THE ROLE OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FIELD

THE ROLE OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FIELD

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The importance of having the appropriate skills to manage disasters cannot be gainsaid in the contemporary human society. It is noteworthy that recent times have seen an increase in disasters in varied parts of the globe. These are both manmade as well as natural catastrophes. Natural catastrophes include floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, famines and volcanic activities. Evidently, these catastrophes cannot be predicted and, therefore, their prevention is also relatively impossible. Manmade catastrophes include biological accidents, mistakes, terrorism and acts of war. In the recent times, carelessness in the biological field has led to immense catastrophes involving ailments among other problems. Irrespective of the cause of the catastrophe, there are always massive losses of lives and property. Even when there is no loss of life, it is noteworthy that disasters also disrupt peoples’ lives in the affected areas. This underlines the importance of inculcating all efforts to mitigate the losses, as well as help the individuals involved to go back to their normal lives. While there are various vital players in the field of disaster management, engineers and scientists have been known to play a vital role. Disaster management involves efforts done to mitigate and prevent risks (McEntire 2007).

First, it is noteworthy that scientists play a monumental role in creating awareness among the affected populace. In mitigating the effects of a disaster, only individuals with unadulterated crosscutting experience and knowledge can comprehend the complexity of any challenge to homeland security, devise a viable and efficient strategy for dealing with the challenge and implement it effectively. Scientists and engineers have the prerequisite experience and knowledge for such activities. In the event of possible volcanic eruptions, geological engineers are known to warn people who live in the affected areas to move prior to the eruptions. In essence, studies by meteorological engineers play a vital role in disaster management since their findings are used to predict disasters such as volcanoes and tsunamis among others (Brenda et al, 2011).

In addition, engineers have played a vital role in enhancing the defence mechanisms that are applied in the society. One of the key aims of disaster management is.............