INTRODUCTION 


TO 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 

&

MANAGEMENT

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 DISASTER

DEFINITION
• THERE ARE MANY DEFINITIONS OF DISASTER.
• BECAUSE OF VARIETY OF DEFINITIONS, IT IS OFTEN FOUND
TO BE MISUSED.
• THE DICTIONARY MEANING OF THE TERM “DISASTER” IS
SUDDEN OR GREAT MISFORTUNE /CALAMITY.
• A SUDDEN CALAMITOUS EVENT PRODUCING GREAT MATERIAL
DAMAGE, LOSS & DISASTER. (WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY)
• IT IS A CONDITION IN WHICH ESTABLISHED SOCIAL LIFE OF A
COMMUNITY ABRUPTLY CEASES TO OPERATE (FORM &
NOSCOW- 1958)
• AN EVENT OR SERIES OF EVENTS WHICH SERIOUSLY
DISRUPTS NORMAL ACTIVITIES.

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 TYPES 

OF 

DISASTERS

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TYPES OF DISASTERS

• NATURAL
• TECHNOLOGICAL

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TYPES OF DISASTERS 

NATURAL HAZARD

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 TYPES OF DISASTERS 

NATURAL HAZARDS
• NATURAL HAZARDS ARE THOSE ELEMENTS IN PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT HARMFUL TO MAN & CAUSED BY FORCES
EXTRANEOUS TO HIM (BURTON AND KATES 1964)
• NATURAL HAZARD IS AN INTERACTION OF MAN AND NATURE,
GOVERNED BY THE CO-EXISTING STATE OF ADJUSTMENT IN
THE HUMAN USED SYSTEM AND THE STATE OF NATURE IN
THE NATURAL EVENTS SYSTEM. (KATES 1970)
• NATURAL HAZARD IS A SITUATION WITH THE POTENTIAL TO
CAUSE HARM TO PEOPLE, PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT. (THE
COUNCIL OF SCIENCE AND SOCIETY 1977)
• A HAZARD IS A PERCEIVED NATURAL EVENT WHICH
THREATENS BOTH LIFE & PROPERTY (WHITTON-1979)
• NATURAL HAZARD IS A DANGER BROUGHT ABOUT BY A
DEGREE OF EXPOSURE TO AN ENVIRONMENTAL AGENT FOR
WHICH THE COMMUNITY IS NOT TOTALLY PREPARED.
(CROZIER 1982)

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 TYPES OF DISASTERS 

NATURAL HAZARD

CARDINAL POINTS

• AN EXTREME NATURAL EVENT

• PEOPLE & PROPERTIES ARE
INVOLVED
• THOUGH NATURAL HAZARD IS A
CONDITION OF ENVIRONMENT, HAS
STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMAN
BEING.
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 CLASSIFICATION 

OF

NATURAL HAZARDS

UN Photo: Aftermath of tsunami in the Indian

Ocean, 2004

UN Photo: Tropical Storm Jeanne

floods Haiti, 2004

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CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL
HAZARDS

• TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS
• EXTRA TERRESTRIAL
HAZARDS

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 CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL
HAZARDS
• TERRESTRIAL. ARE THOSE HAZARDS
WHICH OCCUR WITHIN THE EARTH
• EXTRA – TERRESTRIAL. ARE THOSE
WHICH ORIGINATE OUTSIDE THE LIMIT
OF THE EARTH, PERHAPS IN SPACE,
BUT CAUSE HARM TO MANKIND LIKE
FALLING OF METEORITES.

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 CATEGORIES 

OF 

TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS

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 CATEGORIES 

OF TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS

• EXO GENIC
• ENDO GENIC
• BIOTIC
• ANTHROPOGENIC

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 CATEGORIES 

OF TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS


EXOGENIC

ATMOSPHERIC HYDROSPHERIC LITHOSPHERE

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 CATEGORIES OF

TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS

ENDOGENIC

• THOSE HAZARDS WHICH

ORIGINATE INSIDE THE EARTH
E.G VOLCANIC ERUPTION,
EARTHQUAKE.
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 CATEGORIES OF

TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS

BIOTIC

• HAZARDS CAUSED BY LIVING

ORGANISMS LIKE PLANTS,
ANIMALS.

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 CATEGORIES OF

TERRESTRIAL HAZARDS

ANTHROPOGENIC 

(MAN INDUCED HAZARDS)

• PROVOKED & AGGRAVATED BY

HUMAN ACTION

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 NATURAL HAZARD CLASSIFICATION

Natural hazard

Terrestrial Extra terrestrial

Endo Genic Exo Genic Biotic

Volcano Hydrospheric Floral Plants

Earthquake Atmospheric Fauna

Lithosphere Anthropogenic

Biological

Chemical

Physical

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