1. Assessment of Damage and Losses after Disasters (PDNA)By
Alfred Opere
Training of Trainers’ workshop on Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change
1-10 January 2015
Nairobi, Kenya

2. Introduction Disaster cuts across all sectors
Any assessment method must integrate all key sectors
Key sectors:
-Productive sector ( Agric & livestock, tourism, fisheries, commerce & industry)
-Social sector (Housing, Education & health)
-Infrastructure sector ( water & sanitation, Electricity, transport & communication)

3. Definition of Disaster effects
Damage (Immediate effects)
-total or partial destruction of physical assets
-occur during the event itself
-measured in physical units and valued at replacement cost
Losses(Medium term effects)
-changes in economic flows
-occur after the natural event over a relative long period
-valued at current price

4. Definition….cont’d Total Effects: Damage+Losses
Losses result in changes of economic flows e.g
-production not obtained and sales not made, and higher production costs
-higher operational costs and lower revenue in the provision of essential services
-Unexpected expenditures (humanitarian assistance, removal of debris etc.)

5. Typical Damage and Losses
Damage: -Housing and household goods -Hospital, schools & equipments -Agricultural lands & irrigation systems -Roads & bridges -Water & Electricity systems
Losses: -production losses in agric., fishery, livestock, tourism, commerce, industry etc. -Higher operational costs and lower revenue in electricity, water & transport

6. Typical steps in DLNA Develop baseline for assessment
Develop post-disaster situation
Estimate damage & Losses on a sector by sector
Estimate total value of damage & losses
Estimate impact on personal/family income

7. Pre-Disaster situation
Baseline of physical assets within affected area, before disaster (D)
Baseline of performance on production and sales within affected area, expected before disaster (L)

8. Post-Disaster situation
Field survey to determine state (total or partial destruction) of physical assets in each sector
Develop characteristics of physical assets (by size, capacity, construction material, etc)
Obtain prevailing repair and reconstruction costs
This can be through field suvey or aerial photo analysis

9. Uses of DL assessment
To quantitatively define financial needs for economic recovery and reconstruction after disasters
To define priorities for attention in geographical, sectorial & special groups
To ascertain the capacity of governments to conduct post-disaster programs
To provide quantitative basis for monitoring progress of post-disaster programs

10. Conclusion
DLNA is data intensive: data collection, dissemination & sharing is an issue that must be addressed at all levels
Capacity building in data analysis, assessment methods in the region is also critical