Disaster management report 1

Running head: DISASTER MANAGEMENT REPORT

Assessment 2: Disaster management report with the Hurricane Katrina (2005) disaster as a

case study

Author

Author Affiliation
 Disaster management report 2

Abstract

In this paper, Assessment 2: Disaster management report with the Hurricane Katrina (2005)

disaster as a case study is discussed in detail in the context of climate change links,

environmental health risks, human health and the part of environmental health and public health

as well as other professionals during the disaster response process.

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Assessment 2: Disaster management report with the Hurricane Katrina (2005) disaster as a
case study
Introduction

Health is fundamental human right and represents the most relevant sign of environmental

health as well as sustainable development in any community. The protection and maintenance of

the human health is reliant on the existence of a good balance between a healthy ecological and

the community living in it since a healthy and properly functioning ecological framework

provides the needed support for maintaining a healthy human community or society. As such it

is of vital importance to gain a good understanding of how global environmental and climate

change affects biodiversity, the functions of the ecological framework as well as though

provision of the utilities, goods and services needed for maintaining human health or protecting

it from environmental health. These determinants of human health include the provision of

adequate nutritional resources as well as food security, and abundant supply of clean, unpolluted

air as well as fresh water supplies, provision of Health Care and medication, a stable climate, a

cohesive society with good social and cultural values and the provision of efficient level of local

livelihoods with economics (United Nations, 1992; Patz et al, 2012). At present there is a vast

amount of available data which confirms the growing impacts of climate change as well as

worldwide environmental changes within the ecological systems and societies as a whole. There

is now increased awareness in every country aboard the environmental health risks which come

aboard due to climate change driven natural disasters. Disaster planning and management as an

important need in the 21st century, since maintaining human health as well as the global public

health is dependent on how efficiently there is an accurate management and response to address

the environmental health risks posed by any natural disaster. In the last 20 years, the Rio

Conventions on Biological Diversity, Climate Change, and Desertification with the specified
 Disaster management report 4

guidelines have put into focus the impacts of climate change on the higher frequency of natural

disasters like earthquakes, storms, cyclones and hurricanes, floods and a host of other types of

natural disaster. Climate changes the direct result of the excessive pressure that is bearing down

on the planet’s natural resources in order to meet the requirements of growing global populations

and economies (Patz et al, 2012; Costello et al, 2009). This has resulted in massive in pollution

of the air, soil and natural water resources, much higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions,

desertification, deforestation and improper land use. Such unsustainable lifestyles have led to a

global climate change in shifting the environment. This in turn has led to higher incidence of

natural disasters which have both a direct as well as indirect impacts on the climate, ecological

system and most important a human health (Patz et al, 2012; Costello et al, 2009).

The health of the human population is on the whole dependent on society's ability of

balancing the relationship between human actions with the physical as well as biological

elements of the environment. This has to be achieved in a manner which provides protection and

contributes to the promotion of human health without harming the function of the earth’s natural

ecological systems upon which elements of the physical and biological environment needed for

maintaining human health are dependent (Frumkin, 2016; Patz et al, 2012). Being able to

maintain good human health on the global level is dependent on a number of social and

environmental determinants of health (Costello et al, 2009; Frumkin, 2016) (see Fig. 1 below).

This disaster management report presents a critical analysis of the relevance of climate

change in disasters, the impact of disasters on environmental health by use of a case study of

Hurricane Katrina (2005) USA disaster to explore the environmental health risks, the legal

frameworks and the role that environmental and disaster management professionals, Health Care
 Disaster management report 5

and other professions play in the strategies and interdisciplinary management utilized in

responding to it.

Fig 1: Global are drivers of climate change and its impact on human health

[Source: Patz, J., Corvalan, C., Horwitz, P., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Watts, N., Maiero, M., ... &

Romanelli, C. (2012). Our planet, our health, our future. Human health and the Rio

conventions: biological diversity, climate change and desertification.]

Natural disasters and their relevance in public/environmental health

The EMA (1998) and the Disaster Management Act 2003 have defined a disaster as any

severe disturbance or disruption in a community resulting from the effects of a natural hazardous

event that needs in a very large scale as well as coordinated response from the State national and

international resources to assist the impact it community in response and recovery efforts. This

is because, most natural disasters create environmental health risks which the local health care

system may not be able to handle properly (EMQ, 2014; Landon, 2006).
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Disaster Management refers to the organization as well as efficient management of

resources and responsibilities for responding to all the human health emergencies created by a

particular disaster in terms of special in disaster preparedness, response and recovery movement

edition designed to alleviate the environmental health risks posed by the disaster (The IFRC, The

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2008) (see Fig. 2 below).

Fig 2: The process of disaster management

[Source: The IFRC (The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies).

(2008). World disasters report 2008. Geneva: IFRC.]

