Module 1

Introduction to Disasters

Meaning of disaster
A Disaster is an event or series of events, which gives rise to casualties and damage or loss of
properties, infrastructure, environment, essential services or means of livelihood on such a
scale which is beyond the normal capacity of the affected community to cope with.

Disaster is also sometimes described as a “catastrophic situation in which the normal pattern
of life or eco-system has been disrupted and extra-ordinary emergency interventions are
required to save and preserve lives and or the environment”. A disaster is an event of nature
or man-made that leads to sudden disruption of normal life of a society, causing damage to
life and property to such an extent that normal social and economic values available are
inadequate to restore normalcy after a disaster.

Disasters produce a range of impacts; these include direct, secondary and indirect effects.
Direct effects include deaths, injuries and physical damage. However, secondary disaster
impacts such as releasing fire or hazardous material that is triggered by disasters. Finally,
impacts include the ripple effect resulting from the flow of goods, services, unemployment
etc.

Definitions:
• As per the Disaster Management Act 2005, a disaster is defined as “a catastrophe,
mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made
cause, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human
suffering or damage to, and destruction of property, or damage to, or degradation of,
environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity
of the community of the affected area”
• According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),
“A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a
community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental
losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources.
Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins”.
• As per the definition given in the book ‘Disaster Management in India’ prepared by
Government of India-UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (2009-2012), Disaster is
a “catastrophic situation in which the normal patterns of life have been disrupted and
extraordinary emergency interventions are required to save and preserve human lives
and the environment”.
Classification of disasters – Disasters can be classified as:

Natural Man-made Hybrid

Wind related – storms, cyclones, Industrial (Chemical) Forest destruction
Hurricanes
Water related – floods, droughts Nuclear accidents Land slides
Land related – earthquake, avalanches, Forest fires
volcanoes, landslides
Oil spill

A. Natural Disasters
The natural disasters are the result of some natural phenomena e.g. Earthquakes, Volcanic
eruptions, Floods, Droughts, Cyclones.
B. Man-made disasters
Disasters usually resulted from human interaction within artificial environment which he has
created e.g. accidents in railways, ships, airplanes, or in industries.
C. Hybrid Disaster
Hybrid disasters occur when there is a link between man-made events and natural events.
E.g. Deforestation, floods, droughts, landslides, forest fires etc.

Characteristics of disasters

1. Borderless: Certain natural disasters are not bound by borders of a nation or state. The
disasters affect humans and other living beings across the globe. For instance, earthquakes,
cyclones, floods, droughts, etc., can take place in any country irrespective of social and
economic development. At times, a single disaster may affect several countries at a time. The
Tsunami of 26th December 2004 devastated the shores of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand
and other countries.

2. Loss: Certain disasters results in death of several people. For instance, the Gujarat
earthquake in 2001 resulted in deaths of over 20,000 people The Orissa cyclone in 1999 killed
10,000 people. The Tsunami disaster in 2004 took away lives of 2.3 lakh people across 14
countries (Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, the
Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand). Apart from loss of human
lives, the disaster results in loss of livestock, destruction of houses, offices, factories, and
other valuable assets.

3. Unusual Event: Disasters, by their nature, are distinct from emergencies because they do
not happen all the time. Unusual, but not unexpected. 4 Communications Failure: This is one
of the defining characteristics that separate an emergency (communications still work) and a
disaster. The problem is that there are different ways that communications fail. The
communication failure may be due to:
 • Battery failure - batteries getting used up at an incredibly fast rate during disasters.
• Incorrect information - passing of incorrect or partially correct information.
Misunderstanding the information presented or not acting properly upon it.

5. The extent is uncertain: With unusual events occurring compounded by communications

failure, it is no surprise that disasters invariably result in nobody knowing the full extent of
how bad things are. The worst hit areas are the last to be responded to. Areas slightly affected
scream the loudest because they still have phones working or alternate forms of
communications. The worst hit areas lose all forms of communications and are simply
forgotten due to the noise from elsewhere.

6. Lack of information: Due to the widespread scope of a disaster, everything is affected. As

a result, there is a tremendous need to find out what roads are out and what roads are intact,
what vital services are destroyed and which ones can easily be repaired, where the greatest
number of casualties and evacuees are to be found and what buildings are intact for recovery
use or have been destroyed.

