Science in Disaster Risk Management

Disaster risk management is a fairly new and interdisciplinary science requiring an interconnected range of actions. Disaster Risk management has globally gained ground over the last 20years, and notable results have been realized in regions where it has been implemented. Disaster risk management is a broad approach, which includes all actions aimed at reducing disaster risks. The thrust of disaster risk management is to decrease socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster whilst dealing with environmental and other hazards that trigger them. It is now generally accepted that whilst natural hazards will always occur, disasters are neither inevitable nor natural if disaster risk management strategies are implemented. Disaster risk management protects development investments and helps societies accumulate wealth in spite of hazards. However, the East African region lacks adequate skilled and knowledgeable personnel to deal with both emerging and impending disasters at a time when societies are faced with various impacts of climate change and variability. The revised two-year interdisciplinary Master of Science in “Disaster Risk Management (DRM) degree programme” is therefore aimed at building human capacity for reducing disasters in Uganda and the Eastern Africa region at large; through training and research. It is a culmination of a consultative process with key stakeholders nationally and internationally. The aim of this course is to provide students with a solid theoretical background and analytical tools to study the phenomenon of disasters and to identify its cycles, looking at the phases that unfold through the interaction between catastrophic events and socio-economic systems: a preevent situation (e.g. preserving the status quo or preparing to the natural event), followed by the actual occurrence of the event, and concluded by the post-event situation (emergency and recovery phases). The DRM programme will focus largely on the natural hazard, vulnerability and risk. Its gist lies in reducing the risk to disaster occurrence rather than disaster response, through tackling a range of hazards and dynamic pressures that create unsafe conditions.

General Program Objectives

To build national and regional human capacities in reducing risk to disasters and accelerating human security and economic development.

Specific objectives are to:
The specific objectives of the Master Of Science In Disaster Risk Management (DRM) programme are:
1) To develop multi-skilled and dynamic professionals with knowledge and novel techniques to assess disaster risks and implement timely measures to efficiently manage disasters
2) To impart interdisciplinary research skills for generation of information and knowledge for disaster risk management.
3) To increase local and regional capacities for anticipation, prediction and management of disaster events.

Employment Prospects
Potential employers of graduates from the Master of Science in Disaster Risk Management include the
(1) Government ministries, departments and Agencies (MDA) which include among others
a) Ministries that are mandated to hire disaster managers like Ministry Water and Environment (MWE), Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Ministry of Health(MoH), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development etc.
b) Department of Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Office of the Prime Minister,
c) District Local Governments
d) National Environment Management Authority
(2) Urban authorities
(3) Universities and technical institutes as academic staff or researchers

(4) The Uganda Peoples Defense Forces and Uganda Police are focusing increasingly on disaster management, and will find graduates of the proposed programme attractive as well as sending their own staff to complete the programme
(5) Some international organizations such as the United Nations may hire graduates of this programme.
(6) In the private sector, larger corporations such as banks, utility companies, real estate companies, and insurance companies are potential employers.
(7) As well, International/regional agencies, NGOs, particularly those involved in disaster and humanitarian assistance, or community development such as the IGAD, Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross, UNICEF, UNV, CARE and OXFAM, will be interested in graduates with Masters level education in this field.
(8) Private consulting companies.

Program Outcomes
Upon completion, graduates of this programme will be able to;
1) Undertake risk assessments and identify conditions from a spatial and temporal perspective underpinning disasters
2) Design contextual measures for reducing and managing the risk to disasters
3) Apply modern techniques to obviate the risk to disaster occurrence
4) Develop measures that dynamically improve the resilience of societies and systems to disasters
5) Design and conduct innovative and high-quality research to solve existing and emerging disaster risks
6) Communicate research outputs to the scientific community, policy makers and the general public appropriately

Conduct of The Program :
The Master of Geographical Sciences programme will be hosted in the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences, which is located in the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences building, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University.

Target group:
The M.Sc. in Disaster Risk Management degree programme targets both fresh graduates and professionals from diverse academic backgrounds who wish to improve or pursue careers in management of natural hazards and disasters. As a multidisciplinary programme, it will accept applicants with a minimum of BSc, BA, and BASS in Geography, Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resource Management, Geology, Health, Medicine, Social sciences, Land-use Planning and other relevant backgrounds. Applicants/professional with other backgrounds who demonstrate reasonable experience in natural hazard and disasters will also be positively considered.

Admission Requirements
The minimum entry requirement for the programme is second class lower division class degree from a recognized university or Institution in relevant fields including Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, Agriculture, Forestry, Soil Science, Meteorology, Hydrology/ or Water Resources, Geology, Environmental Science, Social Sciences including Gender and Women Studies, Economics, Tourism, Environmental Management, Urban Planning, Population Studies, Botany, Zoology, Civil Engineering and Surveying

Duration of the Program:

DRM is a Two – year DAY programme conducted through Coursework and Examinations over a TWO-year period (six Semesters). The duration of each semester is seventeen weeks (17 weeks).

Course Assessment: Each Paper is assessed out of a total mark of 100% apportioned as follows:
(a) Coursework 40%
(b) Final Examination 60%
Designation of the award:
All successful candidates will be awarded a Degree of Master of Science in Disaster Risk Management of Makerere University
Nature of the program :
DRM i a full-time day programme .