No matter if a disaster is a natural weather oriented event or manmade, each disaster is

unique in that environment and health risks which it was about to human health. Every disaster

is different in the way the impact and environmental health fact since they affect sections with

variable levels of susceptibility and present very distinctive social, health, and economic as well

as environmental issues, one of which affect human health. However certain environmental

health risks as well as factors are common in every natural disaster and can be utilized in
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optimizing the response and management efforts as well as the proper use of sources to handle it

(see Table 1 below) (Pan American Health Organization, 2000; Wisner and Adams, 2002).

The Hurricane Katrina was a very severe and destructive storm event which happened in

2005 in USA in the year 2005. Hurricane Katrina was one of the most destructive disasters

particularly in the context of loss of human life, financial loss, serious damage to infrastructure

as well as short and long-term health issues and the impacted population (Smith, Banik and

Haque, 2018).

Table 1: Short term or environmental health risks commonly posed by most natural disasters

[Source: Pan American Health Organization. (2000). Natural disasters: Protecting the public's

health (No. 575). Pan American Health Org.]

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The environment and health risks and effects caused by hurricane Katrina at the Gulf coast,

was documented from Florida to Texas. The most highly impacted communities were those in

Louisiana, Mississippi as well as New Orleans (Smith, Banik and Haque, 2018). The event

started developing on August 23rd, 2005 and by 7:10 am EDT on August 29, 2005 Katrina

presented with landfall in south Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, by which time it had developed

into a Category 3 hurricane. The storm and it’s waves crashed into the affected communities and

there was total devastation of the infrastructure on the Mississippi a lot of flooding in the inland

areas (Farazmand, 2007).

Despite the fact that the government attempted to make large-scale evacuations from both

Louisiana and Mississippi during the disaster response and management more than a 100,000

residents were not evacuated because of existing medical problem and limitations in terms of

transportation access. There was a very major environmental health to raise of infections are due

to overcrowding because more than 10,000 people were sheltered in the Superdome shelter

before the landfall of this hurricane. In the aftermath, the fatalities were over 2000. The large-

scale flooding which followed caused severe destruction as well as issues of inaccessibility for

the response strategy for many of the residents that were stuck in their homes. The

environmental health impact for many since there was massive destruction of infrastructure with

damage to over 800,000 residences making thousands homeless (Moynihan, 2009).

Most of the natural disasters that take place at present are directly or indirectly related to

extreme weather events that are connected to global warming and climate change. Human health

is subject to direct and indirect environmental health risks posed by these disasters. In the case

of hurricane Katrina there are also associations with the climate change. The sea has absorbed

most of the excess energy caused due to global warming from the year 1971 till now. Global
 Disaster management report 9

warming and climate change has created ideal conditions which have resulted in higher

incidence of extreme weather related disasters. Within the naturally occurring ocean basins, the

more intense nature of hurricanes in the last three decades has been connected to corresponding

rise in ocean temperatures. Since the 70s, global ocean temperatures have continued to rise

annually by 0.1°C every 10 years. This effect of global warming is more intense in the North

Atlantic basin. Sea levels continue to rise as the water becomes warm and there is expansion.

This expansion together with the combination of melted land-based ice has resulted in levels of

sea rise of about 7 inches since 1900. As this pattern continues to increase in the next 10 years,

the intensity of future hurricanes will rise as will their impact on environmental health risks and

human health (Pielke Jr et al, 2005). The global temperature increase, rising greenhouse gas

effect as well as the corresponding climate change has been slated to have potentially serious

environmental and health risks for some particularly vulnerable populations like the elderly, the

poor as well as those with preexisting health problems (Costello et al, 2009).

As such it is clear that natural disasters and their impacts have particular relevance to

disaster response and management sectors. The environmental health risks which arise from a

disaster like hurricane Katrina require management which is multidisciplinary in action with

responsibility sharing by environmental Health Care professionals as well as public health sector

professionals, disaster response staff and government organizations (Patz et al, 2012).

Environmental health issues associated with disasters

Hurricanes like any other natural disasters are associated with several environmental health

problems which include the following:

1) Massive loss of lives: more than 2000 people died in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina

(Wilson, 2006).
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2) Large scale displacement of affected populations: long-term displacement was one of the

most critical issues which had a serious impact on the physical as well as mental of the survivors

of hurricane Katrina. The thousands of individuals who were displaced from their residence also

experienced loss of jobs, lack of electricity, lack of communication methods as well as

inadequate supplies of food drinking water and access to Health Care or regular medications.

Further stressors included not having knowledge of the length of their displacement was well as

any surety of future living conditions. The displacement lasted quite long before the process of

rebuilding could start. This resulted in a note of mental health issues in the survivor population

(Wilson, 2006).

