A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a period of time that causes widespread human,

material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or
society to cope using its own resources.[1][2] Disasters are routinely divided into either "natural
disasters" caused by natural hazards or "human-instigated disasters" caused from anthropogenic
hazards
Examples of natural hazards include avalanches, flooding, cold waves and heat
waves, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, lightning, tsunamis, volcanic
activity, wildfires, and winter precipitation.[6] Examples of anthropogenic hazards
include criminality, civil disorder, terrorism, war, industrial hazards, engineering hazards, power
outages, fire, hazards caused by transportation, and environmental hazards.

Disaster Risk Management Cycle The disaster risk management cycle, shown in Figure 2.2,
consists of four phases: Prevention/Mitigation and Preparedness in the pre-disaster stage, and
Response and Rehabilitation/Reconstruction in post-disaster stage. In the
“Prevention/Mitigation” phase, efforts are made to prevent or mitigate damage (e.g.
construction of dikes and dams against floods). Activities and measures for ensuring an
effective response to the impact of hazards are classified as “Preparedness” (e.g. emergency
drills and public awareness) and are not aimed at averting the occurrence of a disaster.
“Response” includes such activities as rescue efforts, first aid, fire fighting and evacuation. In
the “Rehabilitation/Reconstruction” phase, considerations of disaster risk reduction should
form the foundations for all activities. Examples of measures taken in each phase are listed in
Table 2.1. Taking appropriate measures based on the concept of disaster risk management in
each phase of the disaster risk management cycle can reduce the overall disaster risk.
Goals of Disaster Management:

(1) Reduce, or avoid, losses from hazards;

(2) Assure prompt assistance to victims;
(3) Achieve rapid and effective recovery.
The meaning of the word hazard can be confusing. Often
dictionaries do not give specific definitions or combine it with the
term "risk". For example, one dictionary defines hazard as "a danger
or risk" which helps explain why many people use the terms
interchangeably.

There are many definitions for hazard but the most common
definition when talking about workplace health and safety is:

A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse

health effects on something or someone.

Basically, a hazard is the potential for harm or an adverse effect (for

example, to people as health effects, to organizations as property or
equipment losses, or to the environment).

Hazards can be classified as different types in several ways. One of these ways is by specifying
the origin of the hazard. One key concept in identifying a hazard is the presence of stored energy
that, when released, can cause damage. The stored energy can occur in many forms: chemical,
mechanical, thermal, radioactive, electrical, etc. Another class of hazard does not involve the
release of stored energy, but the presence of hazardous situations. Examples include confined or
limited egress spaces, oxygen-depleted atmospheres, awkward positions, repetitive motions,
low-hanging or protruding objects, etc.[5]
Hazards may also be classified as natural, anthropogenic, or technological. They may also be
classified as health or safety hazards and by the populations that may be affected and the
severity of the associated risk

Based on origin[edit]
Natural hazards[edit]
Main article: Natural hazard
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, volcanoes and tsunami have threatened people,
society, the natural environment, and the built environment, particularly more vulnerable people,
throughout history, and in some cases, on a day-to-day basis. According to the Red Cross, each
year 130,000 people are killed, 90,000 are injured and 140 million are affected by unique events
known as natural disasters.

Anthropogenic hazards[edit]

Hazards due to human behaviour and activity. The social, natural and built environment are not
only at risk from geophysical hazards but also from technological hazards including
industrial explosions, the release of chemical hazards and major accident hazards (MAHs).[citation
needed]

Technological hazards[edit]
: Disaster area § Technological hazards

Hazards due to technology, and therefore a sub-class of anthropogenic hazards.[citation needed]

Sociological hazards[edit]
: Disaster area § Sociological hazards
Hazards due to sociological causes, also a sub-class of anthropogenic hazards. Sociological
hazards include crime, terrorist threats and war

Based oon energy

Biological hazard[edit]
Main article: biological hazard
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, originate in biological processes of living
organisms and refer to agents that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, the security of
property, or the health of the environment. The term and its associated symbol may be used as a
warning so that those potentially exposed to the substances will know to take precautions. The
biohazard symbol was developed in 1966 by Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health engineer
working for the Dow Chemical Company on the containment products.[7] and is used in the
labelling of biological materials that carry a significant health risk, such as viral samples and
used hypodermic needles.
Biological hazards include viruses, parasites, bacteria, food, fungi, and foreign toxins.

