The mission of the RRP
The changes in the climatic patterns, movement of tectonic plates and other factors has increased the number of natural disasters that the world is facing currently (Haddow, Bullock and Coppola 2017). Scolobig et al. (2015) are of the viewpoint that over the years the man-made disasters have also contributed in a significant manner towards the number of disasters that the human beings are facing currently. As opined by Jung and Song (2015), these disasters not only cause a loss of billions of worth of property but also take the lives of millions of people from all over the globe. The net result of this is the fact that since the year 2004 these disasters have taken the lives of more than 220,000 people from the different parts of the world (Rodríguez-Espíndola, Albores and Brewster 2018). In addition to this, the various nations have also lost property which are more than millions of dollars of worth, Furthermore, the different nations of the world spend more than billions of dollars for the effective mitigation of the damage or the risks posed by these disasters (Waugh 2015). More importantly, these disasters cause immense amount of psychological and emotional trauma to the individuals (Sylves 2014).
This report is a critical reflection which will discuss the factors that the national governments need to take into effective for the formulation of risk reduction plans. The report also discusses the manner in which they need to implement it in real-time scenarios. I will also analyze the risk reduction plans of Botswana and Ghana to propose the manner in which an effective risk reduction plan can be formulated and also implemented.
Kapucu and Hu (2016) have stated that one of the most effective strategies for addressing this issue is the formulation of different kinds of risk reduction and also emergency plans. As opined by Othman, Beydoun and Sugumaran (2014), the emergency plans are intended to provide an overview to the relief providers about the kind of actions that they need to perform in case of man-made or natural disasters. In contrast to this, the risk reduction plans are primarily intended to mitigate the adverse affects of the risks which are associated with these disasters (Larson 2003). However, for the formulation of these plans, the private organizations related to disaster management, the national government along with its disaster relief departments and its ministers need to take active initiatives (Nappi and Souza 2015). Furthermore, these plans need to take into consideration the plethora of permutations and combination of events that might arise during the time of the disasters and also the diverse contingent situations (Hu and Kapucu 2016).
The vision of the RRP
A risk reduction plan provides an overview of all possible kinds of risks that might arise during a disaster. It also provides an overview of the procedures or actions that the disaster management teams and the national government are required to pursue to reduce the effects of the risks (Jung and Song 2015). As opined by Haddow, Bullock and Coppola (2017) the primary objective of these plans is to reduce the damage caused by the disasters and also to mitigate the risks associated with it. Furthermore, recent researches have shown that the nations which do not have an effective risk reduction plan in place end up losing billions of worth of property and valuable lives (Rodríguez-Espíndola, Albores and Brewster 2018). I believe that this fact becomes evident when an analysis of the risk reduction plans of the under-developed nations like Ghana, Nigeria and others are taken into consideration. In addition to this, it is also seen that these risk reduction plans inform the people about the kind of actions that they need to perform during the time of disasters (Scolobig et al. 2015). This in turn will help the nations to save the lives of many people and also to reduce the chaos which is caused during such events (Waugh 2015). Thus, I personally believe that the formulation of an effective risk reduction plan is one of the most basic requirements of the various nations. This will equip them with the necessary weapon which will enable them to combat the adverse effects of the disasters and also save valuable lives and also property from destruction caused by the disasters.
The mission of the RRP will be to mitigate the adverse effects of the risks posed by the natural disasters like flash floods, earthquakes and others which frequently affect the nation of Oman (Serrao-Neumann et al. 2015). Furthermore, the mission of the plan will not only be to mitigate the adverse effects of the risks posed by the natural disasters to the people of the nation but also to the valuable property of the nation as well.
The vision of the RRP will be to manage the diverse risks posed by these natural disasters in an effective manner through the active coordination of the different local governments, ministers and other departments of the nation of Oman.
The main objectives of the RRP are listed below-
- To strength the natural security of the nation through reduction of the risks posed by the natural disasters to the people of the nation.
- To effectively implement RRP at the national, local and also zonal levels.
- To integrate the different ministries and the departments of the national government within the framework formulated for the reduction of the risks posed by the natural disasters.
The following are the main strategic goals for the plan which has been formulated for the reduction of the risks posed by the natural disasters-
- Systematic approach for the mitigation of the risks posed by the natural disasters
- Mainstreaming the risks posed by the natural disasters
- Strengthening the different departments and also the ministries of the national government for the effective mitigation of the risks posed by the natural disasters
- Strengthening the various networks of the nation
- Empowering the different regions of the nation so that they are being able to combat the risks posed by the natural disasters
- Formulation of effective disaster relief services which will in turn reduce the adverse effects of the disaster risks
The main objectives of the RRP
The risk reduction plan of Oman is primarily directed to help the nation to mitigate the adverse effects of the different risks related to the various flash floods, earthquakes, cyclones and other kind of disasters that it is facing currently (Serrao-Neumann et al. 2015). Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the risk reduction plan currently used by the nation reveals the fact that with the help of this risk reduction plan the nation has been able to manage the different risks presented by the natural disasters in a substantial manner. However, when a comparison of the risk reduction plan used by the nation with the other developed nations is undertaken the plan falls way short of the standard level. In addition to this, it is seen that the sultanate cares of crises management and for this purpose various committees like National Committee for Civil Defense and others have been created (Aguirre-Ayerbe et al. 2018). I would also like to add here that the lack of effective coordination between the local and the national government of the nation is at the same time hindering not only the formulation of an effective risk reduction plan but its implementation as well. More importantly, it is seen that the nation has chalked out various individual plans for the hospital, governmental departments and others. Thus, it can be said that there is a need for improvement so as to address the different risks in a much effective manner.