3) Pollution of drinking water sources: the lack of electricity resulted in issues of water

pumping facilities not being functional. In addition waste water treatment plants were also not

working and the flood waters were continuously overloading the sewage system, resulting in

contamination of the flooded sections. There were shortages of clean drinking water, conditions

of bad sanitation and combined with issues of overcrowding in the emergencies shelters, there

were outbreaks of several communicable infections like cholera, E. coli and the spread of

noroviruses (Wilson, 2006).

4) The spread of infectious diseases (in the case of hurricane Katrina it was the spread of

the West Nile Virus): The large amounts of stagnant water resulting from the large scale flooding

led to the potential environmental risks of mosquitoes breeding and resulting in the potential risk

of outbreaks of infections caused by the West Nile virus (fever, encephalitis with subsequent

fatalities) (Wilson, 2006).

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5) Mental health and emotional problems in the affected population in the long-term such

as post traumatic stress syndrome, horrible memories, nightmares, incidents of dissociation

(numbing), trouble sleeping as well as problems of hyper-vigilance (Wilson, 2006).

6) The spread of toxic contaminants in the floodwaters as well as exposure to molds

(Wilson, 2006).

The legislative framework regulating disaster management in Australia

In Queensland Australia, all disaster response and management is governed by a key piece

of legislation known as the Disaster Management Act 2003 (Queensland). This legislative act

growers all the provisions made by the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements. All

their levels of the local government, government agencies as well as private stakeholders have to

follow the laws and regulations are set out in this Act (Arklay, 2012). The establishment of

disaster management and response for all disasters including hurricanes and floods in the

affected state or the local government areas is governed by the Disaster Management Regulation

2014 - Queensland Legislation. The provisions for the legal creation of disaster response plans

and all public announcements of disasters including the establishing of the Office of the

Inspector-General of Emergency Management is done through this legislation. This legislation

has sections on food, water and infrastructure safety and it also ensures that the resident

communities are provided with the necessary information in terms of disaster evacuation,

preparation as well as response and recovery efforts for all natural or other disasters (EMQ,

2014; Arklay, 2012).

The role of environmental health and other professionals in disaster management

A number of health care professionals including emergency responders, paramedical

professionals, environmental health care professionals and certain key professionals and
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government organizations have to play very important role in disaster response and management.

When a disaster takes place there are many problems that have to be attended to why the

emergency as well as the environmental cares professionals such as the EHOs (Environmental

Health Officers) (Carayannopoulos, 2014). The EHOs and other professionals have to attend to

the following issues in a disaster response, management and recovery process:

1) Coordinate with national and international agencies in the discussion of plans, systems

as well as strategies that will guide the part played by environmental health in all stages of the

disaster management process (Costello et al, 2009; Arklay, 2012).

2) Identification and allocation of resources in the response and recovery stages as per the

requirements of the different impacted communities (Costello et al, 2009; Arklay, 2012).

3) Issue outlines of the administrative structure as well as the parameters and

responsibilities of the various professionals involved in the disaster management process

(Costello et al, 2009; Arklay, 2012).

4) EHOs have to also make sure that there are sufficient and properly channeled supplies

of drinking water, food, sanitation and temporary shelters for the victims (Costello et al, 2009;

Arklay, 2012).

5) Stringent efforts for the prevention of the spread of vectors or vermin (Costello et al,

2009; Arklay, 2012).

6) The provision of health care for the injured, prevention of outbreaks of infectious

diseases as well as programs attending to the mental health of the victims (Costello et al, 2009;

Arklay, 2012; Carayannopoulos, 2014).

7) The range of duties which the EHOs may need to attend to is also largely dependent on

the type of disaster that took place. Disasters such as hurricanes and subsequent flooding require
 Disaster management report 13

particular public health surveillance for the outbreak of infectious diseases due to the lack of

sanitation and close quarter proximity in the emergency shelters. The timely detection of an

outbreak in the early stages is of vital importance in mitigating a full scale epidemic of infectious

diseases like food and water borne infections as well as effect of vector borne diseases

(floodwaters give rise to the reading of vectors) (Arklay, 2012; Carayannopoulos, 2014).

Conclusion

Global warming and climate change are directly responsible for rising sea levels as well as

the rise in the surface temperature of global oceans. This in turn has increased the intensity of

weather related natural disasters such as cyclones with subsequent flooding. These kinds of

weather related natural disasters given rise to unique sets of environmental health risks for the

survivors. The dangers of unprecedented outbreaks of infectious diseases during this kind of a

natural disaster have to be handled with multidisciplinary disaster response and management

plans, with each of the in more emergency environmental and health care as well as other

professionals playing their roles perfectly. The relevance of disasters and environmental health

risks is at an all time high due to the impacts of lower warming and climate change. As such it is

necessary for government and policymakers to make sure that there is an adequate legal

framework in place for disaster response and management in Australia at all levels including the

local government, state, national and international ones.

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