Pointers on Damage and Needs Assessment
The clear and concise assessment of damages, losses and injuries in the aftermath of a disaster is a prerequisite for the effective planning and implementation of relief and recovery. Listed below are some key points about damage and needs assessment.

1. The objectives of assessments both damage and needs are to determine:
Nature and extent of disaster
Damage and secondary threats
Needs of the population
Resource availability and local response capacity
Options for relief assistance, long-term recovery and devt.
Needs for international assistance

2. Assessment Types
Initial Assessment and
Detailed Assessment

3. Elements of the Assessment Process
Every assessment process comprises of five basic elements or activities
Planning and preparation
Survey and Data Collection
Interpretation and Forecasting
Reporting and
Monitoring

4. Assessment Methodology
The data collection methods depicted below is some of the most commonly used during emergencies:
Initial Self-Assessment
Visual Inspection
Sample Surveying
Sentinel Surveillance
Detailed Critical Sector Assessments by Specialists
Interviews with key informants

5. Assessment Teams
Initial assessments should be carried out by multi-disciplinary assessment teams comprising of four or five members
The characteristics of the team are:
Common interest and shared commitment
Clear allocation of responsibilities among team members
Complementary of tasks
Inputs of all members are important to fulfill the task

Some of the countries have come up with a common reporting format for doing DANA, such as in Vietnam. I would like to invite you to share your experiences in doing damage and needs assessment.

The pointers are extracted from “a guide to successful damage and needs assessment” by Angelika Planitz, South Pacific Disaster Reduction Programme.

Other Resources:

Tools and Resources for Post Disaster Relief (pdf), Author: ADPC by kind permission of UNHCR

Post Disaster Damage and Needs Analysis (pdf), Author: ADPC

Disaster ABC's

Disaster - A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Disaster Risk Management - The systematic management of administrative decisions, organization, operational skills and abilities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of the society and communities to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters. This comprises all forms of activities, including structural and non-structural measures to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) adverse effects of hazards.
(UNISDR)

Disaster Trivia: The Krakatoa Volcanic Eruption
On August 26 and 27, 1883, an astonishing volcanic explosion rocked Southeast Asia. Even from 600 kilometers away, the noise sounded like a cannon. The Volcano Krakatoa’s rumblings were even audible 4,500 kilometers away in the Indian Ocean. Krakatoa sits at a place in the junction between two tectonic plates, where the Indo-Australian plate is subducting beneath the Pacific plate, creating a long chain of active volcanoes spanning the length of the islands of Sumatra and Java. Krakatoa erupted at a time when technologies like the telegraph were becoming commonplace and Asian trade routes were being expanded by northern European companies. This bustling colonial backdrop provides an effective canvas for the suspense leading up to August 27th, 1883, when the nearby island of Krakatoa would violently vaporize. Ships were thrown miles inshore, endless rains of hot ash engulfed those towns not drowned by 100 foot waves, and vast rafts of pumice clogged the hot sea. The explosion was heard thousands of miles away, and the eruption's shock wave traveled around the world seven times.

Practical Tips: Water Purification
The storage and purification of water are vital issues in disaster preparedness. Boiling, Disinfecting and Distillation are some common methods used.

Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers.

Disinfecting. You can use household bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed water will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.