Understanding the Terminologies: Disaster, Crisis and Emergency

Original research
by
Al-Dahash, Hajer, Mehaha Thayaparan & Udayangani Kulatunga

Release Date

2016

Geography

International

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

The aim of this article is to systematically and critically review the arguments and counterarguments about the definitions of disaster, crisis, and emergency to date

Findings/Key points

The analysis reveals that the sudden nature of the event and the damage caused are the common features of all three terms, though emergency is not always of a sudden nature. Further, many common features have been identified between disaster and crisis, so that they can be used interchangeably up to a certain extent. The term emergency does not share many common features with the other two terms and has some contradictory features. Also, the authors conclude that both crisis and emergency would lead to disaster if the event were neglected or mismanaged.

Design/methods

Lit review and content analysis

Keywords

Overdose
Advocacy