Why calamities happen

Imagine the community being informed on what to do before, during, and after a tropical cyclone. Imagine the community and the local government leading family preparedness planning and implementing the preparedness measures in times of a tropical cyclone.

Imagine infrastructure built to mitigate impacts of flooding and storm surges. These are only a few factors that can reduce the risks of a disaster and, most importantly, prevent loss of life. Disasters are not a by-product of a single factor. They are usually the result of an interaction between systems within systems. Given all the technology we have right now, DRR practitioners can now assess hazards and risks in areas even without the hazard actually happening.

In a single click, you can generate knowledge on the hazards in your community, understand the associated risks, and most importantly, prompt disaster preparedness actions. Apart from these hazard assessment tools, there are also applications which can generate levels of exposure and vulnerability of communities. Combination of any of the above On their own, earthquakes, floods, landslides, and other disasters can be devastatingly destructive.

There are several factors that can heighten or lessen the effects of a disaster on a population segment: Poverty. Usually, the greater the poverty, the harder the impact of a disaster. Increased population density. Generally, the higher the population at the epicenter of a disaster event, the greater the impact on that disaster. Loss of human life and injuries are one of the major determinants of disaster severity.

Rapid urbanization. Poor planning and provision of safe infrastructure can be an aggravating factor in severity of disasters. For example, rapid building construction in urbanizing areas may cut corners on good building practices. Environmental degradation. Removal of trees and forest cover from a watershed area can remove ability of rainfall absorption into the soil and aquifer causing larger volumes of surface runoff after a tropical storm.

Lack of awareness or preparation for common disasters War and civil strife. Extreme weather events like these often happen in countries where many people live in poverty. We help vulnerable communities recover after disaster, but the climate crisis is making challenging situations worse. The climate crisis is a human crisis, permanently changing the lives of millions of people living vulnerable locations around the world.

It is having a huge impact on people who depend on the weather for their livelihoods. People who farm, rear livestock, or live a nomadic lifestyle are struggling to feed their families.

Learn about different hazards. Volcanic eruptions. Cold waves. Epidemics and pandemics. Technological and biological hazards. Related links.