Disaster Recovery and the Road Ahead - IGNOU

The Myths with regard to Human Response in Disaster
Myth Reality Planning Implications
1. People panic in danger. Only a small number are
likely to panic; the majority
will take whatever steps are
available to protect and
comfort each other.
Providing necessary
information, direction which
enables people to make
rational decisions.
2. During disasters people
only think of
themselves.
3. Too much information
is likely to scare people
and make them behave
erratically.
4. People do not react with
severe emotional
disturbance when they
are affected by any
disaster.
5. Children are not
affected by disasters.
6. A community affected
by a disaster will fall
apart or never recover.
7. Workers in the disaster
situation are not
affected by disaster
People generally care for
each other and provide
necessary help.
Majority of people react
responsibly to the
information they are given.
The stress of experiencing
disaster and lengthy recovery
process has an effect on
majority of people
Children do get affected by
disasters. However, they
express their problems to
family members once things
get back to normalcy.
Community has its own
coping mechanisms to face a
disaster. It adapts to a
traumatic event and continues
to keep pace with the process
of development
Workers are also affected
during disasters, as they have
to cope with extensive
destruction, damage, stress
and trauma.
Publicize the efforts of
those who ensure safety of
others in emergency.
Provision of clear
information and suggested
courses of action.
Appropriate response
mechanisms need to be
developed.
Proper psychological
counselling and support is
required to enable them to
open up and express their
reactions.
Developing and integrating
community processes. Such
processes should coordinate
multifarious efforts in
managing disasters.
Proper assistance and
support-administrative and
psychological, needs to be
provided to workers.
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