Role of Census of population and Housing on Disaster Management

What is a disaster ? “Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses, caused by hazards, which exceed the ability of affected society (community) to cope using only its own resources.”

What is a disaster management ? Disaster management is skillful ways and methods of controlling a disaster. Any disaster management technique requires use of country’s demographic and socio-economic data.

Disaster management approaches The general approach to disaster management remained reactive in nature, focusing on relief and then rehabilitation, reconstruction. However, prevention planning or community preparedness and policy priority are important components of disaster management Disaster management is a cyclical process (ASSESS – PRESCRIBE – EDUCATE) Assessing RISK, demands for data on disasters, their impacts etc. Census of population and housing is one of the important source of data for disaster mitigation.

Census of Population and Housing The characteristics of the population and attributes of buildings are derived from the Census of Population and Housing

Data derived from Census of Population and Housing Population by –Sex –Age group –Ethnic group –Religious group –Occupation –Level of education –Literacy level etc. Building attributes –Type of buildings –Materials used for construction of buildings –Availability of electricity, water, sanitation etc.

Some census information crucial for disaster management Population density gives an indication onPopulation density gives an indication on –Number of people who are to be affected by a hazard –Chances of the hazard culminating into a disaster –Cost and time involved for relief programmes LiteracyLiteracy –Literacy is again a major factor in creating awareness. –Literate people can be made aware easily as they understand easily and with less effort and money. –Literacy also decides the media that has to be used to create awareness among people.

Uses of national census data for disaster mitigation For measuring populations at risk from the impacts of natural or human-induced disastersFor measuring populations at risk from the impacts of natural or human-induced disasters To enhance decisions on humanitarian interventionTo enhance decisions on humanitarian intervention Disaster relief operationsDisaster relief operations Development assistance to populations vulnerable to a wide range of hazards potentially leading to disastersDevelopment assistance to populations vulnerable to a wide range of hazards potentially leading to disasters Early warning systems and emergency actionsEarly warning systems and emergency actions Designing awareness programmesDesigning awareness programmes Population data needs to be available at finer scale units such as at census block level or grid of size 150 m for assessing damages as otherwise errors committed in estimations would be high. Census of population and housing mainly provide data on characteristics of people and attributes of buildings. This information is crucial for following:

Mapping has now become a first stage in census taking operations Based on the number of housing units, census blocks are demarcated and census of population and housing data can be disaggregated at census block level paving the way to preparation of GIS on census data at census block level These Geographic information Systems can be used for planning and monitoring of disaster management operations GIS on census data

Population data from censuses can be made available per census block. The datum includes the spatial representation of the census block unit as vector polygon and the associated attribute reporting the total population value by age, sex etc. After identifying the affected census blocks quick estimates of affected people and buildings can be estimated which is more reliable compared to estimates prepared based on numbers reported by field officers without following a proper methodology. At the Tsunami disaster, affected population in Sri Lanka, was quite accurately estimated using census data for immediate relief operations. Quick estimates on people and buildings affected by disasters

Disaster prone areas can be identified by geographic analysis of socio-economic data collected by census together with hazard information and land use data Identification of disaster prone areas

Geographic analysis of census data together with hazard data and land use data, can be used to estimate number of people and buildings in disaster prone areas at different disaggregated levels. Identification of disaster prone areas contd. Classification of census blocks by gravity of impact

Designing awareness programmes for disaster mitigation GIS is used for designing an awareness program based on the following factors –Zonation of hazard, based on the risk, –Land use, –Population density, –Literacy rate and –Media usage.

Designing awareness programmes overlay is performed by giving weights and ranks to the various factors: hazard map, land use map, population density map, literacy map and media usage map The result of the overlay gives an indication on areas where the awareness should be created, on what disaster, to what level, its intensity and the type of media that can be best used.

Conclusion Census of population and housing data plays a vital role in disaster management operationsCensus of population and housing data plays a vital role in disaster management operations It is the main source of data for characteristics of people and buildingsIt is the main source of data for characteristics of people and buildings Census data alone may not be sufficient for taking decisions and census data should be analyzed together with other crucial information such as hazard and land use dataCensus data alone may not be sufficient for taking decisions and census data should be analyzed together with other crucial information such as hazard and land use data GIS is very important for integrated analysis of disaster related dataGIS is very important for integrated analysis of disaster related data internationally standardized method for assessing damages, should be developed and put forward for global use as technology is largely concentrated in developed countriesinternationally standardized method for assessing damages, should be developed and put forward for global use as technology is largely concentrated in developed countries

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Census of Buildings and Persons affected by the Tsunami – 2004 Sri Lanka

Introduction The Department of Census and Statistics conducted a Census to assess the impact of the Tsunami on 26 th December, 2004 on the Buildings and people living in those buildings, within a very short period of time.

Stage I - Listing and updating of all the buildings Frame used Census blocks (part of a GN Division) pertaining to the affected G.N. Divisions were first identified. If at least one damaged unit was found in a census block it was identified as an affected census block. These census blocks were prepared at the Population and Housing Census – 2001 and lists were prepared for all building units in those census blocks.

Listing and updating of all the buildings Field staff of the Department of Census & Statistics (DCS) updated the lists of damaged housing units in each of the affected census blocks due to Tsunami. Housing units belong to the affected census blocks were categorized in this listing stage as follows: 1. Totally damaged housing units 2. Partially damaged housing units (Cannot be used) 3. Partially damaged housing units (Can be used) 4. Housing units not damaged. Above categorization was made by the field staff of DCS (an eye estimation) at the time of listing which was carried out in the field in February 2005.

Galle DistrictMatara District

Hambantota District Kalutara District

Colombo DistrictGampaha District

Puttalam DistrictAmpara District

Trincomalee DistrictBatticaloa District

Jaffna District