Disaster Management (Coursework Sample)

Title Viable model system: higher level of recursion
Student name
Submission date
352425093345Enacting Laws to facilitate curbing flooding00Enacting Laws to facilitate curbing flooding
416750559753500
3762375927100043434009271000
3524250156845Sourcing and relaying information on flood control00Sourcing and relaying information on flood control-72390011430 Environment00 Environment
468630017081500120015017081500-24765044450Future Environment00Future Environment
266700013970000266700013970000
13906501270003752850679450043338756794500-1905001270Government00Government
47244001822450035242501270Controlling land transactions in flood prone areas00Controlling land transactions in flood prone areas-19050067945Meteorological Department00Meteorological Department
5010150151130Co-ordination by the Ministry00Co-ordination by the Ministry
39624007937500
-104775138430Agricultural Department00Agricultural Department
54121052959100026670001765300024288752413000
301942516446500
357187557150Dealing with flood-related consequences00Dealing with flood-related consequences
167640014287500-3810092710The Health Sector00The Health Sector
2914650154305002667000190500
3571875120650Prevention of floods00Prevention of floods-38100120650Judicial Authorities00Judicial Authorities
158115010160000
-314325172720The General Public00The General Public
266700015113000357187534290Anticipation and control of floods00Anticipation and control of floods
13906502476500
-19050029210Present Environment00Present Environment
Middle Level Model: Prevention of Flooding
3228975121285Enforcing protective statutes and by-laws that cushion the public00Enforcing protective statutes and by-laws that cushion the public
422402069278500
4257675635000035052006350000
3228975127635The media to relay alerts about floods. Also, taking views and sensitizing the public00The media to relay alerts about floods. Also, taking views and sensitizing the public
-5715004635500
22098005715002209800571500
4762550800Future Environment00Future Environment14763755080000
4257675292100035052002921000
322897574295Inspection of the terrain and enforcing laid down policies on residence00Inspection of the terrain and enforcing laid down policies on residence
4762531115Government00Government473392531115004905375145415Taskforce to implement resolutions00Taskforce to implement resolutions
47625130810Agricultural Department00Agricultural Department394335013081000
220980015684500
-47625140335Meteorological Department00Meteorological Department
22098003746500533400018034000
-4762573025The Health Sector00The Health Sector253365016827500
262890041910003895725118110Precautionary Measures e.g Weather forecasts00Precautionary Measures e.g Weather forecasts
47625-1270The Judiciary00The Judiciary172402517018000
-161925146050The General Public00The General Public22098007937500
2800350133985003895725133985Preventive Measures e.g Floodplain Regulations00Preventive Measures e.g Floodplain Regulations
220980016954500
152400138430NGO’S00NGO’S157162513843000
3895725149860Corrective Measures e.g Building Dams00Corrective Measures e.g Building Dams
4762571120Past Environment00Past Environment220980016637000
13430258763000
Lower Level Model
Preventive Measures that address flooding
3152775175260Legislation to be made addressing any of these objectives00Legislation to be made addressing any of these objectives
398145077978000
4076700793750035242507937500
460057516256000315277576835Publishing any regulations made. Broadcasting warnings00Publishing any regulations made. Broadcasting warnings
-5619754572000
2200275527050022002755270500
-8572597790Future Environment00Future Environment108585015494000
407670016192500352425016192500
3152775168910Prosecuting persons who flout any of the laid down rules.00Prosecuting persons who flout any of the laid down rules.
