Slow-Onset Disaster

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Slow Onset Disaster

William Gunn (2012, P. 39) defines a slow-onset disaster, otherwise known as a chronic disaster as one associated with an insidious beginning and gradual progression. As such, it becomes eminent when it inflicts damage and suffering to large numbers, demanding an emergency response. Alabala-Bertand (2000, P. 215) describes a chronic disaster as a ‘complex humanitarian emergency’ which comes about as a result of the failure of institutional-based compensatory measures by the society and the social system. An example of a slow-onset disaster is a drought, which sets in slowly, but affects a large number of people, and whose response is an emergency. A specific example is the 2011-Horn of Africa drought that saw almost a million victims migrate from Somalia to neighboring countries like Kenya and Ethiopia. Kuman (2000, P. 67) observes that the nature of a chronic disaster is that it can be discerned in the pre-disaster phase, and a humanitarian crisis prevented if measures are implemented on time.

Disaster response managers face a huge challenge in regard to the management of chronic disasters. As LaPlante and Kroll-Smith (1989, P. 144) note, the potential to act and the knowledge of what needs to be done are two main challenges for disaster response managers in chronic disasters. Due to their nature, chronic disasters require government-coordinated policies, especially in the pre-disaster phase in order to ensure adequate management. Coordination of different levels of government becomes a challenge. The need for government policy limits the ability of disaster response managers, even in the instances where they know what to do. On the other hand, the body of research about chronic disasters is limited, as compared to rapid-onset disasters. As such, knowledge of solutions may pose a big challenge.

References

Alabala-Bertrand, J.M. (2000). “Responses to complex humanitarian emergencies andnatural disasters: an analytical comparison” Third World Quarterly, 21: 215-227.

Gunn, W.S. (2012). Dictionary of disaster medicine and humanitarian relief. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.

Kuman, G.S. (2000). “Disaster Management and Social Development” International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 20:66-81.

LaPlante, M.J., & Kroll-Smith, S.J. (1989). Coordinated emergency management: The challenge of the chronic technological disaster. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 7(2), 134-150. <https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/downloads/ijems/articles/coordinated%20emergency%20nmanagement%20the%20challenge%20of%20the%20chron.pdf>