Disaster Management (CS-703 (D)) Unit 2 Notes

How unit 2 is examined

This unit covers the disaster cycle, structural and non-structural measures, community and institutional roles, the SDMA and early warning; the marks sit in early warning (with classification, vulnerability and damage assessment), the disaster cycle diagram and the SDMA role.

Disaster cycle - Phases

<span style="display:inline-block;padding:.16em .6em;border:1.5px solid currentColor;border-radius:999px;font-size:.68em;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;opacity:.75">Medium weight</span>

Definition. The disaster management cycle is the continuous, circular sequence of activities before, during and after a disaster, in which the end of one disaster feeds the planning for the next. <mark>The disaster cycle has four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, and each phase leads into the next.</mark>

Diagram.

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Key points.

Mitigation (prevention) reduces the risk before a disaster through structural works such as embankments and non-structural steps such as land-use rules and building codes.
Preparedness readies people to act: contingency plans, early warning, mock drills, stockpiles and training of volunteers.
Response is the immediate action during and just after the event: search and rescue, evacuation, first aid, food, water and temporary shelter, to save lives.
Recovery restores normal life through rehabilitation (housing, livelihood, services) and reconstruction, ideally rebuilding safer than before ("build back better").
The cycle is continuous, so lessons from recovery flow back into mitigation and the next round of planning.
Mitigation and preparedness form the pre-disaster stage, response is the emergency stage, and recovery is the post-disaster stage.

Answer frame. Open with the definition of the disaster management cycle; draw the four-box circular diagram with arrows and label pre-disaster and post-disaster sides; explain the phases in order mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery with two activities each; close with the point that recovery feeds back into mitigation.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2020, Jun 2025) With the help of a suitable diagram explain Disaster cycle.

Culture of safety, prevention, mitigation and preparedness community based DRR

Definition. A culture of safety is a shared habit, in families and institutions, of treating risk reduction as everyday routine and not as a reaction to disaster. Community based DRR (CBDRR) makes the local community the main actor in assessing its own risk and acting on it.

Key points.

Prevention tries to avoid the hazard's impact altogether, while mitigation only lessens its severity.
Preparedness means plans, drills, warnings and stocks kept ready before the event.
CBDRR relies on local knowledge, so villagers prepare hazard and vulnerability maps and local response teams.
A safety culture is built by education, awareness campaigns and regular mock drills in schools and neighbourhoods.

Structural- nonstructural measures

Definition. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is the systematic effort to analyse and lower the causes of disaster by reducing exposure and vulnerability and improving preparedness, so that losses of life, livelihood and property fall.

Key points.

Structural measures are physical constructions or engineering works, such as dams, embankments, flood levees, cyclone shelters, retrofitting and earthquake-resistant buildings.
Non-structural measures need no construction and work through policy and people: laws, building codes, land-use planning, insurance, awareness, training and early warning.
The two are complementary, since a levee (structural) fails without zoning and warning (non-structural).
Non-structural measures are usually cheaper and reach more people.

Answer frame. Open with the DRR definition and aim; then two short columns, structural and non-structural, each with examples; close with the point that both are needed together.

Asked: [7 marks] (Jun 2025) What do you know about Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR)? What are the structural and non-structural measures of DDR?

Roles and responsibilities of- community, Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies (PRIs/ULBs), States, Centre, and other stake-holders

Definition. Community based DRR means the people at risk take part in identifying hazards, planning and acting, because they are first to be hit and first to respond.

Key points.

The community spreads awareness and prepares vulnerability and resource maps of its own area.
It passes on early warnings through local networks such as temples, schools, loudspeakers and volunteers.
It joins mock drills and trains in first aid, search and rescue, so it can give first response before outside help arrives.
It helps in relief distribution, and in long-term rebuilding and resilience through self-help groups and local knowledge.
PRIs/ULBs plan local works and enforce building rules, states plan and fund, and the Centre (NDMA) sets policy and guidelines.

Answer frame. Open by defining CBDRR; develop points 1-4 in the order awareness, warning, preparedness, relief; close with the higher levels (PRI, state, Centre) supporting the community.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2020) Explain the role of the community in disaster risk reduction.

Institutional Processess and Framework at State and Central Level

Definition. The Disaster Management Act 2005 sets up a three-tier framework: NDMA at the Centre, SDMA in each state and DDMA in each district.

Key points.

The NDMA is headed by the Prime Minister and lays down national policies, plans and guidelines; the National Executive Committee (NEC) implements them.
The SDMA, headed by the Chief Minister, does the same for the state, with a State Executive Committee under the Chief Secretary.
The DDMA, chaired by the District Collector with the elected head of the Zilla Parishad as co-chair, plans and coordinates at district level.
Supporting bodies are the NDRF for response, the NIDM for training and the Ministry of Home Affairs as the nodal ministry.

State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)

Definition. The SDMA is the apex body for disaster management in a state, constituted under Section 14 of the Disaster Management Act 2005. <mark>The SDMA, headed by the Chief Minister, plans, coordinates and funds disaster risk reduction across the state.</mark>

Key points.

It is chaired by the Chief Minister, with up to nine members nominated by the chairperson, one of whom is the chair of the State Executive Committee.
It lays down the State Disaster Management Plan and approves the plans of state departments (Section 18).
It issues guidelines for integrating prevention and mitigation into development plans, and recommends funds for them.
It coordinates with the NDMA, and supervises the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and response agencies such as the SDRF.
It reviews development plans and vulnerable areas to assess risk, and identifies gaps.
It builds capacity through training, awareness and mock drills, and sets up the State Disaster Response and Mitigation Funds.

