Modeling and Simulation Center for Risk Analysis

In recent years, there has been a need for an independent science relevant to how to manage and face crises and disasters. This science is called "crisis and disaster management science" based on a set of scientific foundations, principles and concepts. Crisis and disaster management aims to classify, deal with and control sudden threats to be able to encounter their impacts. It is a management founded on research, knowledge, experiences, sustainable planning, and the use of information, modern technology and updated reliable databases as a base in the hands of decision makers to make sound decisions rapidly and with the highest degree of certainty.

The Modeling and Simulation Center For Risk Analysis acts through immediate dealing with threats to prevent their occurrence - if possible - or to stop the escalation and exacerbation of their impacts if it is not possible to prevent their occurrence. As such, controlling the crisis in one way or another to reach effective crisis prevention is the core task of the entire crisis management process.

This active role has appeared in many disasters experienced by the world in recent years of human life. Examples on such disasters are: the famous tsunami in January 2004, Haiti earthquake in December 2010, Japanese tsunami in March 2011, Pakistan floods in 2010, first Jeddah floods in 2009 (which foreshadowed the collapse of Lake Musk), second Jeddah floods in 2011, two hurricanes of Gonu and Phet, which struck the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman in 2007 and 2010, the earthquake in Turkey, and incidents of using chemical items in armed conflicts, which increased significantly.

As such, the various media play an important role when it comes to managing crises and disasters, whether before, during or after they occur. This requires highlighting this role in providing security and stability in the entire society.

Definitions, concepts and visions of crisis and disaster differ from one country to another according to its view of the crisis or disaster. There are those who believe that crisis is a sudden event that requires the decision-maker to act under pressure using scientific methods that help is crisis prevention. Others believe that the reason for the crisis is that it was not expected despite the appearance of signs and indications of its occurrence, or due to the wrong dealing or understanding of its events.

As for the disaster, its definition varies according to its magnitude, material and emotional damage. Some people believe that a disaster is a catastrophic event that results in deaths, injuries and material losses. Others believe that a disaster occurs when an epidemic or contagious disease spreads causing deaths. There are those who believe that the occurrence of material losses as a result of a devastating hurricane or fires is a disaster requiring the intervention of the state or international community to provide assistance and reduce damage.

Whatever the different interpretations of crisis and disaster are, there is a consensus on the necessity of having effective procedures to deal with crises at all levels in order to avoid them, or at least mitigate their material and emotional effects when they occur.