SDMM13002U Core Course 2: Disaster Response and Recovery

Volume 2014/2015
Education
Master of Disaster Management - compulsory
Not open to external students
Content

Introduction to Disaster Response and Recovery consists of the following two components:

  • Disaster response (4 weeks):
    Conflicts and complex emergencies; International security; Management of disaster situations; Needs assessment and monitoring; Legal framework for refugees and IDPs; Information management and GIS; Communications in emergencies; Financing and donors; Personal safety in the field.

    These four weeks of Disaster Response also include a thorough introduction to the cluster-approach with extensive coverage of the most essential clusters (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Health; Emergency Shelter; Logistics; Food/Nutrition; Protection; Camp Coordination and Management; Education) as well as many international actors working within response (Eg. Save the Children, UNICEF, WHO, UNOSAT, UNOPS, UN-OCHA).

  • Disaster recovery (3 weeks):
    DRR and recovery planning; Psycho-social and mental health interventions; Early recovery; Exit and handover strategies; International stakeholders; Settlement recovery; Pre-disaster recovery planning; Post-disaster recovery planning; Livelihoods recovery.

Learning Outcome

At the end of the course students should be able to

  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts within response
  • Have a general command of theories, tools and challenges for information management within Disaster Management in order to evaluate and optimise response
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts within recovery
  • Develop knowledge and skills of general application of recovery models
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how approaches and decisions made during the response phase could critically impact long-term recovery and development
  • Illustrate how chronic and pre-existing vulnerabilities impact response efforts, how they can and should be addressed and how both response and recovery could also potentially recreate risk as well as create new vulnerabilities 
  • Practically develop response and recovery frameworks and plans for a case study assignment

 

A combination of lectures, group work, practical exercises, case-studies, presentations, institutional visits and discussions in plenary. Active participation of all students is expected.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 20
  • Lectures
  • 120
  • Preparation
  • 110
  • Theory exercises
  • 25
  • Total
  • 275
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 48 hours
The exam can be carried out via Internet.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period
See the exam plan
Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:

  • Discuss key concepts within response from a systems perspective
  • Discuss general theories, tools and challenges for information management within Disaster Management in order to evaluate and optimize response
  • Understand and discuss key concepts within Recovery from a systems perspective
  • Demonstrate knowledge of general models for how to carry out recovery activities