-8572511430Government00Government46005751143000
20955005651500
-13335045085Meteorological Department00Meteorological Department3771900111760004486275111760The Ministry acts as an interface00The Ministry acts as an interface
-13335015875Agricultural Department00Agricultural Department
530542525844500
-190500160655The Health Sector00The Health Sector
236220024765003524250158115Flood Plain Regulations00Flood Plain Regulations
14287504826000
-133350150495Judicial Authorities00Judicial Authorities
352425052705Flood Insurance00Flood Insurance
13716005969000
3524250171450Warning Signs00Warning Signs
125730011176000
-857254445Present Environment00Present Environment
209550012573000352425030480Tax Adjustment00Tax Adjustment
1085850-63500
INTRODUCTION
A Viable System is an organizational structure that meets the demand of surviving in the changing society. A good model of a viable system that is universally accepted to illustrate how various variables work is the Viable System Model, an idea developed by Stafford Beer. The whole idea of the VMS is premised on structural recursion and the underlying principle behind all these is that viable systems from their simplest levels are self-organizing, independent and self regulatory. Therefore they have to be classified accordingly even in their simplest forms.
Therefore the above explained system is best suited to exemplify the most efficient system of handling floods. Floods occur when prolonged rainfall intensifies, or an ice or debris jam culminates in overflowing of a river and subsequently, the surrounding area gets filled with water. It is a catastrophic event which ultimately leads to displacement, injuries to persons and even several deaths. Owing to this fact then, there has to be a system put in place, in the name of a control and communication system for anticipating, preventing and dealing with the consequences of flooding.
Higher Level Model
The key tasks, in trying to combat flooding and its consequences are always the three variables that fall under the Implementation stage of the Viable System Model in Fig 1. First, is the Anticipation and control of Floods stage whose results paves way for pursuing the next step, prevention of floods. If the second task is pursued fruitlessly, then no option is left other than dealing with the consequences that may have been brought about by flooding
* Anticipation of floods.
Various agencies play a key role during this stage of anticipation of floods. To start with, there first has to be a prediction of impending floods. This role is exclusively within the behest of the Meteorological department to carry it out and this informs the reason why the first arrow on the VSM, stemming from anticipation points towards the environment and in this respect, it should be specifically the above named department. This agency or even the Geological department may develop a computerized system of detecting floods by studying various river trends and changes in weather and climate.
The results of the forecast have to be conveyed to the public and the Government who form part of the Environment in the System. At the Intelligence level, information is both collected from and relayed to the Environment. The Department (Meteorological), having predicted that there may be floods soon; it passes the ball to the Government which endeavors to prevent flooding at all costs. In accomplishing this task, the state first enacts legislation and policies that regulate use of flood plains and even transactions involving selling of flood prone areas. Also, blanket planning regulations may be issued against all residents of that area in the sense that while building, they must install a sump pump and change the footing drains around their foundations or even install backwater valves on the sewer pipes connecting their sanitary sewer to the City Sewers. The result of protective plumbing is actually to reduce chances of a basement backup caused by the surcharging or blockage of the sewer system. The two initiatives in this paragraph fall under the function of Policy and Control.
Additionally, the Government may also, in the budget of the republic set aside money or pledge financial support to facilitate curbing the aftermath of flooding just in case the unfortunate happens. This would ideally fall within the domain of the Disaster Management program which many countries have adopted as a main Ministry. Still this is a way of controlling the viable system.
Going back to the first task on sensitization, the objective of the government in doing this is actually to have the people likely to be affected by floods act on the alert given. Now this introduces yet another player when it comes to anticipation. For example, if the state has warned of an impending flood attack in the near future, its subjects then should know that they ought to avoid building in floodplains unless if they have elevated and reinforced their homes. In fact, it can be made a communal norm not to build in floodplains. If there seems to be no such restrictions, they must take precautions, as to reduce the probability that their homes will be damaged if it floods.
Also, in anticipation of floods, the populace is advised to consult insurance agencies so that in the event of any flooding incidents, they will have a cover and will subsequently be adequately indemnified if there is any loss of their property.
* Preventing of floods
The greatest players when it comes to prevention of flooding still include the Government and the targeted populace. This is because the Government is majorly tasked to set a definite direction and precise regulations that ultimately reduce the risk of their citizens experiencing flooding.
First, it may do so by ensuring that all rivers in flood prone areas are mowed, the weeds and dry grass are remove...