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The world’s most recent colossal earthquake wreaked havoc in parts of Pakistan |
Distressingly, this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction coincides with the occurrence of a destructive earthquake which hit South Asia on Saturday, October 8, 2005. Tens of thousands are feared dead.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was a result of the Indian subcontinent moving northward at a rate of about 40 mm/yr (1.6 inches/yr) and colliding with the Eurasian continent.
Collisions in this region result in these earthquakes and are also responsible for the formation of the highest peaks in the world due to the buckling action of rock. Mountains such as the Himalayan ranges are formed from colliding tectonic plates. Several faults, which are the epicenters of earthquakes, lie in this rugged mountainous region.
Because the movement of tectonic plates is an ongoing process, earthquakes will always occur, and usually unexpectedly. How can we prepare for such unexpected natural disasters? The International Day for Disaster Reduction, which coincides with October 12 of each year, is a day to emphasize the importance of preparedness. Also, what role should international organizations such as the United Nations have in controlling the aftermath of natural catastrophes? Joyce Reyes reports.
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake with more than 20,000 people feared dead hit India and Northern Pakistan , Saturday, October 8, with many still reported missing. It has been described as the region’s strongest earthquake this century, with tens of thousands of people injured.
Relief efforts are underway, with rescue missions trying to reach remote areas such as the mountains where people have been trapped without food and shelter. Many of the towns have been completely flattened, such as Balakot, 60 miles ( 96.5 km ) north of Islamabad , where a school was severely damaged, burying 400 children alive.
At present, international assistance is coming into these areas with pledges of aid, rescue equipment, and medical assistance.
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This last calamity adds to the recent disasters the international community has had to deal with. The tsunami of December 2004, caused by the fourth largest earthquake recorded since 1900, also affected countries in Asia and resulted in approximately 283,100 people killed, over 14,100 still missing, and over 1,126,900 displaced.
The tsunami affected 10 countries including Indonesia, India, Bangladesh,Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka , and Thailand. According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, the December 2004 tsunami “caused more casualties than any other in recorded history.”
The United Nations Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, President Bill Clinton, in his address to the UN Economic and Social Council in July 2005 said that “while much of the physical destruction in this massive tsunami was unavoidable, clearly the human toll would have been lower if there had been adequate early warning and other prevention strategies in place. Preparedness is likely to have been a key factor in contrasting human tolls.”
More recently, Hurricane Katrina struck the United States, killing hundreds of people and destroying property in the states of Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Residents in New Orleans were ordered to evacuate and by August 28, it was a category 5 hurricane.
Relief efforts only started on the 30th of August with the Federal Management Agency (FEMA) requesting assistance from the US military to send rescue and search teams to the affected areas.
Rescue efforts took longer than expected and violence started to erupt in areas where the victims fled. Over 4,200 national guards were deployed. It was already September 2 by the time food, water, and medicine reached the victims. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticized the pace of relief efforts and the mayors of affected towns Slidell, Louisiana, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, described the rescue efforts as slow and inadequate. After much criticism, FEMA Chief Mike Brown resigned.
Recovery and rebuilding efforts are on-going but there is no estimate as to when it will be complete. Some residents of the area have decided to relocate to other states. The confirmed death toll has reached 1,033 and the damage to property estimated to be in millions of dollars, but the numbers have yet to be validated.
International Disaster Reduction: A History
According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), a natural disaster is a “situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level for external assistance or an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction, and human suffering.”
Through the years, some of the most destructive disasters that have hit different areas of the world include:
Hurricane Andrew (1992) that caused over US$ 15 billion in damages in the United States and affected 15 million people in the Ganges Delta Islands.
The 1995 Kobe Earthquake in Japan that killed over 5000 people and caused over US$ 100 billion loss in property; and
The 1970 violent cyclone that ravaged Bangladesh (East Pakistan then) and killed over 400,000 people.
International efforts have been instigated for disaster reduction and the United Nations passed Resolutions 44/236 and 56/195 in 1989 and 2001 for the international observance of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction.
The resolutions aim to reduce the amount of damage and casualties caused by natural disasters and to mobilize concerted international action especially in developing countries. More importantly, they strive to establish early warning systems and to encourage building disaster resistant structures. They also focus on applying advanced technology to disaster prevention methods as well as facilitating training and transfer of knowledge.
Disaster Reduction: The Need
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| The Pakistani town of Balakot was hit hard |
Natural disasters have caused more than economic and social damage to the countries they have hit. Their effects on the sustainable development of a nation and the international community are long-term.
