Disasters- Natural and Human-made Notes
Std- VIII
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Answer the following questions:
1. What do you mean by the term ‘disaster’?
Ans- The term ‘disaster’ means a sudden destructive event which
causes loss of lives and property.
2. What is the main cause of the occurrence of earthquakes?
Ans- The main cause of the occurrence of earthquakes are
movement of tectonic plates and molten rocks beneath the Earth’s
crust.
3. Name the different types of volcanoes.
Ans- The different types of volcanoes are:
● Active
● Dormant
● Extinct
4. When do floods occur in India?
Ans- In India, floods occur during the monsoon season.
5. What is disaster management?
Ans- Disaster management refers to the activities that are designed
to control disasters and help people to avoid, reduce the effects of
or recover from the impact of disasters.
6. State the different phases of disaster management.
Ans- The different phases of disaster management
include:
● Response and relief
● Rehabilitation and reconstruction
● Mitigation
● Preparedness
7. What is the difference between natural hazard and natural disaster?
Ans- A natural hazard is defined as an occurrence that is not so
frequent but is still dangerous due to its life-threatening
consequences.
Natural hazards that are furious in intensity and lead to large-scale
destruction of life and property are called natural disasters.
8. List any three ways in which risk can be minimise during an
earthquake.
Ans- Three ways in which risk can be minimised during
an earthquake are-
● By constructing earthquake- resistant buildings in
high-risk areas
● Moving to open areas during an earthquake
● When indoors, people moving under heavy
furniture, such as beds and tables.
9. List any three ways in which risk can be minimise during
a volcano.
Ans- Three ways in which risk can be minimised during a
volcano are:
● Evacuating areas near the volcano on getting
warning signs
● Spreading awareness amongst the people regarding
risk prevention measures
● Storing food and other essential items
10. Why is disaster management important?
Ans- Disaster management is important for the following
reasons:
● It can avert a disaster
● Organise quick rescue and relief operations
● Undertake rehabilitation programmes
● The worst effects of a disaster can also be
prevented by preparedness, early warning system
and quick responses.
11. What are the causes of flood? List ways to minimise the
risk of floods.
Ans- Causes of floods:
● Floods occur during the rainy season when heavy
rainfall causes rivers to overflow their banks.
● Melting of glaciers due to global warming also
causes overflowing of rivers.
● Silting of riverbeds and blocking of river channels
by landslides also cause floods.
Some ways to minimise risk of floods are:
● Using regular weather reports to inform people
● Monitoring the rise in water levels and issuing
alerts when danger levels are crossed
● Building river embankments to check spread of
overflowing water
● Keeping stock of food, freshwater and clothes in
waterproof bags in case of flood
● Making arrangement to evacuate people from
flood-affected areas.
12. Explain the role of government in disaster management.
Ans-
● The government plays a vital role in disaster
management by forming disaster management
teams at district, state and national levels.
● The government is responsible for drawing up of
disaster management plans and their proper
implementation.
● When a disaster strikes, state government takes
responsibility of rescue, relief and rehabilitation
while central government provides both financial
and logistic support.
B. Give geographical reasons for the following:
1. Deforestation is one of the major environmental concerns
at present as it is responsible the occurrence of various
hazards.
Ans- Deforestation is one of the major environmental concerns at
present, as it makes erosion of soil easier. It leads to increased
greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, causing global
warming.
2. Community is the first responder in case of a disaster.
Ans- Community is the first responder in a case of disaster because
people from local communities who are near the disaster site are
the first to arrive, act immediately and provide the necessary first
aid.
3. Disaster are inevitable.
Ans- Disasters are inevitable because many of these occur due to
natural causes and they cannot be predicted easily.
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