Working in disasters: What social workers can do?

Abstract

Most of us may agree that we are living in a very uncertain and unstable world, and there are different kinds of disasters every day in various parts of the world. Although we are not experts in disaster management, it is easy to understand that disasters can be divided into two major categories: (1) natural disasters and (2) human disasters. Both are sudden, undesirable, and come with unexpected problems which go beyond the resources and capacity of a particular society or community to deal with in a short period of time. Natural disasters generally include pandemics, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, fires, floods, drought, and extreme weather situations (e.g. heat wave, snowstorm, tropical storms, and avalanche). Unfortunately, there are also ‘human disasters’ which come from technological or human mistakes and conflicts, which can sometimes cause even more casualties than natural disasters, for example, wars, social unrest, transport accidents, fires, terrorist attacks, nuclear radiation, and even nuclear explosions. The readers may be aware that the division between natural disasters and human disasters is blurred. For example, wildfire can come from natural overheat or lightning strike, but some scientists argue these disasters come from climate change caused by human degradation of the environment. However, it can also be caused by deliberate destructive actions done by someone who tries to violate social norms. Another example is famine which may come from drought or unequal distribution of foods. Someone may argue that every disaster is a human disaster as there is a lack of effective prediction, prevention, and post-disaster management. We think that this may be an over-simplified interpretation of the problems faced by us. We think that natural disasters and human disasters can be framed as an endless cycle. It can also be placed on a continuum from one end to another. We may not be able to predict and prevent natural disasters precisely, for example, earthquakes. However, better preparation (e.g. buildings with consolidated structures) can be done to reduce the harm of it. We also do not agree that all natural disasters are ‘natural’, thus we should take them ‘natural’ and then do nothing. The reason is simple: every life is valuable. It should be respected. The loss in terms of life and assets should be reduced as much as possible in a civilized society. Anyway, the disasters are easy to define, but difficult to distinguish the categories. Our suggestion is not to spend much time and effort on the conceptualization of disasters but put more attention on how to cope with it with limited time and resources. First, social workers should recognize that we have an important role in disaster management. The unique strength of the social work profession is our close counters with the grassroots people and our community organizing skills. We should collaborate with other professions and equip us with deeper knowledge of the most common natural disasters in our own community. We may not be able to predict, but at least we can prepare and prevent. Then, the damage of disasters can be reduced even though they come suddenly. It is one of our responsibilities as it is highly related to the well-being of the people. Second, when a disaster occurs, the most immediate task for social workers is to assist the rescue team to bring calm to the survivors, and collect and connect the survivors and their lost family members and friends. Our empathy and listening skills may relieve some of the stress. In addition, 1183535 ISW0010.1177/00208728231183535International Social WorkEditorial editorial2023