Unit 1

Introduction, Definitions and

Classification

Unit outcomes:

Recognize the relevance of Nature and Natural calamities

Understand the various types of disasters

Differentiate between natural & man-made disasters

Recognize the hazardous effects of disasters

How to mitigate the risks due to disasters

Identification of risk areas in India prone to disaster

1.0 Introduction

Disasters have been a natural phenomenon that has been re-occurring on this Earth

from time immemorial. A study of scientific history has shown that earth and many life

forms have developed after a major disaster on a cosmic scale, like the big bang.
Hence, we need to understand the impact these disasters have on the life of humans

and the direction in which future events will take place. The current century has

witnessed a considerable increase in the awareness of the potential dangers that lurk

in modern civilisation, which have been a result of both natural disasters and

insensitive human activities. The resulting catastrophe has had a detrimental impact

in terms of property damage, human live costs & ecological misuse. All these variables

motivate us to understand disasters, how to manage them and reduce their impact.
This course gives a detailed account of these factors.

1.1 Concepts and Definitions

Disaster, as defined by the United Nations, "Is a serious disruption of the

functioning of a community or society". Disaster management is how we deal with

the human, material, economic or environmental impacts of the said disaster. It is

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a process of how we "Prepare for or respond to and learn from the effects of major
failures"

Hazard: Hazard is also considered as a potentially damaging physical event,

phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss of life or injury, property
damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation. Thus, an

occurrence that has the potential to cause injuries to life or damage to property or

environment is known as a hazard. The impact of hazard can be estimated as well as

anticipated. Hazards can be classified into natural hazards or manmade hazards. An

abundance of rain is an example of a Natural hazard and the operation of a dangerous

factory near a residential area is an example of a Man-made hazard. Disaster occurs

when a hazard impacts a vulnerable population and causes damage.

Vulnerability is a set of prevailing or consequential conditions arising from various

physical, social, economic, and environmental factors which increase the susceptibility
of a community to the impact of hazards

Risks measure the expected losses due to a hazard event occurring in each area over

a specific time. Risk is a function of the probability of a hazardous event and the losses
it would cause.

Vulnerability
Risk = Hazard x Exposure x
Manageability

Resilience is the ability to flourish in the face of a disaster. An increased resilience

allows us to be in a better position to anticipate disaster and thus lead to a plan to

reduce the risks associated with the losses after the disaster.

1.2 Natural disasters

When we look through the world data, we can notice that over the past decade on

average 0.1% of the total deaths is because of natural disasters. Natural disasters are

catastrophic events that deal with atmospheric, geological climatological and

hydrological origins. These natural disasters lead to severe property damage, fatalities
and even lead social-economic disruptions. Natural disasters are often the result of

hazards affecting a very vulnerable community resulting in high morbidity and

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mortality. The Asia Pacific region experienced the second largest number of natural
disasters because of its size and susceptibility. These reasons make it imperative for

us to study the types of natural disasters and their impact on human lives. The study
helps us to reduce the risks that are a fall out of the natural disaster. Let us understand

the various types of natural disasters that have impacted human lives.

1.2.1 Cloud bursts

Rains are a blessing to mankind and all forms of life. Water is the very essence of an

ecosystem and the source of life. When precipitation forms water droplets that are

larger than 0.5 mm, then it is referred to as "Rainfall". Other forms of water are snow,

glaze, hail or even a cloudburst. A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation in

a short period accompanied by thunder and storms and can create a flood-like
situation. Rain over 100 mm per hour is categorised as a cloudburst. India has long
witnessed cloudbursts and recorded history dates to 1908 when around 15,000 people

lost their lives during the Musi river flood which was caused by a cloudburst.

Why does a cloudburst occur?

Cloudburst occurs when clouds with high humidity stop at one place. The water
droplets present there get mixed and the density of cloud becomes higher with the
weight of the droplets. It usually occurs in high altitude areas due to the formation of a

low-pressure area on the top of the mountain. The low-pressure zone attracts the

clouds to the top of the mountain with great force. When they hit the peak the moisture
content is released in the form of rain. In a cloudburst, up to 15 inches of rainfall can

come in one hour. Cloudbursts are also known as flash floods because when clouds

with high humidity stop at one place the droplets of water begin to mix and there would

be heavy rainfall. In India, Cloudbursts occur frequently during monsoon in

Himachal Pradesh

Uttarakhand

Jammu & Kashmir

It's a natural phenomenon in the Himalayas. Garhwal & Kumaon regions of

Uttarakhand also has witnessed numerous cloud bursts.

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1.2.2 Earthquakes

Earthquakes, among the various types of natural disasters, have posed the biggest
problem in terms of death tolls. It is one of the largest destructive natural hazards that

mankind has witnessed. Earthquakes can be defined as a sudden movement of the

earth's crust and can be experienced throughout the year. They leave a massive

impact. Earthquakes occur due to the movement of the earth's crust. The crust of the

earth is a rocky layer and has a varying thickness from about 10 kilometres to 65

kilometres depending on whether it is under the sea or beneath the continents. The

crust is a collection of pieces of landmass and is called plates. Each plate would be
running to a few thousand kilometres. According to the theory of plate tectonics, an

earthquake is a result of sudden relief of pressure caused by compression of the earth

12-13 tectonic plates at their boundaries. Earthquakes are classified based on the

depth of the focal point.

