System Approach to Study of Disaster and Role of Politics in Causing or Escalating Disaster - Essay Example

Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: System approach to study of disaster and role of politics in causing or escalating disaster A disaster can be defined as a dreadful event that occur suddenly causing mass loss of life and destruction of property overwhelming capacity and ability of locals thereby necessitating assistance from national or international agencies for help. Examples of disasters are of two origins, natural or man induced and range from floods, plane crash, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, droughts and famine, tornadoes, hurricanes, earth quakes, tsunamis, business failure just to mention but a few (GisDevelopment, 2010.). Question 1: System Approach in Studying Disaster Its worth to note that with passage of time, disasters keep on increasing especially in this 21st century, therefore there is need to systematically manage these disasters for the betterment of human race. This will help reduce mass loss of human life as well as destruction of properties. There is need to strongly analyze in theory and practice the whole issues as it revolving between human beings, their surrounding and the society as a whole. System approach is in study of disaster is a modern study that looks disasters as being large and complex as it entails a numbers of various issues (France24, 2010). The application of the approach revolves around the following issues at the same time; risk analysis, vulnerability and risk assessment. It’s required that tools be developed so that a risk can be curbed successfully. The development eventually will strongly support prevention and bring about activities for instance registration, monitoring, and forecasting, issuing early warning are vital in managing disasters (Humanitarian, 2009). The system approach as other risk management approaches does have the following characteristics, planned and documented risk management process, the process is on the basis of prospective assessment, there are periodic reviews of the assessment aimed at validating initial findings as well as bringing to light new problems, and there is a determined set of assessment criteria practical in order to swathe all aspects of the process (Afrasiabi, 2009). Finally, the on-going results of the entire risk disaster management are written down for reference purposes. For disasters to be effectively managed, the concept of vulnerability of the system and object at risk opt to be carefully evaluated. It’s equality important to carry out a cost – benefit analysis of measures to be used to evaluate foreseen damage to the system and to the structures. The main problem is that there are some damages that cannot be quantified for instance damage caused to cultural heritage of a society, loss of market share, loss of life, loss of indigenous residential areas. According to Songer, (1999) Risk assessment entails a wider technique to comprehend the possible potential impacts of natural disasters or hazards on the environment as well as the activities carried out by human beings. For example, in occurrence of an earth quake, the implications to the surrounding together with how the event will impact on the daily social, political and economic activities of the people within such area would be tried to be understood and documented. The objective of involves coming up with methods which will give room to proper allocation of resources at hand so that protection of various properties are fully protected. Thirdly, on the basis of hazard assessment, thorough study is carried out on natural hazards interacting at various chronological and spatial levels taking place on different location, regional and international scale (Iitis, 2009). It’s important to have in knowledge physical and individual hazards of which it has been already studied. After all the above have been done, there two main line of development that include; one, it important to clearly understand the elementary relation or link between man made and natural disasters as well as the process of globalization. Three main aspects are vital here; the link and relationship between disaster and economic development, sustainability and disaster, resource allocation mainly technology and capital and the disaster. Two, the principle of welfare for instance exploring old fashioned methods of intertemporal and interregional measures of the government should be dealt with. These then leads us to precautionary principle hence making the approach to be more problem oriented. As noted earlier, the main problem with system approach as used in studying disaster is that it fails to clearly give qualitative data on losses as a result of natural disasters. For instance, when a hurricane, mudslide leads to destruction of cultural heritage, loss of life, human displacement hence some family members cannot find their members, all these is not quantifiable. On the other hand, it a very good approach in studying disasters chiefly because it incorporates three main and vital aspects which are vulnerability, risk analysis and risk assessment when successfully dealt with bring about successful handling of disasters of any kind and magnitude (Ahuja & Tarrant, 2010). System approach is also responsible for the development of project portfolio which is of importance to the Disaster Risk Management responsible for carrying out applied research, preventing disasters among other responsibilities. Through the analysis of the various approaches used in management of disasters, no single approached can be deemed the best to handle the problem at hand singly. For the study to yield fruits, it good to blend these approaches as they will cover a wider scope of the problem although the more one incorporates various approaches the more complex it will be. It’s important that no community policies encouraging externalization opt to be followed. Finally, it’s worth noting that disasters avoid disaster, but through proper implementation of policies and other important steps we can be able to reduce the severe damage of such events such as floods, fire among others. Question 2: Role of Politics Causing or Escalating a Disaster It’s worth noting that politics and politicians are among