Category: Disaster

Various disasters both, natural and human-induced, can cause disruptions to an organizations operations. As such, it is important to develop a disaster recovery plan that facilitates the resumption of operations whenever interruptions occur due to calamities (Caroll, n.d.). For example, among the disasters that can affect a company, floods and large-scale power outages are some of the disasters that can affect a business organization. Consequently, a disaster recovery plan must contain steps to respond to such problems and should be adapted to accommodate the needs of the different responses.

For instance, in the case of flooding, the main issue of concern involves workers accessing the office and protecting valuable company property from water damage. Therefore, a disaster recovery response plan ought to address the issue of accessibility and water damage. The problem of accessibility may be solved by requesting workers to operate remotely. In this regard, employees can work from home while the problem of flooding is being resolved. In addition, water damage is prevented using backups and secure storage. The valuable items must be stored in a secure, waterproof location and a backup of the data should also be available in a different location. Both strategies are useful in helping a company to resume operations after experiencing an interruption.

In contrast, a large-scale power outage may require a different disaster recovery plan because it presents different problems. Unlike floods, which cause inaccessibility and water damage, power outages halt the company operations by preventing access to electronic devices. Lack of power results in major disruptions to such activities and an organization should respond as fast as possible to resume operations. The use of secondary data centers would be helpful whereby people can be relocated to the new site in the short term. Thus, warm or cold sites can be used for disaster recovery in case of power outages.

Disaster recovery plans are an important aspect of business continuity. Different calamities cause different damages, which result in the need for varying responses. Flooding causes inaccessibility to the company and large-scale power outages result in a lack of access to electronic devices. Both disasters require different strategies to mitigate the damage they cause to the organization. Flooding can be mitigated by remote working while power outages may involve the use of warm or cold sites. Each strategy accommodates the needs of an organization depending on the cause of the disruption.

Reference

Caroll, A. (n.d). How effective is your data centers disaster recovery plan? Lifeline Data Centers. Web.

Hurricane Katrina is undoubtedly one of the most overwhelming storms in United States history, going by the number of fatalities caused and damage in dollar terms (Rogers, Keating, & Minutaglio, 2015). A penetrating analysis provided in the videos and articles offers deep insights into how a natural disaster turned into one of the worst manmade disasters due to systemic failures by stakeholders. The present paper provides a narrative description of some of the issues that transpired to qualify Hurricane Katrina into a manmade disaster.

The evidence provided in the materials shows that New Orleans is vulnerable to flooding due to its low elevation, continuous human interference, haphazard construction of levees, and disappearance of natural wetlands and barrier islands. The innovation of draining swamplands to allow for the citys expansion was counterproductive in terms of making New Orleans more susceptible to storm surges. Although wetlands serve as natures best natural defense against storms, the narratives provided in the videos show that manmade activities caused the wetlands to disappear at an incredible rate, leaving the city exposed to natural calamities.

Another factor relates to the planning failure and the inability by officials to put in place measures to deal with a storm even after information was availed about an impending hurricane. Here, evidence demonstrates that the huge investments made to divert the Mississippi River and build defensive levees actually hastened the sinking of whole neighborhoods below sea level, while poorly constructed levees served to worsen the flooding. Additionally, it is evident that city officials were unable to plan on how to prevent the tragic aftermath of the storm despite the accuracy of information provided by scientists about the harmful impact of the hurricane (Kasinitz, 2006). It is disturbing to note how officials ignored the warning despite having prior knowledge of Hurricane Ivan that ravaged Louisiana in 2004.

The engineering failures of the levees and canals aptly demonstrate how human mistakes, rather than nature, conspired to trigger the worst devastation in New Orleans history. Here, it is important to note that the Industrial Canal, 17^th Street Canal levee, London Avenue Canal, and Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal failed to contain the floods due to inadequate design and construction by the Corps of Engineers (Bergel, 2007). These breaches caused massive flooding in New Orleans City and other neighborhoods, such as St. Bernard, Tennessee Street, Lower Ninth Ward, and Jefferson.

Further evidence demonstrates that there was social strife in the days after Katrina hit New Orleans, whereby cases of looting, violence, and rape increased dramatically. Although these events may have informed the police to use martial law and deadly force, it is clear from the evidence presented in the videos that the police went overboard in instigating what is now commonly referred to as premeditated homicide. The Henry Glover incident and the Danziger Bridge shootings are good examples that show New Orleans police officers lied in the handling of the disaster. Henry Glovers badly burnt body was discovered with multiple bullet injuries to the head even after it was apparent that he had been taken to police officers for assistance with injuries to the chest. While some of the police officers involved in these incidents received reduced sentences for the capital offense of murder, others are yet to pay for their mistakes.

Drawing from the evidence presented in this paper, it is clear that Hurricane Katrina caused heavy devastation due to man-made systemic failures that could have been prevented. It is therefore important for the U.S. government and other relevant stakeholders to make heavy investments in erecting quality flood clearance channels and pump stations, educating the public on proper disaster response mechanisms, and building resilient healthcare systems for use in caring for the victims. The main learning point from the videos and articles is that it is important to address the human-related issues related to surveillance, law enforcement, flood management, and coordination of response activities if the country is to succeed in preventing the catastrophic effects associated with natural disasters.

