Geography Write short note

1. Disasters can be natural or man-made.
2. Man-made disasters are also called Anthropogenic disasters. Example, industrial accidents, transportation accidents, nuclear accidents.
3. The natural disasters cannot be prevented but man-made disasters can be prevented as they happen due to mistakes or carelessness by humans.

1. Hazards are phenomena that pose a threat to people, structural or economic assets and which may cause a disaster.
2. They could be either naturally occurring in the environment or man-made.
   Example, high rainfall is a hazard as it may cause floods.
3. A hazard becomes a disaster when it affects human population, settlements and their activities. An earthquake or storm occurring in any area in the world is a hazard but when it occurs in inhabited areas it is called disaster.

1. A hazard becomes disaster when it affects human population, settlement and their activities.
2. When natural events like volcanic eruptions occur in areas inhabited by humans and cause damage, they are termed as disasters.
3. Disaster causes widespread loss of life and property.

Generally man-made disasters can be prevented as they happen due to mistakes or carelessness by humans.
Disasters can be classified into various types depending on their origin as per following:

1. Tectonic Disasters : Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions, Tsunamis.
2. Geological Disasters : Landslides, Mudslides, Avalanches, etc.
3. Meteorological Disasters : Floods, Cyclones, Storms, Heat Waves, etc.
4. Biological Disasters : Locust attacks, Pest attacks, Epidemics, etc.
5. Anthropogenic or Man-made Disasters: Industrial accidents, Transportation accidents, Nuclear accidents, etc.

1. The geographical conditions and circumstances of people or region that make them susceptible to a disaster is known as vulnerability.
2. People living in certain areas are exposed to particular disasters. Example, in case of a cyclone, people in the coastal areas of India are more likely to be affected than those in the interior.
3. People living in seismically active areas are prone to earthquakes.
4. At times, the social, economic and political conditions may make people more likely to be affected by disasters. Example, poor people are more likely to be affected by disaster.
5. Old people and children can easily become victims of disasters. Densely populated areas are more likely to be affected than sparsely populated areas.
6. If people are more vulnerable, they have to be better prepared, so that the risk of getting affected by the disaster is less.

1. Preparedness.
2. Monitoring, early warning and mitigation.
3. Evacuation, search and rescue.
4. Providing relief in terms of medical help, basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter.
5. Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.

1. The ability of people, organisation and systems, using available skills and resources to face and manage disasters is known as their capacity to cope.
2. Vulnerability is reduced if the capacity to cope with the disaster is high.
3. The capacity to cope has improved over the years. Example, the cyclone in 1999 had caused 10,000 deaths while cyclone in 2019 had caused only 89 deaths.

1. ‘Disaster Response’ is the way the community responds to the disaster.
2. It is a post-disaster process but it reflects the preparedness of the community.
3. It includes the immediate period after the disaster strikes.
4. It is concerned with providing food and shelter to the disaster victims, restoring normal conditions and providing financial support.
5. Under this stage, initiatives are taken to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met and suffering is minimised.
6. The main focus in this phase is making people safe till further measures are taken.

1. Remote sensing is a very effective tool in mapping disaster prone areas particularly flood- affected areas.
2. Micro-wave data can provide information on flood-inundated areas.
3. Remote sensing satellites monitor the path of cyclone and it can provide ample time with warning for evacuation and preparedness in advance.
4. The data obtained from meteorological satellites is used for cyclone-tracking, intensity and land-fall predictions and forecasting of extreme weather events.
5. The data obtained from earth observation satellites is used for monitoring disaster events and assessing the damages.
6. The communication satellites help to establish communication in remote and inaccessible areas.
7. The Navigation satellites are used for providing location-based services.