INDEX

Sr. Content Page

No. No.
1 Introduction 1

2 Micro-Project Proposal 2-3

3 Earthquakes 4-5

4 Tsunami 6-7

5 Floods 8-10

6 Drought 11-13

7 Man-Made Disasters 14-15

8 Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT) 16

9 Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster 17

10 Conclusion 18
 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Introduction
Environmental studies are the study of human interaction with the
environment and in the interests of solving complex problems. Environment
includes which we are directly or indirectly dependent for our survival, whether
it is living component like animals, plants or non living component like soil, air
and water. Importance of environmental studies are (a) People have to clarify
modern environmental concept like how to conserve biodiversity. (b) Usage of
natural resources more efficiently. (c) Try to know the sustainable way of living.
The field encompasses study in basic principles of ecology and environmental
science, as well as associated subjects such as ethics, geography, policy, politics,
law, economics, philosophy, environmental sociology and environmental justice,
planning, pollution control and natural resource management. The main factors
influencing environmental behaviors: there is waste management behaviors like
waste reduce, reuse, Recycle and Recycling Processes. Reduce: People should
make a simple habit to reduce waste by avoiding disposable items like paper
products, straws, plastic covers and single serving containers. Pack your lunch or
snacks in a box and it does not involve throwing anything away. Avoid food
wastes to your trash it prevents lost of nutrients. Reuse: when we use something
again is called reuse. Clothes are used to reuse for the same purpose by washing
dirty. People make a habit of donating clothes or unused items to the orphanages
or oldage homes. Recycle: It involves collecting processing and selling products
from old materials. Cereal box made with 100% recycled paper and aluminum
can only be made from 40% recycled content.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Micro-Project Proposal
Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards
1.0 Rationale
Natural and manmade hazards include, for instance, droughts,
desertification, floods, fires, earthquake and dispersion of radioactive gases in the
atmosphere. They have significant social, environmental and economic impacts.
The JRC carries out extensive work to continuously monitor the situation, assess
risks and potential impacts, and forecast future events as accurately as possible in
order to help prevent these phenomena from happening or to limit their impact.
The JRC provides the knowledge base that helps EU countries and international
partners prepare for a respond to natural and manmade disasters. An import part
of this work is the development of methods and tools to monitor the situation,
assess risks and predict future developments.

2.0 Aims/Benefits of the Micro-Project

Disaster management aims to reduce, or avoid, the potential losses from
hazards, assure prompt and appropriate assistance to victims of disasters, and
achieve rapid and effective recovery. The disaster management cycle illustrates
the ongoing process by which governments, businesses, and civil society plan for
and reduce the impact of disasters, react during an immediately following
disasters, and take steps to recover after disasters has occurred. Develop an
awareness of chronological phases of natural disasters response refugee relief
operations. This project aims to understand the relationship of disaster phases to
each other and linkage of activities from one phase to next. Identify the major
disaster types and understand the relief system and the disaster victim.

3.0 Course Outcomes Achieved

1) Conserve Ecosystem and Biodiversity.
2) Apply techniques to reduce environmental pollution.
3) Manage social issues and environmental ethics as lifelong learning.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

4.0 Actual Methodology Followed

Disasters can be defined as a sudden, accidental event of great magnitude
that causes considerable damage to life and property. They are sudden, drastic
and normally occur without any alarm or warning. Some disasters may be short
lived such as earthquakes and some other may be of long duration, such as floods.
However, irrespective of the duration of a disaster, the damage in the form of
deaths, injuries and losses of property is immense. The magnitude of the disasters
can be judged by the fact that only during the past two decades, occurrences of
floods, earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, etc. have killed several million people.
Most of the disasters have a natural origin, however, some disasters are manmade
as well. On this basis, disasters can be broadly classified into two groups:

Natural disasters:
When disasters occur due to natural forces they are called natural disasters,
over which man has hardly any control. Some common natural disasters are
earthquakes, landslides floods, droughts, cyclones, etc. Tsunamis, volcanic
eruptions and wildfires are also included under natural disasters. These disasters
cause enormous loss to life and property.

Man-made disasters:
When the disasters are due to carelessness of human or mishandling of
dangerous equipment’s they are called man-made disasters. Common examples
of these disasters are train accidents, aero plane crashes, collapse of buildings,
bridges, mines, tunnels, etc.

Natural Disasters:
Some of the common natural disasters, their impact on environment, and
their prevention, control and mitigation are discussed below

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

EARTHQUAKES
An earthquake is the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by rapid
movement of the earth’s crust or outer layer. Ever since it came into existence 4.6
billion years ago, the earth has been a dynamic, evolving system. The position of
the different continents and oceans that we see today, has changed a number of
times in the earth’s history.

