SMERU Publication

Working Paper
Topic: Social Protection

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What Is to Be Done with Disasters? A Literature Survey on Disaster Study and Response

Author:
Ruly Marianti

Editor:
Chris Stewart

ABSTRACT

The images of devastation and the stories of misery in Aceh during and after the December 2004 tsunami, which had dominated the national and international media for weeks, confronted us with our weaknesses in times of disaster. This lead us to the fact that although disasters are as old as the history of mankind, we are still struggling with the question: what is to be done with disasters? This paper is a small part of the struggle. As a literature survey, it aims to provide a systematic overview on various important issues and debates on efforts in understanding and managing disaster. This paper is organized in two parts. The first part deals with the various theoretical aspects of disaster study such as definitional debates of disaster, classification of calamities, and some themes (risk, vulnerability, ageing, gender) that are important in understanding disasters. The second part examines various aspects of efforts in managing disasters. It discusses themes such as the components of disaster management and the way it has been done at different levels and in different countries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
PART I. UNDERSTANDING DISASTER

1. Understanding Calamities
2. Classifying Calamities
3. Connecting Calamities to Important Themes

• Disaster risk
• Vulnerability to disaster
• The intertwinement of risk, vulnerability, and disaster

4. Connecting Calamities to Specific Social Groups

• Women (and Girls)
• Elderly

PART II. MANAGING DISASTER

5. Disaster Management
6. Components of Disaster Management

6.1 Predisaster Components

• Risk Identification
• Mitigation
• Risk Transfer
• Preparedness

6.2 Postdisaster Components

• Emergency Response
• Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

7. Actors in Disaster Management
8. Disaster Management at the National Level
9. Disaster Management at the Local Level

9.1 Local Knowledge
9.2 The Potential Local Actors

10. Disaster Management at the International Level: The Case of ASEAN

10.1 The ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM)
10.2 The ASEAN Regional Programme on Disaster Management (ARPDM)

11. Responding and Managing Disaster in Different Countries

11.1 The Philippines
11.2 The United States
11.3 Indonesia

BIBLIOGRAPHY