Disaster Module-2

Natural Disaster
A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples
are floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and other geologic
processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some
economic damage in its wake, the severity of which depends on the affected
population's resilience (ability to recover) and also on the infrastructure available.

Types of Natural Disaster

1. Geological disasters : Landslides, Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions

2. Hydrological disasters: Floods, Tsunami, Limnic eruptions
3. Meteorological disasters: Cyclonic storms, Hailstorms, Ice storms, Cold waves, Heat waves,
Droughts, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes
4. Wildfires

1. Geological Disaster:

Earthquake: An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that
creates seismic waves. At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by vibration, shaking, and
sometimes displacement of the ground. Earthquakes are caused by slippage within geological faults. The
underground point of origin of the earthquake is called the seismic focus. The point directly above the
focus on the surface is called the epicenter. Earthquakes by themselves rarely kill people or wildlife. It is
usually the secondary events that they trigger such as building collapse, fires, tsunamis (seismic sea
waves) and volcanoes. Many of these could possibly be avoided by better construction, safety systems,
early warning and planning.

Landslide: The term landslide or less frequently, landslip, refers to several forms of mass wasting that
include a wide range of ground movements, such as rock falls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows,
and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle
slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are
called submarine landslides. Gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, but there are
other factors affecting slope stability that produce specific conditions that make a slope prone to failure.
In many cases, the landslide is triggered by a specific event (such as a heavy rainfall, an earthquake, a
slope cut to build a road, and many others), although this is not always identifiable.

Volcanic eruptions: Volcanoes can cause widespread destruction and consequent disaster in several ways.
The effects include the volcanic eruption itself that may cause harm following the explosion of the volcano
or falling rocks. Secondly, lava may be produced during the eruption of a volcano, and so as it leaves the
volcano the lava destroys many buildings, plants and animals due to its extreme heat. Thirdly, volcanic
ash, generally meaning the cooled ash, may form a cloud, and settle thickly in nearby locations. When
mixed with water this forms a concrete-like material.

2. Hydrological disasters:

Floods: A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry.[1] In the sense of "flowing
water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the
discipline hydrology and are of significant concern in agriculture, civil engineering and public health.

Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or ocean, in which
the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries, [2] or it
may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an aerial flood. While the size of
a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these
changes in size are unlikely to be considered significant unless they flood property or drown domestic
animals.

Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly
at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are
in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from
rivers and other bodies of water, people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is
usually flat and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.

Some floods develop slowly, while others can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of
rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting
entire river basins.

Tsunami: A tsunami is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of
water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater
explosions (including detonations, landslides, glacier calving’s, meteorite impacts and other disturbances)
above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal ocean waves, which are
generated by wind, or tides, which are generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun, a
tsunami is generated by the displacement of water.

Tsunami waves do not resemble normal undersea currents or sea waves because their wavelength is far
longer.[7] Rather than appearing as a breaking wave, a tsunami may instead initially resemble a rapidly
rising tide.[8] For this reason, it is often referred to as a tidal wave, although this usage is not favored by
the scientific community because it might give the false impression of a causal relationship between tides
and tsunamis. Tsunamis generally consist of a series of waves, with periods ranging from minutes to
hours, arriving in a so-called "wave train". Wave heights of tens of meters can be generated by large
events. Although the impact of tsunamis is limited to coastal areas, their destructive power can be
enormous, and they can affect entire ocean basins.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history, with at least
230,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.
Limnic Eruptions: A limnic eruption, also known as a lake overturn, is a rare type of natural disaster in
which dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) suddenly erupts from deep lake waters, forming a gas cloud capable
of suffocating wildlife, livestock, and humans. A limnic eruption may also cause tsunamis as the
rising CO2 displaces water. Scientists believe earthquakes, volcanic activity, and other explosive events
can serve as triggers for limnic eruptions. Lakes in which such activity occurs are referred to as limnically
active lakes or exploding lakes.

Some features of limnically active lakes include:

 CO
2-saturated incoming water
 A cool lake bottom indicating an absence of direct volcanic interaction with lake waters
 An upper and lower thermal layer with differing CO
2 saturations
 Proximity to areas with volcanic activity

3. Meteorological disasters

Cyclone Storms: Cyclone, tropical cyclone, hurricane, and typhoon are different names for the same
phenomenon, which is a cyclonic storm system that forms over the oceans. The determining factor on
which term is used is based on where they originate. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term
"hurricane" is used; in the Northwest Pacific it is referred to as a "typhoon" and "cyclones" occur in the
South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

The deadliest hurricane ever was the 1970 Bhola cyclone; the deadliest Atlantic hurricane was the Great
Hurricane of 1780 which devastated Martinique, St. Eustatius and Barbados. Another notable hurricane
is Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast of the United States in 2005.

