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Revision Notes - Natural Hazards and Screen

Disasters, Class 11, Geography

Geography For Class 11 (XI) - Notes & NCERT Curriculum

Created by: Harsha Tiwary

Humanities/Arts : Revision Notes - Natural Hazards and Disasters, Class

11, Geography

DISASTERS- Disaster is an undesirable occurrence resulting from forces that are largely outside
human control, strikes quickly with little or no warning, which causes or threatens serious
disruption of life and property including death and injury to a large number of people, and requires
therefore, mobilisation of efforts in excess of that which are normally provided by statutory
emergency servicesǁ

• Natural Hazards are elements of circumstances in the Natural environment that have the
potential to cause harm to people or property or both.
• As compared to natural hazards, natural disasters are relatively sudden and cause large scale,
widespread death, loss of property and disturbance to social systems and life over which
people have a little or no control.

CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL DISASTERS

Classification of Natural Disasters

Atmospheric Terrestrial Aquatic Biological

Plants and
Blizzards Earthquakes Floods Animals

as

colonisers
Thunderstorms Volcanic Eruptions Tidal Waves
(Locusts, etc.).

Ocean
Insects infestation
Lightning Landslides
Currents — fungal,
Tornadoes Avalanches Storm Surge bacterial and viral
diseases

such as bird flu,

Tropical Cyclone Subsidence Tsunami
dengue,

Drought Soil Erosion etc.

Hailstorm

Frost, Heat Wave or

Loo.Cold Waves, etc.

Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World

All the member states of the United Nations and other states met at the World Conference on
Natural Disaster Reduction in the city of Yokohama from May 23rd-27th 1994.
The resolution of the World Conference on Natural Disasters Reduction is as mentioned below:
(i) It will note that each country has the sovereign responsibility to protect its citizens from natural
disasters;
(ii) It will give priority attention to the developing countries, particularly the least developed, land-
locked countries and small-island developing states;
(iii) It will develop and strengthen national capacities and capabilities and, where appropriate,
national legislation for natural and other disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness,
including the mobilisation of non-governmental organisations and participation of local
communities;
(iv) It will promote and strengthen sub-regional, regional and international cooperation in activities
to prevent, reduce and mitigate natural and other disasters, with particular emphasis on:

(a) human and institutional capacity-building and strengthening;

(b) technology sharing: the collection, the dissemination and utilisation of information; and
(c) mobilisation of resources.
It also declared the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster

NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDS IN INDIA

Earthquakes

• Earthquakes are by far the most unpredictable and highly destructive of all the natural
disasters.
• Earthquakes that are of tectonic origin have proved to be the most devastating and their area
of influence is also quite large.
• These earthquakes result from a series of earth movements brought about by a sudden release
of energy during the tectonic activities in the earth‘s crust.
 • As compared to these, the eart hquakes ass oci at ed with volcanic eruption, rock fall,
landslides, subsidence, particularly in the mining areas, impounding of dams and reservoirs,
etc. have limited area of influence and the scale of damage.
• the Indian plate is moving at a speed of one centimetre per year towards the north and
northeastern direction and this movement of plates is being constantly obstructed by the
Eurasian plate from the north. As a result of this, both the plates are said to be locked with
each other resulting in accumulation of energy at different points of time. Excessive
accumulation of energy results in building up of stress, which ultimately leads to the
breaking up of the lock and the sudden release of energy causes earthquakes along the
Himalayan arch.
• Some of the most vulnerable states are Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, and the Darjiling and subdivision of West Bengal and all the seven states of the
northeast
• Recently, some earth scientists have come up with a theory of emergence of a fault line and
energy build-up along the fault line represented by the river Bhima (Krishna) near Latur and
Osmanabad (Maharashtra) and the possible breaking down of the Indian plate
• National Geophysical Laboratory, Geological Survey of India, Department of Meteorology,
Government of India, along with the recently formed National Institute of Disaster
Management, following five earthquake zones:
• Very high damage risk zone- North-east states, areas to the north of Darbhanga and Araria
along the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar, Uttarakhand, Western Himachal Pradesh (around
Dharamshala
• High damage risk zone- the remaining parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Northern parts of Punjab, Eastern parts of Haryana, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, and
Northern Bihar fall under the High Damage Risk Zone
• Moderate damage risk zone
• Low damage risk zone
• Very low damage risk zone.= . Most of the areas that can be considered safe are from the
stable landmass covered under the Deccan plateau

Socio-Environmental Consequences of Earthquakes

It becomes a calamity when it strikes the areas of high density of population. It not only damages
and destroys the settlements, infrastructure, transport and communication network, industries and
other developmental activities but also robs the population of their material and socio-cultural gains
that they have preserved over generations. It renders them homeless, which puts an extra-pressure
and stress, particularly on the weak economy of the developing countries.

