DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR NURSES,BY AZKAR HUSSAIN,SON(PIMS)

Objectives
At the end of the presentation student will learn about:
To define disaster, its types, and distinguish between natural and man-made
disasters.
To analyze the principles and core guidelines of disaster management.
To examine the role of nurses in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery.
To identify the psychological, social, and environmental consequences of disasters.
To evaluate Pakistan’s disaster management system and key agencies involved.
To highlight recent disaster case studies (e.g., 2025 Pakistan floods) and assess
response measures.

DISASTER:
The WHO (World Health Organization)
and UNDRR (United Nations Office for
Disaster Risk Reduction) define a disaster
as a serious disruption of a community's
or society's functioning, triggered by a
hazard interacting with conditions of
exposure and vulnerability, which leads
to human, material, economic, and
environmental losses.

When and Where Does It Happen?
When and Where Does It Happen?
Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere around the
world.
Some disasters can be predicted, while others happen
without warning.
Warfare is different because it is planned, with the goal of
causing damage.

TYPES:
NATURAL DISASTERS:
A natural disaster is a sudden, extreme, and destructive event caused by natural forces
of the Earth, which results in significant damage to life, property, and the environment.
Examples include:
Earthquakes
Floods
Hurricanes / Cyclones
Droughts
Volcanic eruptions
Landslides

MAN-MADE DISASTER:
A man-made disaster is a harmful event that occurs due to human
actions, negligence, or technological failures, and it causes damage
to people, property, and the environment.
Examples include:
Industrial accidents (chemical spills, gas leaks)
Transportation accidents (train crashes, plane crashes)
Nuclear accidents (radiation leaks)
Wars and terrorism
Environmental pollution (oil spills, deforestation)
Fire outbreaks (due to negligence or faulty wiring)

• Major natural disasters:
• Flood
• Cyclone
• Drought
• Earthquake
• Minor natural disasters:
• Cold wave
• Thunderstorms
• Heat waves
• Mud slides
• Major manmade disaster:
• Setting of fires
• Epidemic
• Deforestation
• Pollution due to prawn cultivation
• Chemical pollution.
• Wars
• Minor manmade disaster:
• Road / train accidents, riots
• Food poisoning
• Industrial disaster/ crisis
• Environmental pollution

PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT (Grab
and Eng 1995):
1.Prevent the occurrence of the disaster whenever possible.
2. Minimize the number of casualties if the disaster cannot be prevented.
3. Prevent further casualties from occurring after the initial impact of
the disaster.
4. Rescue the victims.
5. Provide first aid to the injured.
6. Evacuate the injured to medical facilities.
7. Provide definitive medical care.
8. Promote reconstruction of lives.

DISASTER AGENT:
Primary Agents: These consist of physical forces such as
collapsing structures, intense heat, powerful winds, rising
floodwaters, and smoke.
Secondary Agents: These refer to microorganisms like
bacteria and viruses that cause contamination or infections
following the damage inflicted by primary agents.

Host
Within the context of epidemiology applied to disasters, the
"host" refers to humans. Host factors are the individual traits
and conditions that affect how severely a disaster impacts a
person. Key host characteristics include:
Age
Vaccination history
Level of physical mobility
Psychological resilience

Environmental Influences:
Physical Elements: These include weather patterns, food availability, the
timing of the disaster, access to water, and the operational status of
essential services like electricity and telecommunications.
Chemical Elements: Factors such as the release of hazardous chemicals
into the air, soil, groundwater, or food sources can significantly impact
disaster outcomes. A notable example is the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Biological Elements: These arise or worsen due to contaminated water,
poor waste management, surges in insect or rodent populations,
improper food storage, or the absence of refrigeration caused by power
outages.

CONT…
Bioterrorism: The deliberate release of harmful viruses, bacteria, or other
biological agents that cause illness or fatalities.
Social Factors: Elements that influence an individual's social support network.
After a disaster, these include the loss of loved ones, shifts in personal roles, and
challenges to religious or spiritual beliefs.
Psychological Factors: These are deeply connected to the nature of the disaster,
the affected individuals, and their environment. The type and intensity of the
event significantly shape the mental and emotional distress experienced by
survivors.

