Understanding Disaster Management Cycle: Proven Phases for Saving Lives and Reducing Risks

Community Medicine, Disaster management, For Medical Students 6 Minutes
Disaster manangement CycleDownload

Introduction

On August 2, 2025, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck off the eastern coast of Russia. This seismic event triggered tsunami alerts across several countries including Japan, the Philippines, and Alaska. The tremors were intense, ocean swells rose dramatically, and within minutes, warning systems were activated. Remarkably, despite the magnitude of the earthquake and the widespread alerts, casualties were minimal and the destruction limited.

How did such a massive natural disaster cause so little damage? The answer lies in the Disaster Management Cycle — a systematic, multi-phase approach that goes beyond immediate reaction to include preparation, mitigation, and long-term recovery. This framework ensures that communities are not only able to respond effectively to disasters but also to reduce their impacts and bounce back stronger.

Defining Disaster and Disaster Management

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) defines a disaster as a serious disruption in the functioning of a community or society that causes widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts, exceeding the affected community’s ability to cope using its own resources.

Disaster risk management, as per UNDRR, is the systematic process of using administrative decisions, organizational skills, operational capacities, and strategies to reduce the impacts of hazards — whether natural, environmental, or technological.

Three fundamental aspects make up disaster management:

  1. Disaster Response
  2. Disaster Mitigation
  3. Disaster Preparedness

The Disaster Management Cycle

The disaster management cycle consists of sequential yet overlapping phases:

  • Disaster Impact
  • Response
  • Rehabilitation
  • Reconstruction
  • Mitigation
  • Preparedness

This cycle can also be categorized into two major stages:

  • Recovery Phase
  • Risk Reduction Phase

Each phase is interconnected, creating a continuous loop of preparedness, action, and improvement.

1. Disaster Response

The response phase is the most time-critical part of the cycle, taking place immediately after a disaster strikes. The greatest need for emergency care occurs in the first few hours, and quick, organized action can mean the difference between life and death.

Steps in Disaster Response

  1. Search and Rescue – Locating and extricating survivors from rubble, collapsed structures, or dangerous zones.
  2. First Aid – Providing immediate medical attention to stabilize victims.
  3. Triage – Prioritizing patients based on injury severity.
  4. Stabilization of Victims – Ensuring vital functions remain intact until advanced care is available.
  5. Hospital Treatment – Administering definitive medical interventions.
  6. Redistribution of Patients – Transferring overflow cases to other facilities.

Field Care

Field care is on-site or pre-hospital care aimed at stabilizing victims physically, mentally, or environmentally until they can be moved to medical facilities. It requires portable medical kits, trained personnel, and rapid transport arrangements.

Triage in Disaster Situations

When casualty numbers exceed medical capacity, triage becomes essential. It ensures that scarce resources—such as doctors, medicines, and evacuation vehicles—are used to save the maximum number of lives.

START Method (Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment)

  • Can walk? → Green tag (minor injuries)
  • Not breathing? → Open airway. If still not breathing → Black tag (deceased). If breathing resumes → Red tag (critical).
  • Breathing rate >30/min → Red tag.
  • Capillary refill >2 seconds or no radial pulse → Red tag.
  • Cannot follow commands → Red tag.
  • All others → Yellow tag (delayed care).

JumpSTART Triage for Children

  • Walking? → Green tag.
  • Not breathing? → Open airway, check pulse.
    • Pulse present → Give 5 rescue breaths; if no breathing → Black tag.
    • No pulse → Black tag.
  • Breathing rate <15 or >45/min → Red tag.
  • Poor circulation or unresponsive → Red tag.

Tagging and Identification

All victims should have tags indicating:

  • Name, Age, Place of origin
  • Triage category
  • Diagnosis and Initial treatment

Handling the deceased respectfully is also part of disaster management, including removal from the scene, mortuary transfer, and facilitating identification.

2. Relief Phase

The relief phase begins once external aid starts arriving in the disaster area. It typically lasts from hours to several weeks depending on the severity of the disaster.

Key Components of Relief Management

  1. Acquisition of Supplies
  2. Transportation
  3. Storage
  4. Distribution

Public Health Activities in the Relief Phase

  1. Disease Surveillance & Early Warning
    • Daily monitoring for fever, diarrhea, cough, skin infections.
  2. Safe Water Supply & Sanitation
    • WHO guideline: ≥15 liters/person/day.
    • Emergency latrines: 1 per 20 persons.
  3. Nutrition and Food Safety
    • Minimum 2100 kcal/person/day.
    • Ensure hot, cooked food to prevent foodborne illnesses.
  4. Emergency Medical Care
    • Mobile health camps, ORS, antibiotics, analgesics.
  5. Vaccination
    • Restore routine immunization; re-establish cold chain systems.
  6. Mental Health & Psychosocial Support
    • Psychological First Aid (PFA), safe spaces for women and children.
  7. Vector Control
    • Larvicide spraying, mosquito net distribution.
  8. Health Education & Risk Communication
    • Promote handwashing, safe food handling, symptom reporting.
  9. Environmental Monitoring
    • Water quality testing (residual chlorine ≥0.5 ppm).
  10. Health Information Management
    • Patient registration, daily morbidity/mortality reporting.

Indicators of Effective Relief

  • Aid reaches within 6 hours.
  • Sufficient food and water supply.
  • No major disease outbreaks.
  • Functional temporary shelters.
  • Protection for vulnerable groups.

