Applying the SDMS model to manage natural disasters in Mexico

Several natural disasters that have occurred over the last 35 years world-wide. It is believed that during the past three decades they have claimed about four million lives worldwide, adversely affected the lives of at least a billion more people. The above has highlighted the need for an effective 'disaster management system' to mitigate the effects of such events. A systemic approach has been adopted to construct a model for a disaster management system. The Systemic Disaster Management System (SDMS) model aims to help to maintain disaster risk within an acceptable range in relation to disaster management. This paper presents the application of the SDMS model to the case of natural disaster management in Mexico; in particular, it has been applied to the case of earthquakes. The paper presents the essential features of a system that need to be in place so that disaster risk can be maintained within an acceptable level. Further research is needed in order to model recursive early warning co-ordination centres; that is, from international to national; regional to community levels from this point of view. It is hoped that this approach will lead to a better understanding of the management of natural disasters. © 2009 Taylor & Francis Group.