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A natural disaster is the highly harmful impact on a society or community following a natural hazard event. The term "disaster" itself is defined as follows: "Disasters are serious disruptions to the functioning of a community that exceed its capacity to cope using its own resources.
Goiânia accident, human deaths resulting from dismantling a scrapped medical machine containing a source of radioactivity; Health effects arising from the September 11 attacks; Introduction of infectious diseases by Europeans causing the death of indigenous people during European colonization of the Americas
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 ...
The period since 1950 has brought "the most rapid transformation of the human relationship with the natural world in the history of humankind". [107] Through 2018, humans have reduced forest area by ~30% and grasslands/shrubs by ~68%, to make way for livestock grazing and crops for humans. [108]
An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity. [2] This point distinguishes environmental disasters from other disturbances such as natural disasters and intentional acts of war such as nuclear bombings .
Environment destruction caused by humans is a global, ongoing problem. [4] Water pollution also cause problems to marine life. [5] Some scholars believe that the projected peak global population of roughly 9-10 billion people could live sustainably within the earth's ecosystems if humans worked to live sustainably within planetary boundaries.
Many people believe that those who experience a disaster firsthand experience emotional trauma that has both immediate and lasting effects. [12] It is thought that the initial devastation of the disaster leaves people too fragile and in shock. [8] As such, they are unable to cope with their situation or participate in recovery efforts.
The effects of climate change are impacting humans everywhere in the world. [233] Impacts can be observed on all continents and ocean regions, [234] with low-latitude, less developed areas facing the greatest risk. [235] Continued warming has potentially "severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts" for people and ecosystems. [236]