BASIC CONCEPT OF

HAZARD
HAZARD

 Elements of the physical environment, harmful to man and caused

by forces extraneous to him.
 A source of potential harm or situation with a potential to cause loss
 A natural event that has the potential to cause a harm or loss
 A phenomenon or situation, which has the potential to cause the
disruption or damage to people, their services and their environment
General Classification of Hazard

 Natural hazard - such as earthquake or floods arise purely natural

processes in the environment.
 Quasi – natural hazard such as smog or desertification that arise
through the interaction of natural processes and human activity.
 Technological (or human made) hazard – such as the toxicity of
pesticides to agricultural lands, accidental leaks of chemicals from
chemical laboratories or radiation from a nuclear plant. These arise
directly as a result of human activities.
Types of Hazard

 Atmospheric

Single element Combined element

Excess rainfall Hurricanes
Freezing rain (Glaze) Glaze storm
Hail Thunderstorm
Heavy snow falls Blizzard
High wind speeds Tornadoes
Extreme temperature Heat/Cold stress
Types of Hazard

 Hydrolic
 Floods
 Wave action
 Drought
 Rapid glacier movement
 Geologic
 Mass movement (Landslide, Mudslides, Avalanche)
 Tsunami

 Earthquake

 Volcanic eruption
 Rapid sediment movement
 Biologic
 Epidemic in humans, plants and animals
 Locusts
 Technologic
 Transportation accident
 Industrial explosions and fire
 Accidental release of toxic elements
 Nuclear accidents
 Collapse of public building
 Cyber terrorism
Impacts of Various on different Exposed
Element
 According to the International Center for integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD) the impacts of various hazards vary in
severity and vary in regard to how long they last. In many ways
wealth and development assist in the way people recover from
hazards. A more economically developed country can prepare for
and predict hazards more effectively and they have more resources
to support a faster recovery. However, there is also a need for
resilience. In many developing countries people who experienced
hardship can often recover more quickly form hazard.
Common long term impacts of Natural
Hazard
 Physical
 Death of people
 Destruction and loss of vital infrastructure like transport system,
roads, bridges, power lines and communication lines.
 Wide spread loss of housing
 Psychological impact
 Grief and psychological trauma
 Marital conflicts
 Depression due to loss of loved ones and properties
 Chronic anxiety among children severely affected
 Socio – Cultural impact
 Displacement of population
 Loss of cultural identity
 Forced adoption of new sets of culture
 Ethnic conflicts
 Economic impact
 Loss of job due to displacement
 Loss of harvest and livestock
 Loss of farms, fish cages and other sources of living
 Loss of money and other valuable like jewelries, furniture and
appliances
 Environmental impact
 Loss of forest due to forest fires
 Loss of fresh water due salination (intrusion if salt water to fresh
water sources)
 Disturbance biodiversity
 Loss of natural rivers and other tributaries
 Biological impact
 Epidemic to people, flora and fauna
 Chronic and permanent illness due to nuclear radiation
 Mental disorder developed from consumption of contaminated
foods
 Proliferation of different viral and bacterial diseases