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Disaster risk is the potential loss of life, injury, or destroyed or damaged assets that could impact a society or community. Disaster risk results from the interaction of three factors: hazard(s), vulnerability and exposure. [2]: 14 This is illustrated in the risk equation.
The international disaster database EM-DAT defines a disaster as “a situation or event that overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request for external assistance at the national or international level; it is an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering.” [12] The effects of a disaster ...
An example of the distinction between a natural hazard and a disaster is that an earthquake is the hazard which caused the 1906 San Francisco earthquake disaster. A natural hazard [ 18 ] is a natural phenomenon that might have a negative effect on humans and other animals , or the environment .
Scenarios in which a global catastrophic risk creates harm have been widely discussed. Some sources of catastrophic risk are anthropogenic (caused by humans), such as global warming, [1] environmental degradation, and nuclear war. [2] Others are non-anthropogenic or natural, such as meteor impacts or supervolcanoes.
Risk is the probability that exposure to a hazard will lead to a negative consequence, or more simply, a hazard poses no risk if there is no exposure to that hazard. Risk is a combination of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. [11] For example in terms of water security: examples of hazards are droughts, floods and decline in water quality. Bad ...
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is action taken to "[reduce] existing disaster risk and [manage] residual risk." [7] DRR plans aim to decrease the amount of disaster response necessary by planning ahead and making communities resilient to any potential hazardous events that might occur. [7]
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Following a disaster or conflict, an environmental emergency can occur when people's health and livelihoods are at risk due to the release of hazardous and noxious substances, or because of significant damage to the ecosystem. Examples include fires, oil spills, chemical accidents, toxic waste dumping and groundwater pollution.