Disaster preparedness refers to the capacity to observe, predict and deal with both natural and artificial disasters, while maintaining minimal damages to humans and the economy. Disaster preparedness and management therefore includes financial, human and policy resources working together to ensure safety and minimal loss of lives and property. In addition, the process requires investment in disaster forecasting technology and evacuation strategies to enhance efficiency, reliability and safety of citizens. The following paper seeks to develop a possible disaster scenario based on the recent floods, which hit the country late last year, and early 2013.
Sri Lanka has experienced great human and economic loses resulting from a number of natural disasters, among them floods, earthquakes, storms, epidemics and drought. Among these natural disasters, flood and earthquakes rank highest in terms of human and economic loses. From 1980, floods have been the most rampant, with each year recording an average of 1.45 floods, compared to its closest rivals, drought and epidemics, which average at 0.2 each year.
From these findings, it is evident that floods are the major concerns for the disaster management center, with the recent damages being witnessed towards the end of 2012 and the beginning of the year 2013. By the end of December 2012, over 10,000 homes had been affected by the floods, with thousands of people already displaced. According to report released by Lakshan and Dias (2013), approximately 328, 000 people had been affected by floods between December 2012 and January 11, 2013. The report, which reflected 10 out of 25 districts, demonstrated the impact of the disaster, resulting from poor disaster preparedness strategies.
According to Jha (2010), a proper and effective flood preparedness strategy requires updated region-wide graphics of all observed and predicted river and ocean conditions in order to monitor water level changes and predict oncoming floods. In the current scenario, the meteorological department reports strengthening monsoon winds along the eastern region, which are also reported to carry along heavy cloud cover towards the central mainland.
In addition, heavy rains have also been predicted, especially along the districts of Sabaragamuwa, one of the major rice producing districts in the country. From its geographical orientation, the region has very poor drainage and incase flood water exceeds a certain level, crops and property would be destroyed, as it happened in 2003 (Zubair, 2004). Due to the oncoming winds and exceedingly high rainfall capacity in irrigation reservoirs, the water tanks have started to overflow, while weakening their walls.
This is a lurking catastrophe, since if the tanks were to burst, thousands of lives to the south would be lost. Depending on the ranging winds and the increasing rainfall in these rice-growing regions, a severe flood is expected, especially along the southern region in case the irrigation reservoirs were to burst.
According to FEMA’s approach to an oncoming severe flood, the response strategies have to be re-evaluated and speedy response units deployed depending on the lurking catastrophes. In this flooding scenario, one of the possibilities is damage to properties once the water levels in the rice fields overflow out of the irrigation pads. However, one of the main concerns is the effect of the impending floods to the transportation infrastructure, which is essential during evacuation of affected persons. In addition, in the event of a severe flood, there are possible impacts to control units, communication, and other equipments required to fight floods.
The disaster scenario predicts that with the bursting of the irrigation water tanks, the water level will increase, thereby affecting evacuation support and sheltering programs. Medical supplies are also essential in such situations, due to water-related illnesses, and sanitation problems. It will also be important to identify emissions and release of hazardous materials, either from neighboring chemical companies, waste disposal sites, and other areas, which can release harmful substances to the floodwaters. Lastly, the preparedness program will evaluate evacuation process, and rescue techniques that will facilitate efficiency while minimizing loss of lives.
The flood disaster scenario will therefore require coordinated action from the Center for Disaster management and the Sri Lankan government. On the effects of floods to transportation infrastructure, the best approach would be to adopt an alternative approach, by first identifying all bridges and major roads linking prone areas to safer grounds. In addition, the meteorological department has to keep timely situational record of wind velocities and direction to facilitate air evacuation.
According to the reports on the prone areas, the preparedness program must identify a safe area for sheltering affected persons, and which should also serves as the recuperation center, with sufficient medical and food supplies. Before the floods turn severe, the medical facilities would have to be re-stocked to cater for the targeted population, based on population facts from the region. In addition, a systematic survey of the neighboring regions for the possibility of hazardous releases would also have to be conducted for the safety of the affected persons. The entire program therefore involves cooperation between weather agencies, disaster management units and the government to ensure minimal human and economic losses.
References
Jha, M. K. (2010). Natural and Anthropogenic Disasters: Vulnerability, Preparedness and Mitigation. New Delhi, India: Springer.
Lakshan, G.S. & Dias, J. S. (2013). Floods in Sri Lanka 328,000 People Affected! YMCAs Badly Affected! Web.
Zubair, L. (2004). May 2003 Disaster in Sri Lanka and Cyclone 01-B in the Bay of Bengal. Natural Hazards, 33, 303–318.