7. Misinformation: it is very easy for information to be misconstrued and rumours to be

stated as facts when dealing with a disaster. When massive amounts of information are
required, it is easy for wrong information to slip in. Disasters are full of examples of "Wrong
Information".

8. Emergency services are affected: Fire halls are destroyed by tornados. City halls are
flooded out. When the fire truck is crushed and the water mains are broken, the arrival of the
firefighters has no effect on the disaster and the situation continues to deteriorate. Hospitals
are equally affected by the disaster. Whether the disaster damages the building itself, the
contents of the buildings are disrupted (few hospitals are earthquake proofed), or staff is
unable to get to or from the hospital, the hospitals are the first to feel the effects.

9. Situation may get better or worse: Disasters never stay the same. This means the response
to environment will constantly be changing and the situation an hour ago may be completely
different from the latest one. Situation may deteriorate for the worst, or it may be improved
for the better.

10. Recovery may take longer: Things may last much longer than one expects. There is a
tendency for everyone to think that after an earthquake or a hurricane or any disaster that
things will be back to normal in a week or two. Months later, as society continues to struggle
with rebuilding, they realize that the recovery may take months or even years.
 Common Type of Disasters in India
The High Power Committee on Disaster Management, constituted in 1999, has identified
various disasters categorized into five major sub-groups
Water and Climate related disasters a) Floods b) Cyclones c) Droughts d) Hailstorms e)
Cloud burst f) Heat wave and Cold wave g) Snow
avalanches h) Sea erosion i) Thunder and lightning
j) Tsunami
Geological related disasters a) Landslides and mudflows b) Earthquakes c) Dam
failure/Dam bursts d) Mine disasters
Chemical, industrial and nuclear a) Chemical and industrial disasters b) Nuclear
related disasters disasters
Biological related disasters a) biological disasters and epidemics b) Pest attacks
c) Cattle epidemics d) Food poisoning
Accident-related disasters a) Forest fires b) Urban fires c) Mine flooding d) Oil
spills e) Major building collapse f) Serial bomb
blasts g) Festival related disasters h) Electrical
disasters and fires i) Air, road and rail accidents j)
Boat Capsizing k) Village fire

General effects of disasters

A natural disaster may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss
of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. At the
individual level, the negative impacts of natural disasters can often be felt physically, mentally
and emotionally. Natural disasters can cause destruction of property, loss of financial
resources, and personal injury or illness. The loss of resources, security and access to shelter
can lead to massive population migrations in many countries.

Disaster damage occurs during and immediately after the disaster and describes the total or
partial destruction of physical assets, the disruption of basic services and damages to sources
of livelihood in the affected area.
1. Physical Impact –
a. Loss of life and injury - The number of deaths from natural disasters also varies by
location and the intensity of the event. The number of deaths also varies widely from
year to year, with smaller natural disasters (or natural disasters occurring in areas far
from human settlement) killing few and shockingly large disasters producing truly
massive losses of life. Some of the most notable catastrophic disasters in history
include the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 which killed more than 225,000 people, In
India, Odisha Super Cyclone of 1999 was the most disastrous tropical cyclone in the
North Indian Ocean. Its speed was 260 km/hr. It affected not only India but also
Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand. As per an estimation around 15000 people
died, around 1.67 million people became homeless, and more than 2.75 lac houses
were destroyed. Gujarat Earthquake of 2001 caused around 20,000 deaths, injured
167,000 and nearly 400,000 became homeless.
 b. Structural damages – Disasters like earthquakes, Tsunami, floods and avalanches can
lead to structural damages to the buildings or collapse endangering human lives and
property. Disasters may also damage infrastructure like roads, rail, dams,
monuments, water supply, and electric supply.
b. Health Risks – Apart from deaths, the aftereffects of disaster on people linger.
Spread of diseases threaten lives of many people. Cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, and
dysentery, which cause symptoms like diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and jaundice. These
diseases are spread through contaminated food and water, poor sanitation, and
exposure to infested water. Vector borne diseases are common after floods and
cyclones. Outbreak of diseases like malaria, leptospirosis and dengue are common.
Communicable diseases spread immediately after each disaster more due to
population displacement.

