Human vulnerability to natural disasters

Statement of inquiry: Exposure to natural disasters affects disaster-related fatalities.

Research question: To what extent the number of disasters a country is exposed to, the larger the
number of disaster-related fatalities?

Figure 8.2: The 10 countries that experienced the greatest number of disasters in 2020–2021

This is the map of the 10 countries that experienced the greatest number of disasters in 2020–2021,
including the US, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Indonesia, China, Mexico, Peru
Colombia, Pakistan, Philippines.

Exposure: Each country's location, temperature, and geographic differences make it possible to be
exposed to a disaster differently. As you can see on the map (figure 8.2), countries located near the
ocean, such as the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, are surprised
by the possibility of being exposed to natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods, and so on. Due to the
geographical features of China, natural disasters are particularly common compared to the West.
China is vast and its terrain is complex. Therefore, it has been plagued by water disasters, droughts,
earthquakes, insect attacks, infectious diseases, and other disasters. India and Indonesia are more
likely to be exposed to drought, and heat waves because they tend to have high temperatures.
Indonesia and Mexico also experience earthquakes frequently because they are located in the so-
called Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a 40,000-km ring of fault lines and volcanoes surrounding the
Pacific Ocean.

Sensitivity: Overall, the sensitivity to natural disasters varies according to complex factors such as
geographic location, climate, infrastructure, and socioeconomic conditions among these countries.
Enhancing disaster preparedness and response capacities is crucial to lessening the impact of natural
disasters in these susceptible areas. People are naturally less sensitive to disasters in heavily populated
nations like the United States, China, India, and Indonesia, where delayed disasters happen regularly.
Nations like the Philippines, Mexico, and Indonesia are stepping up their efforts to fend off natural
calamities. The United States is a nation that takes precautions against natural disasters and is very
aware of them.

Resilience: Various variables, such as infrastructure, socioeconomic status, governance, and contrast,
affect a country's ability to survive natural disasters. Rich countries, such as the United States, are
recovering at a rapid pace. The government is developing various systems to manage disasters and
investing in advanced technologies for early warning and response. In addition, China has invested
heavily in reducing disaster risks, such as building earthquake-resistant buildings and building early
warning systems. The governments of Peru and Indonesia are trying to strengthen their preparedness
and response to disasters. India has made progress in reducing disaster risk, but there are still gaps in
emergency preparedness, early warning systems, and infrastructure. The Democratic Republic of the
Congo is not capable of preventing and coping with natural disasters because of poverty and violence
problems. The governments of Colombia, Pakistan, and the Philippines have tried to strengthen their
preparedness for disasters, but they are still vulnerable, especially when it comes to infrastructure and
poverty. Mexico has invested in strategies to reduce disaster risk and establish an efficient emergency
response system. Nevertheless, poverty and urban planning still have problems, making people more
vulnerable to disasters.

Coping capacity: The ability to recover from natural disasters can vary greatly depending on a
country's infrastructure, resources, social resilience, government readiness, and economic status.
Generally, the United States manages sophisticated warning systems, reliable infrastructure, and
sophisticated emergency response protocols well. The country has the tools it needs to respond to
natural disasters and support affected communities. Natural disasters, including typhoons, tsunamis,
and earthquakes, are common in Indonesia, India, China, and the Philippines. While some of these
countries have invested heavily in disaster preparedness and response, others will suffer from
insufficient infrastructure and resources. Pakistan, the high poverty and political unrest in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo can make it more difficult for them to recover from natural
disasters. In recent years, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru have experienced destructive natural disasters
such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides. These countries have worked hard to better prepare and
respond to disasters, but there are still problems with capacity building, coordination, and resource
allocation.
 Figure 8.3: The 10 countries with the largest number of disaster-related fatalities in 2020–2021

This is the map of the 10 countries with the largest number of disaster-related fatalities in 2020–2021,
including the US, UK, France, Belgium, India, China, Haiti, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Exposure: By examining the nations with the highest number of reported catastrophe fatalities, we
may gain a better understanding of the effects of natural disasters in 2020–2021. China and India, two
of the most populous nations, are among the ten with the highest death toll. Rather than the risk's
intensity, the high mortality toll in these nations can be the result of the vast number of individuals
who are exposed to it. The heat wave has also badly afflicted the United Kingdom, France, and
Belgium, as well as many other nations; nevertheless, the number of heat wave deaths in these
countries is likely underreported. Lastly, from August to December 2021, a cholera outbreak in
Nigeria resulted in 4,299 deaths.

Sensitivity: Based on the number of deaths connected to disasters, the 2020–2021 countries
experienced varied degrees of hazard sensitivity. A significant number of people die from disaster-
related causes each year in Bangladesh, China, India, Haiti, the United States, and Pakistan. These
countries are also especially vulnerable to natural disasters. When it comes to floods and other natural
catastrophes, Nigeria is particularly vulnerable to calamities. Compared to nations like Haiti and
India, the UK, France, and Belgium are less vulnerable to natural calamities. Due to their geographic
position and climatic conditions, countries like Bangladesh, China, Haiti, India, Pakistan, and
Pakistan are especially vulnerable to disasters and have a high rate of disaster-related fatalities.
Conversely, less sensitive nations like the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium still have occasional
deaths from natural disasters.
Resilience: Since weather-related disasters and climate change are the primary causes, most of these
countries have high rates of affected populations per capita. Richer nations recover more quickly and
can compensate the deceased for more losses.

Coping capacity: In the event of a disaster, facilities related to food, household goods, and safety
shelters will be created to provide a safer and better environment for everyone living in the country,
especially young children, and students.

Conclusion: Countries with a high population, large land, located near the sea, or located in places
with high temperatures and dryness will experience more natural disasters. In addition, countries with
high poverty rates, poor infrastructure, and low access to health care are likely to be vulnerable to the
effects of disasters, which can lead to more deaths even if the frequency of disasters is low. The
tendency of these two maps is that many countries with high disaster rates are building many disaster-
related facilities to protect their citizens. For example, the countries listed on the two maps above are
the United States, China, Pakistan, and India, but not all data are accurate and not all data from all
countries are displayed, so accurate judgments cannot be made.