Types of disaster

 Disasters are often classified according to

their:
 a) Causes – Natural disaster and Manmade
disaster
 b) Speed of onset – Sudden and Slow
Natural Disasters
 These types of disaster naturally occur in proximity
to, and pose a threat to, people, structures or
economic assets. They are caused by biological,
geological, seismic, hydrologic, or meteorological
conditions or processes in the natural environment.
Examples of natural disaster is as follows:
 Wind related - Storm, Cyclone, Tornado, Storm
surge, Tidal waves,
 Water related - Flood, Cloudburst, Flash flood,
Excssive rains,.Drought.
 Earth related - Earthquake, Tsunamis, Avalanches,
Landslides,Volcilnic eruptions.
Manmade Disasters
 Accidents: Road, Rail, Air, Sea, Building collapse.
 Industrial Mishaps: Gas leak, Explosion, Sabotage, Safety.
 Fire: Building, Coal, Oil.
 Forest Fire (In tropical counters, forest fires are often
manmade)
 Contamination /poisoning: Food, Water, IIIiatliquor,
Epidemics.
 Terrorist activities.
 Ecological: Pollution (Air, Water, Noise), Soil degrading,
Loss of Biodiversity, Global Warming, Sea level rise, Toxic
Wastes, Nuclear accidents.
 Warfare: Conventional, Chemical, Nuclear.
Speed of onset

 1 Sudden onset: little or no warning, minimal time to

prepare. For example, an earthquake, tsunami,
cyclone, volcano, etc.
 2 Slow onset: adverse event slow to develop; first the
situation develops; the second level is an emergency;
the third level is a disaster.
 For example, drought, civil strife, epidemic, etc.
MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS
 This is a response to things around you that cause stress, such
as noise, crowding, heat, air pollution and pressure from work
or surroundings.
 Identifying these environmental stresses and learning to avoid
them or deal with them will help lower your stress level.
 For example noise more than 90dB ,unpredictable noise
exposure elevates our blood pressure and increases heart rate
and skin conductance so that the stress level is increased.
 Crowding is a physical measure of the number of persons per
unit of space.
 Crowding is a psychological state that occurs when needs for
space exceeds the available supply.
 This also create a bad stress on human being.
Definitions
 Emergency: Emergency is a state in which normal procedures are
suspended and extra-ordinary measures are taken in order to avert a
disaster.
 An emergency can be defined in the context of the social, political and
epidemiological circumstances in which it occurs.
 Mitigation: is permanent reduction of the risk of a disaster.
 Primary mitigation refers to reducing the resistance of the hazard and
reducing vulnerability.
 Secondary mitigation refers to reducing the effects of the hazard
(preparedness).
 Mitigation includes recognizing that disasters will occur; attempts are made
to reduce the harmful effects of a disaster, and to limit their impact on
human suffering and economic assets.
 Preparedness: Preparedness are the measures that ensure the
organized mobilization of personnel, funds, equipments, and
supplies within a safe environment for effective relief.
 Disaster preparedness is building up of capacities before a
disaster situation prevails inorder to reduce impacts. Its
measures include inter alia, availability of food reserve,
emergency reserve fund, seed reserve, health facilities,
warning systems, logistical infrastructure, relief manual, and
shelves of projects.
 Vulnerability: Vulnerability is the degree of loss resulting
from a potentially damaging phenomenon.
 It is the susceptibility of a population to specific type of event.
 Vulnerability is also associated with the degree of possible or
potential loss from a risk that results from a hazard at a given
intensity.
 The factors that influence intensity include demographics, the
age, and resilience of the environment, technology, social
differentiation and diversity as well as regional and global
economics and politics.
Risk
 Risk is the expected losses (lives lost, persons
injured, damages to property and disruption of
economic activity) due to a particular hazard. Risk is
the product of hazard and vulnerability. Risk is the
probability that a person will experience an event in a
specified period of time.
 Risk as a function of hazard and vulnerability, a
relationship that is frequently illustrated with the
following formula, although the association is not
strictly arthematic:
 Risk = hazard x vulnerability.
 Distinction between Hazard and Disaster
 A hazard is a natural event while the disaster is its consequence.
 A hazard is a perceived natural event which threatens both life and
property. A disaster is the culmination of such hazard.
 A hazard is a potential for a disaster.
 A hazard becomes a disaster when it hits an area affecting the normal life
system. If a hazard like a cyclone hits an unpopulated area, say an
unpopulated coast, it need not be considered as a disaster.
 However, it will be considered a disaster if life and property are seriously
damaged. A hazard may be regarded as pre-disaster situation, in which
some risk of disaster exists, because the human population has placed itself
in a situation of risk.
 Disasters are extreme events which cause great loss of life and/or property
and create severe disruptions to human activities.
 They can be created by human actions, e.g., transport accidents and
industrial explosions or natural processes like earthquakes.
 A hazard is when extreme events or process occur in an area of human
settlement and could cause loss of life and damage to existing constructed
resources or infrastructure.
 The occurrence of a natural hazard can debilitate an entire
community for many years following the event, and some
communities never recover fully from a particularly severe
disaster. The formula for a natural disaster is
Natural hazard + Human environment = Disaster
 In other words, it is only when people are injured and property
is damaged by a hazard that we experience a disaster.
 For example, a hurricane is a natural hazard, but if it happens
far out to sea, it cannot harm anyone.
 In the middle of the ocean there are no buildings to be
damaged and no people to be injured or killed.
 Even when a hurricane reaches land, if it makes landfall in an
unpopulated area, then no disaster occurs.
Earthquake
 Earthquake is one of the most destructive natural hazard.
 They may occur at any time of the year, day or night, with
sudden impact and little warning.
 They can destroy buildings and infrastructure in seconds,
killing or injuring the inhabitants.
 Earthquakes not only destroy the entire habitation but may de-
stabilize the government, economy and social structure of the
country.
 But what is an earthquake?
 An earthquake is a sudden vibration caused on earth surface
with the sudden release of tremendous energy stored in rocks
under the earth’s crust.
 It is the sudden shaking of the earth crust.
 The impact of an earthquake is sudden and there is hardly any
warning, making it impossible to predict.
EARTHQUAKES
Effect of Earth quakes
Gujarat Earthquake
Gujarat Earthquake
Mexico Earthquake
Mexico Earthquake- Search and
Rescue
Cause of Earthquake

