Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

UNIT 5- DISASTER MANAGEMENT : CASE

STUDIES PART A

1. State the contribution of ISRO in disaster management in India.

ISRO disseminates relevant information in interactive geo-spatial domain through
various geoportals like Bhuvan, National Database for Emergency Management and
MOSDAC for the administrators to better understand the impact and for improved
decision support during disasters.ISRO provides the satellite based near real time
information support to Central Ministries / Departments and State Ministries /
Departments, prior during and after major natural disasters. In addition, ISRO also
provides capacity building in use of Space technology inputs in Disaster Management
Support.

2. What is a fluvial flood?

Fluvial (River Flood) Fluvial, or riverine flooding, occurs when excessive rainfall over
an extended period of time causes a river to exceed its capacity. It can also be caused
by heavy snow melt and ice jams.

3. Describe disaster mitigation.

Disaster Mitigation activities actually eliminate or reduce the probability of disaster
occurrence, or reduce the effects of unavoidable disasters. Mitigation measures
include building codes; vulnerability analyses updates; zoning and land use
management; buildinguse regulations and safety codes; preventive health care; and
public education.
Disaster Mitigation will depend on the incorporation of appropriate measures in
national andregional development planning. Its effectiveness will also depend on the
availability of information on hazards, emergency risks, and the countermeasures to
be taken.

4. Describe disaster preparedness.

Disaster preparedness can be described as logistical readiness to deal with disasters
and can be enhanced by having response mechanisms and procedures, rehearsals,
developing long- term and short-term strategies, public education and building early
warning systems. Preparedness can also take the form of ensuring that strategic
reserves of food, equipment, water, medicines and other essentials are maintained in
cases of national or local catastrophes. During the preparedness phase, governments,
organizations, and individuals develop plans to save lives, minimize disaster damage,
and enhance disaster response operations.

5. List out the role of media in disaster.

The media assists in the management of disasters by educating the public about disasters;
 warning of hazards
 gathering and transmitting the information about the affected areas
 alerting government officials,relieforganizations and the public to
specific needs
 facilitating discussions about the disaster preparedness and response
for continuousimprovement

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management
Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

6. What are the effects of forest fire?

The effects of forest fires are
 Fauna and flora upset by forest fires
Forest fires increase carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, contributing to the
greenhouse effect and climate change. In addition, ashes destroy much of the nutrients
and erode the soil, causing flooding and landslides.

7. How human activities increase the chance of coastal flooding ?

Human factors increasing flood risk:
Urbanisation - because towns and cities have more impermeable surfaces.
Deforestation-removing trees reduces the amount of water intercepted and increases.

8. Mention some short term gain generated by disaster.

Disasters may generate short-term gains from:
 Changes in future production, employment, and income and/or changes in these flows
outside the damaged area . Current production outside the immediate area of impact
or future production within the affected region may compensate for initial disaster-
induced losses.
 Income gains outside the impact area to owners of commodities inflated in price by
disaster-induced shortages. Both agricultural commodities lost in a disaster and
construction materials demanded during reconstruction are particularly likely to
generate these windfall profits outside the region.
 Positive economic stimuli of jobs and production generated from cleaning up and
rebuilding and the multiplier effect of those increases.

9. Specify some flood mitigation plan.

Flood mitigation plan involves:
 Floodplain zoning by the respective state governments. Even after the
recommendations of the RashtriyaBarhAyog (RBA) in 1976, only three such
states have passed these acts – Rajasthan, Manipur and Uttarakhand and even
in these states,the implementation is lax.
 Planting of the tree and mangrove belts along river banks and coastlines.
 Shared flood warning mechanisms with both upstream and downstream
neighbours across international boundaries.
 Recharge and rejuvenation of wetlands and prevention of any encroachment
upontheir areas.

10. What is Seismograph and Seismogram?

A seismograph is the device that scientists use to measure earthquakes. The goal of a
seismograph is to accurately record the motion of the ground during a
quake.A seismogram is a graph output by a seismograph. It is a record of the ground
motion at a measuring station as a function of time.

11. What is an Early warning systems?

An early warning system (EWS) is technology and associated policies and procedures designed
to predict and mitigate the harm of natural and human-initiated disasters and other
undesirable events. Early warning systems for natural hazards include those designed for
floods, earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, tornadoes, landslides and drought.

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management
Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

12. What are the five earthquake hazards?

The five earthquake hazards are
o Ground Shaking. If an earthquake generates a large enough shaking
intensity, structures like buildings, bridges and dams can be
severley damaged, andcliffs and sloping ground destabilised.
o Tsunami.
o Landslides and Rockfalls.
o Subsidence and Lateral Spreading.
o Liquefaction.

13. Mention indirect losses in disaster.

Disasters can produce indirect losses and the losses include
Induced losses in sales, wages, and/or profits due to loss of function.
Input/output losses to firms forward-linked or backward-linked in production
to businesses closed as a result of direct physical damage or infrastructure
failure.Slowdowns or shutdowns are induced by reductions in demands for
inputs and supplies of outputs from damaged firms.
Spending reductions from the income losses triggered by firm closures or
cutbacks— so-called multiplier, or ripple, effects. Employees of the firms
experiencing reduced production and sales suffer income losses and
subsequently curtail their own expenditures, initiating a new round of firm
cutbacks.

