Designing an emergency continuity plan for a megacity government: A conceptual framework for coping with natural catastrophes

The destructive power and frequency of natural catastrophes, such as hurricanes, floods and droughts, have seemingly increased during the past few years, and they cause substantial damage to urban communities. Disasters result in significant infrastructure damage and render vital municipal services unavailable. Natural catastrophes have complexities, uncertainties and dynamic characteristics that cause many problems and challenges for megacity emergency management. A key problem is how an emergency continuity plan – as a complex system – can ensure the sustainability of emergency response following a natural disaster. Bridging the gap between theory and practice and responding effectively to natural catastrophes require detailed planning that addresses the complexities and uncertainties.This paper describes an innovative conceptual framework for emergency continuity planning that incorporates a safer, less vulnerable agenda and requires the evaluation, analysis and mitigation of risk. In addition, specialized continuity plan measures are proposed that include a resource continuity plan, task continuity plan and process continuity plan. Each interlinked measure supports a comprehensive strategy for megacity emergency response. For example, it is essential that a megacity designs its continuity plan by adopting a resource continuity plan. This measure relates to the range of resources that are available to respond to a natural catastrophe. The numbers and types of available resources must be balanced against the potential of a natural catastrophe and the required emergency response level. Calculating the resource requirements for a given period facilitates continuity when they are stipulated within the planning assumptions. The proposed framework supports disaster emergency management and operational urban infrastructure planning of basic physical and organizational system needs together with the services and facilities necessary for the functioning of a megacity economy.