According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) the impacts of natural disasters result in “massive loss of life and long-term negative social, economic and environmental consequences for vulnerable societies around the world, especially developing countries.”
This is one of the primary reasons behind the need for the international community to demonstrate political determination and full support to scientific and technical cooperation in the area of disaster reduction.
Disaster Reduction: Now
This year, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) marks 2005’s Disaster Reduction Day with “an awareness campaign that focuses on reducing risk using micro-finance tools and safety nets.”
The ISDR believes that microfinance is an effective and flexible way to reduce poverty in developing countries on a massive scale. Bymaking small loans available, usually less than US$ 200, individuals are able to establish or expand a small, self-sustaining business.
Brigitte Leoni, ISDR media relations officer, explained that the relation between microfinance and disaster reduction is that “countries which have implemented microcredit (microfinance) systems can cope with disasters and recover quicker.” Leoni stressed though that these systems are still in a very experimental stage. Nevertheless, microcredit systems give people a larger variety of incomes which they can invest in building more resilient homes, schools, and hospitals.
In Kenya , the microcredits system has been used as a means to help disaster preparedness. Kenya is a country that suffers constantly from droughts, with the large-scale loss of crops. With the introduction of microcredits, Kenyan farmers “were able to mobilize the community, to reinforce the social tissue, and support the initiatives for their own development,” states the ISDR Web site.. One way this was done was by promoting off-farm economic activities through microcredits, which made them less dependent on their crops as their sole source of income. Also, with the money from microfinance they are able to invest in drought-resistant crops and seed banks.
In 2004, the communities working with the Kenya Red Cross development program in Machakos, Kenya were not affected by a drought that hit Kenya. This shows a significant difference in their situation from two years back.
For the International Red Cross, who has time and again responded to the aftermath of these calamities, the theme for their celebration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction this year is “turning the tide on disaster towards sustainable development.” Dr Clarita Carlos, director of the Philippine Red Cross, identified problems of people and institutions as factors that affect disaster reduction efforts. “There are challenges of cooperation, collaboration, communication, and coordination. There have been tremendous efforts but the challenge is beyond the nation-state,” she said.
Carlos believes that there are always lessons to be learned from every disaster but added that there is a need to recognize that the “bureaucracy of civilians and the military are at the heart of every disaster reduction program.”
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| Katrina caused unexpected devastation |
Carlos said that regional and international frameworks should be put in place for disaster reduction efforts to progress. For one, the Asia Pacific Disaster Management Center (APDMC) has been set up in the Philippines to offer training and education programs to be able to arm disaster management entities in the Philippines and eventually in the region.
Dawud Price, head of Islamic Relief’s regional office in the Middle East , elaborates further on the obstacles relief missions face on the ground. According to Price, logistical difficulties such as obtaining visas, clearance, and passing through customs sometimes forms a problem for relief workers. Price also stressed that natural disasters may initially destroy a country’s infrastructure, drastically making accessibility to affected areas a difficult task, especially when roads and passage ways are severely damaged.
Price believes that countries should become more actively aware of the disasters which occur in their own countries and accordingly prioritize investment in more resilient infrastructure. For example, a country such as Holland invests in building higher dikes and levees because they are aware of the dangers of being below sea level.
Also, Price said, disaster response preparation includes both anticipation in advanced and monitoring, in addition to the capacity to deal with disaster needs. But this is difficult for some countries to handle alone, so it should take on regional responsibility. Disasters damage countries’ capacities, so having the help of neighboring countries is a must.
Price also emphasized that countries should “break down the red tape” by improving communication between borders for resources to shift quickly between countries. This can be a problem when the resources are present but documentation and restrictions at the borders pose obstacles. So there must be a system to facilitate this process without compromising the security of any country.
Raising Awareness
Bill Clinton tagged 2005 a key year for the risk reduction agenda. He underscored the need to institute disaster risk awareness education in schools, support for local programs to assess risk, raise vulnerability awareness, and complete early warning systems “on a sound and sustainable footing.”
During these times when globalization, technological advancements, and international cooperation are at their height, let us do our part in responding to the needs of the time. Multi-sectoral and cross-cutting measures should be agreed on to address natural disaster reduction. Through continuous interaction and partnerships, international efforts may be heightened.
Floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters affect our world on a global scale. They do not choose their targets and their effects are immeasurable. The degree of human vulnerability to natural disasters is as inevitable as their occurrence. It is in this light that the international community annually commemorates the International Day for Disaster Reduction. This is a day where we give value to our lives, safety to our communities, and cooperation with the rest of the world.
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