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Introduction to Hazards, Risk and Disasters
Research · December 2015
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1486.9847
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Nishan Sakalasooriya
University of Kelaniya
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Introduction to Hazards,
Disasters, and Risk
By
Nishan Sakalasooriya
Senior Lecturer in Geography and Development Studies
University of Kelaniya
Sri Lanka
Hazard:
“A hazard is a situation that
poses a level of threat to life,
health, property, or
environment. Most hazards
are dormant or potential, with
only a theoretical risk of harm;
however, once a hazard
becomes "active", it can
create an emergency. A
hazardous situation that has
come to pass is called an
incident. Hazard and
possibility interact together to
create risk.”
CDC 2002
A natural hazards…
• …is a naturally occurring event that might have a negative effect on
people or the environment.
• Natural hazard events can be grouped into two broad categories.
1. Geophysical hazards: encompass geological and meteorological
phenomena such as earthquakes, coastal erosion, volcanic
eruption, cyclonic storms, and drought.
2. Biological hazards can refer to a diverse array of disease and
infestation.
Other natural hazards such as floods and wildfires can result from a
combination of geological, hydrological, and climatic factors
Anthropogenic hazards or Human induced
hazards… …are those hazards caused
directly or indirectly by human
action or inaction.
They can be contrasted with
natural hazards.
Anthropogenic hazards may
adversely affect humans, other
organisms and biomes and eco-
systems
• Natural and Human Induced Disasters
Source: Emmanuelle Bournay; UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Hazards are……
sometimes classified into three modes:
Dormant —The situation presents a potential hazard, but no people, property, or
environment is currently affected.
For instance, a hillside may be unstable, with the potential for a landslide, but there is
nothing below or on the hillside that could be affected.
Armed —People, property, or environment are in potential harm's way.
Active—A harmful incident involving the hazard has actually occurred. Often this is
referred to not as an "active hazard" but as an accident, emergency, incident, or
disaster.
What is risk?
• Risk is potential of losing something of value. Values
(such as physical health, social status, emotional well-
being or financial wealth) can be gained or lost when
taking risk resulting from a given action, activity
and/or inaction, foreseen or unforeseen. Risk can also
be defined as the intentional interaction with
uncertainty.
• Uncertainty is a potential, unpredictable,
unmeasurable and uncontrollable outcome; risk is a
consequence of action taken in spite of uncertainty.
The concept of risk
RISK = HAZARD X VULNERABILITY
Hazard = natural processes capable of causing
death and/or destruction;
Vulnerability = social or economic sensitivity to
the effects of hazards
Disasters:
“A serious disruption of the
functioning of a community or
a society causing widespread
human, material, economic or
environmental losses which
exceed the ability of the
affected community or society
to cope using its own
resources.”
WHO, 1998
Disaster Profile of Sri Lanka
People affected by different disasters in Sri Lanka (1974-2004)
Source: Ministry of Disaster Management of Sri Lanka
Disaster Management Policy
Disaster Management Act
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