>Introduction
●What is a natural disaster?
-A sudden environmental damage causing losses of lives due to an unpredictable harmful event in nature.
-They are caused by environmental factors like Storms,Floods,Droughts,Fires and Heatwaves.
- The change in architecture of nature by human beings creates a risk of causing or worsening of the natural disaster.
●Impact of Natural Disasters
- They can have serious impact on public health and can affect a huge population directly (injuries) or indirectly ( infectious diseases).
-They can damage natural resources like water, Sanitation and agricultural lands.
-They can cause damage to buildings,Infrastructure,water systems,roads,bridges, homes thus making human beings homeless.
-They can push people or an entire community towards poverty. For example:Haiti,South Sudan and Congo. Here people live in extreme poverty because of cyclones,Droughts and Floods respectively.
●Preparation for Natural Disasters
- The preparation can help reduce the risk of health and environment associated with human beings.
-Here are few steps than can be taken to be safe during a hazard:-
• Decide among your family that if separated where shall all will meet.
•Prepare an emergency kit with essential like water, food,first aid,flash light,battery and most important cash.
•Learn some life saving skills like giving band aid and CPR.
•Be aware of the weather updates and follow safety precautions given by the authorities including evacuation orders.
•During storm and thunder stay indoors and check your roof,walls and foundation for stability.
>Types of Natural Disasters
●Geological Disasters
A disaster which can cause damage to property,environment and human life.
For example:
•Earthquakes-A sudden shaking of ground,Landslides or Tsunamis because of the energy released in the Earth's crust producing seismic waves.
-It can range in intensity from weak that aren't even felt to violent that have the ability to propel objects and people into the air.
- It can occur naturally or be induced by human activities like mining,fracking or nuclear tests.
-Significant historical earthquakes include the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake in China, with over 830,000 fatalities, and the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile, the largest ever recorded at 9.5 magnitude.
•Volcanic eruptions-The expulsion of gases,molten lava or rick fragments from within the earth through a vent onto the Earth's surface or to the atmosphere.
-Deep inside the earth, it is so hot that some rocks slowly melt and become a thick flowing substance called magma.
-Since it is lighter than solid rock around it,magma rises and it collects in chambers.
-Eventually,some of the magma pushes through vents and fissures to Earth's surface.
-It creates harmful gases and smog that makes it hard for human beings to breathe,and irritate their skin,eyes,nose and throat.
•Landslides- A mass movement of any material like rock earth or debris,down the slope is known as landslide.
-It can occur in various environments which are characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in that case they are known as submarine landslides.
-In some cases it occurs because of 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.
- They are often made worse human developments and resources exploitation like mining and deforestation.
●Atmospheric Disasters
• Hurricanes-The showers and thunderstorms with well defined circulation center with maximum winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or greater.
-It is categorized on the Saffir-Simpson scale ranging from 1 to 5 , 1 being the weakest and 5 is the strongest.
-It can destroy buildings, mobile homes,down trees and power lines.
•Tornadoes- A violently rotating column of air which is in contact with the earth surface as well as with cumulonimbus cloud.
-It is often referred to as twister,whirlwind or cyclone.
-Mostly, tornadoes have wind speeds less than 180 kilometers per hour (110 miles per hour), are about 80 meters (250 feet) across, and travel several kilometers (a few miles) before dissipating.
•Droughts- A period of drier-than-normal conditions is referred to as drought.
- It has a huge impact on ecosystems and agriculture of affected regions as it can lasts for days,months or years.
- The dry situation increase risk of Wildfires in forests which harm the vegetation.
-Heat waves can significantly worsen drought conditions by increasing evapotranspiration.
●Hydrological Disasters
•Floods- The overflow of water which submerges the land which is usually dry.
- The changes in environment because of human beings increases the risk and frequency of flooding.
-Examples of human changes are changes in the use of land like deforestation and removal of wetlands, changes in waterway course or flood controls such as with levees.
-They often cause damage to homes and businesses if buildings are in the natural flood plains of rivers.
•Wildfires- An unplanned,Uncontrollable and unpredictable fire in the forest or in a combustible vegetation is known as Wildfire.
-It can be identified as a bushfire (in Australia), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire depending on the type of vegetation.
-It can be caused by ignition in physical properties, combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire.
-It is a common type of disaster in some regions, including Siberia (Russia), California (United States), British Columbia (Canada), and Australia.
●Biological Disasters
• Pandemics- A sudden increase in cases of an infectious disease which spreads over a large area like continents or worldwide affecting a huge population.
-Looking back into human history, there have been a number of pandemics of diseases such as smallpox.
-The Black Death, caused by the Plague, led to the deaths of up to half of the population of Europe in the 14th century.
-The most recent pandemics include the HIV/AIDS pandemic,the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.
-The 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic—more commonly known as the Spanish flu was the deadliest pandemic in history.
•Insect infestations- It is the state of being invaded by pests or parasites.
-It can be classified as either external or internal with regards to the parasites' location in relation to the host.
-External or ectoparasitic infestation is a condition in which organisms live primarily on the surface of the host (though porocephaliasis can penetrate viscerally) and includes those involving mites, ticks, head lice and bed bugs.
An internal (or endoparasitic) infestation is a condition in which organisms live within the host and includes those involving worms (though swimmer's itch stays near the surface).
>Causes and Effects of Natural Disasters
•Causes
- Plate tectonics
- Climate change
- Weather patterns
- Human activities
•Effects
- Loss of life and property
- Displacement of people
- Economic disruption
- Environmental damage
>Mitigation and Prevention of Natural Disasters
•Mitigation
- Building codes and zoning regulations
- Flood control measures
- Wildfire prevention
- Earthquake-resistant construction
•Prevention
- Deforestation and land-use management
- Climate change mitigation
- Disaster risk reduction and management
>Conclusion
Reaching the end of our travel in the land of natural disasters, we rediscovered the terrific force of nature and understood the significance of preparation in the during the natural disaster. Across the range of earthquakes and hurricanes, along with the unpredictable energy of wildfire and flood, they can inflict damage and can bring destruction to our communities and environment.
However, as we noticed, disasters are not only the act of God but they are also a reminder of our fragility and we should take preemptive measures to reduce the effects of such disasters. Through the identification of the causes and the consequence of natural disasters, we will be able to prepare and react to them in a better way.
As individuals, communities, and nations, we should take the responsibility to reduce the risk of natural disasters and to support those affected by them. This can be done by financing DRR that is disaster risk management, financing climate change mitigation, and financing sustainable development.
In the end, the strength of nature is a reminder both of the place of the human being in the natural world and the need for living in symbiosis with nature. If we cooperate in preparing for and dealing with natural disasters, we will be able to create stronger communities and forge a more safe, sustainable future for us all.
