Skip to main content

Basics of Disaster Management - 1.Disaster

By

What is a Disaster ?

Disasters are not new to mankind. They are as old as the human history.

 Etymology:

The term disaster owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which is a combination of two words ‘des’ meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. Thus the term refers to ‘Bad or Evil star’.

 Definition:

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines a disaster as -

“a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area”.

 The United Nations defines disaster as -

“the occurrence of sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of the society or community”.

A Disaster is a sudden catastrophic event that causes great damage to life and property.

1. It can be Natural or Man-made.

2. It disrupts the natural function of society.

3. It causes damage to property and loss of life.

4. It affects a large number of people.

5. It affects society to such an extent that external aid becomes necessary to compensate the losses.

Classification:

Disasters can be broadly divided into:

  • Natural Disasters
  • Man-made/ Human-made Disasters

Natural Disasters are the consequences or effects of natural hazards on human life.

Eg: Earthquakes, Cyclones, Floods, etc

Man-made disasters are also known as anthropogenic disasters. They occur as a result of human actions, errors, or as a result of failed systems.

Eg: Fire Accidents, Environmental Pollution, rail and road accidents, Chemical/Industrial accidents, bomb blasts, political unrest, wars, etc.

Types of Disasters in India:

High Power Committee on Disaster Management was constituted in 1999 under J.C Pant. It identified 31 types of disasters and sub-divided them into 5 groups. After the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Tsunami was added to this list taking the total number of disasters to 32.

Types of disasters as divided by them are :



A. Water & Climate Related Disaster:

1. Flood

2. Cyclone

3. Tornado

4. Hailstorm

5. Cloud Burst

6. Thunderstorm & Lightning

7. Snow avalanches

8. Heat & Cold wave

9. Coastal Sea Erosion

10.Drought

11.Tsunami

B. Geologically Related Disasters:

1. Landslides and Mudflows

2. Earthquakes

3. Dam failures/ Dam Bursts

4. Mine Fire

C. Climate, Industrial & Nuclear Related Disasters:

1. Chemical & Industrial Disasters

2. Nuclear Disasters

D. Accident Related Disasters:

1. Forest Fire

2. Urban Fire

3. Mine Flooding

4. Oil-Spill

5. Major Building Collapse

6. Serial Bomb Blasts

7. Festival Related Disasters

8. Electrical disasters and Fires

9. Air, Road and Rail Accidents

10.Boat Capsizing

11.Village Fire

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

APPSC AE Answer key 2022 and Sectional Review - Disaster Management

By
APPSC has conducted the Assistant Engineer Exam 2022  on the 14th and 15th of May 2022. In the following series of Posts , I'll post the questions topic-wise so that you get a better understanding on the standard of the examination. We begin our analysis with the Disaster management section. 1. In July 2021, ISRO announced the launch of its geo-imaging satellite that will enable near-real time monitoring of natural disasters, such as floods and cyclones. The name of this satellite is: A) EOS-03 B) EOS-04 C) EOS-05 D) EOS-06 ... Answer is A) Correct Answer is "EOS-03" Show Answer 2. How much percentage of the total area of India is in Seismic Zones III-V and vulnerable to earthquakes of moderate to high densities? A) 56% B) 46% C) 36% D) 26% ... Answer is A) The total area of India in the Seismic Zones III-V and vulnerable to earthquakes of moderate to high densities is "56%" Show Answer 3. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Basics of Disaster Management - 2.Hazards

By
What is a Hazard? Hazard may be defined as “any phenomenon or a physical event that has the potential to cause damage to the people, property or the environment.” Etymology: The word ‘hazard’ owes its origin to the word ‘hasard’ in old French and ‘az-zahr’ in Arabic meaning ‘chance’ or ‘luck’. Classification:  Hazards can be classified as: 1. Natural hazards – They are naturally occurring physical phenomena, usually having meteorological, geological, hydrological, or even biological origin). Examples - Cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. 2. Manmade hazards – These hazards are due to human activities/ negligence.  Examples – Nuclear Hazards/Accidents, industrial accidents, leakage of toxic waste/gases, pollution, etc. 3. Quasi-Natural hazards – They are caused by both human-induced actions and natural processes. Examples – Smog, Landslides, Flash floods, Desertification, famines, etc. Hazards are always prevalent, but the hazard be...
Post a Comment
Read more

APPSC AE Answer Key and Sectional Review - AP Geography

By
This is the analysis of questions asked from the AP Geography segment in the APPSC AE Exam held in May 2022. Key takeaways: The options are closely chosen to confuse the candidate. so it is advisable to be clear in terms of numerical data. Mnemonics can help remember them easily. This segment was Easy to Moderate. If an aspirant covers the basics well, this is a scoring area. Suggestion: Read the Geographic, Demographic and Socio-economic profile of Andhra Pradesh in the latest Socio-Economic Survey. It Covers the updated and authentic geographical data of the state.  Questions: 1. After the separation of Telangana, the flower that was chosen as the state flower of Andhra Pradesh is: A) Jasmine B) Marigold C) Gerbera D) carnation ... Answer is A) Correct Answer is "Jasmine" Show Answer 2. As of December 2021, what is the total number of wildlife sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh? A) 10 B) 11 C) 15 D) 13 ... Answer...
Post a Comment
Read more