main causes and escalator of disasters worldwide. Political leaders do take actions that instead of quelling an already disaster, they fuel it. An example is when United States of America and Britain decided to sent more troops to Afghanistan thereby escalating war. President Obama (in December 2009) planned to raise the number of American troops by between 30,000 and 35,000. In consultation with US, Britain offered to send 500 troops making a total of 9,500 troops in Afghanistan. Despite the fact that the decision had been arrived at, the US press secretary held that the president had plans to bring to an end the country’s involvement in Afghanistan war. The action was opposed by individual and watch groups. Australia also pledged to boost and continue with training Afghanistan policemen. In response to the above political action, Obidullah Khan an Afghanistan living in Kandahar claimed that if Americans and Briton troops are raised in numbers then more of innocent houses of local Afghanistan’s will be attacked killing more innocent Muslims as well as searching more houses leading to further disaster in Afghanistan. This can be true if we base the past killing for instance in February 2009, Australian troop killed five children in Oruzgan province and in January twelve civilians were killed. Although addition of troops to countries experiencing war is aimed at quelling the unrest, things sometimes back fire. It worth noting that due to increase in number of troops which led to arrest of Taliban leader, the peace talk between the afghan government and the insurgents has been ‘negatively been impacted’ hence deemed to escalate the disaster (Bernstein, 1996). The politic surrounding the whole event of ‘red shirt’ demonstration in Thailand if it’s anything to go by is in it self a disaster. The protesters initially demanded that the prime minister quit office and set new date for general election on the basis that the present government backed with army came to power via a controversial parliamentary election which the later refuted, hence fueling the unrest. It’s thus very clear that the disaster experience in Thailand which started in mid March was caused by politics and is further being escalated by politics. In the recent unfolding, the Thailand government ordered the protesters to leave their camp in Bangkok, this has been deemed to raise fears about further bloodshed after 37 people died in a fight between the protesters and the security personnel (PWC, 2010). The dead line given by the government without any incidences but fighting went on the edge of northern and eastern part of Bangkok, though government troops are trying to seal. Although the two groups claim to be in talks soon, the killing of major-general Khattiya Sawasdipol fuel the latest violence. In addition, the setting up of security cordon intensified the fighting as a rocket hit Dusit Thani hotel’s fourteenth floor, this triggered gunfire as power supply had been cut off. In Chonburi province, police reported that hundreds of protesters gathered at night and tried to block one of the major ports. The whole event has led to death of sixty six people and 0ne thousand six hundreds injured. The situation is steal pending and analysts say that the assassination of the major general will further the tension. Another example where politics did escalate a disaster is when swine flu came to existence in 2009. Most countries gave travel ban as well as advisories to their citizen creating more fears among human race in the world. In Mexico, the ministry of health reported that close to 159 people died as a result of swine flu and nearly 2,500 taken ill. World Health Organization said that there are about 105 confirmed cases in countries such as the United States (64), Canada (6), Spain (2), New Zealand (3), United Kingdom and Israel (2). All these cases resulted in governments advising there citizens not to visit certain countries, this brought with it very serious economic implications to the affected countries. Some imported foods were also banned. Despite the travel advisory made by the US government, no attempts were made by the same to close borders with Mexico or even reduce human traffic crossing the border as it feared the economic implications; this could be very dangerous (Bieri, 2010). Luckily, the infectious disease was curbed successfully but rather after causing a number of death and illness. Finally, it’s worth noting that politics don’t act on its own ground to cause or escalate disasters but in association with environmental, social and economic factors. Reference Afrasiabi, K. 2009. The Global Politics of Swine Flu. Available at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/KD30Dj02.html. Access on May 17, 2010 Ahuja, A & Tarrant, B. 2010. Thai Troops Close In On Protest Encampment. Available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36242813/ns/world_news-asiapacific/ Access on May 17, 2010 Bernstein, P., 1996. Against the Gods, New York: J. Wiley & Sons Bieri, S. 2010. Disaster Risk Management and the Systems Approach. Available at: http://www.drmonline.net/drmlibrary/systems.htm. Access on May 17, 2010 France24, 2010. Taliban Arrests A 'Negative Impact' On Peace Talks. Available at: http://www.france24.com/en/20100320-taliban-arrests-negative-impact-peace-talks. Access on May 17, 2010 GisDevelopment. 2010. Dynamic Flood Warning System: An Integrated Approach to Disaster Mitigation in Bangladesh. Available at: http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/natural_hazards/floods/nhcy0010pf.htm Access on May 17, 2010 Humanitarian, 2009. Anti-Government Protests Escalate in Thailand. Available at: http://humanitarian.worldconcern.org/2009/04/thailand-red-shirt-protest/. Access on May 17, 2010 Iitis, T. 2009. Afghanistan: Australian Troops Kill Children, Again. Available at: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/41099. Access on May 17, 2010 PWC, 2010. Closing the Seams: Developing an Integrated Approach to Health System Disaster Preparedness. Available at: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/healthcare/publications/closing-the-seams.jhtml Access on May 17, 2010 Songer, T. 1999. Epidemiology Of Disaster, Available at: http://www.pitt.edu/~epi2170/lecture15/index.htm. Access on May 17, 2010 Read More