3. Rehabilitation Phase

Rehabilitation starts after immediate relief ends and focuses on restoring normalcy in people’s lives. This involves:

  • Rebuilding essential infrastructure (roads, power supply, schools).
  • Restoring livelihoods (agriculture, trade, small businesses).
  • Re-establishing public services (healthcare, education, sanitation).

The timeline ranges from weeks to years depending on the disaster scale.

4. Mitigation

Mitigation involves all activities before a disaster strikes that aim to reduce potential damage.

Types of Mitigation

  • Structural Mitigation – Physical measures like flood levees, earthquake-resistant buildings, cyclone shelters.
  • Non-Structural Mitigation – Policy-making, land-use planning, public education, insurance systems.

5. Preparedness

Preparedness is short-term, proactive planning to ensure quick and efficient disaster response.

Key Preparedness Activities

  1. Disaster Preparedness Plans
  2. Early Warning Systems
  3. Mock Drills & Training
  4. Stockpiling Supplies
  5. Public Awareness Programs
  6. Medical Preparedness
  7. Risk Mapping
  8. Robust Communication Systems
  9. Inter-departmental Coordination

Mitigation vs Preparedness

  • Mitigation reduces disaster impact.
  • Preparedness improves response capacity.

Conclusion

The Disaster Management Cycle is not just theoretical — it is a practical, lifesaving strategy. The August 2025 Russian earthquake response illustrates how planning, coordination, and preparedness can save lives even in large-scale disasters.

From triage and immediate relief to rehabilitation, mitigation, and preparedness, each stage plays a role in building resilient communities. By embracing this cycle, societies can not only recover from disasters but also minimize the damage from future ones, ensuring safety, stability, and sustainable development.

MCQs

1. According to UNDRR, which of the following best defines a disaster?
a) Any event that causes damage to property
b) A serious disruption exceeding the community’s coping capacity using its own resources ✅
c) Any natural hazard that occurs in a populated area
d) An event that requires international assistance

2. Which phase of the Disaster Management Cycle focuses on long-term rebuilding after immediate needs are met?
a) Response
b) Relief
c) Rehabilitation ✅
d) Mitigation

3. In the START triage system, a victim with a breathing rate of 35 breaths/min should be tagged:
a) Green
b) Yellow
c) Red ✅
d) Black

4. WHO recommends a minimum water supply during the relief phase as:
a) 5 liters/person/day
b) 10 liters/person/day
c) 15 liters/person/day ✅
d) 20 liters/person/day

5. Which of the following is an example of structural mitigation?
a) Community awareness campaigns
b) Cyclone shelters ✅
c) Health education sessions
d) Emergency drills

6. In JumpSTART triage for children, if a child has no pulse after opening the airway, the correct tag is:
a) Green
b) Yellow
c) Red
d) Black ✅

7. The primary objective of triage in a disaster is to:
a) Treat the most severely injured first
b) Save the maximum number of lives with limited resources ✅
c) Provide immediate surgery to critical patients
d) Evacuate victims to the nearest hospital

8. Which activity is NOT a part of the preparedness phase?
a) Setting early warning systems
b) Conducting mock drills
c) Building earthquake-resistant structures ✅
d) Stockpiling essential supplies

9. During relief operations, the minimum caloric requirement per person per day is:
a) 1200 kcal
b) 1500 kcal
c) 1800 kcal
d) 2100 kcal ✅

10. A disaster response team arrives within 5 hours of a major flood. According to the indicators of effective relief, this response is:
a) Delayed
b) Within optimal time ✅
c) Too early to assess
d) Inadequate

11. Which of the following belongs to non-structural mitigation measures?
a) Flood levees
b) Land-use planning ✅
c) Earthquake-resistant buildings
d) Storm surge barriers

12. In the START method, if an adult victim is not breathing, and opening the airway does not help, what is the triage tag?
a) Red
b) Yellow
c) Black ✅
d) Green

13. A community conducts regular cyclone drills and maintains emergency stockpiles. These activities fall under:
a) Mitigation
b) Preparedness ✅
c) Response
d) Recovery

14. Which of the following is an indicator of successful rehabilitation?
a) Minimum 15 liters of water/person/day
b) No outbreaks of disease
c) Restoration of livelihoods and infrastructure ✅
d) Arrival of humanitarian supplies

15. In disaster field care, the main goal is to:
a) Transport victims immediately without intervention
b) Stabilize victims until they reach definitive care ✅
c) Provide advanced surgery on-site
d) Identify deceased persons

16. Which phase includes “disease surveillance and early warning systems”?
a) Mitigation
b) Relief ✅
c) Preparedness
d) Rehabilitation

17. During a disaster, emergency latrines should be provided at the ratio of:
a) 1 per 10 persons
b) 1 per 20 persons ✅
c) 1 per 30 persons
d) 1 per 50 persons

18. In JumpSTART triage, a child breathing at 12 breaths per minute should be:
a) Green
b) Yellow
c) Red ✅
d) Black

19. Which of the following best differentiates mitigation from preparedness?
a) Mitigation reduces disaster impact; preparedness improves response capacity ✅
b) Mitigation is short-term; preparedness is long-term
c) Preparedness happens after a disaster; mitigation happens before
d) Mitigation and preparedness are identical

20. A health team distributes mosquito nets in a flood-affected area. This is an example of:
a) Preparedness
b) Response ✅
c) Rehabilitation
d) Structural mitigation

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Published by Dr M Siva Durgaprasad Nayak

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