In general, we can say that the reasons for earth

quake is as follows::
1. Disequilibrium in any part of the earth crust
2. Underground nuclear testing
3. Decrease of underground water level
Adverse effects or consequences of
earthquake

 Damage the settlements and transport systems

 Collapses houses and their structures
 Deformation of ground surface
 Tsunami.
Earthquake Hazard Mitigation
(i) Establishing earthquake monitoring centres (seismological centres) for
regular monitoring and fast dissemination of information among the people
in the vulnerable areas. Use of Geographical Positioning System (GPS) can
be of great help in monitoring the movement of tectonic plates.
(ii) Preparing a vulnerability map of the country and dissemination of
vulnerability risk information among the people and educating them about
the ways and means minimising the adverse impacts of disasters.
(iii) Modifying the house types and building- designs in the vulnerable areas
and discouraging construction of high-rise buildings, large industrial
establishments and big urban centres in such areas.
(iv) Finally, making it mandatory to adopt earthquake-resistant designs and use
light materials in major construction activities in the vulnerable areas.
Tsunami
 The term Tsunami has been derived from a Japanese term Tsu
meaning 'harbor' and nami meaning 'waves'.
 Tsunamis are popularly called tidal waves but they actually
have nothing to do with the tides.
 A Tsunami is a large wave that is generated in a water body
when the seafloor is deformed by seismic activity.
 This activity displaces the overlying water in the ocean.
 These waves which often affect distant shores, originate by
rapid displacement of water from the lake or the sea either by
seismic activity, landslides, volcanic eruptions or large
meteoroid impacts.
 What ever the cause may be sea water is displaced with a
violent motion and swells up, ultimately surging over land
with great destructive power.
The causes of Tsunami
 Seismic activities like earthquakes, landslides,
volcanic eruptions, explosions, can generate
tsunami.
 Deformation of the sea floor due to the
movement of plates.
Adverse effects of Tsunami
 Tsunami attacks mostly the coastlines, causing
devastating property, damage and loss of life.
 Tsunami can kill lot of human beings,
livestock’s.
 Tsunami may also spread lot of water borne
diseases.
Ordinary wave and Tsunami
 Wind wave
 Wave length 100Km.
 Duration 5 to 20 Seconds
 Heights 0.5 Meters

Tsunami
 Wave length 500Km.

 Duration 10 Min to 2 hours

 Heights 30 to 80 Meters
Thailand Dec.26th 2006
Collapse of the bridge across the river
connecting Sea,Indonesia
Wave height - Thailand
Destructions in Andamans
Cyclone