Impact of Earthquake on the Environment:

The destruction, an earthquake causes, depends on its magnitude and
duration or the amount of shaking that occurs. In the last 500 years, earthquakes
around the world have killed several million people. Earthquake is one of the
most catastrophic natural disasters. Massive loss of life and property occurs due
to collapse of buildings. Besides, roads, bridges, canals, electric poles, etc. are
severely damaged. Certain regions of the earth are more prone to earthquakes.
These are places located in the unstable regions of the earth crust, which are
subjected to tectonic activities. Countries like Japan, parts of Southeast Asia,
Turkey, Iran, Mexico, etc. are affected by severe earthquakes. In India, the entire
Himalayan region, parts of the Gangetic Plain, Kutch and Andaman and Nicobar
islands are in the earthquake hazard zone.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

The major impacts of earthquakes are as follows:

Date Details
October 2005 Jammu and Kashmir, intensity 7.4, about 40,000 people
died
th
26 January 2001 Gujarat, intensity 7.9, about 20,000 people died
th
29 March 1999 Chamoli, Uttarakhand, intensity 6.8, about 1000 people
died
nd
22 May 1997 Jabalpur and Mandla, M.P., about 50 people died
th
30 September 1993 Latur and Dharashiv, Maharashtra, about 10,000 people
died
th
20 October 1991 Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, intensity 6.6, about 1000
people died

Shaking of the ground and surface rupture:

This is the main cause of destruction in which buildings, bridges, roads,
canals and other structures are damaged.

Liquefaction:
Earthquakes make sands and silts to transform from a solid to liquid state.
This also results in building collapse.

Landslides:
Earthquakes of high intensity often trigger many landslides in the hilly
regions.

Fires:
It is a major hazard associated with earthquakes. The shakings of the
ground and building damage often break the gas pipes and electric lines that cause
fires.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

TSUNAMI
It is a Japanese term meaning ‘harbour waves’. Tsunamis are massive sea
waves that are mainly caused due to earthquakes in the ocean floor or possibly
due to an undersea landslide or volcanic eruption. When the ocean floor is tilted
or offset during an earthquake a set of waves is created similar to the concentric
waves generated by an object dropped into the water.
These waves are massive in size and gain height as they approach the
seashore. Tsunamis up to the height of 30 m are recorded Tsunamis are the most
catastrophic among natural disasters as they affect a very wide geographical area.
The tsunami of 26 December, 2004 killed around three lakh people and affected
parts of Indonesia, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, Sri Lanka and even
Somalia.

Prevention and Mitigation:

Despite the advances made by modem science, the exact time and place
where an earthquake may strike cannot be predicted. Hence, the occurrence of an
earthquake cannot be prevented. However, there are certain regions that are
earthquakes prone and so the administration must work before hand to minimize
the damages due to occurrence of earthquakes in such areas. The control and
mitigation measures in earthquake prone regions include hazard reduction
programmes, development of critical facilities and proper land use planning.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Hazard reduction programmes:

i. Earthquake education and evacuation plans.
ii. Use of proper construction material that is not injurious even if the structures
collapse.
iii. Construction of quake resistant buildings having proper structural design.

Development of critical facilities:

i. Establishment of earthquake regulatory agencies for fast relief.
ii. Establishment of specific health care units for treating earthquake
injuries Proper land use planning.
iii. Mapping of faults and weak zones in earthquake prone areas. iv.
Buildings such as schools, hospitals, offices, etc. should be in areas
away from active faults.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

FLOODS
Floods refer to the ‘inundation of large parts of land which otherwise
remain dry by water for some duration of time’. Floods are one of the most
common natural disasters occurring in many parts of the world every year. Floods
occur due to heavy rainfall within a short duration of time in a particular region
which causes the rivers and streams to overflow.
Since most of the precipitation occurs within span of two to three months
during the rainy season, most floods occur during that time. The floods in the
mountainous regions due to cloudbursts or damming of streams are referred to as
flash-floods. In flash-floods, the water drains away quickly but only after causing
extensive damage. The plain areas of a region which are drained by a number of
rivers, are the places most affected by floods.
In India, states like Assam, Bihar and parts of Gangetic Uttar Pradesh are
quite prone to floods during the rainy. The Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers and
their tributaries are most susceptible to floods. However, heavy rains cause
occasional floods in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Flooding, in India, is a major problem and some part or the other is affected by
the fury of floods usually during the months from July to September.
Floods cause untold miseries to the affected regions in the form of huge
losses of life and property. There is great damage to agriculture and livestock.
Flood affected areas face acute shortages of food and drinking water. Besides,
floods cause a number of water borne diseases such as diarrhea, gastroenteritis,
jaundice, malaria, etc.