Chemical hazard[edit]
Main article: Chemical hazard
See also: poison
A chemical can be considered a hazard if by its intrinsic properties it can cause harm or
danger to humans, property, or the environment. [10] Health hazards associated with
chemicals are dependent on the dose or amount of the chemical. For example, iodine in
the form of potassium iodate is used to produce iodised salt. When applied at a rate of 20
mg of potassium iodate per 1000 mg of table salt, the chemical is beneficial in
preventing goitre, while iodine intakes of 1200–9500 mg in one dose has been known to
cause death.[11] Some chemicals have a cumulative biological effect, while others are
metabolically eliminated over time. Other chemical hazards may depend on concentration
or total quantity for their effects
. Mechanical hazard[edit]
Main article: Mechanical hazard
Further information: Traffic accident and Road safety
A mechanical hazard is any hazard involving a machine or industrial process. Motor vehicles,
aircraft, and air bags pose mechanical hazards. Compressed gases or liquids can also be
considered a mechanical hazard

Physical hazard[edit]
Main article: Physical hazard
A physical hazard is a naturally occurring process that has the potential to create loss or
damage. Physical hazards include earthquakes, floods, fires, and tornadoes. Physical hazards
often have both human and natural elements. Flood problems can be affected by the natural
elements of climate fluctuations and storm frequency, and by land drainage and building in
a flood plain, human elements.[14] Another physical hazard, X-rays, naturally occur from solar
radiation, but have also been utilized by humans for medical purposes;
however, overexposure can lead to cancer, skin burns, and tissue damage.[9]

Psychosocial hazard[edit]
Main article: Psychosocial hazard
Psychological or psychosocial hazards are hazards that affect the psychological well-being of
people, including their ability to participate in a work environment among other people.
Psychosocial hazards are related to the way work is designed, organized, and managed, as well
as the economic and social contexts of work, and are associated with psychiatric, psychological,
and/or physical injury or illness.
Linked to psychosocial risks are issues such as occupational stress and workplace violence,
which are recognized internationally as major challenges to occupational health and safety

Based on effects[edit]
Health hazards[edit]
Hazards that would affect the health of exposed persons, usually having an acute or chronic
illness as the consequence. Fatality would not normally be an immediate consequence. Health
hazards may cause measurable changes in the body which are generally indicated by the
development of signs and symptoms in the exposed persons, or non-measurable, subjective
symptoms.[15]

Safety hazards[edit]
Hazards that would affect the safety of individuals, usually having an injury or immediate fatality
as the consequence of an incident.[citation needed]

Economic hazards[edit]
Hazards that would affect property, wealth and the economy.[citation needed]

Environmental hazards[edit]
Main article: Environmental hazard
Any single or combination of toxic chemical, biological, or physical agents in the environment,
resulting from human activities or natural processes, that may affect the health of exposed
subjects, including pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, biological contaminants, toxic
waste, and industrial and home chemicals[16] Hazards that would affect the environment,
particularly the natural environment and ecosystems
.

Difference between hazard and disaster

o Hazard refers to dangerous, risky circumstances which have enough potential
to cause a threat to human life. In contrast, disaster is when a hazard fully
occurs, attacks the property and human life, and causes damage to them.
o Disaster has a more ruinous nature compared to hazards.
o Disaster is a result of one or more hazards.
o Hazards have less extreme outcomes, whereas the disaster has more.
o Hazards can be predicted but not disasters.
o Hazards usually have special warnings designed to protect them from
becoming a disaster, whereas disasters are the outcomes of hazards that
occur due to ignoring warnings and warning signs.

Biological hazard:

 It is caused by the bacteria.

 Example: Bacterial contamination of food
 Biological hazard mainly food contamination by
bacteria

Physical hazard:
  It is caused by physical things are present in the edible
items.
 Example: Stones, pip, leaves are present in the fruits,
vegetable and any other grains.
 Physical hazards causes mainly contamination of food
from physical materials.

Chemical hazard:

 It is caused by cleaning liquids.

 Example: Storage of food by using nitrogen gas.
 A chemical hazard causes mainly contamination of
food by storage process and using pesticides to grow
the trees.

