Warning System – Issues

Nishantha Kamaladasa, Director, Centre for Housing Planning and Building

Governance

It may not be necessary to have a centralized warning system installed for all disasters. Met Dept could give warning about an impending cyclone (which they did quite well in the last cyclone as mentioned by Rohan), while the Irrigation Department could do so with floods, as it is done right now. NBRO could be entrusted the same with landslides and probably you may need to treat Tsunami separately. The point here it is that a single institutional mechanism may not be applicable to all disaster situations and also that those which could be of local in nature, need to have local mechanisms.

Hence it is suggested that each disaster situation be taken separately and under each disaster, separate mechanisms be created to detect the disaster, decide the vulnerability and disseminate the warning (Peterson’s stages).

Sustenance

Any external solution imposed on someone will not stay, unless the solution has the blessings of the implementers. Hence it would be necessary that institutions that are likely to implement the warning system made a party in formulating the proposal.

For this to happen, you might need to consider appointing sub-committee for each disaster and get representation from organizations that are likely to get involve in the early warning system, in preparing the solution, for each disaster separately.

Associated operations

Early warning requires mobilizing certain other sections in to the area while removing vulnerable people. For example, police and army might have to be moved to the area to combat looting, etc., Rescue workers to help evacuation, etc. Hence warning system to work has to address other than vulnerable groups with an agenda of action.

Set of values

It would be necessary that a set of values be adhered by the people who get involve in disaster warnings, such as

1	Protecting life would be the primary concern and all other concerns (political, status, ownership, etc.) are secondary
2	Selfless commitment in discharging the duties
3	etc and etc

It would be necessary to agree on the set of values necessary by a team or you may even call for such through your web.

Indemnity

It is also necessary that people involve in the warning system can exercise their duty without having to face consequences later (law suits, etc.). Legislation needs to be formulated.

Apart from legal indemnity there should also be certain ethical protection from media and other pressure groups in the event of forecast become wrnong so that the credibility of the warning system is not tarnished, unnecessarily.

Authority, Resources and facilities

The staff should also be provided with adequate resources to make them self sufficient in their operations (necessary equipments, finances, support staff, etc), access to the echelons of power, authority to decide and act, etc. and etc.

Though these sounds too obvious these are serious constraints that prevent officers from taking timely action, especially within the bureaucracy.