Although deaths from natural disasters have decreased overall, people in lower-
income countries often suffer disproportionately, because these locations have
fewer resources hence greater vulnerability to the disasters and to food insecurity.

2. Social impact - Most people who have gone through a disaster may recover. However,
there are risk factors that make adapting to life after the disaster more challenging
like loss of property and being forced to leave home. Social support can weaken after
disasters. Being separated from family members also increases risk. Family separation
causes the most risk for youth. Loss of lives in disasters might change the family roles
and structures. Widows and women separated from their spouse need to seek work.
Children need to drop out of school to assist the family’s survival. It may lead to the
emergence of single-parent families and orphans.
The areas destroyed completely during disasters cannot support communities. This
can lead to food insecurity, starvation and in some cases displacement and migration
of the families. This might affect the routine of the communities. When disaster-
affected populations migrate to new regions, they may not be readily integrated by
the host community, potentially giving rise to tensions or communal disharmony.
Social evils – Loss of livelihood can lead to increase in social evils like corruption,
substance abuse, crime, violence and abuse of children and women. Inability to fulfil
basic survival needs can push youth to resort to alcoholism and drugs.

3. On the Environment - Just as nature can change the landscape of our personal lives
as well as aspects of our community, different types of disasters drastically alter the
natural environment. The cyclones that occurred in Myanmar in 2008, or the wildfires
that spread throughout California in 2009 are examples of how areas that support
whole ecosystems can be drastically damaged or transformed from a single disaster
event. Cyclones, wildfires cause destruction can lead to habitat destruction, soil
degradation, and water pollution, they disrupt ecosystem processes, and can release
toxic substances from damaged infrastructure. Increased soil erosion, reduced
 agricultural productivity, contaminated water sources, and significant waste
generation.
Climate change continues to amplify the intensity of natural disasters. Droughts,
heatwaves, landslides, and tropical storms are all predicted to only worsen in scope
and scale.

4. Economic impact -
Natural disasters have the potential to destroy tangible and intangible (Human capital
– Skills, knowledge, experience, and productivity of people) economic assets. One
must understand the short- and long-term financial impact on individuals, firms and
government more carefully. Tangible assets like equipment and buildings combined
with human capital deteriorate and become inoperable to the firms. Many firms are
forced to close. The breakdown of communication systems, damage to buildings, and
roads will leave all the businesses paralyzed. Many small, medium and big business
find it difficult to recover immediately. There are short-term and long-term financial
impacts on industries.
The financial stress is more pronounced in the livelihood of the poor. It causes
insecurity among people. The personal financial distress can come from various things.
For example - loss of job, bankruptcy, a sudden medical emergency and so on. Many
times, people do not have insurance cover for such eventualities.

Even the governments are not immune. The stress is more pronounced in the case of
underdeveloped and developing nations. Developed nations also feel the dent in their
economy. Low-income individuals and areas are more likely to feel greater and longer
lasting impacts of natural disasters, and developing countries face a greater challenge
because their infrastructure is often less resilient. This can lead to even more
detrimental effects on economic development.

The financial stress can lead to job losses. This can trigger social unrest. Families may
suffer economic losses if a family member who is the single earner in the family is
injured or killed in the disaster.

5. Psychological effects - Although people react differently to traumatic events based on

their experiences and personality, there are number of common responses that are
experienced by the majority of those involved. These common post-disaster reactions
include;
• Emotional (panic attacks, shock, fear, anger, sadness and guilt feeling)
• Psychosomatic (sleep disturbances, physical problems like palpitation, headaches,
nausea, diarrhoea or constipation, and breathing difficulties),
• Cognitive (repeated thoughts and involuntarily triggering the memories, nightmares,
confusion, flashbacks, difficulty in concentrating and making decisions, memory
problems, shortened attention span, etc.)
 • Behavioural and attitudinal (disruptions in social relationship, poor motivation and
concentration, lethargy, hopelessness, etc.) difficulties. Normally, these reactions
‘settle’ over the first few week. If, however, they prolong and intense and moreover,
If symptoms persist for a period of three months or after that the person is very likely
to suffer from various psychological disorders.
When one talks of common reactions among the disaster affected population, one should
also differentiate between the psycho-social reactions exhibited/expressed by adults and
children. Children are affected by any disaster just the way adult are, although their
reactions might differ from those of the adults. Disasters disrupt the sense of well-being
by destroying normal predictable and consistent life routines of children thus, deeply
hamper the process of healthy psychological and personality development. Since children
have limited capacities to process information their sense of what happened is often not
realistic and they are not able to comprehend the totality of the situation. Therefore,
before planning for any type of psychosocial interventions, one needs to understand the
common psycho-social reactions shown by children in various age groups.

