Natural Hazards And Mitigation

Natural hazards occur in all parts of the world. However, some places are more vulnerable than others. When these hazards cause people to suffer, we call them disasters. 

Natural hazards are severe weather, climate and geophysical events that can cause death, illness and injury. They are significant global risks that cause severe economic damage. Although they occur in all parts of the world, some regions are more vulnerable than others. The expected annual damage caused by tropical cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods is estimated at US$314 billion, an excellent risk for sustainable development. Although absolute global average annual, in large higher-income hazard-exposed economies, has the highest risk concentrations about incentives or assets, many low and middle-income countries have high amounts of risk from these events.

Natural hazards

Many natural hazards occur across different time scales and areas, and each is unique. Tornadoes and flash floods are short-lived, violent events that affect a relatively small area; droughts develop slowly but can affect most of a continent or an entire country for months or even years, as well as cause water shortages; heat waves kill people in large numbers over comparatively short periods; earthquakes flatten buildings in seconds subsiding over less than an hour; volcanic eruptions spew ash over large areas eventually settling with no long term effects unless wind speeds pick up dust from the fallout zone.

Globally, natural disasters caused about US$250 billion worth of economic losses in 2010 alone. Natural disasters can also link to other causes, such as environmental degradation and poor financial management. As climate change affects precipitation patterns, storm intensity and frequency, extreme weather events will contribute to more frequent natural disasters. Examples of natural hazards:

• Earthquakes
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Tsunami
• Landslides
• Subsidence

Tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes and typhoons, are large revolving storms that form over tropical oceans. They occur across the world’s oceans, but are most common in the Western Pacific region. Cyclones have maximum wind speeds ranging from 39 to 172 km/h (24–105 mph). Tropical cyclones can continue for many days, even weeks, and may follow quite erratic paths before dissipating over land or cooler oceans.

Floods 

Floods are natural disasters that can cause massive losses to lives and property. Too much rainfall over a short period or in an area with an inadequate drainage system to handle excess water from rains can cause flooding. Water-soaked ground causes landslides, leading to roadblocks and the destruction of property. Flooding is also a significant issue for construction, transportation, farming, and urbanisation and for residents and municipalities of areas that have a high risk of flooding. Nevertheless, to mitigate losses related to floods and other water-related risk factors, the population’s awareness needs to be heightened, especially in urban areas where the population is growing at a higher rate due to the increasing trend of urbanisation.

Storms

A sandstorm occurs when strong winds carry sand particles over a large area. Dust storms are similar to sandstorms, but contain smaller particles that can reach higher and farther. Although scientists have a lot of information about storms and the processes that spawn them, there is still much to learn. Advances in technology and increased awareness are helping us to better prepare for hurricanes. As our knowledge increases, we may soon be able to predict their movements and intensities better. As with anything else in science, answering one question creates ten new questions, and storm researchers are continually looking for answers to keep the research fascinating. There will always be things that we do not fully understand about hurricanes and other storm phenomena.

Disaster Mitigation

Mitigation strategies are long-term, so everyone can continue to live, work and play in a safe environment. It helps save lives and protect property. The mitigation and the prevention of the disaster are, for the most part, in the hands of the victims. He should know that if he wants to save himself, it would be necessary to take his precautions well in advance, avoiding as much as possible all instances which may cause a disaster or may be dangerous. It also involves taking action after a disaster to assist communities with recovery efforts.

Disaster Prevention

Disaster prevention aims to eliminate potential adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters by advancing action. This may be achieved through engineering, land use planning, the management or even policymaking that prevents losses from occurring in the first place. The term disaster prevention is sometimes used interchangeably with disaster mitigation. Still, the latter inherently involves implementing risk reduction measures after a disaster has occurred or is triggered by a predictable event and can be anticipated but not prevented (e.g. through land use controls). To this end, WFP has supported the preparation of national emergency plans in several countries affected by conflict.

Conclusion

The world’s 48 poorest economies face a variety of natural disasters. Natural hazards impacting economic losses affect the most impoverished parts, including Asia, the western Pacific, and Africa. They are very likely to happen in areas designated as disadvantaged (by the World Bank). To this end, WFP has supported the preparation of national emergency plans in several countries affected by conflict.