Careers in Disaster Management

Disaster management, which is also known as emergency management, can be defined as dealing with and avoiding both natural and manmade disasters. Disaster management involves preparedness before disaster, rebuilding and supporting society after natural disasters such as, earthquakes, drought, tsunami etc. Nowadays, both government and non government organizations work in the field of disaster management. In public sector, it may be defined as civil defense or emergency services. On the other hand, in the private sector, it is generally referred to business continuity planning. Disaster management planning should be used as daily work along with establishment and management of local facilities and resources. There are several principles of disaster management, which include the right use of resources for the day-to-day purposes, coordination between various organizations, efforts of individuals, focus of large scale events, right knowledge of geographical location and nature of the society etc. In India, there are many areas, which are often affected with natural calamity or manmade disasters. They have become top priority for the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. As a result, the study of disaster management has been included in the curriculum of many private and government-run institutes in India.

Course Details: The courses in disaster management are offered at the certificate, undergraduate, postgraduate degree and diploma levels. In such a course, a person it taught different areas of disaster management, which includes management of the situation of emergency, response to the needs of the people and the area, evacuation process, distribution of food and medical care for the injured people. To pursue a career in disaster management, one has to pass in Higher Secondary Certificate Examination (10+2) for the certificate and UG programs. For the PG courses, the students should be graduates in any field, from any recognized institute or a University.

Career Prospects: Jobs in disaster management are generally found in public sector. Apart from that, students can build their career in emergency services, law enforcement, local authorities, relief agencies, non-governmental organizations and international agencies such as the UNO. After joining any organization, the person can work as systems or network administrator, database analyst or administrator, security administration or operations analyst. They can also offer service as social workers, engineers, medical health experts, environmental experts, rehabilitation workers, etc. 

Institutes Offering: A number of institutions in India are admitting students to courses in disaster management, which are offered at different degree levels. Some of the prominent institutions are :

• Indira Gandhi National Open University (New Delhi)
• University of North Bengal (Darjeeling)
• International Centre of Madras University (University of Madras)
• Disaster Management Institute (Bhopal)
• Centre for Disaster Management (Maharashtra)
• The National Civil Defense College (Nagpur)
• National Institute Of Disaster Management (Delhi)

Remuneration: Many government and non-government organizations in India have their own salary packages in the field of disaster management. Those, who are at entry level, can earn around Rs. 8,000 - Rs10,000 per month. The candidates with two or three year's experience can easily earn between Rs. 15,000 and 20,000 per month. On the other hand, well experienced candidates can be paid up to Rs. 1,50,000 per month.