TOTAL DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

 

Initially focused on medical relief, MERCY Malaysia has evolved through the years into a full-fledged humanitarian organisation, one of the few operating in the Global South. The transition is in accordance to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), where it was discovered that critical needs such as drinking water and shelter are high on the priority list following a disaster.

With that, MERCY Malaysia had a paradigm shift in 2005 by adopting the Total Disaster Risk Management (TDRM) approach to our work. The TDRM approach is in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which was adopted by 168 countries at the 2005 UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan.

The HFA outlined five main action points, among them the importance of risk education as an important element to help reduce vulnerabilities.

TDRM applies disaster risk management to all the phases of the disaster management cycle – from emergency response, to recovery, prevention/mitigation and preparedness/readiness.

PHASE 1 – EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PHASE 2 – RECOVERY

Time frame: 1 – 3 months after a disaster

A critical, life-saving phase to ensure that effective response – rescue efforts, fire-fighting, emergency medical assistance, evacuation plan – takes place when a disaster occurs.

Time frame: 3 – 24 months after a disaster

This phase involves rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, as well as planning for appropriate land use, industrial rehabilitation and livelihood support.

PHASE 3 – PREVENTION/ MITIGATION

PHASE 4 – PREPAREDNESS/ READINESS

Time frame: 12 – 24 months after a disaster

This phase focuses on efforts to prevent or mitigate damage when a disaster strikes. Examples include the utilisation of seismic-resistant technology in rebuilding or retro-fitting, the construction of dikes, replanting of mangroves, re-forestation, the construction and operation of meteorological observation systems.

Time frame: 12 – 24 months after a disaster

Disaster Preparedness helps to minimise the impact of a disaster. This crucial phase involves hazard maps, food and material stockpiling, as well as the preparation of emergency kits. Adverse impact can be effectively reduced if equal attention is placed on all phases of the disaster management cycle.