Basics of Disaster Management - 2.Hazards

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 becomes a disaster only when there is 

• greater vulnerability and 
• less of capacity 

to cope with it. A Disaster takes place when a community is affected by a hazard.  Disaster is the consequence of a hazard.