Disaster Management

A disaster is any serious man-made or natural hazard that causes significant physical damage as well as loss of life. It disrupts the functioning of a society while causing widespread human, material or environmental loss. These losses typically limit the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources. This is where disaster management plays its role. Disaster management is the management of financial, material as well as human resources in the aftermath of a disaster. Disaster Management personnel are trained to manage emergencies and respond to the needs of the people and areas affected in a quick and efficient manner. Careers in disaster management are both in government and private sectors, working with emergency services, law enforcement, local authorities, relief agencies, non-governmental organizations and international agencies such as the United Nations, etc. The eligibility to enroll in disaster management courses varies depending on the level of the course. For example, there are both undergraduate and postgraduate, diploma and degree courses in India. The average salary for a fresher in this industry ranges somewhere between Rs 8,000 to 12,000 per month. There are several universities and private institutes offering Disaster management courses at diploma, certification and degree levels. One must have completed 10 + 2 to qualify for a degree, diploma or a certificate programme in disaster management. Some of the institutes that offer these courses are:

• Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
• University of North Bengal, Darjeeling
• Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Sikkim
• International Centre of Madras University, Chennai
• Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal
• The United Nations Disaster Management Training Programme (DMTP)
• Centre for Disaster Management, Maharashtra
• The National Civil Defense College, Nagpur
• National Institute Of Disaster Management, Delhi
• Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), Pune