A Model for Evaluation of Disaster Management

Our ability to manage disaster relief activities at regional, national or international levels of socio-political organization has, according to many analysts, not kept pace with the knowledge and technical capability presently available to contend with disasters. In a report released in 1977 a panel of experts assembled by the United Nations Association characterized disaster relief efforts as being routinely mismanaged. For example, the panel described what has been considered one of the better organized disaster relief efforts (the 1976 earthquake in Guatamala) in the following way.