Impact on the Environment:

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Though the lives lost in floods may not be as high as in case of earthquakes
or cyclones, the damage to the environment is immense. The problem is further
aggravated if the floods last for a longer duration of time.

Floods not only damage property and endanger if lives of humans and
animals, but have other effects as well, such as:
1. Floods cause the spread of many epidemic diseases.
2. Rapid runoff causes soil erosion.
3. Wildlife habitat and forests are often destroyed.
4. Manmade structures like buildings, bridges, roads, sewer lines, power lines,
etc. are damaged.
5. Floods cause widespread damage to the standing crops and degrade the
agricultural land.
6. Flood affected areas are faced with acute shortage of food and drinking water.

Prevention, Control and Mitigation:

Though floods are a natural hazard, it is sometimes intensified due to
undesirable human activities. The measures that can be taken to control the extent
of flood damage include land use planning, building of physical barriers,
preventing human encroachment and use of technology for relief.

Land use planning:

Proper land use planning in flood prone areas includes:
1. Demarcation of the flood-prone areas that are first inundated during floods.
2. Construction work and concentration of human population should be avoided
in the floodplains.
3. Afforestation on the upper reaches of the river (catchment areas) to control
soil erosion and excessive runoff.

Building of physical barriers:

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Flood can be prevented by building certain structures, such as:

1. Embankments along the banks of rivers in densely populated areas.
2. Building of reservoirs to collect excess water during floods.
3. The construction of channels that divert floodwater.

Preventing human encroachment:

Human encroachment should be avoided in the following areas:
1. Floodplains and catchment areas.
2. This would control deforestation and soil erosion which would prevent
excessive runoff.

Use of technology for relief:

Advanced technology can be used in the following ways:
1. Advanced communication techniques for flood forecasting and warning.
2. Fast evacuation of people.
3. To provide relief in temporary shelters.
4. Immediate supply of medicines, drinking water, food and clothes.
5. Epidemic diseases must be controlled through spraying, vaccination, etc.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

DROUGHT
Drought is a condition of abnormally dry weather within a geographic
region. Drought refers to the lack or insufficiency of rain for an extended period
of time in a specific region. During droughts, rainfall is less than normal causing
a water imbalance and resultant water shortage. It occurs when the rate of
evaporation and transpiration exceeds precipitation for a considerable period.
Drought should not be confused with dry climate, as in the Sahara or Thar Desert.
It is marked by an unusual scarcity of water and food for the humans as well as
animals.
Certain regions of the world, such as parts of Central Africa, are
characterized by low amount of rainfall resulting in perennial drought like
conditions. Some part of India is often affected by drought even during the rainy
season. As India is primarily an agricultural country, droughts cause untold
miseries to the common people.
Many Indian farmers are still totally dependent on rainfall for irrigation
and because of abnormally dry spells there is extensive crop damage. The main
drought prone areas of the country are parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh. However, sometimes drought-
like conditions also prevail in the Gangetic Plain also.

Impact on the Environment:

The severity of the drought is gauged by the degree of moisture deficiency,
its duration, and the size of the area affected. If the drought is brief, it is known
as a dry spell or partial drought.
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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Drought causes serious environmental imbalances, which are summarized

below:
1. Water-supply reservoirs become empty, wells dry up and there is acute water
shortage.
2. Groundwater level is also depleted because of less recharge.
3. Soil degradation and erosion occurs. Soil cracks because of shrinkage during
desiccation.
4. There is extensive crop damage. 5. People become impoverished and there
are diseases due to malnutrition. 6. Widespread damage to flora and fauna air
including domestic animals.

Prevention, control and mitigation:

Rains are caused by a number of natural factors like air currents, wind
direction, etc. Thus, droughts are a natural phenomenon, beyond human control
and prevention. Though, global warming may have changed the pattern of rainfall
in the recent times. In modem times, by the use of satellites, we can predict the
weather pattern over a particular area. Drought-like conditions can be overcome
by better water harvesting techniques. Certain precautions can be taken in drought
prone areas, which relate to management of water resources, proper agricultural
techniques and relief by different agencies.

Management of water resources:

1. Conservation of water through rainwater harvesting, building check dams,
bunds, etc.
2. Construction of reservoirs to hold emergency water supplies.

