Response Ideas
Earthquakes can strike without warning. National leaders should regard it as their duty to consider the worst to plan for the future prosperity of the people they are entrusted to care for. Many aspects of governance can incorporate disaster mitigation and recovery planning into the national management processes. Roads, rails, airports, water routes all need to avoid being disrupted in order to facilitate daily commerce. Obstacles in the path of existing or future transportation routes are dealt with continuously and consideration of the unexpected is a prudent action anyway. Developing education programs as an element of increasing overall national power can easily include basic skills needed to respond to natural disasters. National leaders working with regional, community leaders encourage involvement and working together toward common goals. Creating a sense of togetherness that can be crucial to post disaster recovery.
Preparation –
National
Potential hazard identification
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Response management structure
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Integrate emergency services at various levels
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Pre-planning for inter-agency coordination
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Develop/Distribute training materials
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Identify response obstacles
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Contingency planning – Logistics
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Transportation
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Coordinate public and private sector
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Recovery plans
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Infrastructure survivability
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Image by Peter Langer
Associated Media Group
Potential emergency site hazards
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Flooding due to upstream dam collapse
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Flooding due to downstream landslide
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Fresh water contamination
Image by Peter Langer - Associated Media Group
Pakistan Earthquake Images / PKJKMUZ00068
Pre-surveyed shelter sites
Image found at United Pakistan.org
Image by Digitalglobe 2005