Types of Disasters
NCERT Class 11 • Geography • Chapter "Natural Hazards and Disasters" | NCERT Class 9 • Science • Chapter "Natural Resources"
Types of Disasters
A hazard is a potentially damaging event; it becomes a disaster only when it strikes a vulnerable population and causes losses beyond their ability to cope. This distinction matters, because the same earthquake can be a minor event in one place and a catastrophe in another.
Natural Disasters
- Earthquakes result from the sudden release of energy along a fault; India's seismic zones are mapped by expected intensity, with the Himalaya and the north-east most at risk.
- Most earthquake deaths come from collapsing buildings, not from the shaking itself, which is why building codes matter so much.
- Floods occur when rivers overtop their banks, and north Bihar, Assam, eastern Uttar Pradesh and coastal Odisha are most affected.
- Cyclones strike the east coast far more often than the west, bringing high wind, heavy rain and storm surge.
- Droughts develop slowly from failure of the monsoon and affect the largest number of people, though they kill fewer.
- Landslides are common in the Himalaya and the Western Ghats, and they are worsened by deforestation, road cutting and heavy rain.
- Tsunami, avalanche, cloudburst, heat wave and cold wave complete the list of natural hazards affecting India.
Man Made Disasters and Vulnerability
- Man made disasters include industrial accidents, gas leaks, chemical spills, fires, building collapse, stampedes and road and rail accidents.
- The Bhopal gas tragedy showed how an industrial accident can kill and injure on the scale of a natural disaster.
- Vulnerability is what turns a hazard into a disaster, and it depends on poverty, housing quality, awareness, warning systems and preparedness.
- Poor households are worst affected because they live in weaker structures on more exposed land and have the least ability to recover.
- Some disasters are rapid onset, such as an earthquake, and others are slow onset, such as a drought.
- Human activity increases risk through deforestation, construction on floodplains, blocking natural drainage and unplanned hill development.
- Reducing vulnerability is therefore as important as predicting the hazard itself.
| Disaster | Onset | Most Affected Region in India |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Sudden | Himalaya and the north-east |
| Flood | Fairly rapid | North Bihar, Assam, coastal Odisha |
| Cyclone | Rapid with warning | The east coast |
| Drought | Slow | Rain fed and arid regions |
Vulnerability — the degree to which a community is likely to suffer damage from a hazard, determined by its condition and preparedness.
Hindi me samjhein
संकट स्वयं आपदा नहीं है; वह तब आपदा बनता है जब किसी असुरक्षित आबादी पर पड़े। इसीलिए वही भूकंप एक जगह छोटी घटना और दूसरी जगह भारी विनाश बन जाता है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Which disaster is slow in onset — drought
- Most earthquake deaths are caused by — collapsing buildings
- Which coast of India faces more cyclones — the east coast
- What turns a hazard into a disaster — vulnerability
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Disaster risk is the product of hazard and vulnerability, and since the hazard cannot be prevented, all practical risk reduction works on vulnerability.
- Drought affects the most people while killing the fewest, which is why it receives less attention than its true economic cost warrants.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Hazard and disaster mean the same | A hazard becomes a disaster only when it causes serious loss | ✓
✗ Earthquakes kill directly by shaking | Most deaths are from collapsing structures | ✓
✗ The west coast of India faces more cyclones | The east coast faces far more | ✓
Ek nazar me
- A hazard becomes a disaster when it meets a vulnerable population.
- Natural disasters include earthquake, flood, cyclone, drought and landslide.
- Man made disasters include industrial accidents, fires and stampedes.
- Vulnerability depends on poverty, housing, awareness and preparedness.