References

Bergel, J. (2007). Investigating what went wrong and how. Nieman Reports, 61, 57-58.

Kasinitz, P. (2006). Katrina, the media and the American public sphere. Sociological Forum, 21(1), 141-146. Web.

Rogers, R., Keating, C., & Minutagrio, R. (2015). Hurricane Katrina 10 years later: New lives, new hope. People, 84, 72-78.

Introduction

A natural disaster is a natural phenomenon that is of an emergency nature and leads to disruption of the everyday activities of the population, death of people, and destruction of material values. To counter such a phenomenon, preparation, support, and evacuation strategies are desirable. In order to achieve success in the fight against a natural disaster, a plan is needed to serve as a savior of the situation.

Inherent Necessities to Resist Natural Disaster

Each natural disaster, accident and catastrophe has its characteristics, the nature of the damage, the volume and scale of destruction, the magnitude of disasters, and human losses. Knowledge of the causes and phenomena of natural disasters makes it possible, with early adoption of protection measures, with reasonable behavior of the population, to significantly reduce all types of losses (Esterwood & Saeed, 2020). According to this, the best solution for preparation is awareness of the nature of a catastrophe.

The first step is identifying water sources and purchases in a disaster used by the affected population. The next step is classifying barriers to populations accessing water, distance, access roads, security, financial constraints, and other possible solutions. During a natural disaster, water supply companies must enforce a protocol to supply water to affected populations (Valdovinos, 2021). Clean water is vital, especially for people in such a difficult situation.

People affected by a natural disaster may be left without a place to live. In case of a catastrophe, hotels can offer support by providing accommodation. For example, in Japan, in the event of a tsunami, hotels always provide accommodation for the victims (Nguyen et al., 2017). This approach might greatly help people who have lost their homes. Hotels can also provide accommodation for rescuers in case of a large radius of destruction and the need for many hands.

Mobile phones and the Internet are the primary means of communication in the current century. Communication is one of the vital factors in disaster response and warning. Eventually, these communication methods may not be available. However, telephone and Internet companies must notify people of impending disasters, reducing casualties often. Thus, the central role of such companies is the prevention of a disaster and the provision of communications during and after.

Assistance from Outside Organizations During a Natural Disaster

In addition to water, victims may also need provisions, so companies and individuals can help. Examples include Walmart and farmers, who can deliver food and household items for the victims, thereby providing direct support for them. Walmart has already provided this kind of support during Hurricane Katrina (Horwitz, 2020). If one touches on the commercial side of such an act, then it is worth noting that society will adequately appreciate such a generous and noble act. Last of these but not least, aspects of assistance include logistics. Support from trucking companies might be required in a situation of catastrophe. As mentioned above, the victims need assistance with water and provisions, and the companies that provide them will not always have enough logistical resources. Trucking companies can play a crucial role in assisting supply providers.

Red Cross-What Can the Community Do to Assist Them?

One of the ways how society can help the work of the Red Cross is by volunteering. Depending on the scale of the disaster, even such large organizations may need more hands to help everyone. In such situations, volunteers can help their compatriots in trouble on an unpaid basis. Even though ordinary, untrained people will help, sometimes, this may be enough to help the victims.

Conclusion

A disaster preparedness plan can seem varied due to the inability to predict its scale accurately. Despite this, it is better to have at least some plan than not to have one at all. The above aspects and their consideration will help minimize the incoming victims of disasters in such cases. Natural disasters are unpredictable, and it is almost impossible to nullify the number of losses.

References

Esterwood, E. & Saeed, S. A. (2020). Past epidemics, natural disasters, Covid19, and Mental Health: Learning from history as we deal with the present and prepare for the future. Psychiatric Quarterly, 91(4), 11211133. Web.

Horwitz, S. (2020). The private sectors contribution to natural disaster response. Bottom-up Responses to Crisis, 5770. Web.

Nguyen, D. N., Imamura, F., & Iuchi, K. (2017). Public-private collaboration for Disaster Risk Management: A case study of hotels in Matsushima, Japan. Tourism Management, 61, 129140. Web.

Valdovinos, J. (2021). Transnational Corporations in Urban Water Governance: Public-Private Partnerships in Mexico and the US. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Introduction

The world witnessed several natural disasters that clam millions and millions of human lives every year. Natural disasters such as volcanic eruption, earthquake and tornadoes are the result of a natural hazard which generally moves from potential into an active phase. This may result in serious damages and affects human activities. Additionally, if there is no proper planning and preparedness, it may lead to human vulnerability, leads financial, structural, and human losses. Hence the loss may depend on the population of the area affected and also the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster (Bankoff et al. 5-356). Disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes can occur in almost any part of the world. However, with the present scientific advancement, it is possible to predict to a certain extent the risk-prone areas. Therefore it is a good idea to prepare for them (Torrence, and Grattan, 2002).

There is a difference between the harm caused in developed and developing nations due to natural disasters. The developed nations are well equipped to face these disasters when compared to developing nations of the world. A comparison of Natural disasters in developed and developing countries show that the injury and death rates can be up to 100 times higher in the poorer developing countries. This happens because of the financial constraints and the poor living conditions in developing nations (World Bank 1-4). This paper intends to describe three natural disasters (Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Hurricanes) that have claimed several lives and economical damages.

