer et al 2012, p. 5). A case of this is like the Anheuser-Busch facility, in the United States. In the early 80s, Anheuser-Busch spent over $15 million to secure its facilities from a seismic activity. An earthquake that occurred in 1994 with an epicenter of 12 miles hit, but due to the prevention the firm took it rescued an anticipated $300 million in damages (Balz 2008, p. 17). Federal agencies apply the finest mitigation practices to their facilities and complete a nationwide natural hazards risk assessment (Kliesen n.d, p. 1). These agencies establish unions to press forward research, cost-effectiveness measures and standards development, as well as offer incentives and lead a nationwide public alertness campaign. Local and state governments are developing continued administrative resources and structures for mitigation programs, implement and enforce restructuring codes and land use actions, and carry out constant public information crusades on natural hazard mitigation and awareness. Private industries acknowledge accountability for being alert of the natural hazards, which risk their facilities and assets and for easing their vulnerability (Kliesen n.d, p. 1). People also accept accountability for becoming conscious of the natural hazards, which affect them, as well as their communities and for easing their level of vulnerability (Statoil 2013, p. 78). Satellites like the Tropical Rainfall Monitoring Mission (TRMM) measure and record rainfall assisting in forecasting floods and heavy rains (Balz 2008, p. 17). Sentinel Asia — a group of 51 NGOs from 18 nations — help in delivering isolated sensing data through the Internet as easy-to-decode information for both early caution and flood damage appraisal all over Asia (Kliesen n.d, p. 1). It makes use of the Dartmouth Flood Observatorys (DFOs) River Watch flood discovery and measurement scheme, anchored in AMSR-E data, to record flood hazards and caution disaster managers and people in flood-prone regions when rivers are prone to burst their banks (Son, Aziz & Feniosky 2007, p. 415). The Role the Media Plays the Recent Flooding In Philippines The media played a vital role in information broadcasting in the Philippines when there was a massive flood that hit the country (Gaillarda 2013 p. 267). The heavy downpour came as a shock since it was not imitated by a powerhouse described typhoon such as “Sendong” or “Ondoy” (Hranjski 2013, p. 13). Fortunately enough, government agencies were in a good position and were able to give warnings early enough thanks to mediums houses both worldwide and in the Philippines. DOST’s Project NOAH and PAG-ASA definitely showed that they are an effectual tool. Soon after the floods started spreading, medium houses started showing pictures of the actual traumatising situation as people also started capturing pictures and uploading them on Twitter and Facebook (Gaillarda 2013 p. 267). These pictures by the medium, as well as the network on Facebook and Twitter begun sharing and also the network of their network shared them till the images became viral (Gaillarda 2013 p. 267). The photos revealed how horrific the condition was. People could see that even the streetlights, as high as they are put above the ground, were almost submerged in water. Alongside the traumatising news, the media also gave some encouraging news. It shared emergency numbers, videos and images of how NGOs, Government agencies carried out their rescue operations and generally “how-to-aid” stories (Hranjski 2013, p. 13). One encouraging video recording, which became viral, was the Amphibian Rescue Vehicle of the Philippine Red Cross. However, the most viral of all was an easy e-poster forwarded to the media by the Presidential Communications Strategic Planning and Development Office that gave all the emergency hotlines and phone numbers (Gaillarda 2013 p. 268). MMDA, a prominent media house in the Philippines, also played a vital role in informing people of the floods through their Twitter and Facebook accounts (Hranjski 2013, p. 13). Not only did the media house repeatedly post updates on what highways were blocked, they also vigorously engaged and replied to their followers who were confusingly requesting them for advice. Other local media also did the same through their websites and social networking accounts for this news to reach the word out on what is occurring. However, what is fascinating is that the flood of content is not coming from them media houses, but from the citizens (Hranjski 2013, p. 14). This was maybe the best method to clarify how and what significant user generated content is. Last, but certainly, not the least, the religion of Filipinos was also echoed on the media news. (Gaillarda 2013 p. 268) The story top trending on the TV screams was #PrayForThePhilippines, which kept shinning on the TV screens. BBC, Sky News and CCN, all put these writings on the screen during that sad period. These three media houses were mostly responsible for making this story reach a world view (Red Cross 2013, p. 13). Areas such as Marikina River were also talked about a lot because it hit serious levels and begun overflowing (Gaillarda 2013 p. 268). Media houses urged people “Stay Safe” and gave them “Emergency Hotlines”, the latter most likely connected to the government e-poster. Everybody was encouraged to stay at home because the situation was unbearable outside. They were also requested to make donations to people who were after the floods capsized (Hranjski 2013, p. 14). Others were also encouraged to share their stories of how they storm had affected them and if they assisted anyone one or whether they were assisted by others. Also, the spreading of rumours through the social media was strongly condemned (Hranjski 2013, p. 14). Conclusion Response to disaster is the second stage of disaster management. It comprises of a number of aspects, for instance; evacuation/warning, seek and rescue, assessing damage, offering immediate assistance, continuing assistance as well, as the instantaneous reinstatement of infrastructure. This paper has recognised the political, social and economic factors that influence how natural disasters occur and how they are managed. It has also significantly discussed the role the media played in the recent flooding in of the Philippines. References Balz, T 2008, The Sichuan earthquake, GIM International, Washington, DC. Business Continuity Institute 2013, Good practice guidelines, BCI, New York. Chien, S, Davies, A, Tran, D 2004, Using automated planning for sensorweb response Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA, Washington, DC. Gaillarda, J 2013, Natural disaster? A retrospect into the causes of the late-2013 typhoon disaster in Eastern Luzon, Philippines, Environmental Hazards vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 257–270. Hranjski, H 2013, Floods paralyze Philippine capital, Geographical Association vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 13-14. 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