The major risks which the nation of Oman is facing currently on the score of the different natural disasters are not only limited to the loss of human lives but also related to loss of valuable property as well. In addition to this, it is also seen because of the various disasters the people of the nation have to deal with diverse of health hazards and other related problems. For the mitigation of these risks, the nation takes the help of various kinds of hazard and vulnerability analysis. It is pertinent to note that these frameworks offer an insight to the nation only about the causes of the risks or the reasons for their origin but also the manner in which they can be mitigated.
Weichselgartner and Pigeon (2015) are of the viewpoint that the effectiveness as well as the efficiency of a RRP depends to a great extent on the factors which are taken into consideration for its formulation. It is pertinent to note that the various nations need to firstly analyze the key competencies of their nation and also the resources or the options which are available to them for the formulation of the risk reduction plan (Alexander 2017). Furthermore, I believe that the authorities, at the same time, needs to ensure the fact that the plan which has been formulated is not only realistic but also as per the needs of the nation. More importantly, the plan also needs to be in synchronicity with the kind of disaster related risks that it normally faces. I personally believe that these are some of the basic issues which a nation needs to take into consideration for the formulation of the RRP. In the particular context of Oman, it can be said that although the climate of the nation is a dry one yet the nation is susceptible to floods, cyclones and other kinds of natural disasters (de la Poterie and Baudoin 2015). As per an estimate, the nation in the year 2017 alone has lost more than $130 million dollars because of the various natural disasters in addition to the loss of several lives (Paton and Johnston 2017). Thus, it becomes all the more important for Oman to formulate an effective disaster management plan and a risk reduction plan which will enable it mitigate the risks posed by these disasters.
Formulation of an effective RRP
Aitsi-Selmi et al. (2015) have argued that the prominence which the RRPs hold is clearly indicated by the emergence of the different frameworks that are being used for the formulation of these plans. In this regard, the Sendai Framework has emerged as one of the most important ones, which is being used by various nations for the formulation of the different RRPs (Preventionweb.net 2018). For the formulation of a risk reduction plan using the Sendai Framework the authorities of Oman would have to take into effective consideration the four important stages of the framework.
- As per Blaikie et al. (2014), the first stageof the framework would require the authorities to understand the different kind of risks which the nation is facing or is likely to face in the event of natural or man-made disasters.
- In the second stage, the nation would have to take into effective consideration the risks faced by it at the global, national and also regional levels and thereby strengthen the process of risk governance (Wilhite, Sivakumar and Pulwarty 2014). This will enable the nation to effectively manage the different risks that it is likely to face in the event of natural disasters
- In the third stage, the nation would be required to invest in “disaster risk reduction for resilience” (Larson 2003).
- The final stagewould require the nation to enhance the level of disaster preparedness and also to “’Build Back Better’ in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction” (Hewitt 2014).
Haynes and Tanner (2015) have stated that the governmental authorities and the various departments of a nation play an important role in the formulation of a RRP. As opined by Muttarak and Lutz (2014), the primary initiative for the formulation of a risk reduction plan should come from the disaster management department of the nation. In addition to this, the disaster management committee of a given nation is required to work in close association with the other departments of the nation like the finance, administrative department of the government and others (Serrao-Neumann et al. 2015). In this regard, I would like to say that the involvement of the finance department of the nation is important since the funding of the plan would be taken care of the finance department. Furthermore, the involvement of the administrative department is also important since the approval for the plan would be coming from the administrative department of the nation (Haddow, Bullock and Coppola 2017). As per me, the effective formulation of this plan would take atleast one year of time. Thus, I believe that the association of these three departments of the nation is important for the formulation as well as the writing of an effective risk reduction plan.
As opined by Othman, Beydoun and Sugumaran (2014) the effectiveness and the efficiency of a RRP depends to a great extent on the strategy or the process which is being used for its implementation.
Once again for the effective implementation of the risk reduction plan the governmental authorities can resort to the use of the Sendai Framework.
- The implementation of such a plan is likely to require the national government to integrate the local and the regional constituencies and thereby reach a unanimous consensus regarding the plan which has been formulated (Scolobig et al. 2015).
- For achieving consensus, the authorities would have to include members or the representatives of these local or regional constituencies within the discussions which take place during the formulation of the plan (Rodríguez-Espíndola, Albores and Brewster 2018).
- The national government would have to integrate the new plan which has been formulated with the ones followed by the regional or the local ones (Preventionweb.net 2018).
- The national government would also need to invest into the existing plans or the models to not only upgrade them but also to align them with the one which has been formulated (Jung and Song 2015).
