Disasters are divided into 2 basic groups: natural and man-made.

Among the natural disasters

are earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires. Among the man-made disasters are
war, pollution, nuclear explosions, fires, hazardous materials exposures, explosions, and
transportation accidents. In recent years these hazards took toll of thousands of lives and
caused massive destruction of property.
Disasters can be defined as a sudden, accidental event of great magnitude that causes
considerable damage to life and property. They are sudden, drastic and normally occur
without any alarm or warning. Some disasters may be short lived such as earthquakes and
some other may be of long duration, such as floods.
However, irrespective of the duration of a disaster, the damage in the form of deaths, injuries
and losses of property is immense. The magnitude of the disasters can be judged by the fact
that only during the past two decades, occurrences of floods, earthquakes, landslides,
cyclones, etc. have killed several million people.
Most of the disasters have a natural origin, however, some disasters are manmade as well. On
this basis, disasters can be broadly classified into two groups:
Natural disasters:
When disasters occur due to natural forces they are called natural disasters, over which man
has hardly any control. Some common natural disasters are earthquakes, landslides floods,
droughts, cyclones, etc. Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and wildfires are also included under
natural disasters. These disasters cause enormous loss to life and property.
Man-made disasters:
When the disasters are due to carelessness of human or mishandling of dangerous
equipment’s they are called man-made disasters. Common examples of these disasters are
train accidents, aero plane crashes, collapse of buildings, bridges, mines, tunnels, etc.
Earthquakes:
An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by rapid movement of the earth’s
crust or outer layer. The Earth’s outer layer or crust is made up of a number of zig-saw pieces
like structures that interlock into one another. These pieces are called tectonic plates. These
plates are in continuous motion over the mantle, which is known as tectonic movements.
These tectonic processes are also responsible for the mountain building processes.
The plates that are moving past over one another are slowed by friction along their
boundaries. Due to this, the rocks are under strain. When the stress on the rocks exceeds
certain limits, the rocks rupture and form a fault along which the rocks are displaced during
tectonic movements. This sudden rupture of the rocks releases energy in the form of
earthquake waves
Impact of Earthquake on the Environment:
The destruction, an earthquake causes, depends on its magnitude and duration or the amount
of shaking that occurs. In the last 500 years, earthquakes around the world have killed several
million people. Earthquake is one of the most catastrophic natural disasters.
Massive loss of life and property occurs due to collapse of buildings. Besides, roads, bridges,
canals, electric poles, etc. are severely damaged. Certain regions of the earth are more prone
to earthquakes.
Floods:
Floods refer to the ‘inundation of large parts of land which otherwise remain dry by water for
some duration of time’. Floods are one of the most common natural disasters occurring in
many parts of the world every year. Floods occur due to heavy rainfall within a short duration
of time in a particular region which causes the rivers and streams to overflow.
Impact on the Environment:
Though the lives lost in floods may not be as high as in case of earthquakes or cyclones, the
damage to the environment is immense. The problem is further aggravated if the floods last
for a longer duration of time.
Floods not only damage property and endanger if lives of humans and animals, but have other
effects as well, such as:
1. Floods cause the spread of many epidemic diseases.
2. Rapid runoff causes soil erosion.
3. Wildlife habitat and forests are often destroyed.
4. Manmade structures like buildings, bridges, roads, sewer lines, power lines, etc. are
damaged.
5. Floods cause widespread damage to the standing crops and degrade the agricultural land.
6. Flood affected areas are faced with acute shortage of food and drinking water.
Cyclones:
Cyclone is an area of low atmospheric pressure surrounded by a wind system blowing in anti-
clockwise direction, formed in the northern hemisphere. In common terms, cyclone can be
described as a giant circular storm system. In a cyclone, the wind speed must be more than
119 km/hr. Cyclones generate in the seas and oceans and move with a very high speed
towards the land.
Impact on the Environment:
1. The coastal low lying areas are most affected.
2. The affected areas are inundated both with rainfall and the surge of seawater.
3. Devastation is also increased due to the accompanying high velocity winds.
4. Widespread damage in the form of uprooted trees, blown-off roof tops, standing crops,
injuries and death to humans and animals.
5. Many shipwrecks occur during cyclonic storms.
6. The affected areas are impoverished and are followed by spread of epidemic and diseases.
Man-Made Disasters:
Man-made disasters are the result of carelessness or human errors during technological and
industrial use. The disasters are in the form of accidents, which occur all of a sudden and take
a huge toll on life and property. Mostly such disasters cause injuries, diseases and casualties
where they occur.
Man-made disasters are mainly of two types:
Local disasters:
These are small-scale disasters such as train accidents, plane crashes and shipwrecks.
Industrial and technological disasters:
These are much larger in scale and are the result of technology failures or industrial
accidents. Such disasters affect both local population and may even cover a much larger area.
Industrial disasters result due to accidental leakage of water or air pollutants. Many of the
chemicals are extremely toxic and carcinogenic which affect the human population in an
adverse way. Some people die instantly while others are crippled for whole life in the form of
blindness, paralysis and many other chronic diseases.
Impact on the environment:
Leakage of toxic chemicals from the industries and accidents in the nuclear reactors has
short-term and long-term effects on the environment and human health. Short-term effects on
human health relate to casualties and diseases like blindness, cancer, paralysis, heart trouble,
gastric and respiratory abnormalities. Long-term effects include genetic imbalances in
humans and its impact on the future generations. Soil and water sources also remain polluted
for long durations of time.
Global Warming:
Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the
atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface.
Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years
to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. These heat-
trapping pollutants—specifically carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and
synthetic fluorinated gases—are known as greenhouse gases, and their impact is called the
greenhouse effect.
Impact on the environment:
Each year scientists learn more about the consequences of global warming, and each year we
also gain new evidence of its devastating impact on people and the planet. As the heat waves,
droughts, and floods associated with climate change become more frequent and more intense,
communities suffer and death tolls rise.
1. Disappearing glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic
water shortages and continue to increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.
2. Rising sea levels will lead to even more coastal flooding on the Eastern Seaboard,
especially in Florida, and in other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours,
and increased flooding. All of these can damage or destroy agriculture and fisheries.
4. Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and
animal species to extinction.
5. Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common due to
increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the
spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes.