In the context of this chapter, what are the suggested ways by which you can enhance life skills?

(i) In the context of this chapter, what are the suggested ways by which you can enhance life skills?
(ii)What are your suggestions to the meteorology department and also the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in order to organise warning system for flood/cyclone?
(iii)How can a vulnerability map help in warning?
(iv) How can SMS be a tool to help people at the time of disaster?

(i)Life skills, in the context of this chapter, can be enhanced by training to becoml a Ham (Amateur Radio) operator, as this ability will be useful at the time of a disaster. This training is conducted by the Department of Information Technology, Government of India.
(ii) Suggestions to the meteorology department and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting can be as follows
(a) Equipment like satellite phones need to be provided to designated government officials in hazard-prone and disaster-prone areas of the country and they should be trained to use them at the time when a disaster strikes.
(b) A list of Ham operators in such areas should be ’ made and known to the district authorities, so
that their services can be requisitioned when needed.
(iii) A vulnerability map gives the precise location of sites where people, the natural environment or property are at risk due to a potentially catastrophic event that could result in death, injury, pollution or other destruction. Such maps are made in conjunction with information about different types of risks.
A vulnerability map can show the housing areas that are vulnerable to a chemical spill at a nearby factory. But such a map could also delineate the commercial, tourist and residential zones that would be damaged in case a flood or tsunami strikes.
Vulnerability maps are usually created with the assistance of computer technology called Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and digital land survey equipment designed for use in the field. Vulnerability maps can be used in all phases of disaster management, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, operations, relief and recovery.
In the prevention stage, planners can use vulnerability maps to avoid high risk zones when developing areas for housing, commercial or industrial use.
Technical experts can be alerted about places where the infrastructure can be affected in case of a disaster. Fire departments can plan for rescues before a potentially dangerous event which is at hand. During an exercise, where a predetermined scenario takes place, the rescue crews may use the map to determine where to respond first to save human lives, the environment or property.
These maps can also be used to decide evacuation routes and test the effectiveness of these routes for saving large numbers of residents and tourists and moving special groups such as senior citizens, children and handicapped persons.
The operation officers can be updated about the disaster situation, the need for relief measures and the location of sensitive areas.
(iv) SMS from a mobile phone when sent to the
police will identify the location of a mobile phone, as police are able to trace the location of the phone through the concerned service provider of the mobile services. Thus, they will be able to arrange rescue of the person, who has either been injured or otherwise not able to move after a disaster has struck.