Tornadoes

A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both a cumulonimbus (or, in rare cases, a cumulus) cloud base and the surface of the earth. Tornadoes are of many sizes, however, these are normally in the form of a visible condensation funnel, with the narrow end touching the earth and the broader end touching the clouds. Frequently, it is observed that a cloud of debris also encircles the lower portion of the funnel.

Scientists have measured the speed and they have estimated that most tornadoes have wind speeds of 175 km/h (110 mph) or less. Besides, tornadoes are around 75 m (250 feet) across and travel from one point to another before dissipating. It is also estimated that some tornadoes can even attain wind speeds of more than 480 km/h (300 mph) and can stretch for more than a mile (1.6 km) across, and stay on the ground covering several dozens of miles (Edwards, 2007).

Perkins (2002) in the science news said that though tornadoes have been observed on every continent except Antarctica, it mostly occurs in the United States and have caused serious damages (Perkins, 296298). Tornadoes are very frequent in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains during the spring and summer months. Statistics suggest that in an average year, 800 tornadoes are recorded that result in approximately 80 deaths and over 1,500 injuries. Other areas that are prone to tornadoes as cited in the Encyclopedia Britannica (2007) include south-central Canada, south-central and eastern Asia, Southern Africa, northwestern and central Europe, east-central South America, Italy, western and south-eastern Australia, and New Zealand. (Edwards, 2007)

Earthquake

An earthquake is a natural disaster that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust. This energy results in creating seismic waves. Earthquakes are measured using a seismometer which produces a seismograph. In general, the effects of earthquakes can be felt by common men when they feel the shaking or displacement of the ground. When an earthquake occurs in the ocean bases sometimes, they cause tsunamis, which may lead to loss of life and destruction of property. One of the most recent tsunamis on the 26th of December, 2004 that hit the Indian Ocean resulted in several deaths. In general, it can be said that an earthquake results when the tectonic plates getting stuck and putting a strain on the ground. Further, this strain becomes so much that rocks give way by breaking and sliding along fault planes. (National Academy of Sciences, 2007)

Scientific studies provide enough proof that earthquakes may occur naturally or as a result of human activities. It is also said that sometimes volcanic activities may also result in smaller earthquakes. Human activists such as mine blasts and nuclear tests may also result in earthquakes. The point at which the earthquake actually begins is called its focus or hypocenter and the point directly above the hypocenter on the ground is called epicentre (National Academy of Sciences 2007).

Earthquakes measured on the Richter scale and a magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained constant throughout the century and according to records have actually seemed to decrease in recent years. Today it is easy to predict earthquakes and as a result of this several preventive measures can be taken. Besides, the construction industry builds earthquake-resistant buildings that have helped to reduce the damage to human life and property.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are natural disasters that are characterised by large tropical storms with heavy winds. Hurricanes generally contain winds in excess of 74 mph or 119 km per hour and large areas of rainfall. Besides, they have the potential to produce dangerous tornadoes. There are serious damages to life that has resulted from hurricanes. The strong winds and excessive rainfall, in general, produce abnormal rises in sea levels resulting in flooding (Kreger, 2005). According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane is a name for a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical cyclone is the common term used for low-pressure systems that build up in the tropics. Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 meters per second (39 mph / 62.7 kph / 34 knots) are termed tropical depressions. Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 meters per second (m/s), it is typically called a tropical storm. Further, if winds reach 33 m/s (74 mph / 119 kph / 64 kt), then it is called a hurricane.

Hurricanes are very common and every year the hurricane season extends between June 1 and November 30. The most common places of occurrence are the eastern and gulf coasts of the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. In the rest of the world, the same types of storms are called typhoons or cyclones. Hurricanes can kill thousands of people and cause billions of dollars of property damage when they hit heavily populated areas. (Kreger, 2005)

Today, with the advancement in technology it is easy to be prepared for these natural disasters. Besides the development of a good communication network has helped to connect the entire world. It is important for both developed and developing countries to be equally prepared for natural disasters. There are several disaster management activities taken up by several government and non-government organizations and has made their contributions at the time of need. Finally, it can be said that it is the preparedness to face natural disasters that are most important.

Work cited

1. Bankoff, G., Frerks, G. and Hilhorst D. (eds.) Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People. (2004). pp 5-356. ISBN 1-85383-964-7.
2. Edwards, R. The online tornado FAQ
3. Kreger, C. Hurricanes (2005)
4. National Academy of Sciences, Living on an ACTIVE Earth Perspectives on Earthquake Science (2007) THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS, Washington, D.C.
5. Perkins, S. (2002-05-11). Tornado Alley, USA. Science News, pp. 296298.
6. tornado. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
7. World Bank. Lessons from Natural Disasters and Emergency Reconstruction, 2005 pp. 1-4.
8. Cox, John D. Storm Watchers: The Turbulent History of Weather Prediction from Franklins Kite to El Nino. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2002.
9. Torrence, Robin, and John Grattan, eds. Natural Disasters and Cultural Change. London: Routledge, 2002

Introduction

On May 12, 2008, at 14.28 (local time), an earthquake occurred in Sichuan province. The epicenter with a magnitude of 7.8 was located 90 kilometers from the provincial administrative center of the city of Chengdu, China. Subterranean tremors were felt in Beijing. This disaster made a moderate impact on the countrys economy, yet affected several industries located in the devastated areas.

