Cyclone and Storm Surge - Iczmpwb.org

5.10
5.4.2. Social infrastructure
Health and education facilities are the most important social infrastructure towards minimizing the
indirect damage, beginning almost after the incidence of disaster and possibly extending into the
rehabilitation period.
Vulnerability of the health infrastructure is assessed at the CD block level by the degree of access its
settlements has with respect to health care facilities (Primary Health Care center, Sub center, Health
center or Hospital facilities). Higher the level of access, lesser is impediment in reducing the burden
of disease after the disaster has taken place. Past records clearly show that diarrhoeal diseases
claim too many precious human lives (mostly children from age group 0-10 and the aged population
i.e. 60 + age group), which can be significantly reduced by preventive health care measures – and
communities with poor health facilities just cannot do that.
Existing educational facilities, apart from providing education, actively take part in imparting mass
literacy and community awareness programs. Communities with better level of education
infrastructure have greater probability of minimizing the impact of tropical cyclones due to increased
awareness and community level initiatives. Moreover, communities with better educational facilities
will have minimum disruption in education due to faster restoration of normalcy.
Level of access to education facilities (primary school, intermediate school, secondary school and
other higher educational institutions) will guide the vulnerability of the education infrastructure.
⎛ X ⎞
i
Di
=
⎜
Z
⎟
⎝ i ⎠
⎛ Y ⎞
i
Ei
=
⎜
Z
⎟
⎝ i ⎠
where,
X = Total no.
of health care facilities in i th CD block
Y = Total no.
of education facilities in i th CD block
i
Z = Total no.
of inhabited villages in i th CD block
i
i
Dˆ
i
=
D
D
max
max
− Di
− D
min
ˆ E
Ei
=
E
max
max
− Ei
− E
min