Natural Catastrophes and Their Effects on The Environment

Lei Yang, Department of Healthcare Management, Sanda University, Shanghai, China, Email: yang125@gmail.com

Received: 01-Feb-2023, Manuscript No. JENVOH-23-90890; Editor assigned: 03-Feb-2023, Pre QC No. JENVOH-23-90890 (PQ); Reviewed: 17-Feb-2023, QC No. JENVOH-23-90890; Revised: 24-Feb-2023, Manuscript No. JENVOH-23-90890 (R); Published: 03-Mar-2023

Description

In the event that a natural hazard actually occurs and severely damages a community, it is called a natural disaster, which usually leaves behind some economic harm in addition to the potential for loss of life or property damage. The resilience of the affected people and the state of the infrastructure determine how severe the damage will be. Avalanches, coastal flooding, cold waves, droughts, earthquakes, hailstorms, heat waves, hurricanes (tropical cyclones), ice storms, landslides, lightning, riverine flooding, strong winds, tornadoes, typhoons, tsunamis, volcanic activity, wildfires, and winter weather are a few examples of natural dangers. It can be challenging to distinguish between man-made, natural, and man-accelerated disasters in the modern age. Architecture, fire, resource management, and even climate change are all examples of human decisions and actions that may contribute to “natural disasters”. In reality, it was declared in 1976 that the term “natural disaster” is a misnomer. A disaster occurs when a risk, whether natural or artificial, affects a society that is already at risk. A catastrophe is the outcome of a hazard combined with the exposure of a society that is weak.

Inadequate building codes, social exclusion, unfairness, resource overuse, extreme urban sprawl, and climate change can all exacerbate natural catastrophes. Both the frequency and severity of disasters have grown due to the ‘rapid development of world’s population and increased concentration in hazardous environments. Extreme weather patterns (like those found in the Tropics), unstable landforms, deforestation, uncontrolled population development, and non-engineered constructions all contribute to more susceptible interfaces between populated areas and naturally disaster-prone areas. Developing nations with frequent natural disasters frequently have poor communication infrastructure and inadequate funding for disaster management and prevention. If an unfortunate event happens away from a vulnerable society it won’t qualify as a disaster. A community may need many years to recover after a catastrophe affects a vulnerable population, and this recovery time may increase vulnerability. The devastating effects of a natural catastrophe also have an impact on the communities that are affected, frequently resulting in post-traumatic symptoms. Through group processing, these increased emotional experiences can be supported, fostering resilience and raising community involvement.

Impacts

A natural catastrophe may result in the loss of life, harm to the body or other health effects, destruction of property, loss of livelihoods and services, disruption of the social and economic system, or harm to the environment. Each year, thousands of people are killed by a variety of natural dangers, costing billions of dollars in damage to habitat and property, including earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and pandemics. However, the world’s population is expanding quickly, and as a result, more people are living in dangerous environments, which has increased both the frequency and power of catastrophes. Due to poor communication and insufficient funding for disaster prevention and management, developing countries experience natural disasters on a more or less recurring basis.

On the environment

More garbage may be produced during emergencies like natural disasters and armed conflicts, yet waste management is given poor priority in comparison to other services. Communities may experience unmanaged garbage and an increase in litter if existing waste management systems and infrastructures are interrupted. Human health and the environment are frequently negatively impacted in these situations. Natural disasters have the ability to produce a substantial amount of trash in a brief length of time. Systems for managing waste might become inoperable or limited, and repairing them frequently takes a lot of time and money. Communities may be forcibly uprooted as a result of conflicts.

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