Disasters are characterized by a number of issues, with the lack of information being one of the main characters. The uncertainty of disasters and crisis makes the victims vulnerable to adverse effects of a disaster such as disruption, death, and injury. Various factors influence disaster and crisis, and these are either positively or negatives. They include among others; bureaucratic politics and incorrect perceptions. There are various theories that describe disaster and crisis in various aspects. Human beings often experience disturbing conditions in which better situations that are free of mistakes and problems are most desired. For example, in the realm of emergency management, there is a trend of increasing losses of disaster and hazardous uncoordinated recovery operations and responses. Thus, there is the desired objective to reduce the impacts and the probability of disaster and to improve the functions of post-disaster in the face of a disaster. The theories of disaster administration are categorized into four; decision theories, administrative theories, social theories, and economic theories. This paper briefly describes the decision theories of disaster administration.
Decision theories fall among the most common models used to theorize disaster and crisis. These theories are used as tools for the attainment of certain set objectives. However, there are little concerns in the theories to attain these objectives. Various researches have been conducted in the area of disaster theories in the context of information access and perception. Disaster may take many forms including; diseases, disastrous climatic conditions, economic disasters, and terror attacks. All of these uncertainties involve applying some level of the concepts of risk perception and anxiety, satisfaction, and decision making. The decision theories of disaster and crisis suffer from many problems of disaster that plague the human life.
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Disasters may happen on a large scale as a global phenomenon. Many people in the world have lost their lives or suffered injuries as a result of disasters of various kinds. Disasters have also destroyed infrastructure that is worth millions of dollars. There are many actors that take responsibility in the face of a disaster. In the process of responding to a disastrous condition, these actors tend to make decisions, most of which are tough, depending on the impact of the disaster. It is essential for these actors to become prepared to work in unfamiliar environments, efficiently due to the difference in cultures and context that separate different places from each other. Many organizations, governmental or nongovernmental, get attracted to employ their resources and services in the face of a disaster, so as to support the redevelopment of destroyed areas. These organizations offer a wide range of services, including g medical care and business guidance. It is critical, therefore, that the actors make clear and effective decisions in a careful manner while maintaining an open mind in the approaches to accomplish their missions.
The classification of decision theory of disaster and crisis occurs in the form of logical literature. This classification reflects the intents and goals of earlier scholarships in a consistent manner. The classification also favors the evaluation, Reutilization, and application that are consistent with many data-driven, top down, or empirical approaches to decision making with informed literature in social science for a long period. A dynamic environment that is a result of a major disaster requires agencies, organizations, individuals, and community to manage and utilize the resources available to respond effectively. In this process, the parties involved have to make appropriate decisions to the best interest of the victims of the disaster ( Sementelli, 2007).
Actors of crisis and disaster management choose ways of utilizing the resources available to make the most impact in the environments of disaster. However, the decision makers face more problems of optimal allocation of resources if they act in surroundings that are not familiar to them. Therefore, the efficiency of the decision makers reduces because of the increase in complexity and unidentified factors in an unfamiliar environment. The provision of a framework to support decision making during emergencies is essential in ensuring maximum efficiency of the actors that are involved in the recovery of a disaster.
On 26th of December the year 2004, a tsunami struck in the Indian Ocean. This disaster killed more than 20,000 people and destroyed critical infrastructure, including the housings in its surroundings ( Coles & Zhuang, 2011). This disaster led to relief efforts of international organizations in the attempt to save lives and property. The efforts to stabilize the devastated region encountered various successes and failures. There was an overwhelming need for an understanding of foreign cultures and sensitivity to make appropriate decisions to respond and appropriately recover from the losses that already, had been incurred. Decision theories were applied in this tragedy as the actors had to take the right approaches by making the appropriate decisions to manage the disastrous situation. There had to be cooperative strategies employed across the world to achieve stability of the affected areas.
The decision theories play a significant role in the management of crises and disasters. The actors that tend to take responsibility to recover the losses of a disaster have to make critical decisions to achieve their goals. Decision theories are critical as they determine how effective attempt of restoration can be in the face of a disaster. Among all the disaster and crisis theories, decision theories are the most important in the recovery process.
References
Coles, J., & Zhuang, J. (2011). Decisions in disaster recovery operations: a game theoretic perspective on organization cooperation. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management , 8 (1).
Sementelli, A. (2007). Toward a taxonomy of disaster and crisis theories. Administrative Theory & Praxis , 29 (4), 497-512.
