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Impact of Disasters and Disaster Risk Management in Singapore: A Case Study of Singapore's Experience in Fighting the SARS Epidemic

Author

Listed:
  • Allen Yu-Hung LAI

    (The Institute of Health Economics and Management, ESSEC Business School - Asia Pacific)

  • Seck L. Tan

    (National University of Singapore)

Abstract

Singapore is vulnerable to both natural and man-made disasters alongside its remarkable economic growth. One of the most significant disasters is the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003. The SARS outbreak was eventually contained through a series of risk mitigating measures introduced by the Singapore government. This would not be possible without the engagement and responsiveness of the general public. This paper begins with a description of Singapore’s historical disaster profiles, the policy and legal framework in the all-hazard management approach. We use a case study to highlight the disaster impacts and insights drawn from Singapore’s risk management experience with specific references to the SARS epidemic. We draw on the lesson-learning from Singapore’s experience in fighting the SARS epidemic, and discuss implications for future practice and research in disaster risk management. The implications are explained in four aspects: staying vigilant at the community level, remaining flexible in a national command structure, the demand for surge capacity, and collaborative governance at regional level. This paper concludes with a presence of the flexible command structure on both the way and the extent it was utilized. This helps to explain the success level of the containment of the SARS epidemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Allen Yu-Hung LAI & Seck L. Tan, 2013. "Impact of Disasters and Disaster Risk Management in Singapore: A Case Study of Singapore's Experience in Fighting the SARS Epidemic," Working Papers DP-2013-14, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
    • Handle: RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2013-14
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Allen Lai & Jingwei He & Teck Tan & Kai Phua, 2009. "A Proposed ASEAN Disaster Response, Training and Logistic Centre Enhancing Regional Governance in Disaster Management," Transition Studies Review, Springer;Central Eastern European University Network (CEEUN), vol. 16(2), pages 299-315, June.
    2. Bernard, S.M., 2003. "Should the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Childhood Lead Poisoning Intervention Level Be Lowered?," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(8), pages 1253-1260.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Disaster risk; SARS; epidemics; infectious disease; Singapore;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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