Cold Waves: A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap or cold spell) is a weather phenomenon
that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a
cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24-hour period requiring substantially increased
protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. The precise criterion for a cold wave
is determined by the rate at which the temperature falls, and the minimum to which it falls. This minimum
temperature is dependent on the geographical region and time of year.

Heat Waves: A heat wave is a period of unusually and excessively hot weather. The worst heat wave in
recent history was the European Heat Wave of 2003. A summer heat wave in Victoria, Australia, created
conditions which fueled the massive bushfires in 2009. Melbourne experienced three days in a row of
temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) with some regional areas sweltering through much higher
temperatures. The bushfires, collectively known as "Black Saturday", were partly the act of arsonists.
The 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer resulted in severe heat waves, which killed over 2,000 people. It
resulted in hundreds of wildfires which caused widespread air pollution, and burned thousands of square
miles of forest.

Drought: Drought is the unusual dryness of soil caused by levels of rainfall significantly below average
over a prolonged period. Hot dry winds, shortage of water, high temperatures and consequent
evaporation of moisture from the ground can also contribute to conditions of drought. Droughts result in
crop failure and shortages of water.

A drought or drouth is an event of prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether atmospheric (below-
average precipitation), surface water or ground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be
declared after as few as 15 days. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the
affected region and harm to the local economy. Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase
the chances of a drought developing and subsequent bush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen
drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapour.

Thunderstorms: A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is

a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere,
known as thunder.

I. Relatively weak thunderstorms are sometimes called thundershowers.

II. Thunderstorms occur in a type of cloud known as a cumulonimbus.

They are usually accompanied by strong winds, and often produce heavy rain and sometimes snow, sleet,
or hail, but some thunderstorms produce little precipitation or no precipitation at all. Thunderstorms
may line up in a series or become a rain band, known as a squall line. Strong or severe
thunderstorms include some of the most dangerous weather phenomena, including large hail, strong
winds, and tornadoes. Some of the most persistent severe thunderstorms, known as supercells, rotate as
do cyclones. While most thunderstorms move with the mean wind flow through the layer of
the troposphere that they occupy, vertical wind shear sometimes causes a deviation in their course at a
right angle to the wind shear direction.

Tornados: A tornado is a violent and dangerous rotating column of air that is in contact with both the
surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud, or the base of a cumulus cloud in rare cases. It is also
referred to as a twister or a cyclone,[17] although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider
sense, to refer to any closed low pressure circulation. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, but are
typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the Earth and is often
encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour
(177 km/h), are approximately 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before
dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h),
stretch more than two miles (3 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (perhaps more than
100 km)
 4. Wildfires

A wildfire is simply an uncontrolled fire that is wiping out large fields and areas of land. It is typically fires
that started out of a lightning strike, or people carelessly starting it, or accidentally, or even arson, that
went un-noticed and got out of hand. These fires sometimes burn for days and weeks.

Man-made Disaster
Human-instigated disasters are the consequence of technological or human hazards. Examples
include stampedes, fires, transport accidents, industrial accidents, oil spills, terrorist attacks, nuclear
explosions/nuclear radiation. War and deliberate attacks may also be put in this category.

Other types of induced disasters include the more cosmic scenarios of catastrophic global
warming, nuclear war, and bioterrorism.

1. Biological Disaster
2. Chemical Disaster
3. Industrial pollution
4. Artificial flooding in urban areas
5. Nuclear radiation
6. Transportation accidents
7. Terrorist strikes

1. Biological Disaster:

Biological disasters are causative of process or phenomenon of organic origin or conveyed by biological
vectors, including exposure to pathogenic micro-organisms, toxins and bioactive substances that may
cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services,
social and economic disruption, or environmental damage. Examples of biological disasters include
outbreaks of epidemic diseases, plant or animal contagion, insect or other animal plagues and infestation.
Biological disasters may be in the form of:-

Epidemic affecting a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or

region at the same time, examples being Cholera, Plague, Japanese Encephalitis (JE)/Acute Encephalitis
Syndrome (AES); or,

Pandemic is an epidemic that spreads across a large region, that is, a continent, or even worldwide of
existing, emerging or reemerging diseases and pestilences, example being Influenza H1N1 (Swine Flu).
 2. Chemical Disaster

Chemical, being at the core of modern industrial systems, has attained a very serious concern for disaster
management within government, private sector and community at large. Chemical disasters may be
traumatic in their impacts on human beings and have resulted in the casualties and also damages nature
and property. The elements which are at highest risks due to chemical disaster primarily include the
industrial plant, its employees & workers, hazardous chemicals vehicles, the residents of nearby
settlements, adjacent buildings, occupants and surrounding community. Chemical disasters may arise in
number of ways, such as:-

Process and safety systems failures

 Human errors
 Technical errors
 Management errors

Status of Chemical Disaster Risk in India

India has witnessed the world’s worst chemical (industrial) disaster “Bhopal Gas Tragedy” in the year
1984. The Bhopal Gas tragedy was most devastating chemical accident in history, where over thousands
of people died due to accidental release of toxic gas Methyl Iso Cyanate (MIC).
Such accidents are significant in terms of injuries, pain, suffering, loss of lives, damage to property and
environment. India continued to witness a series of chemical accidents even after Bhopal had
demonstrated the vulnerability of the country. Only in last decade, 130 significant chemical accidents
reported in India, which resulted into 259 deaths and 563 number of major injured.

