Terminology

Disaster is a severe loss of the functioning of a society or a nation initiating a broad material, economic, human or environmental loss. A disaster is the outcome of the combination of risks, vulnerability and inadequate measures to lower the probable negative consequences of the hazard (Wisner et al. 2012).

Risk is the possibility of expected losses or destructive consequences resulting from interactions between human or natural caused threats and vulnerable circumstances. Risk results from the interactions of exposure, hazard and vulnerability.

A Contingency plan is the synthesis of the analysis, discussions and decisions made during the planning process. It is a way of communicating the ideas to people who are not familiar with the planning process. The fundamentals of a contingency plan is to plan for the unpredictable crisis.

Uncertainty refers to a state or condition characterized by a lack of knowledge, predictability, or certainty about future outcomes, events, or circumstances. It is the absence of precise or reliable information that can reliably determine the likelihood, direction, or consequences of a particular situation. Uncertainty often arises due to incomplete or ambiguous data, multiple possible outcomes, or the presence of factors that are difficult to quantify or anticipate (Christensen 2007)

Hazard is used to define the possible incidence of socio-natural or natural crisis that may have social, economic, physical and environmental impact in a defined area and over a period of time

Recovery refers to the process of returning to a previous or improved state after experiencing a setback, illness, trauma, or challenging situation. It emphasizes resilience, growth, and the pursuit of a meaningful and fulfilling life beyond adversity (Jha, 2010).

Response refers to an action, behavior, or answer that is given in reaction to a stimulus, situation, or request. It is the act of replying, reacting, or providing a feedback or solution to a particular input, event, or inquiry (Jha, 2010).

Vulnerability is determined by social, physical, environmental and economic aspects, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impacts from hazards (Singh, 2014).