Differential Impacts

DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS

The term, 'differential impacts' refers to the discriminatory impacts experienced by different individuals, groups or communities when faced with an event with damaging consequences. With respect to the consequences of disasters (natural or man-made), a community or society can be broadly classified into the following groups-

• Females
• Males
• Affluent
• Poor
• Labourers
• Disabled
• Children
• Old people.

Each group has their weaknesses that make them vulnerable to disasters. Another aspect that complicates the issue of diiferential impacts is that the above classification is not rigid. A certain group can be sub-divided into groups or may fall within another group. For example, the group called 'females' consists of babies, girls, young ladies or old and infirm women. Also, all the groups fall under one broad group called 'human beings'. Hence the effects of a damaging event has different impacts on different individuals in different groups. A simple list of different impacts on different people is listed below-

1. Old people, the disabled and babies will not be in a position to save themselves against any disaster without support. This group of people are extremely vulnerable (health-wise) to the slightest adverse conditions
2. Young males can easily resist adverse conditions and help save others along with playing an important role in response, rescue, recovery and reconstruction work. The labourers could be male or female and have better survival instincts due to extensive physical work in the open
3. Among the affluent and the poor, the poor are continuously exposed to stressful living conditions and are better adapted to face the hardships encountered in disasters while the affluent are adapted to a luxurious lifestyle and will not be able to adjust to the harsh environment in the aftermath of a disastrous event.