Paradigm Shifts: Emerging Framework In Disaster Risk Management

PARADIGM SHIFTS: EMERGING FRAMEWORK IN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

Too much emphasis in doing something about disasters is put on the natural hazards themselves, and not nearly enough on the social environment its process.”� (Blaikie et al)

Most of-ten, the, term natural hard such as earthquake, typhoon and flood are used interchangeably with natural disaster This is a direct -offshoot of the dominant approach in understanding disasters.

The’ understanding of the cause and effect of disasters has shaped how governments1 aid and development agencies, communities, and people in general �have responded to and managed disasters in the past and through the end of the IDNDR. ���

Paradigm Shifts in Understanding Disaster

The conventional/dominant approach

The conventional/dominant approach takes as, its starting point the assumption that disasters are characteristics of natural hazards. The perception is that disasters are irrevocably caused by the impact of natural hazards on people and their activities. Disaster is perceived as an accident; as an unforeseen consequence of unpredictable and uncertain natural forces; as an inevitable, occurrence; as emergency events on which we have no control.

Disaster research focuses on the hazards and attempts to predict their magnitude and occurrence , through- the sciences �such as seismology and meteorology. Disaster response, focuses on interventions to provide assistance to victims and affected population in their emergency needs and later in their recovery.

Communities are considered “victims’ and Ð'obeneficiaries’ of assistance by outside experts”.

Natural science approach

Initially, natural hazards were seen as “Acts of God”. Then, rationality, and science took’ over and natural hazards were defined by Kates and Burton and other geographers involved in disaster research as’ elements of. the- physical environment’ harmful to man and caused by forces extraneous, to him’ or as - extreme forces of nature

The natural science approach equates disasters with hazards such as earthquakes, cyclones and volcanic eruption The concentration is on the description and explanation of hazards. It deals with geophysical, geological and hydra-meteorological processes involved and focuses on monitoring of hazard and prediction of hazardous events. This approach does not take into consideration hazard reception by people. it also eludes issues of social and political responsibility in creating disasters.

Applied science approach

This approach determines the magnitude of disasters based on the magnitude of loss and damage associated with hazardous events.

Applied scientists, who studied disasters, observed that the magnitude of a disaster was more closely related to the damages and losses sustained than to the natural event in it. Disaster research was subsequently conducted on the exposure and resistance of physical structures to mitigate damage and loss.

Consequences to disaster management

The dominant approach views disasters as isolated events, which require emergency response. The emphasis is on short-term activities to contain the disaster event with focus on its dramatic and threatening aspects to the exclusion of other less spectacular effects.

The applied science approach led to the development of plans and measures to mitigate disaster damage that included. emergency preparedness, recovery and reconstruction and other actions to mitigate the loss and damage caused by extreme natural events, such as building codes, land use zoning, and physical mitigation measures using engineering and technology.

For many years, the dominant framework has dictated the mandate of many disaster management �organizations. �As a result, these organizations have focused their attention .on the development of policies, programs and actions oriented towards responding to the emergencies once they have occurred.

The emphasis on the impact of nature has led to the dominance of scientific and technical interventions to predict the hazard or to modify its impact. However, despite major advances and improvements in emergency management and in related, physical mitigation activities, disasters’ continue to happen,

There is clear evidence to show that disaster occurrence and loss has continued

to increase. At the same time, when disasters occur, these often uncover and highlight unsustainable relationships between affected communities and their surrounding environment, which go far beyond the specific emergency period, into the past and into the future.’

Alternative/ Progressive Approach

The alternative/progressive perspective looks at disasters as part and parcel of the normal development of societies,