Intext Questions
On Page 3
Question 1. Collect information about your area and identify the different hazards that your area is prone to and list them into three broad headings, i.e., natural, socio-natural and human-induced.
Answer Hazards in the three categories can be
On Page 4
Question 1. Look for more news articles on some of the recent disasters that have occurred in the recent past. Prepare a short writeup on their social and economic impact on the community.
Answer Social and economic impact of a disaster will include the following
(i) Bereavement, injury or direct threat to life, personal health, and safety of self and loved ones.
(ii) Family separation (the lack of information and knowledge about the safety, wellbeing and whereabouts of other family members causes continuing anxiety).
(iii) Witnessing the death, injury or suffering of others.
(iv) Extended isolation from information, failure of information /communication channels and networks, failure of telephone networks and electricity and loss of informal communication networks through lack of social contact.
(v) Extensive threat to, or loss and damage of, home, property, capital assets, livestock, or businesses or sources of income. This also includes destruction, damage and/or failure of a range of physical and social infrastructure.
(vi) Loss of essential services including electricity and water that may result in loss of foodstuffs, inadequate heating and cooling, lack of access to money and purchasing ability.
(vii) Loss of pets/companion animals.(viii) Evacuation or dislocation from home, school, family and support networks.
(ix) Physical isolation and lack of transport due to road closures, bridge collapses and public transport closures.
(x) Loss and disruption of usual routines and community activities.
(xi) Social problems induced by response and recovery support (for example, inequities of response, cultural inappropriateness, or the undermining of community structures or support mechanisms).
(xii) Continued economic hardship due to an inability to resume income-generating activities.There are many more similar problems associated with disasters and their aftermath.
On Page 7
Question 1. List out people and structures that were vulnerable andat risk during the tsunami that hit the Southern coast of the country on 26th December, 2004.
Answer People vulnerable and at risk during a tsunami will be
(i) Fishermen when they are near the coast or if they are removing thefish after reaching the shore.
(ii) Sailors if they are near the coast or if they are on the ship which isberthed in the port.
(iii) People living on the coast or even near the coast, especially around estuaries of rivers.
(iv) Anybody who is near the sea either for work or for sport when the tsunami strikes. Structures vulnerable and at risk during a tsunami will be
(i) Homes, offices and other buildings on the seaor near to it.
(ii) Communication towers, electric poles or any other man-madestructures on the coast or near it.(iii) Trees on or near the coast.
On Page 10
Question 1. Given below are pictures based on the various phases of disaster management. Identify the various steps that are shown in the pictures and arrange them in the order of occurrence.
Exercises
Question 1. Match each of the items in Column A with one of the items in Column B (you may have more than one item on the left matching the same item on the right).
Question 2. Can a disaster be prevented? Enumerate some the ways through which impact of a disaster can be reduced.
Answer No, a disaster cannot be prevented but its effects can bereduced through different mitigation methods and disaster management.some of the ways through which impact of a disaster can be reduced are
(a) Emergency response and relief
(b) Rehabiliation and reconstruction
(c) Mitigation
(d) Preparedness
Question 3. List the hazards in the mountain areas, coastal regions and plateau areas of India.
Answer Mountain areas — Landslides, land subsidence, avalanches, volcano eruption, earthquakes, flash floods
- Coastal regions — Cyclones, tsunami, floods
- Plateau areas — Landslides, drought earthquakes
Question 4. List out at least 10 risk inducing factors in your home, school or office.
Answer.
- Home — Gas stove, Gas cylinder, Room heater, Water heating rod
- School — Swings, Chemical in lab, Swimming pool
- Office — Fire, Lifts, Electrical appliances
Question 5. What do we understand by mitigation? Why is it important? Give three examples of non-structural mitigation
Answer Mitigation Any action taken to minimize the extent and effect ofa disaster or potential disaster is known as mitigation. Mitigation can take place before, during or after a disaster, but the term is most often used to refer to action against potential disasters.
- Mitigation is important because it helps to reduce the impact of disasters and reduces loss of life and property.
- By adopting mitigation strategies the communities are able to recover and resume normal lives rapidly.
Examples of Non-Structural Mitigation are
- Training in disaster management
- Regulating land use
- Public education
- Raising awareness
- Hazard mapping
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