14. What is Pluvial flooding?

Pluvial flooding is when rainfall or snowmelt is not absorbed into the ground forcing
the water to flow overland. The area will remain flooded until water has drained away
through stormwater systems or waterways.

15. What is the role of WHOin global health security ?

World Health Organization WHO contributes to global health security by:
 strengthening national surveillance programmes, particularly in the field of
epidemiology and laboratory techniques;
 disseminating verified information on outbreaks of diseases, and also
by providingtechnical support for response;
 Collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on diseases likely to
causeepidemics of global importance.

16. Idenfiy the consequence of drought.

The consequence of drought are
 Crop failure.
 Shortage of water which leads to large scale death of cattle and other animals.
 Migration of human and livestock.
 Scarcity of water compels people to consume contaminated water resulting in
thespeed of many water borne diseases.
17. List some flood prone areas in India.
The most flood prone areas are the Brahmaputra, Ganga and Indus basins. As far as the

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management
Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

statesare concerned, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa are the most
flood affected states followed by Haryana, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. Nowadays
Rajasthan and Gujarat also feel the fury of floods. Karnataka and Maharashtra are no
longer immune to floods.

18. How is a Tsunami formed?

Seismicity generated tsunamis are the result of abrupt deformation of sea floor
resulting vertical displacement of the overlying water. When earthquakes occur
beneath the sea level, the water above the reformed area is displaced from its
equilibrium position. The release of energy produces tsunami waves which have small
amplitude but a very long wavelength. It may be caused by a non-seismic event such as
a landslide or impact of a meteor.

19. Mention the two types of biological disaster.

The two types of biological disasters are
1. Epidemic-level biological disasters affect large members of people within a
givencommunity or area. Example: cholera
2. Pandemic- level biological disasters affect a much larger region, sometimes
spanning entirecontinents or the globe. Example: Swine flu , Covid 19

20. What is biological warfare?

Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as
bacteria,viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants
as an act of war. NBC is the military acronym for nuclear, biological, and chemical
warfare using weapons of mass destruction. This can also be termed as bioterrorism.

21. Brief about Landslide Mitigation.

Landslide mitigation plans are as follows
 Restriction on construction and other developmental activities such as roads
anddams.
 Limiting agriculture to valleys and areas with moderate slopes.
 Control on the development of large settlements in the high vulnerability zones
 Promoting large scale afforestation programs.
 Hazard mapping should be done to locate areas commonly prone to landslides
 Terrace farming should be encouraged in the north eastern hill states replacing
Jhumming or shifting cultivation measures to deal with landslides.
 Retaining walls can be built of mountain slopes to stop land from slipping.

22. Write note on Drought Crisis Management Plan, 2015

Based on Drought Crisis Management Plan, 2015 ,the NDMA manual sets out four
importantmeasures that a State government should take at the time of drought, with the
Union government’s help.
 MGNREGA to provide immediate employment to drought-affected people. The
public distribution mechanism should be strengthened to provide food and
fodder.
 Initiate actions to recharge the groundwater table by building check dams and
providing pipeline water and other irrigation facilities.

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management
Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

 The government should either waive off or defer farmer loans and arrange for
croploss compensation.

23. Write note on earthquake mitigation.

Earthquake mitigation plan are as follows.
a. National earthquake Risk Mitigation Project: The project aims at strengthening the
structural and non-structural earthquake mitigation efforts in reducing the
vulnerability inhigh risk districts prone to earthquakes.
b. National Building Code:The salient features of the NBC 2005 include meeting the
challenges posed by natural calamities and reflecting the state-of-the-art and
contemporary applicable international practices.
c. Seismic retrofitting: It is the modification of existing structures to make them more
resistantto seismic activity, groundmotion, or soil failure due to earthquakes.

24. What are the Challenges for Earthquake Mitigation in India ?

The challenges for earthquake mitigation in India are
 Inadequate enforcement of earthquake-resistant building codes and town
planning by laws. Absence of earthquake-resistant features in constructions in
urban and rural areas.
 Lack of formal training among professionals in earthquake-resistant
construction practices.
 Lack of adequate preparedness and poor response capacity of various
stakeholder Groups

25. What is Level 1 and Level 2 Disaster?

Level-L1 : The level of disaster that can be managed within the capabilities and resources
at the District level, However the state authorities will remain inreadiness to provide
assistance if needed.
Level-L2: This signifies the disaster situations that require assistance and active
mobilization of resources at the state level and deployment of state level agencies for
disaster management. The central agencies must remain vigilant for immediate
deployment if required by the state.

PART-B
1. What was the flood that affected Kerala recently? Critically evaluate the risk
reductionstrategies followed during the disaster.
2. How to mitigate the risk of floods in future?
3.Explain Rehabilitation strategy after a disaster.
4. Explain the different types of man-made disasters with special reference to Bhopal
gas leaked tragedy.
5. Explain the causes and measures to prevent forest fires.
6. Explain in details about the Causes, impact and NDMA Guidelines on Landslide
Hazard Management.

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management
Department of Computer Science and Business Systems

7. Discuss the factors responsible for occurrence of tsunami and its effects on life
and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms
for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.
8. The frequency of urban floods due to high intensity rainfall is increasing over the
years.Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for
preparedness to reduce the risk during such events.
9. What are the causes of tropical cyclones and local storms and also explain the
steps to be adopted to mitigate the same.
10. Write about NDMA Guidelines on Earthquake Management.

SubCode:MX3084
Subject Name:Disaster risk reduction and management