Table 7.3 : Effects of Earthquakes

On Ground On Manmade On Water

Fissures Cracking Waves

Hydro-
Settlements Slidings
Dynamic

Pressure
Landslides Overturning Tsunami

Liquefaction Buckling

Earth Pressure Collapse

Possible

Chain-effects Possible Possible

Chain-effects Chain-effects

Earthquake Hazard Mitigation

Unlike other disasters, the damages caused by earthquakes are more devastating. Since it also
destroys most of the transport and communication links, providing timely relief to the victims
becomes difficult. It is not possible to prevent the occurrence of an earthquake; hence, the next best
option is to emphasis on disaster preparedness and mitigation rather than curative measures such
as:
(i) Establishing earthquake monitoring centres (seismological centres) for regular monitoring and
fast dissemination of information among the people in the vulnerable areas. Use of Geographical
Positioning System (GPS) can be of great help in monitoring the movement of tectonic plates.
(ii) Preparing a vulnerability map of the country and dissemination of vulnerability risk information
among the people and educating them about the ways and means minimising the adverse impacts of
disasters.
(iii) Modifying the house types and building- designs in the vulnerable areas and discouraging
construction of high-rise buildings, large industrial establishments and big urban centres in such
areas.
(iv) Finally, making it mandatory to adopt earthquake-resistant designs and use light materials in
major construction activities in the vulnerable area

Tsunami

• Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that cause the sea-floor to move abruptly resulting in
sudden displacement of ocean water in the form of high vertical waves are called tsunamis
(harbour waves) or seismic sea waves. Normally, the seismic waves cause only one
instantaneous vertical wave; but, after the initial disturbance, a series of afterwaves are
created in the water that oscillate between high crest and low trough in order to restore the
water level.
• The speed of wave in the ocean depends upon the depth of water. It is more in the shallow
water than in the ocean deep.
• As a result of this, the impact of tsunami is less over the ocean and more near the coast where
they cause large-scale devastations. Therefore, a ship at sea is not much affected by tsunami
and it is difficult to detect a tsunami in the deeper parts of sea
• Thus, these are also called Shallow Water Waves. Tsunamis are frequently observed along the
Pacific ring of fire, particularly along the coast of Alaska, Japan, Philippines, and other
islands of South- east Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India etc.
 • The mitigation of hazards created by tsunami is difficult, mainly because of the fact that
losses are on a much larger scale-
• combined efforts at the international levels are the possible ways of dealing with these
disasters as has been in the case of the tsunami that occurred on 26th December 2004 in
which more than 300,000 people lost their lives. India has volunteered to join the
International Tsunami Warning System after the December 2004 tsunami disaster.

Tropical Cyclone

• Tropical cyclones are intense low-pressure areas confined to the area lying between 30° N
and 30° S latitudes, in the atmosphere around which high velocity winds blow.
• Horizontally, it extends up to 500-1,000 km and vertically from surface to 12-14 km.
• A tropical cyclone or hurricane is like a heat engine that is energised by the release of latent
heat on account of the condensation of moisture that the wind gathers after moving over the
oceans and seas.

some initial conditions for the emergence of a tropical cyclone are:

• Large and continuous supply of warm and moist air that can release enormous latent heat.
• Strong Coriolis force that can prevent filling of low pressure at the centre (absence of
Coriolis force near the equator prohibits the formation of tropical cyclone between 0° -5°
latitude).
• Unstable condition through the troposphere that creates local disturbances around which a
cyclonedevelops.
• Finally, absence of strong vertical wind wedge, which disturbs the vertical transport of latent
heat.

Structure of Tropical Cyclone

• The centre of the cyclone is mostly a warm and low-pressure, cloudless core known as eye of
the storm.
• Expansion of the wind belt is about 10-150 km from the centre.

Spatio-temporal Distribution of TropicalCyclone in India

• Owing to its Peninsular shape surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian
Sea in the west, the tropical cyclones in India also originate in these two important locations.
• Though most of the cyclones originate between 10°-15° north latitudes during the monsoon
season, yet in case of the Bay of Bengal, cyclones mostly develop during the months of
October and November.
• originate between 16°-2° N latitudes and to the west of 92° E. By July the place of origin of
these storms shifts to around 18° N latitude and west of 90°E near the Sunderban Delta.
• A surge is generated due to interaction of air, sea and land. The cyclone provides the driving
force in the form of very high horizontal pressure-gradient and very strong surface winds.
The sea water flows across the coast along with strong winds and heavy downpour.

Floods

• the causes of floods are well- established. relatively slow in occurrences and often, occur in
well-identified regions and
• within expected time in a year. Floods occur commonly when water in the form of surface
run-off exceeds the carrying capacity of the river channels and streams and flows into the
neighbouring low-lying flood plains.
 Floods can also be caused due to a storm surge (in the coastal areas), high intensity rainfall for
a considerably longer time period, melting of ice and snow, reduction in the infiltration rate and
presence of eroded material in the water due to higher rate of soil erosion. Though floods occur
frequently over wide geographical area having disasterous ramifications in many parts of the
world, floods in the South, Southeast and East Asian countries, particularly in China, India and
Bangladesh, are frequent and equally disastrous.

• Rashtriya Barh Ayog (National Flood Commission) identified 40 million hectares of land as
flood-prone in India
• Assam, West Bengal and Bihar are among the high flood-prone states of India. Apart from
these, most of the rivers in the northern states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, are also
vulnerable to occasional floods.

