Comparisons in the increasing of disasters in the last 100 years: 

According to the EM-DAT(i) the total natural disasters reported each year has been steadily increasing in recent decades, from 78 in 1970 to 348 in 2004.

Debarati Guha-Sapir, director of the Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)(ii) in Brussels, Belgium suggests that a portion of that increase is artificial, due in part to better media reports and advances in communications. Beginning in the 1980s, agencies like CRED and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) began actively looking for natural disasters. However, about two-thirds of the increase is real and the result of rises in so-called hydro-meteorological disasters. These disasters include droughts, tsunamis, hurricanes, typhoons and floods and have been increasing over the past 25 years.

In 1980, there were only about 100 such disasters reported per year but that number has risen to over 300 a year since 2000. In contrast, natural geologic disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and avalanches have remained steady in recent decades (iii).

Number of people reported affected by disasters 1900-2008

Number of natural disasters registered in EMDAT 1900-2008

The reason why natural disaster have increased:

Scientists believe the increase in hydro-meteorological disasters is due to a combination of natural and made-made factors. Global warming is increasing the temperatures of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere, leading to more intense storms of all types, including hurricanes. Natural decadal variations in the frequency and intensity of hurricanes are also believed to be a contributing factor, as are large-scale temperature fluctuations in the tropical waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, known as El Niño and La Niña.

People are also tempting nature with rapid and unplanned urbanization in flood-prone regions, increasing the likelihood that their towns and villages will be affected by flash floods and coastal floods. Nowadays, large land areas are also getting covered with more cement so this means that the flow of water becomes very strong. The soil can’t absorb anymore the runoff from the water, which keeps collecting and rushing down, getting heavier and faster and causing much bigger floods (iv).

According to the World Bank's "Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis"(v) report, more than 160 countries have more than a quarter of their populations in areas of high mortality risks from one or more natural disasters. The good news is that the number of deaths from natural disasters has decreased substantially in recent decades thanks to better disaster preparedness and prevention programs. But this statistic is tempered by the fact that more people are being injured, displaced or left homeless. To a certain extent more people are prevented from dying but more and more people gets affected (vi).

Distribution of natural disasters: by origin (1900-2005, by decades*)

Vulnerability and disasters: the effects on children

The impact of disasters is particularly felt through gender parameters. MICRODIS (vii) researchers have shown that due to women and children’s invisibility they are more vulnerable before and after the disaster (viii). There is a need for more “gender-sensitive” disaster relief and research by focusing on the way in which women, in their role as mothers, and children, as fragile human beings, are more vulnerable when disasters occur. Women’s unique capabilities as community leaders are also often underutilized in emergency management strategies. On the contrary, women as mothers of the children that attend affected schools should be rather considered as those to look at when planning emergency trainings and disaster response programs (for ex. After-class training activities).

Although, more than anyone else, children are the ones suffering the most from the devastating effects of natural disasters. When disaster occurs, parents struggle to calm the nerves of their injured children, many of whom are inevitably traumatized or in a state of shock. The loss of loved ones and the trauma of going through such terrifying experiences leaves deep emotional scars. Even once the immediate relief operation is over, children still require a lot of assistance.

What does the rebuilding of schools means for children and communities after disasters:

The lack of activities for children and play areas are a significant issue. Due to the damages or destruction of schools after a disaster occur, many children are found to not have any constructive activities in which to participate during the day. Recreation facilities are often destroyed and many children are left with little support, while parents are inevitably involved in cleaning and other recovery activities. As a consequence, children are found to be emotionally struck by the tragedy, and exhibit behavior including crying, fear, and inability to communicate and express their reactions and emotions to the event. For such reasons, it is vital that the situation of children is monitored to ensure that they are protected from all forms of exploitation and that they continue to enjoy their basic rights, including the right to education. As of that, the immediate reconstruction of schools constitutes a key element after a disaster because it allows children to return to a partial state of normality and to replace emotional crisis with the joy of being around other children and have a space in which to learn and play at the same time.

Communities also benefit from the reconstruction of schools as while children are attending classes, parents and community members are able to focus on the return to daily work, which will be fundamental to feed their families. The return to work activities, mainly agricultural ones, also allows communities rising again and contributing to the rebuilt of a devastated economy.

In Indonesia for example, among the initial 100,000-200,000 displaced people after the 2006 earthquake, approximately a third were children aged 0 - 17 years while more than 500 schools were damaged. The prompt rebuilding of 33 HHF kindergartens in the Bantul region allowed more than 1,500 children returning to a state of normality and gave surrounding communities the power to rise from the disaster.

The “gap” in the response phases:

A typical disaster response phase consists of immediate relief, reconstruction and recovery phases. Across these stages, some problems arise over what, when, and how disaster aid is delivered. International agencies and national Governments typically provide emergency assistance in a “top-down” manner that reduces affected people to victims and passive recipients of aid. This might lead to dependency upon external help by affected communities, which can carry over to the recovery stage.

When disasters occur, Government agencies like firefighters, police officers, or the civil defense are the first ones to arrive but once first emergency is over and the devastating effects are left on the ground, this large-scale “help machine” often seems to suddenly slow down and communities are left with little if not nothing to rise again. The gap between the first response and the rebuilding face is created. The often high internal debt of many underdeveloped and developing countries forces Governments to look for external help, to international agencies and non-profit foundations’ support.

1. The importance of community response to disaster:

a. First Emergency Response:

Relief and responses are known to be most effective when people in the local communities are well-trained and the community is well-prepared for disasters. It is these persons that are quickest on the ground and most familiar with local conditions. The efficiency and effectiveness of the responses are enhanced greatly by improving the capacity of the local people. Most people may be stunned, confused, and somewhat disoriented after the impact, they gain sufficient self-control to help their kin, family, neighbors and friends. The first few hours of the disaster are practically in the hands of the immediate neighbor who can still save some lives, as the vast majority of those affected by a disaster will die within 72 hours after impact.

