Natural Disasters in Australia - Essay Example

Environmental Risk Assessment Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Date Natural Disasters in Australia Part 1 Australia is among countries that have encountered the devastating effects of natural disasters. The occurrence of natural disasters has led to massive losses for the Australian economy. The major disasters include the Sydney hailstorm of 1999, the severe storms of New Castle and Hunter Valley that occurred in 2007, and the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Other major disasters that affected the nation include the 1974 Tracy-Darwin cyclone and the Black Saturday Bushfires that occurred in 2009 (Latham et al., 2010). It is evident that the occurrence of natural disasters has exhibited an increasing trend over the years. According to Munich Re (2009) there are several reasons that account for the increase in the disasters. Socio-economic developments suffice to be the first catalysts for the disasters (Baez & Santos, 2008). The developments have compelled people to live closely together particularly in cities. Population increase has also contributed to the increasing prevalence of the disasters. The industrialization and settlement of exposed areas is also responsible for the increasing fatalities associated with natural disasters. Finally, climate change that suffices to be the focus of the paper has also increased the prevalence of disasters. Natural disasters are natural phenomena that yield catastrophic consequences for living things within their place of occurrence (Dayton-Johnson, 2006). Drought, which is one of the natural disasters, refers to the natural reduction in the level of precipitation for a long period such as a season or more. The different forms of drought include meteorological drought, agricultural and hydrological. Other disasters include forest fires, tropical cyclones, floods, and tsunamis (Sena & Woldemichael, 2006). In the Australian context, the increasing frequency in the occurrence of natural disasters has necessitated the implementation of effective resilience measures geared towards preparing citizens for disasters as well as instigating educational programs on recovering from disasters. The Australian Government suffices to be one of the major stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of the disaster resilience strategy (CAG, 2011). However, all sectors of the society including businesses, the government, individuals, and non-government sectors play a pivotal role in the development of a disaster resilient community. It is apparent that the joint effort of all stakeholders of the disaster resilience strategy towards dealing with disasters is better than the efforts of a single entity (CAG, 2011). All government levels play paramount roles in enhancing the resilience of the nation to natural disasters. For instance, the Government has implemented compassionate, pragmatic, and swift ways of enabling communities to recover from the devastation caused by natural disasters. This includes enabling communities to learn, adapt, and innovate following the occurrence of natural disasters. The Government also ascertains the most well-coordinated and effective responses from the available emergency services following the occurrence of natural disasters. The Government also prepares individuals to deal with the devastating effects of natural disasters. This includes establishing effective and clear education systems that educate individuals on the available options and the appropriate courses of action in the aftermath of a disaster. The Government has also put in place effective arrangements on informing individuals on the assessment and reduction of risks as well as reducing the susceptibility of individuals to hazards. Finally, the Government has also put in place effective arrangements for risk-based land planning and management including other mitigation activities. The establishment of the National Emergency Management Committee that comprise of experts in disaster management from all sectors of the Government targeted to bring together views from all stakeholders to the formation of a National Disaster Resilience Strategy. The group also addressed the lessons learned from the recent floods and bushfires that are essential to the development of effective resilience strategies. Businesses also play a significant role in the development of a disaster resilient community. For instance, they provide resources, essential services, and expertise associated with the management of natural disasters. Businesses suffice to be providers of critical infrastructure (CAG, 2011). As a result, they understand the associated risks as well as guaranteeing the availability of services during and after the occurrence of disasters. Individuals are the other segment of the community that plays a pivotal role in the natural disaster resilience strategy. People from different backgrounds perform their role in preventing, responding to, preparing for, and recovering from disasters. The available resources, policies, and guidance availed from the government and other sources provide a framework that enables individuals to deal with disasters. Community organizations, volunteers and non-governmental organizations also