Disaster specific effects:

Disaster-specific effects refer to the specific consequences or damage that occur because of
a particular disaster. These effects can vary depending on the nature and severity of the
disaster, as well as the location and vulnerability of the affected area. Effects of few main
disasters are as below:

I. Effects of flood
1. Loss of life- Floods mostly strike people unprepared, leading to loss of lives in
drowning. Along with livestock and other life forms. Impact is higher in flood plain
areas which are densely populated,
2. Damage to infrastructure and property- Flood cause huge losses to homes, roads,
power supply, and other infrastructure. Landslides can also take place. Topsoil gets
washed away.
3. Spread of Diseases: After flood water recedes, shallow stagnant water may cover
areas over a long time. This may result in an outbreak of water borne diseases.
Moreover, homeless flood victims are housed in temporary shelters which are mostly
overcrowded and with poor sanitation conditions, which may turn the situation
worse.
4. Loss of natural habitat- Trees, vegetation and other natural habitats may get
destroyed leading to loss of biodiversity.
5. Crop Damage- Flood water damages the agricultural crops and soil. Shortage of food
can be caused due to loss of entire harvest.
6. Water supplies- Contamination of water. Clean drinking water becomes scarce.
II. Effects of Cyclones:
Cyclones bring destruction to life and property. It is characterized by heavy rains and strong
winds.
1. Storm surge: It is an abnormal rise of sea level near the coast caused by a severe
tropical cyclone resulting in inundation of low-lying areas of coastal regions. It drowns
human beings, crops and livestock, erodes beaches and embankments, destroys
vegetation and reduces soil fertility.
2. Flooding: Heavy and continued rains due to cyclones may cause floods and
submergence of low-lying areas resulting in loss of life and property. Floods and
coastal inundation pollute drinking water sources causing eruption of epidemics.
3. Strong winds: Very strong winds may damage infrastructure, dwellings,
communication systems, trees etc. destroying life and property. It affects normal
functioning of life.
4. Crop: It damages crops, along with disruption of business and transportation which
could lead to inflation.
5. Decline in tourist: Tourist will not come to a cyclone affected area, thereby affecting
livelihood of people.
6. Psychological impact: A large-scale disaster instills a deep and enduring fear among
people, as they are exposed to widespread loss of life, infrastructure collapse, and
profound suffering

III. Effects of Tsunami

Various types of damages caused by the tsunami are briefly described below.
1. Death Toll: Tsunamis always claim lakhs of lives. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in
India were the most vulnerable because they were situated closest to the
earthquake’s epicenter and the source of the tsunamis. The coastal regions of Tamil
Nadu were the primary targets of the tsunami attack on the Indian subcontinent.
Indonesia and Sri Lanka were the nations that recorded death tolls that were higher
than those in India.
2. Loss of Property: As a result of tsunami attacks, property worth millions of rupees
get damaged. Houses, public buildings, transportation systems, and other
infrastructure components suffer damage that is practically irreparable. In the
tsunami of 26th December 2004, the coastal regions of India, which include sizable
coastal tracts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry, and Kerala, have incurred
billions of rupees worth of financial losses, according to preliminary findings of the
Indian government.
3. Physiographical Changes: According to reports, after the tsunami of December 26,
2004, the water levels around several islands in the Andaman and Nicobar group—
such as Car Nicobar, Katchal, and Great Nicobar—rose significantly, causing many
beaches to split into two. Indira Point, the southernmost point of the Indian Union
located in Great Nicobar, was almost completely submerged, resulting in the coastline
receding inland.
 4. The Motion of the Earth: According to a US Geological Survey, the earthquake’s
enormous energy release caused the earth to tilt slightly. According to NASA’s
geophysicist Richard Gross, the earthquake may have permanently accelerated the
rotation of the planet due to a shift of mass toward its centre.
5. Decline in Soil Fertility and Agricultural Production: Vast, low-lying coastal areas were
submerged by water, which made the soil more saline and decreases agricultural
production. The soil’s extreme salinity renders the field unproductive.
6. Impact on Marine Life: The marine life of the Ocean gets severely impacted by deadly
tsunamis. The coral reefs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands archipelago were
severely damaged or destroyed as a result of the tsunamis that occurred in 2004. It
was possible that some of the archipelagic species might get extinct. The destructive
tsunamis caused severe losses in the fishing industry as well. Large marine mammals
including whales, dolphins, and other species were negatively impacted in their
breeding, feeding, and other activities.