Economic Impact: GDP

The restoration of the economy of China has thrown various challenges, primarily because the area of the disaster was rather huge. The damage from the most powerful earthquake in China within the last 30 years has exceeded a trillion yuan (almost $ 150 billion). As a result of the impact of the underground elements, more than ten million people were left homeless. The construction of temporary housing for such a large number of people took about 2.5 years, while all of them were settled in temporary homes by the end of 2010. In particular, 69,227 people were killed, 17,923 were missing, and over 370,000 were injured (Wei et al. 302). This was the most devastating earthquake since the formation of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

As noted by the National Bureau of Statistics, Sichuans Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounted for solely 4.2 percent of the national total in 2008. The total GDP of China was more than $ 24,600 billion in that period that made the country the fourth in the list of the global economy (Trading Economics). This means that the impact of the Wenchuan earthquake on Chinas overall economy could not be significant. It should be emphasized that such a strong economy was able to help the devastated areas in recovering. In general, the mentioned disaster did not affect significantly the growth of the countrys GDP.

Economic Impact: Inflation

As for the inflationary pressure, 2008 was marked by the increase in inflation that exceeded the expected rates. Namely, as noted by Trading Economics the estimated 4,5 percent turned out to be six percent, but the role of the Wenchuan earthquake in this increase is evident yet not great (see fig. 2). Food and drinking water are two products that led to inflation in the devastated areas.

Industries Affected

• Constriction;
• Insurance;
• Hydro power generation;
• Transportation;
• Tourism;
• Manufacturing;
• Mining;
• Agriculture.

Products

Among the key products, there were construction materials, road supplies, drinking water and food, and a dire need for temporary shelters.

Indirect economic damage from the Wenchuan earthquake included the following components: change in the volume and structure of output of industry, performance indicators, and development of the production of interchangeable types of products for the needs of the emergency area (Wu et al. 169).

Construction

• Construction of new houses  3.7 million tons of metal structures and 370 million tons of cement;
• 20,000 buildings have been built initially, and another 175,000 temporary houses have been laid (Zhong et al. 8).

The key aim of recovering was the reconstruction of houses. In particular, iron, steel, and cement were the most demanded construction products.

Since the latter cannot be transported over long distances due to its specifics, both demand and price for cement raised.

At the same time, certain results have been achieved in the restoration work. As of August 12, work resumed 93 percent of the enterprises of the earthquake-hit Sichuan province (Zhong et al. 8). According to the disaster management analysis based on the mentioned earthquake, for houses without shelter, they were built at an accelerated pace.

Insurance and Hydro Power

• Insurance sector:
  • the most critical losses;
  • raised peoples awareness of the need to insure their lives and property;
  • Improved revenues.
• Hydro Power:
  • reduced water and power supply in a short-term aspect;
  • damaged roads limited hydro power transition.

Insurance sector incurred the most critical losses as insurers had to pay compensations to plenty of organizations and individuals. At the same time, the Wenchuan earthquake raised peoples awareness of the need to insure their lives and property, thus making more requests for insuring companies in the next years and increasing their revenue (Zhong et al. 8). Hydro power generation was another strong point of the given area. Its damage significantly reduced water and power supply in a short-term point. Accordingly, communication and transportation were also hilted.

Transportation: Demand and Supply

The whole extent of fractured roads surpassed 17 thousand km, and the economic damage from this was estimated at 16.2 billion yuan (International Energy Agency). Both demand and supply for transportation fuels grew.

Tourism

This industry was almost destroyed by the tremors that cannot be overestimated in terms of the provinces GDP, where eight percent was composed of touristic services.

After the disaster, only extreme tourists visited the province of Sichuan.

More than 16 thousand enterprises suffered from the earthquake, as a result of which 372 thousand townspeople lost their jobs, as it is noted in their recent research study by Xu and Lu (218). In addition, 1.5 million peasants remained without means of production. Even though the manufacturing and production sectors of Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality composed only one percent of the countrys total export, some enterprises were relocated. It is crucial to emphasize that plenty of people were unable to find a new job due to the shortage of supply. In terms of the quake-hit regions, many companies were unable to operate further and employ people. This also affected the provinces economy, yet did not make a great impact on those of the country. The review of the related literature indicates that the policy of outward investment was preserved in spite of the quake, and foreign investment remained unchanged. Such industries as engineering, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, and machinery grew due to increased demand and supply (Xu and Lu 215). The key aim of recovering was the reconstruction of houses. In particular, iron, steel, and cement were the most demanded construction products.

Chinas Response

• The General Plan for the recovery;
• Proposal for low-carbon economy;
• Reconstruction;
• China Banking Regulatory Commission and loans written off;
• The United Nations (UN) assistance;
• Day of Disaster Management celebration.

