REACTION

As we have just embarked upon a new century and millennium, natural

hazard prevention is set to play a prominent role in global efforts to reduce
human suffering, damage to natural and built environments, monitoring hazards
and vulnerabilities, developing and understanding of their continually changing
patterns and in developing tools and methodologies for disaster risk reduction.
Disaster reduction is both possible and feasible if the sciences and technologies
related to natural hazards are properly applied. We cannot prevent an
earthquake or a hurricane from occurring, or a volcano from erupting, we can
apply the scientific knowledge and technical know-how that we already have to
increase the earthquake and wind resistance of houses and bridges, to issue
early warnings on volcanoes and cyclones and organize proper community
response to such warnings. The extent to which society puts this knowledge to
effective use depends firstly upon the political will of its leaders at all levels.
Political decision makers should consider establishing smaller, local Early Warning
Systems (EWS) in order to fill remain gaps.
For me, Early Warning Systems (EWS) have not reached their full
potential yet. There are still some scientific and technical issues to be solved for
rapid onset extreme natural events (earthquakes, local tsunamis, flash floods,
landslides), and mature existing technology for storms, river floods, volcanoes,
distant tsunamis need to be applied more widespread, including remote
communities and developing countries. Furthermore, the diversity of early
warning alert stages, warning messages and signs/icons, is confusing and some
standardization would increase the effectiveness of EWS.
All rapid onset events need fast and widespread communication
structures. Though it is possible to inform some recipients on short notice, the
problem on how to secure that everyone in a danger zone gets the message, is
still a challenge.
Early warning only makes sense if there are means of reacting properly to
a warning. This concerns mainly the provision of evacuation centers and
respective evacuation routes, but also search and rescue services and stocks of
relief goods for emergencies.
There are few buildings constructed with the sole purpose of serving as
evacuation centers. Evacuations are rare events and it would be a waste to have
buildings unused most of the time. Therefore, many public buildings are
temporarily used to host evacuees. Schools, gymnasiums, community centers or
in some cases religious buildings (e.g. churches) are utilized.
Having appropriate places for shelter is not really a challenge for
technology, but more one of proper organization and coordination. Of course, an

evacuation center, should provide safety and needs to be outside of the hazard
area or sturdy enough to withstand the forces of nature. Furthermore, buildings
designated as evacuation centers should provide some minimum facilities
(toilets, water, space for cooking).
The next challenge of communicating warning messages to the public is
the issue of understanding these messages. Different types of hazards and
different alert levels have to be clearly distinguished, but lengthy explanations
are too time consuming and might not be clear enough. A compromise between
being too simple and too complicated needs to be found and the terms used
must be unambiguous.
An example of a problem of understanding the warning of a governmental
institution is the English term storm surge used by Philippine authorities before
the tropical cyclone Haiyan made landfall on 8 November 2013 in the country.
Many coastal residents complained later that they did not understand this term
and that it describes a wave with the characteristics of a tsunami. It was
suggested that the authorities should have warned of a tsunami. The proposition
met resistance from scientists who do not want the two phenomena to be
confused. The discussion is still going on and efforts are made to find terms to
explain natural phenomena in simple words and also clear symbols without
losing important information.
The dissemination and application of new strategies and measures to
protect lives, livelihoods and property within societies experiencing dynamic
change are key areas of work for the scientific and technical communities.
Our expanding science and technology base makes possible this concerted
cooperative international effort, and communications is a central part of that
effort - for public education, early warning, evacuation and coordination of postdisaster relief.
Reflecting the public's great interest and concern, the electronic and print
media extensively cover natural disasters and significantly affect how and what
the public learns about and how it perceives natural hazards.
Improving the linkages between the media and disaster-mitigation
researchers and practitioners could prepare the public to act promptly on
warnings, helping to mitigate disasters.
This could also accelerate the shift of the societal emphasis from postdisaster relief toward pre-disaster initiatives.
Science and technology progress does not happen by chance; it needs
active leadership, support and coordination, at both national level and
international level.

SUMMARY

It is a well-known fact that natural disasters strike countries, both

developed and developing, causing enormous destruction and creating human
sufferings and producing negative impacts on national economies. Due to
diverse geo-climatic conditions prevalent in different parts of the globe, different
types of natural disasters like floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones,
landslides, volcanoes, etc. strikes according to the vulnerability of the area.
The economic cost of natural catastrophes and man-made disasters
worldwide amounted to USD 370 billion in 2011, a huge increase over the
previous year. Science and technology play an increasingly vital role in managing
natural disaster.
Growing number of countries have recently established programs or
incentives to develop and deploy information and communication technologies,
geographic information systems, and remote sensing satellite data. Countries
are continually improving their national emergency and early warning
capabilities, and federal governments often defer to their states, provinces or
territories for the choice of the systems to adopt. Warning systems usually
include radio broadcasts, cable over-ride systems, sirens and phone messaging
systems.
The task of managing disaster risks and disaster events is heavily
dependent on scientific knowledge and evidence--based technique. The
application of science and technology can substantially reduce losses of lives and
property.
This is concerned on how disaster risks and losses can be further reduced
through the greater use of science and technology.