contribute significantly to the implementation of the disaster resilience strategy. In Australia, such organizations are at the forefront in disaster management. They provide advice and technical expertise that enables the country to put up with and recover from disasters (CAG, 2011). The influence of natural disasters on individuals is different based on several factors (Petrucci, 2012). The factors encompass risk sensitivity, exposure inequalities, and inequalities in access to resources, and varying opportunities and capabilities that place other groups at an advantage over others. As a result, people that have limited access to resources that combat disasters are at more risk of succumbing to disasters than those that have access to resources (Neumayer & Plumper, 2007). Girls and women have exhibited higher mortality from natural disasters than boys and men. Trauma and injury are the immediate health effects of natural disasters. Trauma and injury occur following the subjection of individuals to the devastating effects of fires, floods, and earthquakes among other catastrophes. Natural disasters such as floods also result in adverse health effects for at-risk individuals. A good example of a health effect emanating from flooding is the spilling of hazardous chemicals from a flooded factory (Azuddin & Hanum, 2008). The chemicals can be corrosive and poisonous to an individual. A landslide can also bury several homes following its incidence thereby terminating the lives of the affected persons. Floods can also contaminate reservoirs for drinking water thereby subjecting individuals to cholera and typhoid among other waterborne diseases. Injuries result from the collapse of buildings inhabited by individuals (March, 2002). In Australia, disaster management agencies have endeavoured to assess major injuries suffered by individuals in the evaluation of the immediate needs that the disaster response team should avail during and in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Part 2 Dealing with adverse health effects caused by infrastructure compromises such as the contamination of drinking water or natural waterways necessitates the immediate communication and implementation of necessary intervention measures (Laframboise & Loko, 2012). Since contaminated water causes skin and gastrointestinal infections among other waterborne diseases, the National Disaster Resilience Strategy in Australia recommends avoidance of contact with contaminated water. This includes the issue of a Boil Water Alert. All individuals should also wash hands with clean water and soap on a regular basis to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases. For individuals that do not have the ability to attend regular medical appointments, it is imperative that they should have an adequate supply of relevant medication at home. Food consumption is the other critical aspect of the response plan. The Strategy recommends the safe consumption of food following the shutting of freezer and fridge doors for at least 24 hours and 4 hours respectively. On the aspect of emotional injury and mental health, indirect and direct threats emanating from natural disasters may elevate stress on families, individuals, and communities. The Strategy has allocated the responsibility of dealing with emotional injury and mental health to the Mental Health Controller (NSW MOH, 2014). Vulnerability and preparedness have turned out to be major determinants of the emergency response program in the aftermath of a natural disaster (Boon, 2014). Regardless of the campaigns about disaster resilience and preparedness, individuals portray different levels of preparedness and resilience to disasters. The disparities emanate from the different financial capabilities held by individuals. For some persons, they have adequate funds to insure their property against potential losses caused by the devastating effects of natural disasters. However, the Commonwealth Government through the affected subsidiary governments as well as the NGOs that respond to the needs of the disaster avail required healthcare amenities and services to respond to the immediate needs of affected persons. The stakeholders of the disaster resilience program avail the services and amenities on a universal basis (CAG, 2011). They have also put in place recovery measures that target to restore the wellbeing of individuals to its original position. It is evident that climate extremes form a natural part of the climate system (Banholzer et al., 2014). As a result, climate changes result in alterations in the frequency, intensity, duration, timing and spatial extent of risky climate and weather events. The result is an unprecedented extreme climate and weather events. Therefore, dangerous events that result in natural disasters are consequences of transitions in the probability, mean, and variance of climate. For instance, when the mean temperature distribution shifts, the result could be a reduction in extreme cold weather and an increase in extensive hot weather. When climate variability increases, the result is an increase in both extreme cold and hot weather. The tails of the probability distribution function record the greatest changes (Trenberth, 2011). The human impact on the global climate system has