Consequences of Disasters:
Rise in death rates
Surge in illnesses including injuries and psychological trauma
Outbreaks of infectious diseases and worsening of endemic conditions
Significant economic and structural damages
Harm to the natural environment
Increased strain on healthcare systems
Overall setback to national progress

Disaster management:
It is a Continuous process involving planning, organizing, coordinating, and implementing
disaster measures
Prevention of disaster threats
Risk reduction and severity mitigation
Capacity-building for disaster management
Preparedness for disaster response
Prompt response to disaster threats
Assessing disaster impact severity
Evacuation, rescue, and relief operations
Rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts

Core Guidelines for Effective
Disaster Management:
Disaster response demands a collaborative, cross-sector effort—no single entity,
including the health sector, can manage it alone. Key principles to guide disaster
management include:
Proactive preparation before disasters strike
Prioritizing isolation and rescue operations during emergencies
Employing a multidisciplinary, well-synchronized strategy
Ensuring strong collaboration across different sectors
Keeping communication channels open and reliable
Implementing triage to prioritize care efficiently
Addressing needs and recovery in the aftermath of the event

1.Preparing Before a Disaster Strikes:
Contingency Planning: Develop detailed plans during non-disaster
periods for effective response.
Risk Assessment: Evaluate the probability and impact of various
disasters in different areas.
Vulnerability Analysis: Identify populations and locations most at risk.
Collaboration: Involve all relevant departments and officials in
planning.
Regular Drills: Conduct frequent rehearsals to find weaknesses and
clarify roles

2.Focus on Isolation and Rescue Operations
Fatalities and injuries:
Most occur during the early isolation phase post-
disaster
Evacuation importance:
Strong plans needed for rapid population
evacuation
Preparedness impact:
Quick response reduces harm in critical initial
moments

3.Coordination and teamwork :
Ensure multi-agency coordination in both
planning and disaster response, involving local
authorities, PWD, health, food supplies, police,
fire, road, and aviation departments.
Maintain inter-sectoral teamwork across all
administrative levels: state, district, block, and
village.

4.Communication flow:
Vertical communication: Timely,
clear updates between health
workers, medical officers, and
district officials.
Horizontal communication:
Coordination among district officials,
commissioners, and telecom
departments

5.Triage:
Triage' comes from French "trier," meaning to
sort or select.
It means quickly sorting injured people by injury
severity and survival chances.
Triage should match local skills.
Priority goes to those who benefit most from
quick, intensive care.

Triage categories:
Red: Most urgent, highest
priority
Yellow: Urgent, second priority
Green: Less urgent, third
priority
Black: Deceased or dying

Post Impact Phase:
Recovery starts during the emergency phase
and continues until normal community order
and functioning are restored.
For some individuals in the impact area,
recovery may last a lifetime (e.g., Hiroshima
atomic bombing victims).
Recovery involves helping communities and
nations return to their normal functioning
after a disaster

ROLE OF NURSING:
Primary Objective: Ensure optimal health outcomes for individuals and communities impacted by disasters.
Urgent Priorities: Deliver critical survival resources such as clean water, nutritious food, safe shelter, and
personal security.
Disaster Prevention: Detect and mitigate the possibility of subsequent disasters.
Environmental Analysis: Assess hazards and available support within the affected area.
Equitable Care: Work to eliminate disparities in healthcare access and resource distribution.
Survivor Empowerment: Support individuals in taking charge of their health and advocating for their needs.
Cultural Sensitivity: Respect and incorporate diverse cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds in all
health initiatives.
Enhancing Well-being: Strive to improve the overall quality of life for those recovering from disaster.

Disaster Drill :
Definition:
Practical exercise simulating emergency scenarios for preparedness.
What It Entails:
Teaches self-protection (sheltering, evacuation, rendezvous points).
Prepares for challenges (communication breakdown, limited resources, evacuation).
Practices response to large-scale emergencies (e.g., mass casualty).
Key Features & Advantages:
Identifies weaknesses in disaster plans.
Builds familiarity with actions and procedures.
Ensures quick, instinctive, and effective response.