In response to the given disaster, China introduced a low-carbon economy. Based on greenhouse gases and the adaptation of the energy sector required a long time, yet the start was given since the Wenchuan earthquake (Andrews-Speed 5). It was stated that the transition to a low-carbon economy would allow being less dependent from natural disasters and recovering from them more rapidly. According to the General Plan for the recovery after the earthquake in Wenchuan, Chinas central government has allocated a total of 100 million yuan for earthquake relief and financing projects for the restoration of severely affected areas in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi (Zhong et al. 7). By the end of 2010, the paramount living conditions and level of socio-economic development in the affected areas reached or even exceeded the level of the period before the earthquake. Two years later, the reconstruction tasks were basically completed (Guan and Barker 251). The United Nations (UN) provided urgent humanitarian assistance estimated of $ eight million as assistance for the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan areas.

Conclusion

Wenchuan earthquake had a limited impact on Chinas overall economy.

Considering that the devastated areas composed insignificant part of the countrys GDP, no critical harm or risk may be mentioned.

Nevertheless, construction materials, transportation, energy, and drinking water were among the most demand products.

Due to strong economy as well as UN assistance and foreign investment, Chinas Sichuan province recovered in a few years.

Works Cited

Andrews-Speed, Philip. Chinas Long Road to a Low-Carbon Economy: An Institutional Analysis. Transatlantic Academy, 2012. Web.

Guan, Dabo, and Terry Barker. Low-carbon Development in the Least Developed Region: A Case Study of Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, Southwest China. NaturalHazards, vol. 62, no. 2, 2012, pp. 243-254.

International Energy Agency. International Energy Agency, 2012. Web.

Trading Economics. Trading Economics, 2017. Web.

Wei, Yi-Ming et al. Impacts of Natural Disasters and Disaster Risk Management in China: The Case of Chinas Experience in the Wenchuan Earthquake. ResilienceandRecoveryinAsianDisasters. Springer Japan, 2015. pp. 287-307.

Wu, Jidong, et al. Regional Indirect Economic Impact Evaluation of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. EnvironmentalEarthSciences, vol, 65, no. 1, 2012, pp. 161-172.

Xu, Jiuping, and Yi Lu. Meta-Synthesis Pattern of Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction: Based on Actual Investigation on 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. NaturalHazards, vol. 60, no. 2, 2012, pp. 199-222.

Zhong, Shuang, et al. Progress and Challenges of Disaster Health Management in China: A Scoping Review. GlobalHealthAction, vol. 7, no.1, 2014, pp. 1-9.

Although Sri Lanka holds a thirty-year record of the words least safe place with the greatest number of natural disasters per year, it still remains a place beloved and inhabited by an entire nation. Therefore, it is necessary to take a look at the disaster statistics, especially their frequency and impact on peoples lives in Sri Lanka. Below is the key information concerning natural disasters in Sri Lanka in 19802010:

Judging by the information provided above, floods are the major problem in Sri Lanka. The given phenomenon is quite predictable, given the specifics of the Sri Lanka geographical location and river structure. If considering the Sri Lanka river map, one will see distinctly that the surface of Sri Lanka is mostly flat.

Hence, it will be reasonable to choose here specific disasters to analyze them and compare them with the rest of the catastrophes that have taken place in the state so far since the 1980s. To make the analysis more objective, it will be necessary to consider different disasters, e.g., a flood, an earthquake, and a drought.

Considering the table above, one will find out easily that over the past three decades, floods have been the major problem in Sri Lanka. Reaching the number of 33, they have become more numerous than any other disaster that occurred in Sri Lanka over the past thirty years. Oddly enough, drought comes as a close second in this list, peaking to nine accidents over around thirty years.

While the floods can be explained by a large river system and the relatively low above-sea-level of the island, the drought might seem rather a rare occurrence in the place where floods are frequent. However, drought can be explained by the fact that the island has a warm climate, and, therefore, does not have enough precipitation.

While the floods come as a result of river floods during the rain seasons, droughts are caused by the very dry and very warm climate. The last, but not the least, earthquakes, or, to be more exact, the earthquake that was registered only once over the course of 30 years, can be considered the result of the tectonic movement (Wijetunge 207).

According to the recent researches, the tectonic scenario around Sri Lanka shows that the isle is predisposed to suffering from earthquakes (Mulligan and Nadarajah 353), which means that the only possible way to save the local population is to instruct people on the actions that must be undertaken in case of an earthquake.

As one can observe in the analysis above, there are considerable differences in the disaster statistics arranged by the year when they occurred, the type of disaster and its intensity. According to the existing researches, these discrepancies in the disaster statistics can be explained scientifically. As it has been mentioned above, the floods frequency owes much to the specific river system of the isle, while droughts are the result of little precipitation.

Landslides can be explained by both active tectonic processes and the specifics of the rock. Cyclones and storms, which are actually results of the difference in pressure, seem to occur only when the Sri-Lankan tropic climate takes its roll over the island and the storm is formed around the low-pressure center. Finally, the mass movement wet seems to share its nature with Sri-Lankan earthquakes.

Works Cited

Mulligan, M. & Nadarajah, Y. (2012). Rebuilding the community in the wake of disaster: Lessons from the recovery from the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka and India. Community Development Journal, 47(3), 353368.

Ruddock, L. (2012) Post-tsunami reconstruction in Sri Lanka: Assessing the economic impact. International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 14(3): 217230.

