Natural Hazards and
Disasters
Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Limited.
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Hazards and Disasters
Hazard – a phenomenon that causes problems
for people.
Disaster – an event involving a significant
number of people and/or significant economic
damage.
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Rising Number of Natural Disasters
Over Past 30 Years
Geophysical Hazards
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• Volcanic eruptions
• Asteroid/comet Impacts
• Landsides
Hydrometeorological Hazards
• Floods
• Droughts
• Wildland fires
• Weather phenomena
• Landsides
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Rising Number of People affected by Natural
Disasters
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Decreasing Number of Deaths from Natural
Disasters
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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What Defines an Official Disaster?
The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database & the Centre for Research
on Epidemiology of Disasters defines a disaster as:
• 10 or more deaths and/or
• 100 or more people affected and/or
• Declaration of a state of emergency/call for international assistance
The United Nations classifies a disaster as:
• A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society
• Widespread human, material, economic, or environmental impact
• Exceeds the ability of a community to cope using its own resources
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Exposure, Sensitivity & Vulnerability
Exposure – the degree to which a particular hazard or
phenomenon can occur.
Sensitivity – the potential degree to which an individual or
community could be affected by a natural hazard.
Vulnerability – the degree to which a person, community or
system is adversely affected by a hazard; Vulnerability =
Exposure + Sensitivity.
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Probability & Prediction
Probability – the likelihood or statistical measure
that a particular event will occur.
Prediction
Recurrence Interval (return period) – the
average number of years between an event of
a certain size in a location
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Relationship Between Natural Hazards
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Magnitude and Perception:
Infrequent Sudden Large Events versus Frequent Slower Small
Events
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Natural Disaster Categories
Rapid-Onset Disasters
• Begin quickly, before people have time to prepare
• Most rapid-onset disasters are of short duration.
• Ex. earthquakes
Slow-Onset disasters
• Take days or weeks to develop, giving people time to prepare
• Most slow-onset disasters are of long duration.
• Ex. Flood
Very slow Onset Disasters
• Take months, years, or even decades to develop
• Ex. Drought, sea level rise
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Why Do People Live Where They Are Vulnerable
to Natural Hazards?
• Agriculture: Fertile Soils
– floodplains
– volcanic ash
• Scenic Views
– cliffs and hill slopes
– coastal and fluvial areas
• Memory of last disaster long forgotten
• Community established before natural hazard
was identified
• No Options
– An economically less-developed
community lacks the resources to be
relocated
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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A floodplain provides rich farmland and a transportation corridor © Lisa Leoni
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Living near the ocean is important for fisheries; but storms are a constant hazard
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Housing development being built next to an unstable slope subject to past landslides
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Land Use Planning
Land Use Restrictions & Reserved Natural Area
Problems
Hazardous areas already
heavily populated
Citizens feel it infringes on
their property rights
Expansion of urban
Photo: Naples, Italy
centers into previously
undesirable hazardous
areas © LisaLimited.
Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Mitigation & Adaptation
Mitigation – taking actions to physically reduce the
exposure of the community to the hazard.
Adaptation – accepting that the hazard will occur,
or that it cannot be completely mitigated or
eliminated; taking actions to reduce the impact and
the community’s sensitivity and vulnerability.
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Approaches to Mitigation & Adaptation
1. Affecting the cause: mitigating by reducing the likelihood that the hazard will
occur (e.g. wildfire education)
2. Modify the hazard: mitigating by constructing engineering solutions or
relocating people, buildings and communities
3. Modify the loss potential: mitigation and adaptation measures that reduce
sensitivity and vulnerability, both economic and social, to a hazard (ex.
Earthquake resistant buildings)
4. Spread the loss: adaptation measures to distribute economic loss among a
broader group (e.g., taxation, government assistance and charity)
5. Planning for the loss: adaptation measures to budget for the economic or
social cost that a hazard could potentially cause
(e.g., emergency plans and insurance)
6. Bear the loss © LisaLimited.
Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
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Approaches to Natural Hazard
Assessments
1. Assessment of the degree
of exposure
(e.g., physical assessment of
slope stability)
2. Evaluation of the
community’s sensitivity to a
hazard (e.g., community
A complete investigation will consider
preparedness – financial
elements of both: physical assessment
resources, education)
and community-based assessment.
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Copyright © 2009 by Nelson Education Leoni
