Introduction
People around the world are faced with various risks associated with disasters and emergencies. These risks include communicable disease outbreaks, conflicts, natural hazards, radiation and chemical incidents, the collapse of buildings as well as inadequate power and water supply among others (Peters, 2021). Researchers have recorded hazardous events whose magnitude are small-scale and with minor health consequences. In contrast, there have been emergencies and more significant disasters with considerable impacts on public wellbeing, community health, and health development. Such disastrous events affect the economy of a country, and the health of the people and lead to social and political impacts which significantly harm the global population affected. Effects of the risks are devastating and acute in the short and long term if not well managed. Various emerging trends such as climate change, population growth, poorly planned urbanization, migrations, and states of fragility have been found to be the major effects that accelerate tragedies around the globe.
Managing Risks
Managing risks is vital in safeguarding people’s lives from disasters and emergencies. It also promotes local, national, and global health as well as strengthens the resilience of a country. Establishing a sound risk management strategy is essential in ensuring the development, surveillance, and implementation of acceptable global tactics (Almeida, 2018). The strategies’ overall goal is to attain sustainable development objectives, identify early warning signs, reduce risk, and manage the local, national, and global threats to health. In this regard, the Sendai Framework of disaster reduction strategies has been adopted.
Natural Hazards
Natural hazards are the phenomena that lead to risks and disasters. There are three main groups which include: geological, hydro-meteorological, and biological risks. The phenomena under geological hazards include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activities and emissions, landslides, and geological fault activities (Lee, 2019). They have devastating impacts which in most circumstances cannot be controlled or managed by human beings. Their impacts in different places over the past years have led to the loss of lives and the destruction of properties. Hydro-meteorological hazards include floods, drought, tropical cyclones, desertification, and snow avalanches. They are mostly linked to climate and adverse weather conditions. Biological hazards are characterized by an outbreak of epidemics, massive infestations, and plant or animal contagion. They are most uncommon but can have a serious negative impact especially when they last for long. The novel COVID-19 pandemic can be considered an example of a biological hazard ravaging the world in contemporary times. Despite the difference exhibited by the three categories, they all have a detrimental impact on the lives of human beings and their properties.
Characteristics of the Hazard
Every hazard has quantifiable characteristics that gauge its magnitude, which helps determine the right strategies for its management. Each attribute bears a direct association between perception of the hazard’s risk and current or historical data concerning the latter. Inadequate information and perception may lead to inappropriate assessment; therefore, the attributes can be categorized according to their nature, identity, scope, manageability, and predictability. Thus, such characteristics should be regarded as equal if there is no available coping mechanism for the hazard. The characteristics can again be given a broader category of being either permanent or temporal. The permanent attributes of risk include hazard nature, intensity, extent, identity, predictability, and manageability. Temporal qualities of hazards are always linked to time or time frames; thus, questions often asked include: when did the hazards occur? How often? How long did the dangers last? How quickly does it strike? And can the behavior of the hazard be predicted?
Hazard identity is associated with the existing knowledge regarding the risk and the occurrence of the particular hazard. The aspect of hazard identification has one or more implications, the first being the understanding of the environment in which the hazard originates for its crucial and effective management. The immediate repercussion can be the devastation caused by the flood water or the secondary consequences such as drought and famine. Therefore, the hazards are dynamic elements that people have no capacity to control. They relate to some forces associated with the risks which have negative consequences on human life (Straight et al., 2016). Hazards pose different risks because they are different in nature. However, it is clear that they are mostly influenced by human activities.
The destruction forces’ capacity characterizes the intensity of the hazard; therefore, the higher the water volume, the higher its intensity. The extent of the hazard is determined by the range or the distribution geography of its impact. Intensity always determines the magnitude of the hazard at any particular time. Notably, the geographical spread of hazards varies because of different identities, but their impact will always influence the degree or amount of loss. Additionally, the magnitude of the hazard is determined by issues relating to the risk element, and, thus, the same hazard may have a significantly different impact on other areas.
Predictability of hazards will always contribute to their reduction, prevention, and mitigation plans for their impacts. As explained earlier, their prediction will be determined by the temporal or physical attributes of the peril. Simultaneously, identity and nature reveal vital information applicable in predicting their underlying consequences (Chae et al., 2017). Tornados, lightning, and hails have revealed some weather patterns to give early warning signs or hazard indicators. Technologies can predict weather elements accurately, hence providing enough opportunity to implement risk and disaster reduction and contingency measures. The manageability of hazards is dependent on the outcome of the primary causes in question.
While the extent and the intensity of risk increase its predictability declines; this significantly affects its management. In this case, manageability refers to human involvement in dealing with the risks and preventing potential disasters. The availability of human capacity, resources, and tools to cope with the risk or disaster will play a pivotal role in its management. When the risk manageability is minimal, more risks are posed to the people. Similarly, the extent of manageability is determined by the hazard perception and the willingness to engage appropriate measures to curb and prevent the hazard’s consequences in question. Human knowledge is a great factor when addressing risks and hazards.
Frequency is the first temporal attribute of a hazard that needs to be considered. It refers to how often risk or disaster occurs. The frequency presents the perception of the prevalence of the risk in a community. When it is high, people are more likely to have awareness about it, however, when it is low most community members may not know about it. Different information sources will help determine frequency; this includes historical data documented in various secondary sources.