Wickramaratne, S. et al. (2012). Ranking of natural disasters in Sri Lanka for migration planning. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment 3(2), 115132.

Wijetunge, J. (2010). Assessment of potential tsunamigenic seismic hazard to Sri Lanka. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment 1(2), 207220. Print.

Zubair, L. (2004). May 2003 disaster in Sri Lanka and cyclone 01-B in the Bay of Bengal. Natural Hazards, 33, 303318.

Recovering from a disaster is never easy, and it is especially challenging for a whole country to stabilise its economy and have soon positive effects. As noticed by Wouter Botzen, Deschenes and Sanders (2019, p. 179), effects of natural disasters significantly reduce economic growth, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, it is vital for the government of South Africa to address the issues caused by the earthquake and reconstruct the region, focusing on several public interventions to stimulate the regions growth in the shortest time possible.

Before offering some strategies, it is essential to describe the current state of the region. As known, although the area is densely populated, there were no victims, which is why it is possible to suggest that there is no shortage of human capital. Further, this is a region with a high concentration of manufacturing firms. Since a good part of the industrial infrastructure is ruined, it is evident that, without proper production rates, it will be challenging for this area to become stabilised. From the report, it is also known that schools and universities are severely damaged. Consequently, the scope of work is extended, but it is still possible for the government of South Africa to gather their efforts and promote the quick recovery and development of this region. Some recommended steps are mentioned in the following paragraphs.

First of all, people are the most valuable resource of the region because they are interested in and capable of restoring it. Consequently, it is recommended that the government address the citizens well-being, including their moral state and levels of encouragement and commitment. If the community is persuaded in the following reconstruction of schools, universities, hospitals and industrial infrastructure, they will be more relaxed and can help stabilise the regions economy. Otherwise, they may slow down the recovery and development of the region due to an unaddressed stressful state. For example, the adaptive behaviour of some persons may even result in additional economic loss: many people may refuse to continue their work because of the fear of another earthquake.

Further, it is vital to set up industrial infrastructure, and this is one of the most costly but significant areas for the government to address. It should be possible to manage water supply, fix roads and bridges, have stabilised electricity and transportation systems and remove hazardous waste like sharp metal objects or glass. What is more, with recovered infrastructure, it also becomes possible to continue the work of the most valuable manufacturing firms. Investments in their recovery should bring profit later, but if at least some of the regions firms, plants and fabrics do not continue their work, it will be impossible to foster economic development.

Other policies also refer to the citizens and their well-being. According to Wouter Botzen, Deschenes and Sanders (2019), the low-income part of the society is affected the most, and if they have their homes destroyed, the mortality rate can increase significantly in the nearest future. Thus, a major part of the governments budget should be spent on the recovery of low-income people. They need to receive shelter, have food and healthcare security, and take an active part in rebuilding the region. The final step to consider is that such a disaster is a chance for the community to build better  new infrastructure needs to be safer, and higher standards will reduce the risk of the buildings being destroyed when another earthquake happens. These steps and policies are likely to have both short- and long-term positive effects on the economic development of the region. If great amounts of government money are invested in the damaged area now, it will bring good profit and cover the expenses over the next thirty years.

Reference List

Wouter Botzen, W. J., Deschenes, O. and Sanders, M. (2019) The economic impacts of natural disasters: a review of models and empirical studies, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 13(2), pp. 167-188.

Introduction

The effects of fire on the environment and the ecosystem resources may be physical effects, biological, or even chemical. Its abiotic effects comprise the role it plays in altering the quality of air, the quality of water, the properties of soil as well as the cycling of nutrients. The biotic ones comprise the changes in vegetation and the associated impacts on flora and fauna. Fire effects come about as an outcome of an association between the heating system brought about by fire and the properties of the ecosystem. The specific fire effect on whatever components is flexible but will have to change depending on the characteristics of the site and the behavior of the fire. For instance, the effects of the burning fire in similar conditions may not be the same on soils that do not have similar textures.

It is quite important for the managers of forests to know and understand the fire effects. Fire is the basic ecosystems process in which the forest managers encounter challenges to deal with so as to achieve the objectives of the management of the ecosystem. These managers utilize fire to acquire effects that are of advantage and evade the outcomes that are not needed.

Effects of Forest Fires on Eco System

According to Gupta and Yunus (4), fire is among the greatest causes of deforestation all over the world. In the initial cultural era, the fire was the only available tool to be employed in clearing the land and making it most appropriate to facilitate easier grazing. In the current era, forest fires bring about forest deprivation by exerting prospective impact on forest crop, renewal, output, defensive power, soil, flora, and fauna. The general fires destruction on the forest crop is reliant on such factors as; the species that make up a portion of the crop or the forest components, the condition in which the crop is, the season and the crops age, and the status of the nutrients found in the soil. The breaking down of nitrogen compounds by the high temperatures brings about an additional reduction in nutrients. The forest fires bring about the great loss of flora and fauna by destroying the eggs and the young wildlife and destroying the areas in which they inhabit which is an essential component of the ecosystem of the forest.