Mitigation:
Mitigation reduces disaster impact by supporting protection, prevention, response, and recovery
Mitigation helps build better prepared and more resilient communities
Structural mitigation:
Structural mitigation involves construction projects, Aims to reduce economic and social impacts
Examples include dams, windbreaks, terracing, and hazard-resistant buildings
Non-structural mitigation:
Non-structural activities: policies and practices that raise hazard awareness and promote
disaster impact reduction
Examples include:
◦ Public awareness campaigns
◦ Various types of insurance
◦ Family emergency plans

ROLE OF A NURSE IN DISASTER MITIGATION :
• Identify actual and potential community disaster
threats
• Implement preventive measures
• Promote community awareness and participation
• Evaluate effectiveness of community disaster plans
• Foster collaboration in disaster preparedness

Preparedness:
Preparedness is the phase of disaster management that takes place
before a disaster occurs. It involves planning, training, and organizing
resources
personal Preparedness: Managing stress and conflict among disaster
workers
Professional Preparedness: Maintaining license and essential
equipment, including stethoscope, flashlight with extra batteries,
cash, weather-appropriate clothing, record-keeping materials, and
pocket-sized reference books
Community Preparedness: Active participation in community
efforts ,Maintain updated records of vulnerable population.

Nurse's Role in Disaster Preparedness:
Authority chain
Communication lines
Transport methods
Mobilization
Handling deceased
Rescue and recovery
Triage and treatment
Support for victims
and families

RESPONSE:
Response = Actions taken immediately after a disaster
Aim: save lives, protect health, and meet basic human
needs
Conduct community assessment, referrals, , health
education, and surveillance, meet medical needs,
provide first aid, serve meals,
Ensure emergency communications, transportation,
and a safe environment

Nurse's Role in Disaster Response:
Ensure safety immediately after disaster
Provide medical and nursing care
Use available resources
Offer psychological support
Perform first aid and life-saving
Manage evacuation, shelter, food, water, medicine, communication
Control infections
Address post-disaster stress
Promote ventilation
Set up community outreach

Recovery:
Recovery is the long-term phase after the disaster
response, focusing on restoring the community to
normal functioning and improving resilience for the
future
1. Organize community cleanup activities
2. Address ongoing threats promptly
3. Promote proper hygiene education
4. Provide short-term psychological support
5. Issue alerts for environmental health hazards
6. Conduct home visits for support and assessment

NURSE'S ROLE IN RECOVERY, REHABILITATION, AND RECONSTRUCTION:
Recovery Phase:
Restore pre-disaster conditions
Monitor and prevent epidemics
Ensure safe water and food
Control pests
Care for survivors
Provide vaccinations
Offer counseling and promote behavior
change
Reconstruction Phase:
Build shelters
Provide health, food, and facilities
Support education
Train people, students, and volunteers

DISASTER EFFECTS:
Deaths caused by disasters
Disabilities resulting from injuries
Increased spread of communicable diseases
Psychological and mental health issues
Food shortages following disasters
Socioeconomic losses and disruptions
Shortages of drugs and medical supplies
Environmental damage and disruption

Disaster Response:
Monitoring and controlling outbreaks
through epidemiological surveillance
Implementing immunization
programs
e,g vaccination
Addressing dietary needs and food
security

Hospital Responsibilities During a
Disaster:
Clearly display the duty roster on a prominent notice board.
The unit head should conduct regular inspections in the casualty area to
assess the condition of the casualty ward.
Promptly inform all resident and senior doctors in the relevant
departments whenever a mass casualty event is reported.
Ensure all necessary medications and medical equipment are prepared in
advance to manage the influx of patients.
Manage and clear crowds that could obstruct effective medical treatment.
Implement triage procedures and assign tags to patients based on the
severity of their injuries.