IV. Effects of Earthquake:

1. Soil Liquefaction: Due to earthquakes granular material (such as sand) temporarily
loses its strength and transforms from a solid to a liquid (Soil liquefaction). This causes
rigid structures, like buildings and bridges, to tilt or sink into the liquefied deposits.
2. Landslides and avalanche: Extensive landslides in hilly regions and rocky debris come
down to block the path of streams. Earthquakes can produce slope instability leading
to landslides and avalanche in snow covered mountains.
3. Tsunamis: When earthquakes occur under sea it causes tsunami. Most destructive
tsunamis are caused by earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 or more.
4. Floods: Floods can be a secondary effect of earthquakes, especially when dams,
embankments, or river channels are damaged, causing sudden and uncontrolled
water release
5. Fires: Earthquakes can cause fires by damaging electrical power or gas lines.
6. Destabilization: It destabilizes ecological and social structure of nation. Essential
services also get disrupted.
7. Loss of life and property: An earthquake may cause injury and loss of life, general
property damage and collapse or destabilization of buildings. Collapse of manmade
structure like building, bridges, towers etc. Roads get affected due to subsidence of
the ground and enormous fissures appear on land. The aftermath may bring disease,
lack of basic necessities, other effects such as panic attacks and depression to
survivors etc. e.g. Earthquake in 2005 with Epicentre at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan
killed approx. 80,000 people and injured around 100,000 and 3.5 million people were
rendered homeless.

V. Effects of landslides:
Landslides blocks streams with debris and stones, leading to overflowing. It disrupts vehicular
movement, damages vegetation, roads, communication networks and buildings. It also
results in accidents. Overall, it acts as a risk to life. e.g. A massive landslide in 2017 in Himachal
Pradesh has killed at least 46 people and injured several others.
1. Landslides degrade the environment and natural beauty of mountains.
2. Sources of water dry up.
3. Flooding in rivers is increasing due to debris flowing from deposits brought by
landslides.
4. Roads get blocked; power and communication lines get disrupted.
5. Life and structural damages

VI. Effects of industrial accidents:

1. Environmental pollution such as air, water, and soil pollution
2. Physical injuries such as electricity exposure/electrocution, radiation and noise
injuries, burns and irritation from extreme temperatures, pressure or crush damage
from high speeds of air or water, and oxygen deficiencies.
3. Personal hardships such as pain and suffering caused by the inhalation of toxic gases,
burns
4. Loss of work, as many workers may be unable to continue their jobs due to injuries,
displacement, or temporary closure of the industry.
5. Reduced productivity, as workers may suffer physical or psychological effects
following the accident, limiting their ability to perform efficiently.
6. Employee morale drops because fear, stress, and uncertainty about workplace safety
affect workers’ confidence and motivation.
7. Increased additional costs to the organization such as medical expenses, increased
worker’s compensations, and increased insurance premiums

VII. Effects of nuclear accidents :

1. Direct contact leads to radioactive sickness which may lead to death.
2. Cancer becomes a major health concern in affected areas, and its impacts may persist
for many years
3. Air and water get contaminated due to the release of radioactive steam and the mixing
of groundwater with radioactive materials.
4. Land degradation occurs when toxic or radioactive substances contaminate soil,
reducing its fertility and making it unsafe for agriculture or habitation
5. Exposure to radiation can cause irritation, blurred vision, or long-term damage to
eyesight.
6. Hazardous pollutants harm plants, animals, and microorganisms, disrupting food
chains and upsetting the overall ecological balance.

