Disaster Management in Fisheries

5.1.1 Introduction

The Indian subcontinent is very vulnerable to droughts, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fires. Among the 36 states and Union territories in the country, 22 are prone to disasters.

Among all the disasters that occur in the country, floods are the most frequently occurring natural disasters, due to the irregularities of the Indian monsoon. About 75% of the annual rainfall in India is concentrated in three to four months of the monsoon season. As a result there is a very heavy discharge from the rivers during this period causing widespread floods. Approximately 40 mHa of land in the country has been identified as being prone to floods. The major floods are mainly caused in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin, which carries 60% of the total river flow of our country.

India has a long coastline of 5700 km, which is exposed to tropical cyclones arising in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Indian Ocean is one of the six major cyclone-prone regions of the world. In India, cyclones occur usually between April and May and also between October and December. The eastern coastline is more prone to cyclones as it is hit by about 80% of the total cyclones generated in the region.

Droughts are a perennial feature in some states of India; 16% of the country's total area is drought prone. Drought is a significant environmental problem as it is caused by a lower-than-average rainfall over a long period of time. Most of the drought-prone areas identified by the Government lie in the arid and semi-arid areas of the country.
Earthquakes are considered to be one of the most destructive natural hazards. The impact of this phenomenon occurs with so little warning that it is almost impossible to make preparations against damages and collapse of buildings. About 50-60% of India is vulnerable to seismic activity of varying intensities. Most of the vulnerable areas are located in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions.

The term 'Tsunami' comes from the Japanese language, meaning harbour (tsu) and wave (nam;). A tsunami can be generated by any disturbance that rapidly displaces a large mass of water, like an undersea earthquake, volcanic eruption or submarine landslide. The wave travels across the ocean at speeds of 500-1000 km/h. as the wave approaches the land, it 'compresses' - sometimes up to a height of 30 meters - and the sheer weight of the water is enough to crush objects in its path, often reducing buildings to their foundations and scouring exposed ground to the bedrock. The tsunami on 26 December, 2004, killed 310,000 people, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.

Until very recently, the approach towards dealing with natural disasters has been post-disaster management, involving problems such as evacuation, warnings, communications, search and rescue, fire-fighting, medical and psychiatric assistance, provision of relief, shelter, etc. After the initial trauma and the occurrence of the natural disaster are over and reconstruction and rehabilitation is done by people, NGOs and the Government, its memories are relegated to history.

It is evident today that human activities are responsible for accelerating the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Natural occurrences such as floods, earthquakes, cyclones, etc. will always occur. They are a part of the environment that we live in. However, the destruction from natural hazards can be minimized by the presence of a well-functioning warning system combined with preparedness on part of the community that will be affected. So although traditionally disaster management consisted primarily of reactive mechanisms, the past few years have witnessed a gradual shift towards a more proactive, mitigation-based approach.
Disaster management is a multidisciplinary area in which a wide range of issues that range from forecasting, warning, evacuation, search and rescue, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation are included. It is also multi-sectoral as it involves administrators, scientists, planners, volunteers and communities. These roles and activities span the pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster plans. Since their activities are complementary as well as supplementary to each other there is a critical need for coordinating these activities.

In order to transfer the benefits of scientific research and development to the communities, links must be developed between scientific communities and field agencies. Coordination between Government agencies and NGOs needs to be built up so that any overlap of activities may be avoided and ongoing links between the Government and communities are established.
Today, we have a range of early warning systems for a range of natural hazards. Although they are more accurate than before and can help in prediction, it is not enough to ensure communities are safe from disasters. This is where disaster mitigation can play an important role. 'Mitigation' means lessening the negative impact of the natural hazards. It is defined as sustained action taken to reduce long-term vulnerability of human life and property to natural hazards. While the preparatory, response and the recovery phases of emergency management relate to specific events, mitigation activities have the potential to produce repetitive benefits over time.
Certain guidelines, if followed correctly, can result in an effective mitigation program.

• Pre-disaster mitigation can help in ensuring faster recovery from the impacts of disasters.
• Mitigation measures must ensure protection of the natural and cultural assets of the community.
• Hazard reduction methods must take into account the various hazards faced by the affected community and their desires and priorities.
• Any mitigation program must also ensure an effective partnership between the Government, scientific, private sector, NGOs and the community.