Mitigation and Risk Reduction in Emergency Planning - Essay Example

Mitigation and Risk Reduction in Emergency Planning Task: Mitigation and Risk Reduction in Emergency Planning Introduction Floods are one of the many severe calamities that communities across the globe face. Due to this problem, communities incur devastating losses, in the form of lives and property. Proper planning by the involved parties in these communities will significantly reduce the adversity of these floods. However, the local authorities, the meteorological department and other parties fail to plan adequately prior to the floods, and this leads to the amplification of the flood effects.

In this view, this manuscript will explicitly examine the role of the concerned parties in reducing flood losses (Afifi & Jager, 2010). 1. In order to investigate the flood disaster in my community and assess the damage, I must ensure that I carry the necessary equipment required for my work. These will include a duly prepared questionnaire, enough stationery and recording instruments such as a camera, video recorder and measuring equipment to assess the degree of damage. I plan to use sampling techniques during my survey.

Therefore, I need to carry adequate sampling materials. In assessing the damage, I will inquire about the sources of the floods in the community. Additionally, I will examine whether the residents were aware of the floods. I will explicitly examine the preparedness of the relevant disaster management bodies and the residents. It is also crucial to examine the nature and degree of damage caused by the flood. Furthermore, I will study the steps to take to avert future damages of the same nature.

Additionally, I must consult the local authorities about the disaster. Moreover, I ought to communicate with meteorological department of my community in order to assess whether they were aware of the flood disaster and the steps they took to reduce damages (Afifi & Jager, 2010). I must also enquire the Non-Governmental organizations, who engage in disaster management in the area. In addition, I ought to interview a few local inhabitants in the community, since they have immediate information on the effects of the flood. 2. One of the reasons that lead to failure in implementing a proper mitigation program is the lack of proper planning by the local authorities.

Since the last drought five years ago, the local government had enough time to implement effective measures that could have controlled the flood. Moreover, there was insufficient funding and government resources towards the calamity vigilance program. This could have resulted from wrong policies from the lawmakers in the area (Afifi & Jager, 2010). Enough funding would have helped in constructing dams and other flood control structures that would have reduced the losses of damaged properties (Kreimer, Arnold & Carlin, 2003).

Moreover, the local authorities were not in a position to implement the emergency management techniques. Moreover, in the survey, it was evident that the meteorological department had failed to monitor and read the warning signs of the flood properly. This could have helped, since the government would have set up some measures to assuage the ill effects of the drought. Additionally, the qualified panel selected to conduct research on ways of averting the recurrent damages caused by floods did not execute a thorough research on measures to control the floods (Wohl, 2000).

Additionally, people were not conversant with the knowledge on how to control the adverse effects of the drought. Moreover, when the local authority warned people to evacuate the environment during the last flood, they refused to heed to this warning and continued to dwell in this flood prone area (Wohl, 2000). Furthermore, there was no coordination and cooperation among the local government, the residents, the NGOs and other concerned parties prior to the floods. If put in place, the severe damage caused by the floods could have significantly reduced, since all the parties aware of the floods onset, could have put measures in place. 3. In order to reduce the damages caused by the extensive flooding in the city, all concerned parties must work together.

The local government needs to implement enough funding and resources that will help in constructing dams and drainage systems to control the floods. Moreover, the government will be in a position to educate the habitats on proper measures to take in cases of the flood strikes. Moreover, the meteorology department must have enough funding in order to monitor weather patterns properly and thereby warn people before the onset of floods. Moreover, the government should relocate people living in areas most prone to drought to areas that are less likely to experience the adverse effects of the floods.

Relocated inhabitants should also construct strong houses and structures that are strong enough to withstand the floods. 4. It is evident that floods lead to serious losses of human lives and property damage. As a result, it is critically vital to plan early prior to the floods in order to avoid the negative effects associated with the floods. Therefore, it is critically necessary to reserve enough funds in order to prepare for the floods and reduce losses during the floods. Conclusion Floods have become a serious menace in the community.

However, concerned parties in the community fail to learn from the past flood disasters, thereby leading to recurrent property and life loss. Concerned parties fail to implement flood control measures that may avert increased life and property loss. Necessary actions need to be implemented in order to alleviate these adverse effects of the floods. References Afifi, T., & Jager, J. (2010). Environment, forced migration and social vulnerability. New York, NY: Springer. Kreimer, A., Arnold, M., & Carlin, A. (2003). Building safer cities the future of disaster risk.

Washington DC, WC: World Bank. Wohl, E. (2000). Inland flood hazards: human, riparian, and aquatic communities. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.