Disaster Management Department

^{Natural hazards and disasters affect the lives of millions of people around the world. During the past few decades, natural disasters have killed several million people and caused significant economic losses. The majority of deaths were in developing countries, and Asia suffers the greatest casualties from natural disasters. In many least developing countries, disaster management—including preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery and reduction is not well-established.}

^{Afghanistan faces multiple hazards such as avalanches, climate warming, droughts, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and sandstorms. For example, active mountain building processes in the Hindu Kush and Pamirs frequently cause earthquakes and widespread landslides. Response and recovery from these natural disasters has been hampered by the fact that large parts of the country’s economy and infrastructure has been destroyed as a result of recent wars and social conflict. Since 2001, the Government of Afghanistan has received humanitarian and development assistance from the international community to help return Afghanistan to stability and to increase resiliency. However, Afghanistan still remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with struggling infrastructure and severe barriers to development, which complicates hazard mitigation and rebuilding efforts.}

^{Formal disaster management has been introduced in Afghanistan relatively recently. In 1971, the Department of Disaster Preparedness (DDP) was founded and evolved into the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA). ANDMA is one or the beneficiaries of the international community and receives support from the United Nations and other donor agencies.}

^{Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)} 

^{DMD offers a student-centered and career-oriented degree that balances practice and theory. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:}

^{ILO1   Employ proficient theoretical and scientific knowledge in disaster management and environmental science.}

^{ILO2   Use skills of written and verbal communication, research, planning, and management for advocating disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.} 

^{ILO3   Work responsibly as socially active and autonomous learners and leaders in building disaster resilience societies.}

^{ILO4   Demonstrate teamwork and skills in future-thinking1 for addressing local to global issues related to disaster management.}

^{ILO5   Demonstrate proficiency in computer technology skills and GIS within applied disaster management contexts.}

^{Enrollment and Staffing}

^{DMD attracts a diverse student body from different backgrounds and provinces across Afghanistan. During the 2017 academic year, the department had 120 students with female enrollment at 33%. Reducing class size to a maximum of 35 students is recommended for promoting student-centered teaching methods through problem- and project-based learning. DMD has two academic faculty members including the Head of the Department. The faculty members have academic credentials in geology, geo-engineering, environmental engineering, and disasters. Based on student enrollment and the number of core courses specific the department the optimal staffing structure should increase to four-department specific lecturers.}

^{Course Nomenclature}

^{Based on the new regulations of Credit issued by Ministry of Higher Education every subject has a code which exist of Two English characters and three numeric. The two English characters are for Faculty while the three numeric are for Semester and Subject. For example, for Faculty of Environment (En) should be selected. The Code (321) shows that the subject is taught in 3rd Semester and the code (21) is for the specific subject that can’t be repeated in the Faculty. So the DMD courses are identified by the same mechanism.}

^{Table: Disaster Management Department members.}

No.	Name/ Surname	Qualification	Academic Rank	Position
1	Shabir Ahmad Kabirzad	Master of Urban and Environment	Assistant Professor	Head of the Department
2	Abidullah Arabzai	Master of Engineering	Assistant Professor	Member
3	Mohammad Sharif Peroz	Bachelor Environmental Sciences	Lecture	Member
4	Hayatullah Mushwani	Bachelor Disaster Management	Lecture	Member

Disaster Management Department Curriculum 

Table 21: First Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Chemistry-I	EN 121	3	2	32	1	16
2	Physics-I	EN 122	3	3	48
3	Math-I	EN 123	3	3	48
4	Biology-I	EN 124	3	2	32	1	16
5	Introduction to Disaster Management	EN 125	3	3	48
6	Information Technology-I	EN 126	1	1	16
7	English-I	EN 127	1	1	16
8	Islamic Studies	EN 128	1	1	16
9	Afghanistan History	EN 129	1	1	16
10	Total Credits		19	19	272	2	32

