A natural catastrophe is a change of the earth's surface or the atmosphere naturally developed, which has devastating effects on organisms and their environment. A spectacular natural occurence (for example a glacier abort on Greenland) is not thus sufficient; strictly speaking a natural occurence can become only then the "“disaster"”, if it affects humans: There are no natural catastrophes, only culture disasters (Lars Claus EN how/as country hunter). If however humans are the causers of the disaster in nature, one speaks of an environment disaster. The period, in which the changes take place, reaches from seconds to years.

The view and analysis of natural catastrophes depend always on different components. The most important reasons are:

• Global increase in population (exponential development). Example: in the year 1800 humans on earth lived 1 billion, today are it 6.3 billion
• Altogether rising standard of living in nearly all countries of the earth leads to increasing value existence, which are concerned in case of a disaster.
• Concentration of population and values in large city areas: Emergence of numerous megacities also in endangered regions (e.g. Tokyo: 30 millions inhabitants).
• Settling and industrialization of strongly exposed regions, in particular at coasts, in river valleys, tourism in danger zones, e.g. in Florida.
• Susceptibility of modern societies and technologies, civil engineering, devices, networks; Problems also with suppliers.
• World-wide changes of the environmental condition, climatic change, water shortage, loss of the diversity of species.

Measures for the protection from natural catastrophes are seized in the context of the disaster control.

Organization of different natural catastrophes

The classification takes place according to (do not anthropogenen) causes which are not due to humans. Many of these causes can be attributed however also to humans (for example Eindeichungen). Wars, civil wars and armed conflicts are not ranked among the natural catastrophes.

Endogenous/tectonic causes

• Earthquake and sea-quake, as consequences also
  • Tsunamis, by sea-quake caused tsunami
  • Earth liquefaction
• Volcanic eruptions, volcanic explosions, as consequences also
  • Volcanic winter
  • Glacier run

Gravitatori causes, mass movements

• Landslides, landslips, Muren
• Avalanches

Climatic causes

• Tempest, how
  • Storm
  • Hail
• Flood
• Tidal anomalies

Other causes

• Vermin troubles, how
  • Grasshopper idea
• Meteorite impacts
• Epidemic diseases

Disaster statistics

Larger insurance companies lead usually geographically organized risk statistics, which serve them as design fundamentals for insurance premiums. The EM-DAT OFDA/CRED internationally Disasters DATA cousin of the WHO documents the world-wide disasters since 1888. Therefore altogether 9195 larger disasters with at least in each case 10 dead ones occurred between 1900 and 2003. Of it weather disasters with 57% did not have the highest portion, 20% were geological origin (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes), like also the Tsunamis counted into the geological category; the remainder were biological disasters (epidemics and troubles).

The number of the victims by natural catastrophes amounts per year to on the average 80.000. This number, like that it is frightening, nevertheless by far by other "“scourges of mankind"” is exceeded. This applies even if one the present amassment of natural catastrophes considered: together with the Tsunami of 2004 in the Indian ocean and the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 all natural catastrophes demanded collected in the period of 12 months over 400.000 human lives - the highest tribute since 1970. To the comparison: in the same period world-wide approximately three times as many humans died in accidents in the traffic; at the consequences of avoidable teething troubles died even over 20-20-mal of more humans. With all statistic number data one should always hold oneself before eyes that disasters are not everyday events, but rather the large exception to represent: most of us saw already once a car accident, but only few of us were already once a direct witness of a natural catastrophe.

The World Bank has 2005 in its report Natural Disaster Hotspots: A global Risk analysis maps publishes, which show the distribution of the risks to maps of the world. Some of it are to see on the sides of the Columbia University: .

Articles in category "Natural catastrophe"

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