The first response phase includes the mobilization of the necessary emergency services and first responders in the disaster area (ix). This is likely to include a first wave of core emergency services, such as firefighters, police and ambulance crews. Effective emergency management relies on thorough integration of emergency plans at all levels of Government and non-Government involvement. Activities at each level (individual, group, community) affect the other levels.

b. Second Phase - Recovery:

This is the mid-long term – or about one year after the disaster – a time frame during which life will return to normal or to improved level to some extent. It involves issues of relief assistance, family relocation and relationships. The aim of the recovery phase is to restore the affected area to its previous state. It differs from the first response phase in its focus; recovery efforts are concerned with issues and decisions that must be made after immediate needs are addressed. Recovery efforts are also primarily concerned with actions that involve rebuilding destroyed property, re-employment, and the repair of other essential infrastructure.

c. Reconstruction Phase

This is the final stage of disaster cycle and communities can take up to 5-6 years to recover, in some cases up to 10 years. Poor communities and minority groups have most difficulty in returning their lives to normal. While it may be important to settle people away from flood-prone areas, on-site reconstruction should be promoted after earthquakes to take advantage of potential existing infrastructure and community facilities, while minimizing resettlement and social dislocation. It is also necessary to assess whether the reasons for relocation are technically correct before planning to relocate people or entire villages. Particularly when moving people away from coastal zones, the social tendency to return is almost irresistible. Reconstruction of damaged infrastructure is imperative, but insufficient by itself. It is equally important to identify local vulnerabilities and determine how to reduce them in ways that lead to durable solutions by using disaster proof materials.

HHF is building schools all over the world by using disaster proof-structures in accordance to each country’s regulation, to the best knowledge of countries’ expert constructors, and that are fit to the need of the specific disaster to which the area was exposed to.

As per Indonesia example, disaster-proof plans are also approved by the local Government’s construction departments, which ensure that the most possible safety is guaranteed when rebuilding structures in disasters-prone areas. Safety improvements continues to be undertaken and further collaborations with international architecture and engineering companies that have experience in disaster-proof reconstruction are being established. Our ultimate goal is that of providing more children and communities with solid building and schools where to feel secure.

2. The role of Governmental response to disasters:

There is usually a conflict between bureaucratic procedures and the immediate need for a prompt response characterizes many governmental responses in natural disaster affected countries.

A key to a successful Government response often depends upon the extent to which post disaster human behavior corresponds to prior Government expectations and planning. In the aftermath of every disaster there is always a gap between emergent norms that guide social interactions and the bureaucratic norms that dominate Government activity. By looking at the efforts in handling disasters in different contexts, which include both successes as well as failures, it is suggested that when the gap is large the relief effort is perceived as failure, when the gap is small it’s perceived as a success. Thus the gap is the primary determinant of “public perceptions” about the success and failure of Government’s disaster-response efforts.

The need for Governments to carry on disaster warnings:

Disaster management has been a subject of many forms of Governance (x). In many underdeveloped countries, the gap is determined by the fact that there is a large official worry about giving disaster-warnings as Governments fear that it will cause panic amongst the people. However extensive evidence now suggests that there is no need to fear about such reactions of panic. In fact, effective messages that are clear and specific must be transmitted accurately through channels that will reach entire communities.

Research shows that people are reluctant to heed to the warning messages for several reasons:

1. Lack of past direct experience with disasters creates the delusion of personal invulnerability (the feeling that “it won’t get me”),
2. Dependency upon over-protecting authorities,
3. Reluctance to abandon property and personal possessions is also a common factor weighing against acting on early warning.

This does not mean that effective warning is impossible. It means that it is important to look into the human factors in planning of the early warning system. There are also several factors, which make Government coordination difficult amongst which are:

• Lack of workable pre-existing plans on a community wide basis. Sometimes, community wider disaster plans exists only on paper – if they are to be made effective then they must be understood and accepted by all those who have a part in them.
• Inadequate communication or an ambiguity concerning agencies or officials who have the authority to take decisions.
• Disputes between authorities and Gov agencies on responsibilities.
• Lack of central coordinating mechanism - lack of coordination amongst people, small groups, Gov officials, disaster response agencies - each of whom is viewing and attempting to fulfill the needs in their own perspective and capabilities. The challenge lies in development of realistic plans for organizing, training, integrating, and coordinating the actions of both general public and formal disaster agencies.

Effects of natural disasters on developed and underdeveloped countries:

When the devastation caused by storms, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters in industrial and developing countries is compared, the injury and death rates can be up to 100 times higher in the poorer developing countries. Disaster prevention measures in industrial countries reduce the risk of disaster damage, also making insurance rates affordable. Conversely, in highly vulnerable areas of the developing world the certainty of disaster precludes the laying-off of financial risk outside the vulnerable area (xi).

Systems of prediction and risk analysis and mapping for many types of natural disaster are well developed today, and with suitable institutions and adequate resources catastrophe is partially avoidable. The problem in developing countries often comes down to making difficult development choices from among the many competing demands. Disaster mitigation, because it is an “at-times” need rather than a constant one, tends to lose out to other priorities – especially once the disaster has fallen out of the international media and the immediate relief needs have been met. At the time of massive reconstruction, the Government agencies may not be able to provide intensive technical assistance to communities. As a consequence it is fundamental for private agencies like NGOs to fulfill this “gap” and provide long-term support in the form of reconstruction of buildings and schools in particular so to allow children and community to return to a sense of normality and improve their lives in the future.