1. Bijan Yavar
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Research Fellow and PHD Student at UKM
MEPCO CEO & Founder
Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa
Cooperate Member Since 2008 (License Number: 1834)
Researcher ID: (A-3544-2010)
Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions (World of Certainty & Uncertainty)

2. Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions (World of Uncertainty)

3. There are many terms which need more attention such as: Uncertainty,
Ignorance, Ignoring the Ignorance, Reliability, Flexibility, perception,
vulnerability, risk (soft, Semi Soft and Hard), DRM Theories (Chaos, SCCT, Black
Swan Effect, etc), etc.
We would hereby explain in brief the Definitions of Risk, Emergency, Crisis and
Disaster to prepare a platform for a better understanding, to better decide and act.
Disaster
Can you Notice , Identify and recognize The Difference Between a Disaster
(Natural Caused) and Crisis (Human Caused)?
Crisis
To better Understand What is an Incident is of high importance to better plan
and to implement the exact precautionary actions and also to plan for the
preparedness Phase and of course the response phase .
Emergency
Introduction
Risk
Definitions (World of Certainty & Uncertainty)

4. Disaster Risk
The potential disaster losses, in lives, health
status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur to a
particular community or a society over some specified future time
period.
The definition of disaster risk reflects the concept of disasters as the
outcome of continuously present conditions of risk. Disaster risk
comprises different types of potential losses which are often
difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, with knowledge of the prevailing
hazards and the patterns of population and socio-economic
development, disaster risks can be assessed and mapped, in broad
terms at least.
Risk =
Hazard × Vulnerability
Capacity
Disaster
Risk
Risk is the probability of occurrence and to better say the
probability of occurrence of an Incident, Crisis, Disaster or
whatsoever it may be.
Crisis
Risk
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

5. Disaster
Risk Perspective (Terms and Terms)
1- Risk Planning
2- Risk Deletion
3- Disaster Risk Reduction
4- Risk Management
5- Risk Transfer
6- Risk Accepted
7- Residual Risk
8- Risk Portfolio
9- Risk Matrix
10- Risk Analysis
11- Risk Assessment
12- Risk Society
13- Risk Treatment
14- etc
Crisis
Risk
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

6. The oxford English dictionary defines an emergency as:
“a serious, unexpected , and potentially dangerous
situation requiring immediate action.” in the field of
crisis management , emergencies are events that need
a professional response from people who are specially
trained and equipped to cope with them.
Most emergencies are relatively minor events that can
be dealt with in a routine way using resources that are
normally available.
It is evident that not all emergencies are disasters, but
all disasters are emergencies, as the latter is much
broader and less restrictive term. (Encyclopedia of
Crisis Management, 2013)
Emergencies can occur either as a result of cumulative
processes or as materialization of a sudden threat. (Ibid)
Disaster
Emergency
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

7. Crisis
As we may know the topic has a
multidisciplinary theme. For this the author
has suggested to focus on the definition of
crisis.
There have been many definitions for crisis
especially by the new kind and set of crisis
generated in today’s changing world from
different aspects, viewpoints and different
factors internally and externally causing it.
Based on the literature reviewed the
definition for crisis shows to be problematic
and there are some debates on the crisis
exact definition (Smith, 2005).
Victor L. Heller and his colleague John R.
Darling (2012) by referring to (Shelton et al.,
2003) have mentioned that crisis definition is
related to different variables. Which is means
a world of variable verities and
diversification.
Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

8. Crisis
Heller and his colleague (2012) has a definition for crisis
where it states that: A “crisis” can be determined as senses of
fear, panic and peril or danger, and the proportionate intraorganizational impacts that these senses and feelings may
have.
As stated by Lee (1999) crisis is how and the way to see,
which can be a changing and turning point that can be named
Sight. From the other hand based on (Darling, et al., 2002)
and in the same path, Heller and his colleague (2012) propose
that: a Crisis is a time of criticalness and a point for change
and turn which can prepare a wrong or better status. The
crisis is a condition where it has approached to the crucial
stage. crisis has also been defined as a point of change or
turn, either in the mindset or whatsoever it may be causing
and generating positive and better or negative and worse
conditions (Heller, et al., 2012) they also add that a crisis
although having large negative effects, even though Big names
such as Toyota car manufacturing company as an example can
also have positive effects in the firms future life only when it
will take its chance and opportunity to make good and correct
operations rearrangements (and changes) to help constancy
of positive development and growth.
Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

9. Crisis
From a view, crisis is a complex of situations that produces
task demand to an organization that is out of the range of
an organization’s capability to adapt without the use of the
extra significant or frequently external sources (Smith,
2005).
Based on another definition mention by (Zhong, 2009) in
line with (Parsons ., 1996) crisis is a probability of low
occurrence, great impact phenomenon that endangers the
livability (and continuity) of organizations and is determined
by uncertainty of reason, impact, and means of intent,
besides by a faith that as soon as possible the decisions
should be made.
Crisis is something unexpected and quick by their origin
which the majority mainly concentrates on the effects and
how to mitigate instead of the causes which generated it
(Kippenberger, 1999).
It is important to point out that the crisis shows up to
twinkle in the most safe assumptions of all cooperations.
(Nurmi and darling, 1997 as cited in Heller, et al., 2012)
which is been specified as “Black Swan”
Crisis in another definition is a horror which cannot be
easily seen and is invisible and awaiting us (Parsons, 1996).
Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions

10. Disaster
Crisis
Emergency
Risk
Definitions
Disaster
Disaster Is referred to a critical disorder in a community functioning or vast
material, economic, environmental and human (indirect) disorders, effects and
destructions involving the community which is beyond the capability to
respond and to cope self-sufficiently (UNISDR, 2009).
Sometimes Crisis and Disaster are used interchangeably which may cause a
misunderstanding and ambiguity. To make it clear, at first the causes of the
occurrence of an incident should be analyzed in depth and after the analysis it
will help to better understand and distinguish whether the incident occurred
has changed into a crisis or a disaster which by this means will help to make
better decisions and to act much more accurately.

11. Disaster
Crisis
B. Penuel, K. Statler, Matt, Hagen, Ryan (Eds.), 2013. The Encyclopedia of
Crisis Management, Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Heller, L. & Darling, J., 2012. Anatomy of crisis management: Lessons from the
infamous Toyota Case, European Business Review Journal, Vol. 24 No. 2, 151168.
Kippenberger, T, 2013. Reducing the Impact of the Unexpected, Management
Research, MCB UP ltd, 1999 [accessed 23 May 2013]
Lee, Young-Jai & Harrald, John R, 1999. Critical issue for business area impact
analysis in business crisis management: Analytical capability. Disaster
Prevention and Management Journal, 3: 184-189.
Parsons, Will, 1996. Crisis Management, Career development International.
U.S.A. Senior Partner, and Sterling Management Consultants, 26–28.
Perrow, C. 1999. Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies (2nd
edn). Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Smith, Denis, 2005. Business (not) as Usual: Crisis Management, Service
Recovery and the Vulnerability of Organizations, Journal of Services Marketing,
19: 309–320.
UNISDR, Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction, (2009). United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Geneva, Switzerland.
Yavar, Bijan, 2012. SoTech Risks an important context to be taken into
consideration, International Disaster and Risk Conference (IDRC), page: 233,
Davos, GRF Press.
Zhong, Ying, and Sui Pheng Low .2009. Managing Crisis Response
Communication in Construction Projects – from a Complexity Perspective,
Disaster Prevention and Management, 18: 270–282.
Emergency
Sources
Risk
Definitions (World of Certainty & Uncertainty)