The Apathy Factor Article Critique (Article Critique Sample)

Chapter Review: The Apathy Factor
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Chapter Review: The Apathy Factor
The chapter provides critical issues that lead to apathy in disaster management. The prevailing lack of awareness among people livening in disaster prone areas contributed massively towards continued devastating impacts of disasters on people’s life. Many people their knowledge on effective protection measures has generally remained poor (Heldie, 1989). This scenario created a supportive platform for disasters to strike and cause extreme detrimental impacts. In most cases, people tend to underestimate the risk of disasters. Due to this, they do not put in place requisite interventional measures to protect them in case of such risks. It contributed enormously to excessive sufferings whenever a disaster occurs. The tendency to downplay the risks of earthquakes put people in precarious situations where they cannot cope in the event a risk actualizes. This work is the review of the chapter regarding the apathy factor
According to this chapter, reliance on technology was another factor that promotes disaster prevalence. This aspect is true because it comes about the fact that people develop a false sense of security offered by manmade protective devices. Such devices prompt people to underestimate risks. This is evident in flood prone areas here people use dams and levees to reduce flooding frequency. People develop the misconception that they no longer live in a flood plain (Heldie, 1989). Eventually, flood occurs that surpasses the capacity of the dams, in this way leading to destruction of life and property. It destroys vegetation. In a densely populated area, the increased surface runoff may be overwhelming if it exceeds the capacity of the available flood control system. This poses excessive damages.
The chapter rightly posits that people have refused to acknowledge the fatalism aspect that comes with disasters. Even though they appreciate that disasters occur, they mainly deny the fact that disasters can take place in their place of residence. This misleading philosophical conception was a supportive factor for disasters. People do not take the initiative to employ sound mechanisms to enable them avert any potential risks. Coupled with this, social pressures misled people into adopting behaviors that promote disaster occurrences (Heldie, 1989). As noted in the chapter, some people flout disaster threats by considering it a sign of strong character and bravery. Interestingly, such situations are common in some high-risk areas. For instance, some people like surfing or attending beach party even when a hurricane approaches the shows. Such people end up suffering severely when disaster strikes.
The chapter adds that apathy factor stems from governmental apathy. In such a case, public apathy and economic restraints reflect in a lack of political support for disaster preparedness. The initiation of projects only occurs when citizens demand or where the law mandates a government to do so. A lack of adequate funding only allowed officials to meet the most basic preparedness programs. Such limited capacities cannot provide effective countermeasures to the challenges brought about by disaster threats. Even where there are goals, their accomplishment becomes difficult due to insufficient financial support or limited availability of necessary resources to support disaster preparedness programs. Additional issues that lead to apathy include opposing special interest groups, a lack of advocacy group to advance the ideas of disaster preparedness, defeatisms, and difficulties sustaining benefits of preparedness. Others include overestimation of capability, ambiguous responsibilities, intergovernmental paradox, and priorities that compete with low-probability events (Heldie, 1989). Responsibilities are ambiguous because they spread out among various private and public organizations. Overestimation results in complacency because people think that they can deal with disaster threats by using slight extensions of routine emergency measures. These measures become ineffective in the event that a disaster strikes. Consequently, disaster occurrence results in massive destruction of life and property.
Apathy remains a contributing factor in economics of disasters. The economic losses emanating from disasters have been consequences of the prevailing apathy with regard to disaster management programs. The disasters cost the economy dearly. This results from the lost wages, utility disruptions, lost output, additional transportation costs and commuter time, and destruction of public and private property (Kliesen, 1994). Apathy creates an environment where people see no need to come up or implement sound ...