VIII. Effects of Oil Spill

On Marine life
• The most affected organisms are those which floats near the surface like turtles,
fishes, crabs etc.
 • Sea animals caught in an oil spill, on being exposed to toxic petroleum products often
results in lower reproductive rates, organ damage, and death. The effects remain for
a long period of time.
• Fishes die due to inability to swim or breath.
• During the core breeding period, oil slicks sticking to olive ridley turtles can hinder
nesting females from reaching the shore and laying their eggs
On Birds
• Many birds die either by drowning or by being unable to feed properly because oil
coats their feathers and impairs their ability to float or hunt.
On Humans
• Direct exposure causes different health effects depending on the type and toxicity of
the chemicals released in the spill.
• Humans may be exposed by inhaling gaseous or particle-bound oil compounds, by
contact with contaminated soil, or through skin absorption when touching spilled
material
• Such disasters carry a huge economic cost due to clean-up expenses, loss of
livelihoods, and long-term environmental damage

IX. Effects of Wildfires

1. Wildfires emit billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which causes
harm to climate and living organisms.
2. This can also impact the carbon cycle due to excess CO2 and loss of vegetation.
3. High-intensity Forest fires destroy flora and fauna.
4. Wildfires can impact the economy as many families and communities depend on the
forest for food, fodder, and fuel.
5. It burns down the small shrubs and grasses, leading to landslides and soil erosion.
6. It can change the microclimate of the area with unhealthy living conditions
7. Excessive forest fires can also add to the ozone layer depletion process

Disaster Risk Profile of India – Vulnerability to disaster

India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to many natural, as well as human-made
disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socioeconomic conditions. It is highly
vulnerable to floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fires.
Out of 36 states and union territories in the country, 27 of them are disaster prone. Almost
58.6 percent of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over
40 million hectares (12 per cent of land) are prone to floods and river erosion; of the 7,516
km long coastline, close to 5,700 km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis; 68 per cent of the
cultivable area is vulnerable to drought and hilly areas are at risk from landslides and
avalanches.
India is one of the ten most disaster-prone countries of the world. The country is prone to
disasters due to a number of factors; both natural and human induced, including adverse
geological and climatic conditions, topographic features, environmental degradation,
population growth, urbanization, industrialization, unscientific development practices, etc.
The factors, accelerating the intensity and frequency of disasters are responsible for heavy
toll of human lives and disrupting the life support system in the country. According to the
National Institute of Disaster Management, during 1995-2020, a total of 1058 Climatic
Disaster events (floods, cyclones, droughts, cold waves and heat waves) were reported.

As far as the vulnerability to disaster is concerned, the five distinctive regions of the country
i.e. Himalayan region, the alluvial plains, the hilly part of the peninsula, semi-arid regions
of western India and the coastal zone have their own specific problems. While on one hand
the Himalayan region is prone to disasters like earthquakes and landslides, the plain is
affected by floods almost every year. The desert part of the country is affected by droughts
and famine while the coastal zone susceptible to cyclones and storms.

Following conditions can be considered when assessing India’s vulnerability to disasters.

a) Climatic Conditions - India is home to an astonishing variety of climatic regions,
ranging from hot tropical climate in the south to temperate and alpine in the
Himalayan north. The nation’s climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the
Thar deserts.
The Himalayan region, due to its fragile ecology and intense precipitation, is highly
susceptible to landslides, cloudbursts, and glacial lake outburst floods. While, the Thar
Desert and adjoining semi-arid (dry) areas experience heatwaves, droughts, and dust
storms. Coastal regions, influenced by tropical climatic conditions, frequently face
cyclones and storm surges.
b) The natural geological setting of the country is the primary basic reason for its
increased vulnerability. The geo-tectonic features of the Himalayan region and
adjacent alluvial plains make the region susceptible to earthquakes, landslides,
water erosion, etc.
c) As a result of various major river systems flowing from Himalaya and huge quantity
of sediment brought by them, the area is also suffering from river channel siltation,
resulting into frequent floods, especially in the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
d) The tectonic features, characteristics of the Himalayas are prevalent in the alluvial
plains of Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra too, as the rocks lying below the alluvial
pains are just extension of the Himalayan ranges only. Thus, this region is also quite
prone to seismic activities.
e) Though peninsular India is considered to be the most stable portions, occasional
earthquakes in the region show that geo- tectonic movements are still going on within
its depth.
 f) The western part of the country, including Rajasthan, Gujarat and some parts of
Maharashtra are hit very frequently by drought situation. If Monsoon worsens the
situation spreads in other parts of the country too.
g) The disturbance in the pressure conditions over oceans results in cyclones in coastal
regions. The Geo-tectonic movements going on in the ocean floor make the coastal
region prone to tsunami disaster too.
h) The extreme weather conditions, huge quantity of ice and snow stored in the
glaciers, etc. are other natural factors which make the country prone to various forms
of disasters like glacial burst and subsequent flooding. As was witnessed in February
2021 when Nanda Devi glacier broke off near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli
district leading to massive flash floods in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers.