Patterns are observed, and deductions are made based on past data to establish the possibility of subsequent risk (AghaKouchak et al., 2020). Understanding the duration of different hazards is vital and helps in developing a coping mechanism. The extent of the risk and coping mechanisms contribute to the duration of the hazard. This element needs to be linked to the magnitude of the risk and the community’s ability to adapt and solve the situation. The rapid onset of risks such as spillage of oil has prolonged impacts on the immediate environment, while the slower onset of risks always poses minor threats which can be controlled (Douglas, 2017). It is vital to understand the hazards’ frequency alongside other aspects to adopt appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
Climate changes have led to variations in frequencies and intensities of various hazards occurring across the globe. Global warming has been a significant factor linked to the high prevalence of hazards worldwide. Natural disasters have been on the rise, and the major ones have caused great havoc in various countries. For instance, in 2010 there was a serious earthquake in Haiti, and Japan and Nepal registered a terrible tsunami in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Pakistan had devastating floods in 2010 and 2013, while India and Bangladesh experienced serious floods in 2013 and 2015 respectively (Mondal, 2019). All the disasters have tremendous impacts on the lives of people including deaths and displacements. They also contribute to epidemics and shortages of food and essential humanitarian services.
Flood in Bangladesh
A flood is an onset event where a dry section of land is filled with a massive overflow of uncontainable water. Heavy rains and river overflow cause floods that are seasonal while coastal floods result from tsunamis and cyclones. There are human activities that have also been connected to the increase in floods. Among them are constructions of dams that do not meet safety and construction standards. Urbanization has also been linked to problems such as floods which are ravaging many places (Abass, 2020). There are weak legal and institutional frameworks in various countries that have impacted the increase in urban flooding. Unplanned urban development results in blockage of waterways, hence disrupting the flow of surface runoff. Additionally, improper industrial and domestic waste management and institutional irresponsibility have contributed to urban flooding. To cope with the problem, there is a need to advocate for proper land use. Planning for land activities and ensuring control by enacting policies of industrial and domestic waste management is important.
A culture of efficient management of waste and proper planning policies will help in addressing the prevalent problems of flooding. India has experienced urban floods in Bangalore and Chennai in 2015 and during previous years (Duncombe, 2019). Human culture toward waste management will continue to be a major risk factor for the flooding menace. Poor waste disposal has contributed to sewage blockages by non-biodegradable materials, which impede the natural flow of water, thus, causing floods. As more development occurs on permeable land and grounds, there is an increase in surface run-offs into sewers and drains, hence the need to effectively clear them.
Additionally, human activities result in eventual encroachment into the flood plains and obstruction of flood channels, which affect natural flood flow patterns. Excessive use of permeable land leaves more of the impermeable proportion for development. The later sections such as roads, roofs, and paving always increase the surface run-offs (Zhu et al., 2019). Other hydrological impacts of urbanization include an increase in water demand, which exceeds available water resources, an increase in wastewater and peak flow, reduction in infiltration and groundwater discharge. Human activities are the key agents of climate change which will have a long-term impact on the people (Trenberth, 2018). Human activities cause global warming, which influences famine, drought, heavy rainfalls, and floods.
Unsustainable developments may cause floodwater intensity since they are characterized by soil and ecosystem degradation which makes it difficult for rainwater to be absorbed. These activities have been on the rise, therefore, posing significant risks of flooding when there is heavy rainfall. Poor planning and improper waste disposal are significant challenges for low-income earners in various communities. Similar to other disasters, floods have negative outcomes, including displacement of people, reduced well-being, loss of livelihood, hunger, famine, economic loss, and epidemics.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) targets to obtain a substantial decline in risks. These risks include deterioration in health, economic, social, physical, cultural, and environmental assets (Murao et al., 2016). It is an agreement that has seven targets and four areas to prioritize prevention and reduction of risks. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand the risks of disasters and strengthen governance on hazards management. Enhancing the levels of disaster preparedness for effective risk response and recovery through reconstruction and rehabilitation is highly necessary.
Bangladesh and other flood-affected countries have been trying to cope with various risks, which have been outlined in the Sendai Framework (Alam, 2017). The region has been affected by heavy floods, which have caused extensive losses. Application and respect to the Sendai Framework document’s principles will help build an effective system for disaster management. The framework will address the challenges of poverty and inequality, climatic changes, and poorly planned urban development.
Coping Mechanisms
Due to the havoc caused by floodwaters, the Bangladeshi adopt several coping mechanisms during periods of disaster, including limiting meal size and time to eat and increasing reliance on cheap food, among other strategies (Islam et al., 2018). Flood has created economic pressure, famine, displacement of people, and other risks related to the Sendai Framework (Zeleňáková et al., 2017). With the proper effective application of the Sendai Framework, most of the community’s problems will be solved. Realization of the Sendai Its key objectives help in the elimination and reduction of risks that displace people and make them live in life-threatening situations. The strategic objective, in this case, is to prevent new risks and reduce existing hazards. An integration approach that includes structural, economic, legal, medical, social, educational, technology, environmental, institutional, and political measures are necessary.
The Sendai Framework will be instrumental in addressing the challenge of floods in Bangladesh because it encourages the local government to do more to diminish the influence of the disaster. However, it does not only impose the role on the government since it calls for support from the private sector and other entities in addressing the prevalent disaster within a region (Murao & Sakaba, 2016). The framework will ensure that all the stakeholders involved in the fight address the challenge by developing a good understanding of the risks and empowering the risk governance. The framework will ensure that the right entities invest adequately in the reduction of risk to develop resilience as well as improve the area’s disaster preparation for better response (Murao & Sakaba, 2016). Therefore, the framework will help solve the problem if well implemented and adhered to by different stakeholders in the affected areas.
Conclusion
The global ecosystem has many complex issues which affect the planet and its inhabitants. There is a need to adopt fundamental changes and approaches to prevent and reduce the effect of these problems on the people. Human activities are core to most of the problematic issues of the universe. The world population is increasing, causing pressure on the land as human activities increases and urbanization takes center stage in various regions. The Sendai Framework will help understand the problems and find viable solutions to the increasing issues of the present and future times.
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