A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society that causes human, material, economic or environmental losses beyond the community's ability to cope using its own resources. Effective disaster management reduces risk, prepares communities, coordinates response and supports recovery.

Types of Disasters

• Natural: floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis.
• Environmental / Technological: industrial accidents, hazardous material release, major fires.
• Complex emergencies: conflict, civil unrest and breakdown of services.
• Pandemics: fast-spreading disease outbreaks with wide social and economic impact.

Core Phases

• Prevention & Mitigation: reduce long-term risk through planning, infrastructure and standards.
• Preparedness: early warning systems, community training, evacuation routes and stockpiles.
• Response: rapid rescue, medical care, shelter, water, food and restoring critical services.
• Recovery & Reconstruction: rebuilding infrastructure, restoring livelihoods and improving resilience.

How communities should prepare

• Create simple household plans (meeting point, emergency kit, contacts).
• Keep copies of important documents offline and in a safe place.
• Follow official alerts and community evacuation instructions.
• Coordinate with local authorities and volunteer groups for training and drills.

Response priorities

• Save lives — first aid and medical triage.
• Provide shelter, clean water and food.
• Protect public health — sanitation and disease prevention.
• Restore communications and transport corridors.

Recovery best practices

• Plan reconstruction to be safer and more resilient than before.
• Support local economic recovery and psychosocial care.
• Document lessons learned and update local emergency plans.

Cyber Fraud & Digital Safety During Disasters

• Phishing / Fake Alerts: do not click links in unsolicited SMS, email or social posts claiming to be from authorities; verify via official channels.
• Fraudulent Fund Requests: confirm charity appeals on the organisation’s official site before donating.
• Malicious Apps: install apps only from official app stores and check developer credibility.
• Account Security: use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication and avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive actions.
• Verification: when in doubt, call the official phone number from a trusted source (district website or government helpline) rather than numbers sent in messages.

If you suspect a cyber fraud during an emergency, report immediately to local police cyber cell and block the source.