1. Deep (300 to 700 kilometres)
2. Medium (60 to 300 kilometres)
3. Shallow (less than 60 kilometres)

Depending upon the depth of the earthquake the impact of the earthquake varies. A

seismograph is an instrument that is used to record the ground vibrations. The scale

to measure earthquakes was developed by Charles Richter. Any earthquake which

has a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale releases thirty times the energy than with

6.5 magnitudes. The smallest earthquake that can be felt by humans is of the

magnitude of 3 and the largest one would be above 7.5.

Plate B Plate B
Plate A Plate A
Mantle Mantle

1. Plate A
te A subducts under Plate B. 2. Plate B tries to return to its original
dragging Plate B with itself. position, causing an earthquake.

Source: Earthquake I Intra and Inter-plate seismic events (sms-tsunami-warning.com)

Figure1.1: Intra and interplate seismic events – earthquake

1.2.3 Tsunami

Tsunami is a Japanese term that denotes -"tsu" - harbour & "nami" - wave. A tsunami

is a series of seismic sea waves caused by abrupt deformation of the seafloor, leading
to vertical displacement of a large volume of overlying water. They cause widespread
damage when they hit the land. A tsunami can occur due to earthquakes, volcanoes,
underwater landslides, or any meteorite hitting the oceans. Most Tsunamis are caused

by large underwater earthquakes at the tectonic boundaries. The tsunami can race the

sea at up to 805 km per hour and the waves can go as high as 100 feet. They also

create large scale hazards such as soil

Upward wave Tsunami wave

Still water level

Lithosphere

Megathrust earthquake

Mantle

Source: https://www.iasparliament.com/article/indonesia-tsunami-causes

Figure 1.2: Tsunami Formation

erosion, stripping beaches of sand, destruction of buildings & houses. The most
devastating tsunami of recent times is of 2004, which hit the Indian ocean killing
2,30,000 people. Japan has been a country that has seen the longest recorded history
of Tsunami and is well adapted towards reducing the devastation caused by the same.

They are prone to earthquakes of varying magnitude and resulting tsunamis.

1.2.4 Snow Avalanches

Avalanche is derived from a French word that means descent. Avalanche is a mass

of snow that slides down an inclined slope - such as a mountain or the roof of a

building. Avalanches are triggered by natural forces such as wind drift, snow, rapid

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temperature change, vibrations, earthquakes, or human activities. In the mountainous

terrain, they are one of the most serious hazards to mankind. Avalanches are also
called snow slides. Predicting an avalanche is nearly next to impossible but one can

be prepared for the same. Usually, Avalanche occurs when the upper snow layers

exceed the bonding force of a mass of snow. Some of the reasons that enhance the
risk of avalanche are:

Heavy snowfall combined with strong winds

Unstable accumulation of wind-driven snow

Rapid warming due to strong solar radiation

Avalanches occur more frequently on slopes that are more than 30 degrees steep,

slopes that are close to a Ridge and are loaded with snow are also likely to increase

the possibility of an avalanche. The human factor is another major reason that has

triggered avalanches, especially sports such as skiing and hiking on snow-clad

mountains. The intensity of the avalanche is based on weather conditions, human

activities, and the terrains.

There are various forms of avalanches:

1. Loose snow avalanches: Is caused by fresh snow that spreads out as it falls
down the mountain

2. Icefall Avalanches: These are normally seen on glaciers when a piece of glacier
gets separated and droops down
3. Roof avalanches: These are the snow that accumulates on rooftops of houses
and slides and falls off, causing injuries and death

4. Slab avalanches: With a speed of 120 miles an hour this is the most dangerous

form of avalanche, where a huge chunk of snow slides down a mountainside

1.2.5 Landslides

Landslides refer to the downward movement of large masses of rocks and Soil
Landslides are caused by natural causes such as water precipitation, seismic activity,

or volcanic activity. Numerous Anthropological activities like developmental activities,

changing drainage patterns, irrigation, excavation or destabilising the slopes also
trigger landslides. Landslides have damaged human settlements, agricultural fields,
transport systems, communication lines and lead to massive losses annually.

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The landslides are classified as follows:

LANDSLIDE TYPES
FLOW TOPPLE SLUMP

Original Original

Moving Slumped

Tilted
Original Original

Moving
Partially
covered Falling
il
So

Wave

SLIDE CREEP FALL

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/kju44z/landslide_types/

Figure 1.3: Types of Landslides

The landslides can be classified based on the sliding and materials involved

1. Falls: These are the sudden movement of the soil or debris or rocks that

breaks away from the slopes or cliffs. There are numerous reasons for this
kind of displacement viz. weathering, undercutting of slopes because of river

flow, human activities like mining, excavation, road construction or

earthquakes. The debris slides down and might bounce or roll down causing
a massive impact on all that comes in its way. It causes innumerable

hardship for days together till the debris settles down on the terrain.

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