Overcrowding:
Vulnerable hospitals: Less equipped
facilities face high overcrowding risks even
before disasters.
Temporary care areas: During patient
surges, hospitals may need to set up
temporary care spaces.
Common spaces used: Lobbies, corridors,
chapels, and prayer areas often serve as
overflow zones.

Essential Traits for Nurses in
Disaster Situations:
•Collaboration and teamwork
•Dedication and unwavering commitment
•Effective coordination of efforts
•Maintaining control under pressure
•Deep respect for human life
•Compassion paired with heartfelt devotion
•Inner resilience and strength
•Building and earning trust
•Embracing mutual reliance and team unity
•Openness to constructive self-reflection
•Balancing toughness with empathy
•Strong leadership qualities
•Upholding responsibility and accountability

Early Warning System:
Definition: An Early Warning System (EWS) is
a set of capabilities to generate and share
timely, meaningful warnings about potential
extreme events or disasters (e.g., floods,
droughts, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis).
Purpose: To enable individuals,
communities, and organizations at risk to
prepare and respond in time.
Goal: Reduce harm, loss, and risk by acting
promptly on the warning information.

Disaster Management in Pakistan:
1. Background
Pakistan faces earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, cyclones, urban
flooding.
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake exposed weak preparedness.
National Disaster Management Ordinance 2006 → Act 2010.
Shift from reactive response → proactive risk reduction.
2. Main Focus Areas
Prevention & mitigation.
Preparedness & early warning systems. Emergency response & recovery.
Community-based risk management. Integration with climate change
adaptation.

Agencies:
NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority)
PDMAs (Provincial Disaster Management Authorities)Handle province-specific disasters.
DDMAs (District Disaster Management Authorities)Local level → community preparedness & responses.
GBDMA & SDMA (AJK) Manage disasters in Gilgit-Baltistan & Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Forecasts, flood & seismic warnings.
Federal Flood Commission (FFC)Flood control & river management.
Supportive Forces & Organizations
Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) → rescue & relief.
Rescue 1122 → emergency & ambulance services.
NGOs & International Agencies
Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, IRC,UN agencies (FAO, WFP, OCHA, UNDP).
World Bank & ADB support financially & technicall

Mental wellness during disasters:
People want to know the whereabouts of loved ones during major
disasters
Mourning requires space and support from family, friends, or local
healers
Most recover within 2 weeks; about 1% to 3% may need extra help
Children often receive little attention during disasters
Listen carefully to children and validate their feelings
Provide simple, clear answers to children's questions
Create safe, secure environments for children in shelters (e.g., play
areas)

Nurse's role in emotional first aid:
Acute Stress: Managing immediate stress reactions
PTSD: Supporting post-trauma recovery
Adjustment & Depressive Disorders: Assisting mood and adaptation issues
Acute Psychosis: Handling severe mental disturbances
Dissociative & Anxiety Disorders: Addressing identity and anxiety problems
Suicide Risk: Identifying and intervening in suicidal behavior
Personality Changes: Monitoring shifts in personality traits
Crisis Intervention: Providing urgent emotional support

Community disaster planning:
Develop a disaster plan addressing identified
threats
Establish a local community communication
system
Identify disaster personnel: volunteers, emergency
staff, agencies, and resources
Designate regional backup agencies and personnel
Assign specific roles and create a disaster chain of
command

Nurses' task in disaster impact:
Assess event size: Evaluate the disaster's scale
Identify health needs: Determine affected groups' medical requirements
Set priorities: Decide urgent tasks
Spot health issues: Recognize current and potential problems
Determine resources: Identify what is needed to respond
Collaborate: Work with professionals and agencies
Maintain command: Follow a clear leadership chain
Communicate: Ensure effective information flow