Droughts

• The term ‘drought’ is applied to an extended period when there is a shortage of water
availability due to inadequate precipitation, excessive rate of evaporation and overutilisation
of water from the reservoirs and other storages, including the ground water.
• Drought is a complex phenomenon as it involves elements of meteorology like precipitation,
evaporation, evapo- transpiration, ground water, soil moisture, storage and surface run-off,
agricultural practices, particularly the types of crops grown, socio-economic practices and
ecological conditions.

Types of Droughts

Meteorological Drought : It is a situation when there is a prolonged period of inadequate rainfall

marked with mal-distribution of the same over time and space.

Agricultural Drought : It is also known as soil moisture drought, characterised by low soil
moisture that is necessary to support the crops, thereby resulting in crop failures. Moreover, if an
area has more than 30 per cent of its gross cropped area under irrigation, the area is excluded from
the drought-prone category.

Hydrological Drought : It results when the availability of water in different storages and
reservoirs like aquifers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. falls below what the precipitation can replenish
Ecological Drought : When the productivity of a natural ecosystem fails due to shortage of water
and as a consequence of ecological distress, damages are induced in the ecosystem.

Drought Prone Areas in India

Extreme Drought Affected Areas :

• Most parts of Rajasthan, particularly areas to the west of the Aravali hills, i.e. Marusthali and
Kachchh regions of Gujarat fall in this category.
• Included here are also the districts like Jaisalmer and Barmer from the Indian desert that
receive less that 90 mm average annual rainfall.

Severe Drought Prone Area :

• Parts of eastern Rajasthan, most parts of Madhya Pradesh, eastern parts of Maharashtra,
interior parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Plateau, northern parts of interior Tamil Nadu
and southern parts of Jharkhand and interior Orissa are included in this category.

Moderate Drought Affected Area :

 • Northern parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, southern districts of Uttar Pradesh, the remaining parts
of Gujarat, Maharashtra except Konkan, Jharkhand and Coimbatore plateau of Tamil Nadu
and interior Karnataka are included in this category.

Crop failure leading to scarcity of food grains (akal), fodder (trinkal), inadequate rainfall, resulting
in shortage of water (jalkal), and often shortage in all the three (trikal) is most devastating
Landslides

Landslide Vulnerability Zones :

Very High Vulnerability Zone :

• Highly unstable, relatively young mountainous areas in the Himalayas and Andaman and
Nicobar, high rainfall regions with steep slopes in the Western Ghats and Nilgiris, the north-
eastern regions, along with areas that experience frequent ground-shaking due to
earthquakes, etc. and areas of intense human activities, particularly those related to
construction of roads, dams, etc. are included in this zone.

High Vulnerability Zone :

• Areas that have almost similar conditions to those included in the very high vulnerability
zone are also included in this category.
• The only difference between these two is the combination, intensity and frequency of the
controlling factors.
• All the Himalayan states and the states from the north-eastern regions except the plains of
Assam are included in the high vulnerability zones.

Moderate to Low Vulnerability Zone :

• Areas that receive less precipitation such as Trans- Himalayan areas of Ladakh and Spiti
(Himachal Pradesh), undulated yet stable relief and low precipitation areas in the Aravali,
rain shadow areas in the Western and Eastern Ghats and Deccan plateau also experience
occasional landslides.
• Landslides due to mining and subsidence are most common in states like Jharkhand, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa
and Kerala.

Consequences of Landslides

Landslides have relatively small and localised area of direct influence, but roadblock, destruction of
railway lines and channel- blocking due to rock-falls have far-reaching consequences. Diversion of
river courses due to landslides can also lead to flood and loss of life and property. It also makes
spatial interaction difficult, risky as well as a costly affair, which, in turn, adversely affects the
developmental activities in these areas.

Mitigation

It is always advisable to adopt area-specific measures to deal with landslides.

• Restriction on the construction and other developmental activities such as roads and dams,
limiting agriculture to valleys and areas with moderate slopes, and control on the
development of large settlements in the high vulnerability zones, should be enforced. This
should be supplemented by some positive actions like promoting large-scale afforestation
programmes and construction of bunds to reduce the flow ofwater.
 • Terrace farming should be encouraged in the northeastern hill states where Jhumming (Slash
and Burn/Shifting Cultivation) is still prevalent.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

• The Disaster Management Bill, 2005, defines disaster as a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or
grave occurrence affecting 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, environment, and is of such nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping
capacity of the community of the affected area.

There are three stages involved in disaster mitigation and management:

1. Pre-disaster management involves generating data and information about the disasters,
preparing vulnerability zoning maps and spreading awareness among the people about these.
Apart from these, disaster planning, preparedness and preventive measures are other steps
that need to be taken in the vulnerable areas.
2. During disasters, rescue and relief operations such as evacuation, construction of shelters and
relief camps, supplying of water, food, clothing and medical aids etc. should be done on an
emergency basis.
3. Post-disaster operations should involve rehabilitation and recovery of victims.

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