Disaster Management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters. Disaster Management as a subject essentially deals with management of resources and information as far as a disastrous event is concerned and also how effectively and seamlessly one coordinates these resources. Disaster management, at the individual and organisational level, deals with issues of planning, coordinating, communication and risk management. A book to teach disaster management would accomplish very little unless a broad spectrum of knowledge is imparted regarding effects of various types of disasters, their dimensions and characteristics, the role of United Nations in complex emergencies and the role of Indian government in prevention and control of disasters. Equally important is the knowledge about various international and national agencies involved in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. This book covers all these subjects in order to enhance the ability of students and professionals for better disaster response. An effort has been made to cover the subject according to the syllabus of couple of Indian Universities. The book contains all the topics included in the post graduate classes. The content of the book has been concentrated on familiarizing the student with basics of various disasters along with their management. The students who would be using this book come from exceedingly diverse backgrounds: some from medical background, This book will be the first contact with Disaster management and for many it would be a familiar book. Therefore, it has been tried to explain each and every topic in very simple and easy manner. Disaster impact is often expressed in terms of the numbers of dead, injured, loss of property and resources. Therefore, the purpose of this book will be served if in the end it helps to minimize the economic losses and reduce injuries and death to the affected population.
