Human Security in Reducing Vulnerability to Natural Disasters - Research Paper Example

Apart from the traditional means of sustaining security through military defense, human security will provide an alternative perspective that is human-centered and focuses on protecting and securing freedom from fear and want by individuals. Human security has in theory been used as a universal concept; however, its focus has been on developing countries and countries that have witnessed conflicts. In reality, for most countries, including the developed ones, human security is relevant through the natural disasters that have occurred.

It is important to note that natural disasters demonstrate the need to have a multidisciplinary approach when handling human security. Human security plays a key role in the manner in which the international community comprehends and responds to the issues like abuse of human rights and armed conflicts. It is worth noting that human beings are not the lone hazard to human security since there have been damages and suffering caused by natural disasters. Also, natural disasters could induce some human-made disasters.

In a conference held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2012, the main theme was to address how the framework of human security could be used in understanding and responding to the catastrophes faced in countries. This indicates that reducing the threat posed by human insecurity has its ramifications in terms of reduced vulnerability to the natural disasters experienced. Averting all the natural disasters is not possible; however, the preparedness and response made to the human impacts of these disasters can be improved.

Through improving human security, the focus shifts to human vulnerabilities and this reduces the grave consequences that are experienced after natural disasters. In essence, it improves the safety of humans and their wellbeing.While addressing the impact of human security on reduced vulnerability during natural disasters, the paper recognizes that ensuring the safety of people during natural disasters is vital to reduced vulnerability.This paper shall review the concept of human security not in the traditional sense of military protection but in the sense of ensuring safety from fear and freedom from want.

It will assess the dimensions of human security so as to understand the prerequisites for reducing human vulnerability during natural disasters. It will also address the impact of improved human security on vulnerability of humans during natural disasters in Bangladesh by investigating how vulnerable humans were during natural disasters in the past and how improved human security has brought some sense of calm during natural disasters. By assessing the state of human insecurity, understanding the dangers humans face during disasters will be easier.

The paper shall discuss the vulnerability of humans in Bangladesh by investigating how they are able to cope with continuous deprivation and poverty in times of natural disasters and how they respond to the natural disasters. Reviewing some of the measures used in adapting to natural disasters will help in finding the ways in which humans strive for security during times of natural disasters. This paper recognizes that during natural disasters, humans are in a state of instability and they live in fear and want.

It is for this reason that the paper shall carry out a review of literature on the state of matters during natural disasters. The paper shall also review literature on the consequences of lack of human security during natural disasters. This is because during natural disasters, humans are subjected to many other pandemics. For instance, they are exposed to a lack of basic necessities. It is for this reason that people live in fear and uncertainty. Therefore, the paper shall also investigate some of the common uncertainties that humans face during natural disasters.

While investigating how an improved human security in Bangladesh has brought about less vulnerability of humans during natural disasters, the paper shall focus on the literature on the perspective of human security with respect to how susceptible humans get when they are faced with natural calamities. Vulnerability of humans during natural calamities depends on how best they are prepared. Furthermore, humans want to have the sense of stability and the feeling that despite what they are faced by, they are better placed to handle the incoming threat.

The feeling of uncertainty creates fear and this is accompanied by confusion among the people. A combination of fear and lack of basic wants during calamities creates more vulnerability of humans. Therefore, this paper shall use this logic to assess why improved human security through provision and assurance of wants places them in a better position to handle the calamities and to be less vulnerable. Literature Review The state of human security in Bangladesh is one of extensive violations. In agreement with UNDP (2002), the poor and the disadvantaged in the society have been involved in states of fear and uncertainty for lack of an efficient system that would enable them to be free from human insecurity.

In a country that has been faced by impacts of natural calamities, especially from climatic change, it has been a wakeup call for the country to come up with ways of handling the effects of natural calamities such as those resulting from climatic change. A study on Bangladesh Rahman et al (2007) revealed that it is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate changes. Climate change is one of the causes of natural calamities in the world. For instance, it is the changes in climate that lead to occurrences of disasters such as cyclones, and global warming that leads to melting of icebergs, leading to high tides and floods.

Preventing climate change is difficult if not impossible. For this reason, the natural calamities that result from climate change and other causes continue to affect the basic human life elements like food, health and water. When faced by search threats, humans are left for human insecurity since they are not assured of the basic wants and neither are they assured of their safety. It is this kind of exposure that leaves them vulnerable.