Disaster
A disaster is a serious problem that happens over a period of time and causes so much harm to people, things, economies, or the environment that the affected community or society cannot handle it on its own.[1][2] In theory, natural disasters are those caused by natural hazards, whereas human-made disasters are those caused by human hazards. However, in modern times, the divide between natural, human-made or human-accelerated disasters is more and more difficult to draw.[3][4][5] In fact, all disasters can be seen as human-made, due to human failure to introduce appropriate emergency management measures.[6]
Disasters caused by natural hazards are things like
When disasters happen,
Definition and types
A disaster is a result of a natural hazard impacting a vulnerable community. Poor planning or development or a lack of preparation are human failures which make communities vulnerable to climate hazards.[10] When the impact of these events becomes too extreme, they are often called disasters. Disasters are defined by their influence on people: if a hazard overwhelms or negatively affects a community, it is considered a disaster.[11]
Disasters are routinely divided into natural or human-made. However, in modern times, the divide between natural, man-made and man-accelerated disasters is quite difficult to draw.[12][13][14]
Complex disasters, where there is no single root cause, are more common in
Some researchers also differentiate between recurring events, such as seasonal flooding, and those considered unpredictable.[16]
Related to natural hazards
Disasters that have links to
Example | Profile |
---|---|
Avalanche | The sudden, drastic flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers, such as loading from new snow or rain, or artificial triggers, such as explosives or backcountry skiers. |
Blizzard | A severe snowstorm characterized by very strong winds and low temperatures |
Earthquake | The shaking of the Earth's crust, caused by underground volcanic forces of breaking and shifting rock beneath the Earth's surface |
Fire (wild) | Fires that originate in uninhabited areas and which pose the risk to spread to inhabited areas (see also Wildfire § Climate change effects) |
Flood | Flash flooding: Small creeks, gullies, dry streambeds, ravines, culverts or even low-lying areas flood quickly (see also Effects of climate change) |
Freezing rain | Rain occurring when outside surface temperature is below freezing |
Heat wave | A prolonged period of excessively hot weather relative to the usual weather pattern of an area and relative to normal temperatures for the season (see also Effects of climate change § Heat waves and temperature extremes). |
Landslide | Geological phenomenon which includes a range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows |
Lightning strike | An electrical discharge caused by lightning, typically during thunderstorms |
Limnic eruption | The sudden eruption of carbon dioxide from deep lake water |
Tropical cyclone | Rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls (see also Tropical cyclones and climate change) |
Tsunami | A series of waves hitting shores strongly, mainly caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake, usually caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water |
Volcanic eruption |
The release of hot magma, volcanic ash and/or gases from a volcano |
A
In modern times, the divide between natural, human-made and human-accelerated disasters is quite difficult to draw.
Natural disasters can be aggravated by inadequate building norms, marginalization of people, inequities, overexploitation of resources, extreme urban sprawl and climate change.[23] The rapid growth of the world's population and its increased concentration often in hazardous environments has escalated both the frequency and severity of disasters. Extreme climates (such as those in the Tropics) and unstable landforms, coupled with deforestation, unplanned growth proliferation and non-engineered constructions create more vulnerable interfaces of populated areas with disaster-prone natural spaces. Developing countries which suffer from chronic natural disasters, often have ineffective communication systems combined with insufficient support for disaster prevention and management.[31]Human-instigated disasters are the consequence of technological or human hazards. Examples include
Other types of induced disasters include the more cosmic scenarios of catastrophic
All disasters can be regarded as human-made, due to human failure to introduce appropriate emergency management measures.[6]
Famines may be caused locally by drought, flood, fire, or pestilence, but in modern times there is plenty of food globally, and sustained localized shortages are generally due to government mismanagement, violent conflict, or an economic system that does not distribute food where needed.[33]
Disaster | Profile |
Bioterrorism | The intentional release or dissemination of biological agents as a means of coercion |
Civil unrest |
A disturbance caused by a group of people that may include sit-ins and other forms of obstructions, riots, sabotage and other forms of crime, and which is intended to be a demonstration to the public and the government, but can escalate into general chaos |
Fire (urban) | Even with strict building fire codes, people still perish in fires |
Hazardous material spills |
The escape of solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property or the environment, from their intended controlled environment such as a container. |
Nuclear and radiation accidents |
An event involving the significant release of radioactivity to the environment or a reactor core meltdown and which leads to major undesirable consequences to people, the environment, or the facility |
Power failure |
Caused by summer or winter storms, lightning or construction equipment digging in the wrong location |
Major disasters
Major disaster, as it is usually assessed on quantitative criteria of death and damage, was defined by Sheehan and Hewitt (1969),[34] having to conform to the following criteria:[35]
- At least 100 people dead,
- at least 100 people injured, or
- at least $1 million damage
This definition includes indirect losses of life caused after the initial onset of the disaster such as secondary effects of, e.g., cholera or dysentery. This definition is still commonly used but has the limitations of number of deaths, injuries, and damage (in $).
an event, concentrated in time and space, in which a community undergoes severe danger and incurs such losses to its members and physical appurtenances that the social structure is disrupted and the fulfilment of all or some of the essential functions of the society is prevented.[36]
As with other definitions of disaster, this definition not only encompasses the social aspect of disaster impact and stresses potentially caused but also focuses on losses, implying the need for emergency response as an aspect of the disaster.[35] It does not, however, set out quantitative thresholds or scales for damage, death, or injury, respectively.[citation needed]
Impacts
As of 2019, countries with the highest vulnerability per capita release the lowest amount of emissions per capita, and yet still experience the most heightened droughts and extreme precipitation.[37] According to a UN report, 91% of deaths from hazards from 1970 to 2019 occurred in developing countries.[38] These countries already have higher vulnerability and lower resilience to these events, which exacerbates the effects of the hazards.