Proper agricultural techniques:

1. Increased use of drought resistant crops.
2. Proper irrigation techniques, such as drip and trickle irrigation that minimize
the use of water.
3. Over-cropping and overgrazing should be avoided.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Relief measures:
Immediate relief to the drought-affected people should be provided in the form
of:
1. Employment generation programmes, like ‘food for work’ in the drought
affected areas.
2. To provide fodder for domestic animals.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

MAN-MADE DISASTERS
Man-made disasters are the result of carelessness or human errors during
technological and industrial use. The disasters are in the form of accidents, which
occur all of a sudden and take a huge toll on life and property. Mostly such
disasters cause injuries, diseases and casualties where they occur.

Man-made disasters are mainly of two types:

Local disasters:
These are small-scale disasters such as train accidents, plane crashes and
shipwrecks.
Industrial and technological disasters:
These are much larger in scale and are the result of technology failures or
industrial accidents. Such disasters affect both local population and may even
cover a much larger area. Industrial disasters result due to accidental leakage of
water or air pollutants. Many of the chemicals are extremely toxic and
carcinogenic which affect the human population in an adverse way. Some people
die instantly while others are crippled for whole life in the form of blindness,
paralysis and many other chronic diseases.

Impact on the environment:

Leakage of toxic chemicals from the industries and accidents in the nuclear
reactors has short-term and long-term effects on the environment and human
health. Short-term effects on human health relate to casualties and diseases like
blindness, cancer, paralysis, heart trouble, gastric and respiratory abnormalities.
Long-term effects include genetic imbalances in humans and its impact on the
future generations. Soil and water sources also remain polluted for long durations
of time.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

Prevention, control and mitigation:

Man-made disasters can be minimized to a large extent by adopting the
following measures:
1. Proper training of personnel working in the hazardous industries.
2. Proper maintenance and care of safety measures.

3. Removing human encroachments around hazardous industries.

4. Making the people aware about the first-aid methods in case of accidents.
5. Applying wet cloth over the mouth and nose in case of gas leakages minimizes
the health hazards.
6. Remaining indoors in case of radioactive accidents.
7. Providing the people with proper medical care, in some cases throughout their
life.
8. Providing adequate compensation to the affected people by way of money and
employment.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY (BGT)

The most serious industrial disaster occurred on December 3, 1984 at
Bhopal, India, which is known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT). The Bhopal
gas tragedy occurred due to leakage of methyl isocyanide (MIC) gas from the
factory of Union Carbide of India Ltd. MIC gas is used as an ingredient in
pesticides.
It leaked from the factory and formed the deadly cloud over Bhopal. People
living in slums in the vicinity of the factory were the most affected and more than
5000 people were killed, half of them due to direct exposure and other half due
to after affects. MIC is a colourless gas which causes severe irritation, violent
coughing, swelling of the lungs, bleeding and death due to direct inhalation. It
also caused loss of eye-sight in more than 1000 people. More than 50,000 people
were affected with respiratory, eye, gastric, neurological and gynaecological
problems.
Another technological disaster is due to the potential damages of nuclear
fallout. An example is the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER

This nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,
which was one of the largest power plants in the Ukrainian Republic of erstwhile
USSR, on April 26, 1986. It is the worst nuclear disaster recorded in a nuclear
power plant. This nuclear power plant had four reactors of 1000 megawatt each
for electricity generation. A sudden power surge resulted in two explosions, which
destroyed the reactor core and blasted a large hole in the roof of the reactor
building.
The Radioactive debris moved up through that hole to heights of 1 km.
Approximately 100 to 150 million curies of radiation (radioactive isotopes of
iodine and caesium) escaped into the atmosphere. To reduce emissions, the rescue
team bombarded the reactor with 5,000 metric tonnes of shielding material
consisting of lead, boron, sand and clay. Soviet officials placed the toll of human
lives to 31.
However, according to western estimates, 2000 people were killed. Large
areas of the Ukrainian, Byelorussia Republics of the USSR and even parts of
Poland, Denmark and Sweden were contaminated. Around 200,000 people had to
be evacuated and resettled. The after affects lasted for many years and a rise in
the incidence of thyroid and blood cancer has been observed in a wide group of
people. Other affects on the human health included skin diseases, hair loss,
nausea, anemia, respiratory and reproductive diseases.

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 Impact of Natural Disasters and Manmade Hazards

CONCLUSION

Disasters occur only when hazards and vulnerability meet each other.
Landslides, floods, droughts, fires are socio-natural hazards since their causes are
both natural and man-made. For example, flooding may be caused because of
heavy rains, landslides or blocking of drains with human waste.

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