 

Table 22: Second Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Environmental Geology	EN 221	3	3	48
2	Math-II	EN 222	3	2	32	1	16
3	Biology-II	EN 223	3	3	48
4	Introduction to Natural Resources Mang	EN 224	3	2	32	1	16
5	Introduction to Environmental Science	EN 225	3	3	48
6	Information Technology-II	EN 226	1	1	16
7	Islamic Studies	EN 227	1	1	16
8	English-II	EN 228	1	1	16
10	Total Credits		18	16	256	2	32

 

Table 23: Third Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Introduction to Geography	EN 321	3	3	48
2	Ecological Statistics	EN 322	3	3	48
3	Environmental Ethics	EN 323	3	3	48
4	Principle of Management	EN 324	2	2	32
5	Geological Hazard and Natural Disaster	EN 325	3	2	32	1	16
6	Islamic Studies	EN 326	1	1	16
7	Weather, Water and Climate Hazards	EN 327	3	2	48	1	16
	Total Credits		18	15	240	2	32

 

Table 24: Forth Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	GIS-I	EN 421	3	2	32	1	16
2	Introduction to Scientific Writing	EN 422	3	1	16	2	32
3	Risk and Hazard Communication	EN 423	2	1	16	1	16
4	Geophysics	EN 424	3	3	48
5	Disaster and Society	EN 425	3	2	32	1	16
6	Disaster Planning and Management	EN 426	3	2	32	1	16
7	Islamic Studies	EN 427	1	1	16
	Total Credits		18	12	192	6	96

 

Table 25: Fifth Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	GIS II: Adv GIS and Spatial Analysis	EN 521	3	1	16	2	32
2	Ecology	EN 522	3	2	32	1	16
3	Emergency and Environmental Health	EN 523	3	3	48
4	War, Conflict and Internal Displacement	EN 524	3	3	48
5	Risk and Hazard Assessment	EN 525	3	2	32	1	16
6	Industrial and Technological Hazards	EN 526	3	2	32	1	16
7	Islamic Studies	EN 527	1	1	16
	Total Credits		19	14	240	5	80

 

Table 26: Sixth Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Remote Sensing	EN 621	3	1	16	2	32
2	Climate Change Science and Society	EN 622	3	3	48
3	Environmental Monitoring for Disaster Mitigation	EN 623	3	2	32	1	16
4	Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction	EN 624	3	2	32	1	16
5	Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience	EN 625	3	3	48
6	Engineering Geology	EN 626	3	3	48
7	Islamic Studies	EN 627	1	1	16
	Total Credits		19	15	240	4	64

 

Table 27: Seventh Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Hazard Mapping and Zoning in Afghanistan	EN 721	3	1	16	2	32
2	Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management	EN 722	3	2	32	1	16
3	Lecture Series: Disaster Management	EN 723	2	2	32	1	16
4	Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Mountain Development	EN 724	3	2	32	1	16
5	Hazards and Disasters in Afghanistan	EN725	3	3	32	1	16
6	Research Methodology	EN 726	3	1	16	2	32
7	Islamic Studies	EN 727	1	1	16
	Total Credits		18	12	176	8	128

 

Table 28: Eighth  Semester
No.	Course	Code	Credit Number	Credit Hours
				Theory		Practice
				Credit	Total	Credit	Total
1	Disaster Management Policies, Laws and Strategies	EN 821	3	2	32	1	16
2	Monograph	EN 822	6			6	96
3	Option 1: Internship Option 2: Environmental Citizenship through Applied Community Service Learning	EN 823	4			4	64
4	International Disaster Management	EN 824	3	3	48
5	Resilient Cities	EN 825	3	3	48
6	Isamic studies	EN 826	1	1	16
10			20	9	144	11	176
Credits Breakdown Required Credits             13 (144-168 max credits) Basic Credits 56 (21 -17 credits per semester) Core Credits 80   Total Program Credits 149