3. Industrial Pollution:

While there are many different types of pollution, industrial pollution refers explicitly to any
contamination caused by industrial activities. Industrial pollution is a big issue because most pollution is
caused by some industry, making it the most significant form of pollution on the planet.

The effects of industrial pollution are vast, causing water contamination, a release of toxins into soil and
the air, and it is the cause of some of the most significant environmental disasters of all time.

Six Causes of Industrial Pollution

The causes of industrial pollution are extensive but here is a list of some of the top reasons.

1. Industrial Growth that is Unplanned: A lot of air and water pollution has occurred from companies who
ignored rules or standard practices to facilitate rapid growth. Industrial growth has been a frequent culprit
for pollution.

2. Lack of Effective Policies: Many industries have been able to ignore or entirely bypass pollution laws
because the policies are either not valid, or not adequately enforced by pollution control boards. The
result has been significant pollution that has had a direct effect on many people.
3. The Sheer Number of Industries: There are many industries and factories, and most of them are
polluting the air every day. Small sectors that have to rely on grants from the government to keep
operating are often able to avoid following environmental regulations. Those companies have been
discovered to release significant amounts of toxic gas, making pollution an even more substantial issue
from those smaller industries.

4. Using Old and Outdated Technology: Updating technology is expensive, and there are many companies
and plants which are relying on outdated technology to continue operating their business successfully.
Older technologies tend to produce large amounts of waste.

Even when companies realize the harmful effect they are having on the environment, they choose to save
money by keeping their old systems instead of upgrading.

5. Natural Resource Use: Raw material is necessary for a lot of industries, which requires them to pull
underground elements. One of the most common forms of leaching from natural resources is fracking for
oil. When industries pull minerals, the process causes pollution in the soil and also causes oil leaks and
spills that are harmful and deadly to people and animals.

6. Improper Disposal of Waste: One of the most common forms of soil and water pollution are because
of companies who do not dispose of their waste correctly. This is one of the most significant causes of
pollution because the effects include severe and chronic health issues and lower air quality.

4. Transportation Accidents:

A transport accident is any accident (or incident) that occurs during any type of transportation, including
accidents occurring during road transport, rail transport, maritime transport and air transport. It can refer
to:

 a road traffic accident (including vehicle collision, pedestrian- bicycle collisions, pedestrian-
pedestrian collisions etc.）
 a marine accident (sailing ship accident, including man overboard.)
 railroad accidents (including train wreck)
 an aviation accident and incident

5. Terrorist strikes:

Terrorism is defined as political violence in an asymmetrical conflict that is designed to induce terror and
psychic fear (sometimes indiscriminate) through the violent victimization and destruction of
noncombatant targets (sometimes iconic symbols).
 6. Artificial Flooding

While artificial flood is also not so different from natural flood, only thing is this flood causes less harm as
compare to natural. Mankind play with nature and society’s impact on nature- say it overlodging of water
through sewage, dumping industrial wastages in rivers, overflowing of supply water in home or localitoes
can invite a flood.

7. Terror Strikes

The goal of terrorism is to intimidate societies or governments in an effort to promote political or

ideological beliefs. These attacks can take many forms, and could happen at any time in any place.
Terrorists typically exploit vulnerabilities, and may use technology, hazardous materials, biological agents
or other methods to create devastating disruptions to the community. Terrorism thrives on fear. By
planning how to respond to a terrorist attack, you can greatly improve your chances of survival. You can
also lessen the impact of the attack by reducing the fear in the aftermath.

Hazard and vulnerability profile of India

Vulnerability to Disasters India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to a large number of 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 per cent 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. A multi-hazard map of India is given in Figure 1.

(a) 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 Geo- climatic conditions,
topographic features, environmental degradation, population growth, urbanization, industrialization, non
scientific 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. 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, 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.
 (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. Though peninsular India is considered to be the most stable
portions, but occasional earthquakes in the region shows that geo- tectonic movements are still going on
within its depth.

(c) The tectonic features, characteristics of the Hiamalaya 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. 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 Pardesh and
Bihar.

(d) 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. The disturbance in the pressure conditions over oceans, results into cyclones in coastal
regions. The Geo-tectonic movements going on in the ocean floor make the coastal region prone to
tsunami disaster too.

(e) 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. (f) Along with the natural
factors discussed in the preceding text, 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.