- The final stage would be the stage of integration and formulating effective risk governance plans. In this stage, the new RRP would be managed and also controlled by the disaster management committee of the national government (Othman, Beydoun and Sugumaran 2014).
- In addition to this, I would also like to say that the effective implementation of this plan would take atleast six months of time. I am of the opinion that the national government of Oman would benefit in a significant manner through the effective utilization of this framework for the implementation of the risk reduction plan.
An analysis of the risk reduction plans of Ghana and Botswana is likely to reveal insightful information which the nation of Oman can utilize for the improvement of its own RRP. Although the nations of Oman, Botswana and Ghana all belong to the genre of developing nations yet there is a stark difference between the risk reduction plans used by these three nations. For example, during the analysis of the disaster management plan of Botswana I found the RRP of the nation reveals that there is an effective integration of the different departments of the nation. The RRP of Botswana effectively integrates the disaster management committee, finance, administrative, agriculture, labor, media and others departments of its government. The integration of these departments reduce the adverse effects of the risks during the time of natural disasters by ensuring that the work which is to be done in case of such disasters is shared (Crawford 2016).
Importance of a risk reduction plan
The risk reduction plan of Ghana, on the other hand, is mainly concerned with the reduction of the various risks presented by the hazards like wild-fire, floods and others (Norman et al. 2015). Furthermore, I found that in comparison to Botswana there is less active cooperation between the different departments of the nation because of the fact not all the regions of the nation are susceptible to the same kind of risks. Thus, I can say that the nation of Oman can learn a significant deal from the risk reduction plan of Botswana. Furthermore, it can try to bring in the different departments of the government and also the regions of the nation for the reduction of the risks that it faces on the score of the various disasters.
The nation of Oman in addition to the formulation of the RRP and its implementation would have to provide training to the different authorities and the citizens so as to combat the risks (Haddow, Bullock and Coppola 2017). In this regard, the various training programs become important wherein effective education is being provided to the people and also the government authorities so as to deal with the emergency situations (Wilhite, Sivakumar and Pulwarty 2014). The individuals are thus offered various kinds of preliminary education regarding the relief works and also the places or the individuals that they need to approach during the time of such emergencies (Haynes and Tanner 2015).
The adverse effects of the risks which are associated with the disasters can be reduced in a substantial manner through the use of adequate trainings. However, there is a disparity between the actual training plans that are being formulated and embedded within the risk reduction plans and the ones that are being actually offered to the individuals (Blaikie et al. 2014).
- Oman for the process of providing effective risk reduction training to its citizens can take the help of various sessions and workshops. These workshops will offer the opportunity to the individuals to learn the skills or the techniques which will help them to keep themselves safe but also ensure the safety of other individuals (Othman, Beydoun and Sugumaran 2014).
- The training plans would also help the governmental authorities to mitigate the risk posed by these events to the valuable assets and the property of the nation. However, for the process of providing effective training services to the citizens, the nation would not only have to invest a significant amount of capital but also its resources as well (Haddow, Bullock and Coppola 2017).
- To achieve this end, the national government would have to create a separate department which will look specifically after the training needs of the various departments of the government and people. This training body will be governed by the disaster management committee of the concerned nation.
- For the enhancement of the quality of training provided to the individuals the governmental authorities can take the help of the models or frameworks which are being practiced by the other nations of the world (Muttarak and Lutz 2014). This will help the nation to reduce the risk associated with the natural disasters in an effective manner.
The risk reduction plan which the nation of Oman is using currently has enabled it to reduce the risks presented by the various natural disasters in a substantial manner. However, at the same time it needs to be said that there is much room for improvement.
- As the risk reduction plan of Botswana reveals, the integration of the local or the regional constituencies would enhance the effectiveness of the plan and will increase its efficiency.
- The integration of the different departmentsof the nation like media, agriculture, labor, education and others would enrich the RRP and also facilitate the process of its implementation.
- An effective consideration of the various contingency situationsand development of contingency plans for the same would also help the nation and the RRP developed by the nation in a significant manner.
- I also believe that use of various training sessions and workshopsor programs would equip the citizens and also the different departments of the nation to deal with the different kinds of emergency situations.
These in short are some of the measures that the nation of Oman can take into consideration for the formulation and also for the improvement of the RRP.
Conclusion
To conclude, the natural and also the man-made disasters pose a significant amount of threat to the various nations. These disasters not only take a toll on the property and the assets of the nation but on the lives of the individuals as well. Thus, there is a need for the various nations to not only formulate but also implement RRPs so as to equip themselves with the necessary tools to mitigate the adverse effects of the risks that these disasters pose. However, for the formulation of these risk reduction plans the nations not only need to use effective framework but also integrate the different resources of the nation. In addition to this, the integration of the local or the regional constituencies and the different departments of the government is likely to help the nation in a substantial manner. In this regard, the different training programs which are being offered by the national government to educate the people regarding the management of risks posed by these disasters also play an important role. Thus, the overall effectiveness and the efficiency of a RRP depend to a great extent on the kind of strategies or frameworks that has been used for the formulation and also for the implementation of the RRP.
Factors for the formulation of RRP
References
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