The role of effective contingency planning in managing extreme disasters in UAE

The ability to manage extreme disasters of any type and their aftermath has been observed to be a challenge for government. This is because extreme disasters are known to disrupt and harm social, economic, business, human welfare and the environment when preparation for them are inadequate or ineffective. Complex, extreme or catastrophic events have inherent characteristics which put a considerable demand on time, communication and other forms of resources which are at times limited or unavailable. This shows that inadequate preparation for disasters can have significant impacts on the environment and people. While the scale of disasters and level of their impact are sometimes difficult to determine prior to their occurrence, it is still the responsibility of emergency organisations to prepare to manage them. The UAE and many countries in the world have had their share of difficulties manage extreme disasters. This is because extreme disasters become complicated quickly, unpredictable in scale and can impact many people at once. Thus this paper will analyse case studies of extreme disasters in the UAE. The paper defines extreme disasters and examines the capabilities of current practices in the UAE in responding effectively to them. Challenges, drivers and barriers will also be identified and critically evaluated. This will enable the paper to achieve its aim which emphasises the importance of contingency in UAE to manage disasters. The paper will benefit both academic and professional field of disaster and emergency management.