Along with the natural factors discussed above, various human induced activities like
increasing demographic pressure, deteriorating environmental conditions, deforestation,
unscientific development, faulty agricultural practices and grazing, unplanned urbanisation,
construction of large dams on river channels etc. are also responsible for accelerated impact
and increase in frequency of disasters in the country.

Understanding key concepts related to Disasters - Disasters terminology

Following terminology are derived from the of Disaster Management Terminology document
published by the National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt.
of India.

• Hazards - A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that has

a potential to result into loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage,
loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental
damage. However, it does not necessarily lead to damage unless it interacts with
vulnerable people, infrastructure, or environment.
• Disasters - A catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising
from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in
substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property,
or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude
as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area
• Vulnerability – Means the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system
or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. Vulnerability can
be defined as the lack or paucity of capacity of an individual or group to anticipate,
cope with, resist and recover from the impact of a natural or man-made disaster.
• Resilience – It is the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to
resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a
hazard in a timely and efficient manner. This is possible through the preservation and
 restoration of its basic structures and functions through risk management. Resilience
can be developed through knowledge, understanding and practice.
• Disaster management – Means a continuous and integrated process of planning,
organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary for;
 prevention of danger or threat of any disaster
 mitigation or reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences
 capacity-building
 preparedness to deal with any disaster
 prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster
 evacuation, rescue and relief
 rehabilitation and reconstruction
• Disaster Management Cycle - Disaster Management Cycle is a framework that
integrates attempts on the part of government, individuals and NGOs towards
vulnerability reduction or disaster mitigation, as phases occurring in different time
periods in disaster management process. Phases are; mitigation, preparedness,
response and recovery
 Mitigation: Mitigation efforts are attempts to prevent hazards from
developing into disasters altogether or to reduce the effects of disasters. It is
an effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of
disasters. It focuses on long-term measures for reducing or eliminating risk. In
other words, it means lessening or limiting the adverse impacts of hazards and
related disasters.
 Preparedness: The knowledge and capacities developed by governments,
professional organizations, communities and individuals to effectively
anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of likely, approaching or
current hazard events or conditions. It is a continuous process of planning,
managing, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, monitoring
and improving co-ordination and enhancement of capability of concerned
organizations to prevent, protect against respond to, recover from create
resources and mitigate the effects of disaster activities.
 Response: It Includes provision of emergency services and public assistance
during or immediately after a disaster to save lives, reduce health impacts,
ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people
affected. This includes a first wave of core emergency services such as
firefighters, police and ambulance crews.
When conducted as a military operation, it is termed as Disaster Relief
Operation (DRO) and can be a follow-up to a Non-combatant Evacuation
Operation (NEO). They may be supported by secondary emergency services,
such as specialist rescue teams.
 Recovery- Decisions and actions taken after a disaster to restore or improve
the pre-disaster living conditions of the stricken community, while
 encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risk. The
restoration, and or improvement of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions
of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk
factors. These efforts primarily involve rebuilding destroyed property, repair
of other essential infrastructure, building/reconstruction of houses
(reconstruction & resettlement) and re-employment (rehabilitation).

Sources:

1. Disaster_terminology.pdf ([Link])
2. What is disaster resilience? - Disaster Resilience Education Victoria
3. DISASTER-MANAGEMENT-CYCLE [Link] ([Link])
4. [Link] ([Link])