 It is a meteorological process, intense depressions forming

over the open oceans and moving towards the land...
 Cyclone is a region of low atmospheric pressure surrounded
by high atmospheric pressure resulting in swirling atmospheric
disturbance accompanied by powerful winds blowing in
anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in the
clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
 They occur mainly in the tropical and temperate regions of the
world.
 Cyclones are called by various names in different parts of the
world .Cyclone is measured by Saffir-Simpson scale
Adverse effect of cyclone
i)Physical damage – structures will be damaged or destroyed by the wind
force, flooding and storm surge.
ii) Casualties and public heath – caused by flooding and flying elements,
contamination of water supplies may lead to viral outbreaks, diarrhea, and
malaria.
iii)Water supplies – Ground and pipe water supply may get contaminated by
flood waters.
iv)Crops and food supplies – high winds and rains ruin the standing crop and
food stock lying in low lying areas. Plantation type crops such as banana
and coconut are extremely vulnerable. Salt from the sea water may get
deposited on the agricultural land and increase the salinity. The loss of the
crop may lead to acute food shortage.
v)Communication – severe disruption in the communication links
Flood
 Flood is a state of high water level along a river channel or on the coast that
leads to inundation of land, which is not usually submerged.
 Floods may happen gradually and also may take hours or even happen
suddenly without any warning due to breach in the embankment, spill over,
heavy rains etc.
 There are different types of floods namely: flash flood, riverine flood,
urban flood, etc.
 Flash floods can be defined as floods which occur within six hours of the
beginning of heavy rainfall, and are usually associated with cloud bursts,
storms and cyclones requiring rapid localized warnings and immediate
response to reduce damage.
 Wireless network and telephone connections are used to monitor flood
conditions. In case of flash floods, warnings for timely evacuation may not
always be possible.
Causes of flood
 Heavy rainfall
 Heavy siltation of the river bed reduces the water
carrying capacity of the rivers/stream.
 Blockage in the drains lead to flooding of the area.
 Landslides blocking the flow of the stream.
 Construction of dams and reservoirs
 In areas prone to cyclone, strong winds accompanied
by heavy down pour along with storm surge leads to
flooding.
Adverse Effects of flood
 The most important consequence of floods is the loss of life and property.
 Structures like houses, bridges; roads etc. get damaged by the gushing
water, landslides triggered on account of water getting saturated, boats and
fishing nets get damaged. T
 here is huge loss to life and livestock caused by drowning. Lack of proper
drinking water facilities, contamination of water (well, ground water, piped
water supply) leads to outbreak of epidemics, diarrhoea, viral infection,
malaria and many other infectious diseases.
 Flooding also leads to a large area of agricultural land getting inundated as
a result there is a huge crop loss.
 This results in shortage of food, and animal fodder.
 Floods may also affect the soil characteristics. The land may be rendered
infertile due to erosion of top layer or may turn saline if sea water floods
the area.
Drought
It is a slow on-set disaster and it is difficult to demarcate the time
of its onset and the end.
 Any unusual dry period which results in a shortage of useful
water.
Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate. Climate is
expected to show some aberrations and drought is just a part of
it.
Drought can occur by improper distribution of rain in time and
space, and not just by its amount.
 Drought is negative balance between precipitation and water
use (through evaporation, transpiration by plants, domestic and
industrial uses etc) in a geographical region.
 The effects of drought accumulate slowly over a considerable
period of time.
Causes of Drought
 Though drought is basically caused by deficit rainfall, which is
a meteorological phenomenon, it manifests into different
spheres because of various vulnerability factors associated
with them .
 Some of these factors are human induced.
 Though drought is a natural disaster, its effects are made worst
in developing countries by over population, over grazing,
deforestation, soil erosion, excessive use of ground and surface
water for growing crops, loss of biodiversity.
 As discussed the draught may be due to the lack of rainfall. or
it could be a lack of snowfall from mountains far away (not in
India but in colder regions of the world); or It could be caused
when water suppleis are not sufficient to meet every body's
needs.
Can you believe it !

 Cherapunji in Meghalaya, which was said to

receive highest rainfall in the world, is now
reeling under acute drinking water problem.
 This is because of water runoff, denudation
and no storage facilities.
Adverse effects of drought
Economic
Loss of national economic growth, slowing down of economic development
Damage to crop quality, less food production
Increase in food prices
Increased importation of food (higher costs)
Insect infestation
Plant disease
Loss from dairy and livestock production
Unavailability of water and feed for livestock which leads to high livestock mortality
rates
Disruption of reproduction cycles (breeding delays or unfilled pregnancies)
Increased predation
Range fires and Wildland fires
Damage to fish habitat, loss from fishery production
Income loss for farmers and others affected
Unemployment from production declines
Loss to recreational and tourism industry
Loss of hydroelectric power
Loss of navigability of rivers and canals.
 Environmental
Increased desertification - Damage to animal species
Reduction and degradation of fish and wildlife habitat
Lack of feed and drinking water
Disease
Increased predation.
loss of wildlife in some areas and too many in others
Increased stress to endangered species
Damage to plant species
Increased number and severity of fires
Wind and water erosion of soils
 Social
Food shortages
Loss of human life from food shortages, heat, suicides, violence
Mental and physical stress
Water user conflicts
Political conflicts
Social unrest
Public dissatisfaction with government regarding drought
response
Inequity in the distribution of drought relief
Loss of cultural sites
Reduced quality of life which leads to changes in lifestyle
increased poverty
Population migrations