However, according to Anon. (Wildfires 1), there has been a gathering of data by the researchers on the effects of fire on forest ecosystems. These researchers have come up with the knowledge that fires have their own positive effects and should not be completely excluded from the forests. This has resulted in coming up with a new technique referred to as prescribed fire.

In the last several years, the teams of management in forestry have realized that fire restraint has brought about quite a number of problems in the forests ecosystem. In the current times, it is known that fire exclusion brings about great amounts of materials that fall as well as vegetation that are thick. These materials together with the thick vegetation bring up the level of fuel on the forests floor and this enhances the ignition of fires. Whenever a fire is set up on the floor that is covered with large amounts of dead materials, it burns more intensely bringing about more destruction to the forest ecosystem (Rogers 7). More so, the thick vegetation has smaller trees that are found near the ground and whenever a fire is ignited, these smaller trees direct the fire to the larger older trees bringing about a crown fire.

More so, forests that have not experienced a fire for a long time may turn out to be a habitat for plant species that may not be able to adapt to fire. This is known as vegetation modification. Those plants that are able to adapt to fire possess thick barks and these barks offer protection to living tissues found inside for the heat originating from the fire. In addition, there are several species of plants that rely on heat originating from the fire that helps in the opening up of the seed cones in order to germinate. Vegetation modification affects the flora and fauna populations, diseases, the structure of the soil, and the recycling of the nutrients as well.

These issues of vegetation modification, accumulation of dead material, and the thick vegetation that are all brought about by fire suppression have triggered the turning to a technique referred to as prescribed fire by the managers of the forests. A prescribed fire refers to a fire that is set up by a human being or occurs naturally and is keenly controlled. The forest managers put into consideration several factors before setting up a prescribed fire. Such factors include the weather conditions, the quantity of moisture found in the dead accumulated material, the current season, the conditions of wind, humidity, and the amount of vegetation found on the floor of the forest. If all these conditions are in favor of setting up a fire, then these managers will have to plan about which area to burn.

Most of the effects of the prescribed burn are quite clear. One of these effects is that the materials found on the forest floor and the undergrowth vegetation are burned down and an open floor forest is obtained. This open forest floor does away with the likelihood of the forest experiencing an intense fire in time to come due to the absence of fuel on the floor of the forest.

After burning taking place, the ash is left and this is quite rich in nutrients. At the time when rain falls, there is the dissolving of the nutrients found in the ash in the soil which is utilized by the new plants. This is a process that is referred to as nutrient recycling. These nutrients are of great benefit to the young plants that would have to come up.

In addition, after the prescribed burn, there is a coming up of new growth just after the fires being put off. There are those that give out cones and these cones are given out at the time they are exposed to heat. This brings about the growth of new vegetation which takes advantage of the newly formed nutrients and this facilitates the thriving of the new vegetation. At this point, there is quite minimal competition for food as well as sunlight and this enables the new plants to grow at a higher rate (Anon. Role of fire in the forest ecosystems 1).

However, there have been concerns about the effects the prescribed fires can have on animals. People have raised issues that these fires might have negative effects on the animals. But on the other hand, most of the prescribed fires move quite slowly and this gives enough time for the animals to relocate to other places including those that live in the ground to dig deep in to the ground. More so, the prescribed fires are mostly set up during the seasons when the animals are taking care of the young ones or nesting. This season normally occurs in the course of the months between February to April and from September to early November. The only main threat associated with prescribed burns comes about after the burning has been carried out and the fire put off. The animals encounter hardships in the finding of food and shelter. However, majority of the animals move to the areas where burning has not occurred and later come back to inhabit their original place of stay when the vegetation has grown up.

Other concerns about the prescribed fires are in regard to air pollution. It is argued that the smoke produced during the burning brings about air pollution. This view is supported by Sandberg, Ottmar and Peterson (623) and they stress that, whereas fire is vital in bringing about the maintenance in most of the ecosystems, the emissions from the fire that pollutes air can turn out to be injurious on the health of human beings as well as their welfare. According to the aforementioned authors, the solution to this can be offered by putting in place effective programs in the management of smoke and the policies regarding the quality of the air and this has to be supported thorough research and land management agency. This solution is offered in part by the prescribed fire plan since in this plan, even if smoke is let into the atmosphere, this can not measure up to the level of smoke that is released in the conditions that are not controlled.

Conclusion

To this end, it has been realized that forest fires have both negative and positive effects on the ecosystem. However, there should be a distinction between wild fires and prescribed fires. The wildfires can be quite destructive to the ecosystem but on the other hand, the prescribed fires have several benefits as it has been seen. Therefore, this calls for the need to take control of the burning of fires in our forests, putting them at a particular limit. The forest managers should go on letting the prescribed fires to burn in order to ensure the sustainability of the forest ecosystem.

In conclusion, even if the long term effects of the prescribed fires are not well identified, the available evidence indicates that the benefits that come from a plan for prescribed fires are more than the benefits that could be derived in a case where such a plan is not put in place. There should be carrying out of more improvements in order to maintain fire prescription as an important practice. More research should be carried out in regard to the long term effects of the prescribed fires. More so, there should be rising of the public awareness about prescribed fires. This is a point where human beings should come to a realization that fire gave shape to the forests that are seen nowadays and there should be no letting the forest ecosystems to gradually diminish away.

