ABSTRACT:
“Natural hazards will always challenge us. But it is within our power to ensure that poverty does not turn hazards into unmanageable disasters. And it is within our power to join forces, address the immense complexities of disaster reduction, and build a world of resilient communities and nations equipped to counter the adverse impact of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters”. Mr. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General Japan’s government said the cost of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast could reach $309-billion (U.S.), making it the world’s costliest natural disaster on record. The extensive damage to housing, roads, utilities and businesses across seven prefectures (states) has resulted in losses of between ?16-trillion and ?25-trillion ($198-billion and $309-billion), according to a Cabinet Office estimate it. That could drag the economic growth rate down by 0.5 per cent this year. Natural disasters have been visiting every part of the globe at one time or the other. The world is becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. From earthquakes to floods and famines, mankind is even more threatened by the forces of nature. Disasters can strike at any time, at any place. Nearly three million people worldwide may have been killed in past 20 years due to natural disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, floods, snow avalanches, cyclones etc. Ninety per cent of the natural disasters and ninety five percent of the total disaster related deaths worldwide occur in developing countries in which India has the second largest share. Recognizing the need of the hour, the decade 1990-99 was declared as “International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction” with a main objective to focus on disaster management planning for prevention, reduction, mitigation, preparedness and response to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters.