the syllabus saysDefinition
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Defining ‘disaster’
There are various definitions of disaster which are dealt with below. However, it’s important to recognize that Geographers use specific meanings for words which are often used alongside them in the media: hazard, hazard event, natural hazard, and natural disaster.
The IB Geography Subject Guide (first examination 2011) defines ‘hazard’ as "a threat (whether natural or human) that has the potential to cause loss of life, injury, property damage, socio-economic disruption or environmental degradation". Therefore, the hazard is a phenomena with the potential for causing damage. Meanwhile a hazard event is "the occurrence (realization) of a hazard, the effects of which change demographic, economic and/or environmental conditions". The hazard event is when the phenomena occurs. It doesn’t need to cause damage on a wide scale, just that this is a specific event where that potential damage might be caused. |
The term ‘disaster’ is given to times when the hazard event actually causes wide scale problems for people. The Guide defines ‘disaster’ as "a major hazard event that causes widespread disruption to a community or region that the affected community is unable to deal with adequately without outside help". The Venn diagram below shows the need for overlap between the hazard and the vulnerable population in order to cause a disaster.
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/kevinrchapman/plate-tectonics-an-introduction-3193999
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It's important to note that we often hear the term 'natural disaster' used when in fact it is the hazard that is natural, such as an earthquake. However, the Guide states that "the term “natural disaster” is deliberately avoided in this theme because it is not considered to be an accurate reflection of the multitude of underlying reasons that expose people to risk and subsequently create the pre-conditions necessary for a disaster to occur". In other words, to be a disaster it has to have people involved; if people are involved, it's no longer purely natural. This is described in the graphic below, showing how the vulnerability of people is an important factor in determining if a disaster actually occurs as opposed to a hazard event. Rather, the majority of the factors leading to a 'disaster' are human factors.
Source: http://log.logcluster.org/preparedness/intervention-types/index.html
disaster or not? why 'disaster' is a subjective term
The Guide's definition of 'disaster' contains elements of subjectivity. It is subjective, because the terms ‘widespread disruption’ and ‘unable to deal with adequately’ have multiple meanings and need to be clearly explained:
1. "Widespread disruption"
This can be definied through the effects on people, since the definition of disaster relates the imapcts to people and not the environment. The environmental effects may, however, cause further social and economic impacts.The spatial extent of the disaster is not directly relevant, since the disruption must be widespread amongst the community or region – therefore the physical extent is less important than the human extent.
Social impacts
2. "Unable to deal with adequately"
The question of whether the community affected is able to deal with the hazard event is highly subjective. Some objective methods might include:
1. "Widespread disruption"
This can be definied through the effects on people, since the definition of disaster relates the imapcts to people and not the environment. The environmental effects may, however, cause further social and economic impacts.The spatial extent of the disaster is not directly relevant, since the disruption must be widespread amongst the community or region – therefore the physical extent is less important than the human extent.
Social impacts
- Number of deaths
- Number of injuries
- Number of homeless
- Cost of rebuilding
- Loss of GDP
2. "Unable to deal with adequately"
The question of whether the community affected is able to deal with the hazard event is highly subjective. Some objective methods might include:
- Whether foreign help was used
- Whether people who do not live in the area were brought in to help
- If the effects of the hazard event were felt for a long time (e.g. a lower GDP for many months or years after the hazard event)
- The type of help provided e.g. was machinery locally available
going further: more definitions for disaster
The following are alternative definitions. They are included here to demonstrate the subjectivity in deciding what is a disaster or not. However, they do all include the idea that a disaster occurs when communities are unable to cope by themselves.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
The Johns Hopkins University
The word disaster implies a sudden overwhelming and unforeseen event. At the household level, a disaster could result in a major illness, death, a substantial economic or social misfortune. At the community level, it could be a flood, a fire, a collapse of buildings in an earthquake, the destruction of livelihoods, an epidemic or displacement through conflict. When occurring at district or provincial level, a large number of people can be affected. Most disasters result in the inability of those affected to cope with outside assistance.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources...A disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on vulnerable people.
World Meteorological Organisation
Natural hazards become natural disasters when people’s lives and livelihoods are destroyed.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
The Johns Hopkins University
The word disaster implies a sudden overwhelming and unforeseen event. At the household level, a disaster could result in a major illness, death, a substantial economic or social misfortune. At the community level, it could be a flood, a fire, a collapse of buildings in an earthquake, the destruction of livelihoods, an epidemic or displacement through conflict. When occurring at district or provincial level, a large number of people can be affected. Most disasters result in the inability of those affected to cope with outside assistance.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources...A disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on vulnerable people.
World Meteorological Organisation
Natural hazards become natural disasters when people’s lives and livelihoods are destroyed.