Prevsition and mitigation

 Disaster Mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency

management. It’s the ongoing effort to lessen the impact
disasters have on people and property. Mitigation involves
keeping homes away from floodplains, engineering bridges to
withstand earthquakes, creating and enforcing effective building
codes to protect property from hurricanes, and more.
 Raising awareness about potential hazards and how to address them
 Educating the public about how to properly prepare for different types of disaster
 Installing and strengthening prediction and warning systems

 Having hurricane straps installed to more securely attach a

structure’s roof to its walls and foundation.
 Developing, adopting, and enforcing effective building codes and
standards
 Engineering roads and bridges to withstand earthquakes
 Using fire-retardant materials in new construction
 Developing and implementing a plan in your business or
community to reduce your susceptibility to hazards

Meaning
Earthquakes can strike suddenly and without warning. An earthquake is a violent
and abrupt shaking of the ground, caused by movement between tectonic plates
along a fault line in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can result in the ground shaking,
soil liquefaction, landslides, fissures, avalanches, fires and tsunamis. The extent of
destruction and harm caused by an earthquake depends on:

 magnitude
 intensity and duration
 the local geology
 the time of day that it occurs
 building and industrial plant design and materials
 the risk-management measures put in place.

Between 1998-2017, earthquakes caused nearly 750 000 deaths globally, more than
half of all deaths related to natural disasters. More than 125 million people were
affected by earthquakes during this time period, meaning they were injured, made
homeless, displaced or evacuated during the emergency phase of the disaster.

India and earthquakes

India has had its share in some of the devastating earthquakes.

More than 58.6% of the Indian land is prone to moderate to very high-intensity
earthquakes.

Some of the great earthquakes in India

Cutch Earthquake (1819) which was 8.3 magnitude

Assam Earthquake (1897)

Bihar-Nepal Earthquake (1934) of 8.4 magnitude

Koyna Earthquake (1967) of 6.5 magnitude

Uttarkashi (1991) of 6.6 magnitude

Killari (1993) of 6.4 magnitude

Bhuj (2001) of 7.7 magnitude

Jammu Kashmir (2005)

Causes

Causes of Earthquakes in General

The Earth’s crust consists of seven large lithospheric plates and numerous
smaller plates. These plates move towards each other (a convergent
boundary), apart (a divergent boundary) or past each other (a transform
boundary).
Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of stress along faults in the
earth's crust. The continuous motion of tectonic plates causes a steady build-
up of pressure in the rock strata on both sides of a fault until the stress is
sufficiently great that it is released in a sudden, jerky movement. The
resulting waves of seismic energy propagate through the ground and over
surface, causing the shaking

 Tectonic Earthquakes
Generated due to sliding of the rocks along the fault plane.
This is the most commonly occurring type of earthquake.
 Volcanic Earthquake
Occur due to volcanic activities and displacement caused because of those.
These are confined to areas of active volcanoes.
 Collapse Earthquake
These occur in the areas of intense mining.
Roofs of underground mines collapse that cause tremors.

Ground shaking caused by huge explosions like a nuclear explosion and

chemical explosion Induced Earthquakes
Induced quakes are caused by human activity, like tunnel construction, filling
reservoirs ,implementing geothermal ,fracking projects, nuclear explosion
and chemical explosion.

Prevention and mitigation measures

Before an earthquake
 Prepare your home:

o Store breakable items in low, closed cabinets, and fasten shelves securely to
walls.

o Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds and couches.

o Secure and brace overhead light fixtures.

 o Repair any deep cracks in walls, ceilings and foundations.

o Store pesticides and flammable products in closed cabinets and on bottom

shelves.

o Repair defective electrical wiring, water or gas connections.

 Identify safe places in each room of the house:

o Under sturdy furniture, such as a heavy table or desk.

o Against an inside wall or under a door frame.

o Away from glass or where heavy furniture could fall over.

 Locate safe places outdoors:

o In the open, away from buildings, retaining walls, trees, overpasses, and
power or telephone lines

During an earthquake
 1. If inside:

o Drop down onto your hands and knees.

o Take cover in a safe place and hold on.

o If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow.

o If you are in the kitchen, quickly try to turn off the stove, if possible.

o Stay away from pictures, windows, light fixtures or anything that could
fall and break.

 2. If outdoors:

o Move into the open, away from buildings, street lights, poles and utility
wires.

o Get down low and stay there until the shaking stops.

 3. If in a moving vehicle:

o Stop quickly, and stay in the vehicle.

o Move to a clear area away from buildings, trees, utility wires and
overpasses.
 o Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with caution, avoiding bridges
or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.
 If you are in a mountainous area, keep in mind the possibility of landslides and debris
flows.
 Similarly, if you are on the coast, be aware that tsunamis are often associated with
earthquakes.

Impact on national economy Key challenges to safe schools according to

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)