Works Cited

Anon. Role of fire in the forest ecosystems, Slideshare Inc. 2009. Web.

Anon. Wildfires. Ajwaters. 2010. Web.

Gupta Anil K. and Yunus, M., Forest fire and ecosystem-health, Environews. 1998. Web.

Rogers, Chris. How does fire affect the ecosystem? eHow Inc. 2010. Web.

Sandberg D, Ottmar R, and Peterson J. Fire Effects on Air quality. Forest Encyclopedia Network. 2008. Web.

A number of states in the United States are vulnerable to hurricanes of varying magnitudes. Therefore, the local, state, and federal agencies concerned with natural disasters have to ensure that the communities are well-prepared for catastrophes. The above advertisement is simple and clear to ensure that everybody living or visiting susceptible states such as Florida and North Carolina understand what to do in preparation for the hurricane. The advert emphasizes that the citizens should ensure they have adequate essential supplies, including food, medicines, money, phone charges, gas, radio, and batteries. The conveyed message positively impacts disaster preparedness since people start to plan early for the occurrence.

Hospice is one of the community settings directly impacted by disaster preparedness advert. The setting is a care facility for terminally ill individuals (Oechsle, 2019). The management of hospices in regions that are highly likely to be hit by a hurricane will plan to have enough supply of medicine and food among other necessities. Nurses will have a central role in effective preparedness for the disaster in the hospices. Nurses plan and implement safety measures and serve as agents of communication between the patients and their families and other stakeholders (Hagan et al., 2018). They ensure that the environment is safe for everyone and means of evacuation are readily available. Additionally, they communicate with management, families, and government agencies to facilitate updated information regarding the impending disaster and status of the hospices. These roles guarantee the availability of resources needed for effective preparedness catastrophes.

The hospice facilities management teams are key stakeholders who can collaborate with the Community Health Network (CHN) to ensure effective disaster preparedness. The hospices management is important because the team oversees all operations of the facilities, ranging from planning to implementation (Dahlin et al., 2018). Therefore, their cooperation with the CHN will allow the facility to have adequate clinical support from the agency such as supplies for medicines and an additional emergency response team. As a result, these community settings can respond well to disasters, minimizing their possible negative impacts.

References

Dahlin, C., Coyne, P., Goldberg, J., & Vaughan, L. (2018). Palliative care leadership.Journal of Palliative Care, 34(1), 21-28. Web.

Hagan, T., Xu, J., Lopez, R., & Bressler, T. (2018). Nursings role in leading palliative care: A call to action.Nurse Education Today, 61, 216-219. Web.

Oechsle, K. (2019). Current advances in palliative & hospice care: Problems and needs of relatives and family caregivers during palliative and hospice carean overview of current literature.Medical Sciences, 7(3), 1-16. Web.

Market Dynamics always change the supply and demand ratios of products, goods, and services. In many cases, the industry and the manufacturing organizations are able to anticipate and plan for such fluctuations, and this helps them to manage the supply chain effectively. But in many cases, natural events, political upheavals that are totally unpredictable can occur, and these can severely impact the supply and demand ratios. This paper analyses the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on gasoline prices.

The article on the effect of gasoline prices due to Hurricane Katrina are given at:

Walter William (2005), Supply, Demand and Gasoline Prices Web.

Cavaney Red (2005), Hurricane Katrinas Effect On The Oil Industry,

Healey James R. (2005),Storm worsens oil, gas problems Web.

• Relevant points: The articles suggest that the shortage in gasoline is due to the disruptions caused by the Hurricane in the oil drilling and refining areas of the Gulf of America. The hurricane destroyed many oil rigs and oil refineries, and this abruptly cut off the production and distribution of gas from these regions. These regions provide about 25% of US gas supplies. Due to this, there was a shortage of gas, and this created a rise in gas prices.
• Shift in the Supply Curve or Demand Curve: There was a downward shift in the supply curve as the production of gas was cut off. Demand rise was marginal as people only attempted to drive around for supplies and food.
• Is the shift an increase or a decrease: The shift in the oil supply is decreased, and the curve has moved to the left? At the same time, the rising cost of gas has reduced the demand to lower than normal consumption. This was partly due to the fact that the government urged people not to drive without reason.
• Equilibrium Point: The supply and demand curves attain equilibrium in the left region of the curve and then gradually move back to their original point. This would happen in the initial days when there is a lot of panics, and people just want to stock up on gas, fearing it would run out. At this point, the supply has decreased, but the demand momentarily rises. When there is no obvious shortage of gas, and the government announces that it has resumed supply, people desist from stocking up.

Final equilibrium price higher or lower than the original price: The final equilibrium price would be higher than the original price, but this has nothing to do specifically with the hurricane. Analysts have been long forecasting the excessive consumption of gas and the gradual increase in oil prices forced by OPEC. There have been many forecasts that the rise in gas prices is due to the heavy consumption by US markets. But the curve for the price would attain equilibrium at the original prices, even though this may be momentary.

Final equilibrium quantity higher or lower than the original quantity: The final equilibrium quantity would be higher than the original, but again this has nothing to do with the hurricane. There has been a steady increase in the consumption of gas over the decrease.