Natural disaster

A disaster is a serious disruption to the functioning of a community. It occurs when a hazard impacts a vulnerable society. A hazard is a threat that could cause harm. For example, an earthquake is a hazard. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a disaster.

Disasters cause loss of life and property damage. They also cause economic damage and social disruption. A disaster only happens if the event hits an area with a vulnerable population. This means the community cannot cope using its own resources.

To understand disasters, we must distinguish between hazards and disasters. A natural hazard is a phenomenon that might have a negative effect. These can be geophysical or biological.

Hazards can also be provoked by anthropogenic processes. This term refers to human activities like land-use change or construction. A disaster is the actual negative impact following a hazard. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lists 18 different hazards. These include avalanches, tsunamis, and volcanic activity.

Other hazards include droughts, heat waves, and wildfires.

Disasters occur at different speeds and scales. Some are rapid onset events. These happen with very short warning times. Examples include tornadoes and flash floods.

Other events are slow onset events. A drought is a slow hazard. It can develop slowly over many years. The scale of the area also changes. Some events are local, while others cover huge regions. Understanding these timing and scale differences helps with preparation.

Many scholars argue that the term "natural disaster" is a misnomer. A misnomer is a name that is inaccurate or misleading. They suggest using the simpler term "disaster" instead. Then, they suggest specifying the type of hazard. This is because human choices often worsen the impact. Poor land-use planning and inadequate building norms increase vulnerability. Climate change also affects the frequency of weather-related hazards.

Using the word "natural" may imply that disasters are inevitable. This can mislead people into thinking they are out of our control.

Disasters have massive economic and human costs. In 2012, there were 905 natural disasters worldwide. About 93% of these were weather-related. The total costs in 2012 were US$170 billion. Of those, $70 billion were insured losses. Between 2015 and 2021, direct losses averaged above US$330 billion annually.

The Asia-Pacific region is the most disaster-prone area in the world. A person there is five times more likely to be hit by a disaster. However, global death rates have actually dropped. The total number of deaths fell by 75% over the last 100 years. This is due to better preparedness and international aid.

Disasters also create significant environmental challenges. They can generate huge amounts of waste very quickly. The 2011 tsunami in Japan produced 5 million tonnes of waste.

Much of this waste included plastic and styrofoam. In 2018, a typhoon in Hong Kong doubled the amount of microplastics on beaches. Relief operations can also create a "second disaster." After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, millions of water bottles were used.

Without good waste management, this debris can block drains and spread disease.

There is a strong link between development and disaster risk. Developing countries are often more vulnerable than high-income countries. They may lack proper disaster risk reduction systems. They might also have lower quality building construction and medical facilities. Human-induced factors like urban sprawl and resource overexploitation increase exposure. Increased exposure is the most important driver of economic losses. By improving infrastructure and planning, societies can reduce the impact of inevitable hazards.