As of 2008, there were on average 400 disaster events per year, more than double the amount since the 1980s.[39]
Effects of climate change
Prevention and response
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster response
Disaster response refers to the actions taken directly before, during or in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The objective is to save lives, ensure health and safety and to meet the subsistence needs of the people affected.[44]: 16 This includes warning/evacuation, search and rescue, providing immediate assistance, assessing damage, continuing assistance and the immediate restoration or construction of infrastructure (i.e. provisional storm drains or diversion dams). The aim of emergency response is to provide immediate assistance to maintain life, improve health and support the morale of the affected population. Such assistance may range from providing specific but limited aid, such as assisting refugees with transport, temporary shelter, and food to establishing semi-permanent settlements in camps and other locations. It also may involve initial repairs to damage or diversion to infrastructure.
The focus in the response phase is on keeping people safe, preventing the next disasters and meeting the basic needs of the people until more permanent and sustainable solutions can be found. The main responsibility to address these needs and respond to a disaster lies with the government or governments in whose territory the disaster has occurred. In addition,Etymology
The word disaster is derived from Middle French désastre and that from Old Italian disastro, which in turn comes from the Ancient Greek pejorative prefix δυσ- (dus-) "bad"[45] and ἀστήρ (aster), "star".[46] The root of the word disaster ("bad star" in Greek) comes from an astrological sense of a calamity blamed on the position of planets.[47]
See also
- Act of God
- Disaster recovery
- Emergency management
- List of accidents and disasters by death toll
- Lists of disasters
References
- ^ "What is a disaster?". www.ifrc.org. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Disasters & Emergencies: Definitions" (PDF). Addis Ababa: Emergency Humanitarian Action. March 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2017 – via World Health Organization International.
- ^ "Why natural disasters aren't all that natural". openDemocracy. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- .
- ^ Smith, Neil (11 June 2006). "There's No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster". Items. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-415-25216-4
- ^ a b "Natural Hazards | National Risk Index". hazards.fema.gov. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ "World Bank: Disaster Risk Management".
- ^ Luis Flores Ballesteros. "Who's getting the worst of natural disasters?" 54Pesos.org, 4 October 2008 Archived 3 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Why natural disasters aren't all that natural". www.preventionweb.net. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Zibulewsky, Joseph (April 14, 2001). "Defining disaster: the emergency department perspective". National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Why natural disasters aren't all that natural". openDemocracy. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- .
- ^ Smith, Neil (11 June 2006). "There's No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster". Items. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ Didi Kirsten Tatlow (15 December 2016). "Don't Call It 'Smog' in Beijing, Call It a 'Meteorological Disaster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022.
- S2CID 17439273.
- ^ Cannon, Terry. (1994). Vulnerability Analysis and The Explanation Of 'Natural' Disasters. Disasters, Development and Environment.
- ^ "Natural Hazards | National Risk Index". hazards.fema.gov. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ]
- ^ Kevin Blanchard #NoNaturalDisasters – Changing the discourse of natural disaster reporting (16 November 2018)
- ^ Cannon, Terry. (1994). Vulnerability Analysis and The Explanation Of 'Natural' Disasters. Disasters, Development and Environment.
- ^ a b "Why natural disasters aren't all that natural". www.preventionweb.net. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Why natural disasters aren't all that natural". openDemocracy. 26 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- .
- ^ Smith, Neil (11 June 2006). "There's No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster". Items. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ISBN 978-90-5410-060-7. Archived(PDF) from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "Wildfire Causes and Evaluations (U.S. National Park Service)". NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ a b DeWeerdt, Sarah (15 September 2020). "Humans cause 96% of wildfires that threaten homes in the U.S." Anthropocene. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- PMID 10600969.
- ISBN 978-0-19-959226-5. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2020.[page needed]
- ISBN 978-3-319-59002-8, retrieved 8 June 2022
- PMID 33946801.
- ^ "Famine". education.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ Hewitt, K.; Sheehan, L. (1969). A Pilot Survey of Global Natural Disasters the Past Twenty Years (Report). Natural Hazards Research Working Paper, No. 11. Toronto: University of Toronto. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780415012171.
- ISBN 9780387734125. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ a b IPCC, 2023: Sections. In: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 35-115, doi: 10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647
- ^ "Concept Note: International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2023". United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ McBean, Gordon and Caroline Rogers. 2010. “Climate hazards and disasters: the need for capacity building.” WIREs Climate Change vol 1. 871-884. DOI: 10.1002/wcc.77
- ^ "Disaster risk reduction progress score". Our World in Data. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b UNGA (2016). Report of the open-ended intergovernmental expert working group on indicators and terminology relating to disaster risk reduction. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- ISSN 1757-7780.
- ^ UNGA (2016). Report of the open-ended intergovernmental expert working group on indicators and terminology relating to disaster risk reduction. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
- ^ "Dus, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus".
- ^ "Aster, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "A Greek-English Lexicon", at Perseus".
- ^ "Disaster" in Etymology online
External links
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – IFRC
- ReliefWeb of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs –ReliefWeb
- United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – UNDRR
- EM-DAT International Disaster Database of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters
- Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System – a joint initiative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the European Commission
- UN-SPIDER – UN-SPIDER, the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response], a project of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)