Major Disaster in Pakistan:
Kashmir Earthquake 2005 (Oct 8) Azad Kashmir, Northern
Pakistan
87,000 deaths, 75,000
injured, millions homeless
Super Floods 2010 Sindh, Punjab, KP, Balochist 20 million affected, 2,000
deaths
Monsoon Floods 2022 Nationwide (esp. Sindh &
Balochistan)
33 million affected, 1,700+
deaths
APS Peshawar Attack 2014 (Dec 16) Peshawar 140+ killed (mostly
schoolchildren)
Awaran Earthquake 2013 (Sep) Balochistan 800 deaths, villages destroyed
Oil Tanker Explosion 2017 (Jun) Bahawalpur, Punjab 200 deaths
Baldia Town Factory Fire 2012 (Sep) Karachi 250+ workers killed

Flood Disaster in Pakistan
2025: Causes & Impact

Causes of Floods:
Heavy monsoon rains (since June 2025)
River overflows (Indus, Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab)
Flash floods in KP
Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Gilgit-Baltistan
Urban flooding in cities (e.g., Karachi)
Climate change impact
All the provinces of Pakistan including GB & AJK are
affected

Deaths & Missing:
854 deaths nationwide (till Sept
1, 2025)
KP: 479 deaths (worst hit, esp.
Buner district)
Punjab: 180+ deaths Sindh: 52
deaths
Others: small numbers in GB,
Baluchistan, AJK200+ missing
(mostly in KP
Injuries:
1,130+ people injured
Causes: building collapses,
landslides, floodwaters
Medical camps set up (352 in
Punjab treated 17,000+)

Impact on Livelihoods:
Thousands of acres farmland submerged
600,000–1 million people displaced
Punjab: 760,000 evacuated, 500+ camps
KP: 23,000+ displaced
Sindh & GB: thousands at risk/displaced
2 million people rescued nationwide
KP most affected (Buner district tragedy)
Economic losses in billions (more to 2022 floods)

Response & Support:
Response & Support
NDMA, PDMA & Army rescue
operations
UN & Red Cross aid support
Relief camps, food & medical
services
International help requested

Invest in Preparedness:
Investments in Preparedness and
Prevention (Mitigation) will yield
sustainable results, rather than spending
money on relief after a disaster.
Most disasters are predictable, especially
in their seasonality and the disaster-prone
areas which are vulnerable.
Communities must be involved in disaster
preparedness.

Best Practices:
On 12 November, 1970 a major cyclone hit the coastal belt of
Bangladesh at 223 km/hr. with a storm surge of six to nine meters
height, killing an estimated 500,000 people.
Due to the Cyclone Preparedness Program, the April 1991 cyclone
with wind speed of 225 km/hr. killed only 138,000 people even
though the coastal population had doubled by that time.
In May 1994, in a similar cyclone with a wind speed of 250 km/hr.
only 127 people lost their lives.
In May 1997, in a cyclone with wind speed of 200 km/hr. only 111
people lost their lives.

Lesson learn:
•Preparedness is more effective than only focusing on relief.
•Strong disaster management institutions are essential.
•Communities must be trained as first responders.
•Infrastructure should be built disaster-resilient.
•Early warning systems save lives.
•Health and psychological support are vital.
•Coordination among all agencies improves response.
•Public awareness and education reduce risks.
•Climate change adaptation must be prioritized.
•Recovery should focus on “building back better.

References
World Health Organization. (2023). Disaster preparedness and response. WHO.
https://www.who.int
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). (2022). What is disaster risk
reduction?. UNDRR. https://www.undrr.org
Grab, J., & Eng, R. (1995). Principles of disaster management. Journal of Emergency Management,
3(2), 45–52.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). (2023). National disaster risk management
framework Pakistan. Government of Pakistan. https://ndma.gov.pk
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). (2022). Role of health
workers in emergencies. IFRC. https://www.ifrc.org
Khan, A., & Rehman, S. (2024). Disaster response and resilience in Pakistan: Lessons from recent
floods. Journal of South Asian Disaster Studies, 16(1), 55–68.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR NURSES,BY AZKAR HUSSAIN,SON(PIMS)

DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR NURSES,BY AZKAR HUSSAIN,SON(PIMS)

More Related Content

Similar to DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR NURSES,BY AZKAR HUSSAIN,SON(PIMS)

Recently uploaded

DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR NURSES,BY AZKAR HUSSAIN,SON(PIMS)