Every monsoon our lands are flooded and homes washed away in landslides. Beside the seasonal insecurity, sometimes floods are off-seasonal, as happened in Seti river last May. In summer, fires often cause heavy damages.
Earthquake is always a risk factor in Himalayan areas. Wild animals cause the death of 10-15 people every year in Nepal. And last but not the least, epidemics cause a number of deaths in various parts of Nepal every year. In short, disasters have become a norm for Nepali people. [break]
Rugged and fragile geophysical structure, complex geology, variable climatic conditions, active tectonic processes, unplanned settlements, dense and increasing population, poor economic conditions and low literacy rate have made Nepal vulnerable to natural disasters. Major parts of the country are seismically active, creating a very fragile geomorphology.
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The physiography of earth is changing slowly due to its own tectonic actions. Such activities are more pronounced in Asia, where the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region is the most active. And a major part of the Himalaya lies in Nepal. The constant tectonic actions combined with varied intensity of weather conditions have adverse effects on the stability of earth surface and river courses.
The Himalayan region of Nepal is one of the most flood prone zones in the world. Besides, heavy precipitation, high currents, steep watersheds and river channels add to the magnitude of floods. The middle Hills are prone to landslides while the Tarai to flood and fire. Flood, landslide and fire are the most frequent natural disasters in Nepal.
It is a great challenge for the country to protect infrastructure and property from frequent disasters, which result in the loss of thousands of human lives and destruction of physical properties worth billions every year. Actually, disasters destroy lives and livelihoods over the world. Between 2000 and 2012, 1.7 million people died in disasters. The estimated loss is about to US$ 1.7 trillion.
Disaster risk reduction includes activities which aim to reduce the human, economic and environmental costs of disasters. Across the world there are now programs to forecast floods, prevent infectious disease outbreaks with vaccination, and effectively communicate disaster risk to enhance community resilience.
Integrating science in disaster risk reduction means applying science in these efforts, uncovering new ways to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters, and determining which technologies are most effective in reducing disaster risk. More widespread integration of science in disaster risk reduction policymaking will depend on science being useful, useable and used.
But what do we mean by “science”? Science is knowledge obtained through study or practice. For disaster risk reduction, science is considered in its widest sense to include the natural, environmental, social, economic, health and engineering sciences, and scientific capacities are interpreted broadly to include all relevant resources and skills of a scientific and technical nature.
Disasters are social tensions, and the responsibility of science is driven by the need to address the adverse effects of disasters on lives, livelihoods, economies and societies. When the causes and consequences of disasters are not analyzed scientifically, the destruction and damages caused by disasters may be higher than expected. The main function of science in disaster risk reduction is to reduce the impact of disasters by making more accurate forecasts. In disasters, the damages are caused not just by the calamity but also by lack of information and prediction. Science can overcome this. After the disaster, mitigation is another important aspect where science can help.
The integration of science in disaster risk reduction and mitigation is a difficult task. This includes community participation in the development of scientific interventions, clear leadership and high-level commitment to implement and sustain interventions in the long term. This is because the short term activities are not sufficient for DRR and DRM.
The integration of science could be done by encouraging science and technology to inform policy and plans. It not only gives meaning to data but also informs people about the emergence of disasters. This calls for collaboration and communication across scientific disciplines and with all stakeholders, including representatives of governmental institutions, scientific and technical specialists and members of the communities at risk to guide scientific research, set research agendas, bridge various gaps between risks and between stakeholders, and support scientific education and training.
Although a few researches have already been completed defining the relation of science to disaster risk reduction and management, they are more theoretical than practical. So, there is an urgent need to promote scientific knowledge in action and find more practical approaches.
The author is an
environmentalist and working for environmental safeguard on various
development projects
navarajp@gmail.com
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