Answer frame. Open with the constitution under the DM Act 2005 and the Chief Minister as chair; then develop planning, guidelines, risk assessment, capacity building, funding, and coordination with NDMA and DDMA in that order; close by linking these to risk reduction.

Asked: [7 marks] (Dec 2020, Jun 2025) What is the role of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is Disaster Risk Reduction?

Early Warning System - Advisories from Appropriate Agencies

Definition. An early warning system (EWS) is an integrated set of capacities to monitor a hazard, forecast it and communicate timely warning so that people and authorities can act to reduce harm. <mark>An effective early warning system has four linked elements: risk knowledge, monitoring and warning service, dissemination and communication, and response capability.</mark>

Diagram.

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Key points (early warning).

Risk knowledge means hazard and vulnerability maps that tell which areas are exposed.
Monitoring uses instruments and forecasting: IMD for cyclones and heat, CWC for floods, INCOIS for tsunamis, and the National Centre for Seismology, which records earthquakes but cannot predict them.
Dissemination sends clear, timely advisories through SMS, radio, TV, sirens and local volunteers; IMD uses colour codes (green, yellow, orange, red) to show the level of alert.
Response capability means people know evacuation routes and shelters. Example: Odisha's warning and evacuation of about nine lakh people before Cyclone Phailin (2013) kept deaths to a few dozen, against thousands in 1999.

(b) Disaster classification. Natural disasters are geological (earthquake, landslide, tsunami, volcano), hydro-meteorological (flood, cyclone, drought, cloudburst) and biological (epidemic). Man-made disasters arise from human action or failure: industrial accidents (Bhopal gas, 1984), fires, nuclear or chemical leaks, terrorism, war and transport accidents. Knowing the type decides which measure and warning apply.

(b) Disaster damage assessment. Objective: to estimate loss of life, property, livelihood and infrastructure so that relief, compensation and reconstruction can be planned. Methods: rapid preliminary survey within days, detailed field survey, remote sensing and GIS mapping, and the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).

(c) Vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is the degree to which a community is likely to be harmed by a hazard. Physical vulnerability is weak buildings and location in hazard zones; social is poverty, illiteracy, age, gender and disability; economic is low income and lack of insurance; environmental is deforestation and degraded land. Reducing them lowers risk.

Answer frame. For the short note answer each part in 4-6 lines. Under (a) write the definition, draw the four-element chain and cite one agency and one example; under (b) list natural against man-made types, or objectives against methods; under (c) list the four types with an example each and close with how each reduces risk.

Asked: [14 marks] (Dec 2020) Write short notes about the followings. a) Early warning system b) Disaster classification c) Vulnerabilities Asked: [14 marks] (Jun 2025) Write short notes about the following. a) Early warning system b) Disaster damage assessment c) Vulnerabilities

Pitfall: Do not say earthquakes can be predicted; agencies only monitor and give post-event alerts.

Last-minute revision

The disaster cycle: mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, repeating.
Mitigation and preparedness are pre-disaster; response and recovery are post-disaster.
Structural measures are physical works (dams, embankments, resistant buildings); non-structural are policy, awareness, warning and land-use planning.
The Disaster Management Act 2005 created NDMA (Prime Minister), SDMA (Chief Minister) and DDMA (District Collector).
SDMA is constituted under Section 14 of the DM Act 2005; it prepares the state plan.
The State Executive Committee is headed by the Chief Secretary.
Four elements of EWS: risk knowledge, monitoring, dissemination, response capability.
IMD warns of cyclones, CWC of floods, INCOIS of tsunamis.
Vulnerability types: physical, social, economic, environmental.
Natural disasters: geological, hydro-meteorological, biological; man-made example: Bhopal 1984.

Memory hooks

Cycle: "M-P-R-R", Mitigate, Prepare, Respond, Recover.
Authorities: PM-CM-DC for NDMA, SDMA, DDMA.
EWS chain: Know, Watch, Tell, Act.
Vulnerability: "PSEE", Physical, Social, Economic, Environmental.

Coverage checklist

Disaster cycle - Phases: diagram of the disaster cycle (Dec 2020, Jun 2025).
Culture of safety, prevention, mitigation and preparedness community based DRR: no past question.
Structural- nonstructural measures: DRR and its structural and non-structural measures (Jun 2025).
Roles and responsibilities of- community, Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies (PRIs/ULBs), States, Centre, and other stake-holders: role of the community (Dec 2020).
Institutional Processess and Framework at State and Central Level: no past question.
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA): role of SDMA in DRR (Dec 2020, Jun 2025).
Early Warning System - Advisories from Appropriate Agencies: short notes on EWS, classification, damage assessment, vulnerabilities (Dec 2020, Jun 2025).

Account

Disaster Management (CS-703 (D)) - Unit 2 Short Notes

How unit 2 is examined

Disaster cycle - Phases

Culture of safety, prevention, mitigation and preparedness community based DRR

Structural- nonstructural measures

Roles and responsibilities of- community, Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies (PRIs/ULBs), States, Centre, and other stake-holders

Institutional Processess and Framework at State and Central Level

State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)

Early Warning System - Advisories from Appropriate Agencies

Last-minute revision

Memory hooks

Coverage checklist