Disaster Management and Early Warning System: Human Rights Perspective

Abstract

The origins of a disaster lie in nature and as well as in various human activities. Economically well-off and technologically advanced countries have failed in discovering proper solutions to disasters. The mere presence of hazard does not lead to disaster, there must be vulnerability also. Disaster plus vulnerability leads to damage. Making high probabilities from an undesirable event to low probabilities is disaster management. Risk analysis plays an important role in disaster management. Disaster management means the organization, planning and indication of measures preparing for, responding to and, initial recovery from disasters. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing play a very important role in disaster management and risk reduction. Early warning system is very useful in taking care of measures relating to pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness measures, emergency relief and reconstruction efforts. The problems and multiple human rights challenges posed by natural disasters are mainly of humanitarian nature and it is observed that the human rights of disaster victims are not sufficiently taken care of. In June 2006, the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) adopted Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters, which are aimed at protecting the rights of persons affected by natural disasters. Human rights-based approach should be considered as one of the measures to increase accountability for warning and it must be ensured that warnings should reach the each and one who are residing in disaster prone areas.