Vetnuus | May 2026 9 • Societal disruptions such as conflict, displacements, and war. Disasters can also be classified according to their origin, such as natural disasters, human-made disasters, and Human-Induced Disasters. Operationally, these categories are rarely distinct, as one may overflow into the next. Effective preparedness must therefore be scenario-flexible rather than hazard-specific. The same basic processes will be implemented regardless of the disaster category. Consequence Pathways Animal-related disasters propagate through three primary pathways: • Health pathway through disease emergence, injury, and mass culling/mortality. • Economic pathway by production losses, supply chain disruption and market disruptions. • Social pathway with livelihood impacts and community destabilisation. Preparedness frameworks must explicitly account for these interdependencies. Disaster Risk Management: A Systems Perspective Disaster risk management is best understood as a continuous, integrated system of risk governance, rather than a sequence of discrete actions. This shift requires a transition from event-based response models to systems-based risk management. A linear system model can no longer be used. An expand-contract model is more apt where continuous preparation, prevention and contingency planning actions are done to ensure the correct level of preparedness once a disaster occurs (Figure 2). Core Functional Objectives Effective systems must be capable of: • Anticipating and reducing risk • Detecting emerging threats early • Responding rapidly and coherently • Recovering while strengthening future resilience The Centrality of Preparedness Preparedness is not a phase; it is an enabling condition across all phases. Weak preparedness invariably manifests as delayed responses, resource inefficiency, especially coordination between various professional groupings and governmental departments (One Health) and the escalation of otherwise manageable events. Risk Avoidance as a Policy Outcome A “culture of risk avoidance” is not rhetorical; it should be the outcome of institutional alignment, public awareness, operational capability, and contingency training. In the absence of these, risk reduction remains aspirational. Veterinary Services as a Core Disaster Management Function Institutional Positioning Veterinary services must be formally embedded within national disaster management architectures. This requires that veterinary services have defined mandates (Veterinarians are now acknowledged by the WOAH and WHO as Health Professionals), the necessary legal authority to act, be formally integrated into command structures and have access to dedicated resources. Without this, the veterinary response will be ad hoc and reactive, often escalating or complicating a disaster, such as the evacuation of pets during the height of a disaster. System Responsibilities Veterinary services must conduct continuous risk analysis, develop and maintain disaster plans, be operationally ready for response and recovery, and ensure coordination with public health, environmental, and emergency services. (See Figure 3 as an example) Multisectoral Integration Disaster management effectiveness is directly proportional to the degree of integration across health professionals, government departments, public and private sector stakeholders, veterinary and animal health stakeholders and the communities. Fragmentation is a primary failure point in disaster response systems. Leading Article Figure 2: Source: Coburn, A.W., Spence, R.J.S. & Pomonis, A., 1994a, Disaster mitigation, 2nd edition., Cambridge Architectural Research, Cambridge Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images >>>10
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