1.1 Hazard

Lecture-1
Basic Concepts of Disaster

Management
Hazard, Risk and Disaster
Hazard
A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon

or human activity that may cause the loss of life or
injury, property damage, social and economic
disruption or environmental degradation.
Definition of Hazards
The term hazards have been variously defined by
different people.
a. Hazards are those elements in physical

environment harmful to man, and caused by
forces extraneous to him (Burton and
Kates,1998).
c. Hazard is a situation with the potential to cause
harm to people, property or environment (The
Council of Science and Society,1993).
d. A Hazard is a perceived natural event which

threatens both life and property
(Whittow,1979).
Hazard
There is a potential for
occurrence of an event
Examples
• Examples of natural hazards are typhoons,
tsunamis, earthquake and volcanic eruption,
which are exclusively of natural origin.
Landslides, floods, drought, fires are socio-natural
hazards since their causes are both natural and
human-made (or human-induced).
Human-induced hazards
are associated with
industries or energy
generation facilities and
include explosions,
leakage of toxic waste,
pollution, dam failures.
War or civil strife is
included in this category.
Man-Nature Interaction
Natural Event System
Resources
Hazard Response
Human use System

Classification of Natural Hazards
• Based on different criteria, Hazards can be
variously classified. These criteria are based on
such parameters as magnitude, velocity,
duration, death toll, and financial cost etc.
• The most important and workable classification is

based on the mode of operation of hazards.
• According to this classification natural hazards can

be divided into two major categories:
i) Terrestrial Hazards
ii) Extra-terrestrial Hazards
1) Terrestrial are those hazards which occur within
the earth.
2). Extra-Terrestrial hazards are those which
originate outside the limit of the earth, perhaps
in space, but cause harm to mankind, like
falling of meteorites.
Terrestrial hazards can again be divided into three
Categories:
i) Exogenic: Exogenic are those hazards which operate
on the earth. Exogenic hazards can be further
subdivided into:
a. Atmospheric Hazards
b. Hydrospheric Hazards
c. Lithospheric Hazards.
ii) Endogenic: Endogenic are those hazards which
originate inside the earth. For instance volcanic
eruption and earthquake etc.
iii) Biotic: Biotic hazards are those which are
caused by living organisms like plants, animals
and mankind.
Natural Hazard Classification
Hazards
Extra-
Terrestrial Terrestrial
Hazards Hazards
Endogenic Exogenic Biotic

Hazards Hazards Hazards
Anthropogeni
Hydrospheric Atmospheric Lithospheric Floral c
Volcanoes Earthquake Hazards Hazards Hazards (Plants) Faunal (Man induced
Hazard)
Landslide,
Drought,
Erosion,
Waves, Rainfall, Physical
and, Chemical Biological
Currents, Snowfall, Hazards
Avalanches Hazards Hazards
Tsunami Winds,
and Floods Hailstorm
and Lightning
Earthquake Landslide Soil erosion

Release
(Man (Man (Man Nuclear Eutrophicati Population
of Toxic
induced induced induced Explosion on Explosion
Chemicals
Hazard) Hazard) Hazard)
Factors to Consider in Understanding the Nature & Behavior of Hazards
01. One Hazard Causing a Secondary Hazard

In case of Earthquake, which can bring further
hazards like
Building collapse
Dam failure
Fire
Hazardous material spill
Interruption of power/water supply/
Communication/transportation/ waste disposal
Landslide
Soil liquefaction
Tsunami
Flood: Epidemics, snake bite, dam Failure
Drought: Epidemics, Famine
Civil war: Refugees & Displaced persons
Landslide: Epidemics, Temporary damming
Pollution: Diseases, Global Warming, Climate Change

Summary: Key Ideas About Hazard
• Natural hazards are not the actual disasters

• Natural hazards indicate potential disasters
• People help create natural hazards and disasters
by locating (settling) in areas where extreme
natural events may or do occur.
• Natural hazards consist of the interaction
between possible human use of an area and
possible extreme natural events
• People often take action to reduce losses or the
threat of losses from extreme natural events.
• The most popular actions (relief, rehabilitation and

controlling the natural event) reduce some losses,
but increase disaster potential (the natural hazard)
because they encourage people to settle in
hazardous areas.
• Land use planning is not popular even though it

does reduce disaster potential (the natural
hazard) by directing people to settle hazardous
areas more wisely.
• Because natural hazards and disasters are human
creations, land use planning is the most effective
way to reduce both losses and hazards caused
by extreme natural event.
How One Hazard can cause other hazards? 3D
Animated Movie

1.1 Hazard

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1.1 Hazard

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1.1 Hazard

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture-1

Basic Concepts of Disaster

A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon

a. Hazards are those elements in physical

d. A Hazard is a perceived natural event which

Natural Event System

Human use System

• The most important and workable classification is

• According to this classification natural hazards can

Endogenic Exogenic Biotic

Earthquake Landslide Soil erosion

01. One Hazard Causing a Secondary Hazard

Drought: Epidemics, Famine

Civil war: Refugees & Displaced persons

Landslide: Epidemics, Temporary damming

Pollution: Diseases, Global Warming, Climate Change

• Natural hazards are not the actual disasters

• The most popular actions (relief, rehabilitation and

• Land use planning is not popular even though it

You might also like