been responsible for the climate and weather extremes since 1950 (IPCC 2013). One of the effects is the increase in warm days and nights and a decrease of cold days and nights. Many areas in Australia, Asia, and Europe have also noted escalating frequencies of heat waves. Heat waves suffice to be one of the causes of forest and bushfires. Many areas have also noted heavy precipitation events that lead to floods (Huber & Gulledge, 2011). Increases in atmospheric water vapour and temperature have also been evident in other areas. The increase in the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere because of human-related activities has played a crucial role in the rise in tropical ocean temperatures. In fact, the environmental issue of climate change and its associated health effects necessitates the implementation of effective courses of action (Vardoulakis & Heaviside, 2012). Besides implementing measures to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by industries and other human activities, it is necessary for stakeholders to educate individuals on the essence of climate change as well as the associated health consequences. The education program should also include possibilities for reversing climate change and the need for adapting to the changes for survival. For instance, climate change has changed disease patterns such as in the area of insect-borne infections (McMichael & Woodruff, 2005). Appropriate adaptations for such changes include the use of vector control, new vaccines, effective and rapid diagnosis and treatment and the use of mosquito nets. In the case of malnutrition that emanates from food shortages caused by droughts and floods among other disasters, the current response intervention is the allocation of relief food. However, it is proper to implement a sustainable solution by adopting measures that match the existing supply of food to the demand (Costello et al., 2009). Rather than giving economic entitlements to all groups, it is also proper to consider the economic wellbeing of affected groups. This ensures the allocation of entitlements to the most vulnerable individuals. References Azuddin, B., & Hanum, H. (2008). Emergency preparedness amongst Emergency Response Team in managing accidents at the workplace involving hazardous materials vis-À-vis the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. Baez, J. E., & Santos, I. V. (2008). On shaky ground: The effects of earthquakes on household income and poverty. RPP LAC-MDGs and Poverty-02/2008, RBLAC-UNDP, New York. Banholzer, S., Kossin, J., & Donner, S. (2014). The impact of climate change on natural disasters. In Reducing disaster: Early warning systems for climate change (pp. 21-49). Springer Netherlands. Boon, H. (2014). Preparedness and vulnerability: An Issue of equity in Australian disaster situations. ResearchGate. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264707974_Preparedness_and_vulnerability_An_issue_of_equity_in_Australian_disaster_situations Costello, A., Abbas, M., Allen, A., Ball, S., Bell, S., Bellamy, R., ... & Lee, M. (2009). Managing the health effects of climate change. The Lancet, 373(9676), 1693-1733. Council of Australian Governments (CAG). (2011). National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. Commonwealth of Australia. Dayton-Johnson, J. (2006). Natural disaster and vulnerability. Policy Brief. OECD Development Center, 9. Huber, D. G., & Gulledge, J. (2011). Extreme weather and climate change: understanding the link, managing the risk. Arlington: Pew Center on Global Climate Change. IPCC. (2013). Approved summary for policy makers. Twelfth session of working group I. Working group I contribution to the IPCC Fifth assessment report. Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Laframboise, N., & Loko, B. (2012). Natural disasters: mitigating impact, managing risks. Latham, C., McCourt, P., & Larkin, C. (2010, November). Natural disasters in Australia: Issues of funding and insurance. In Institute of Actuaries of Australia 17th General Insurance Seminar (pp. 7-10). March, G. (2002). Natural Disasters and the Impacts on Health. McMichael, A. J., & Woodruff, R. E. (2005). Climate change and human health (pp. 209-213). Springer Netherlands. Munich Re. (2009). Natural catastrophes 2008, Analyses, assessments, positions, Australasia/Oceania version. Neumayer, E., & Plümper, T. (2007). The gendered nature of natural disasters: The impact of catastrophic events on the gender gap in life expectancy, 1981–2002. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 97(3), 551-566. NSW Ministry of Health (MOH). (2014). Natural Hazards: Public Health Considerations. NSW Government. Petrucci, O. (2012). The Impact of Natural Disasters: Simplified Procedures and Open Problems. Approaches to Managing Disaster–Assessing Hazards, Emergencies and Disaster Impacts, 109. Sena, L., & Woldemichael, K. (2006). Disaster prevention and preparedness. Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, Jimma. Trenberth, K. E. (2011). Attribution of climate variations and trends to human influences and natural variability. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Clim Chang, 2(6):925–930. Vardoulakis, S., & Heaviside, C. (2012). Health effects of climate change in the UK 2012. Read More