Maharashtra Board Class 11 Geography Chapter 9 Disaster Management PDF Download

Disaster Management

Read about the following disasters which have occurred across the world and answer the following questions.

1) Classify these disasters into natural and man-made disasters.

2) Which of these disasters occurred due to climatic conditions?

3) Which of these disasters occurred due to geological causes?

4) Can you relate the location of a disaster with its cause?

5) Besides the number of deaths, what other losses might be occurring after the disasters?

6) Comparing the cyclones of 1999 and 2019, can you think of the reasons behind the reduction in the number of deaths?

7) Which of these disasters can be predicted in advance?

8) Of those disasters for which prediction can be made, can the people be evacuated from the area?

9) Why do some people get affected by the disaster in specific regions?

Teacher's Note

Disasters happen in many places in India. We should always be ready to help people after a disaster like floods or earthquakes.

Exam Trick

Remember: Natural disasters = earthquakes, floods, cyclones. Man-made disasters = accidents, gas leaks. Just like traffic accidents are caused by people, man-made disasters are also caused by people.

Points to Remember

Natural disasters happen in nature like earthquakes and floods.
Man-made disasters happen because of mistakes by humans like gas leaks.
Deaths happen when disasters occur in cities with many people.
We can predict some disasters like cyclones before they come.
People living near coasts face more cyclone danger than people living inside.

Geographical Explanation

Natural disasters have caused widespread loss of life and property. Human beings are now becoming more aware and various steps have been taken at different levels to reduce the effect of disasters. Identification and classification of disaster is considered the first step to deal with disasters.

Types Of Disasters

Disasters can be classified into various types depending on their origin. They can be of the following types:

1) Tectonic Disasters: Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, Tsunamis, etc. For example, the great Tsunami and earthquake of Indonesia occurred on 26th December, 2004.

2) Geological: Landslides, mudslides, avalanches. For example, the Malin mudslide of 2014 in Maharashtra.

3) Meteorological: Flood, cyclone, storm, heat wave, etc. For example, the floods of Kerala, 2018.

4) Biological: Locust attacks, pest attacks, epidemics such as flu, dengue, cholera, etc. For example, the Surat plague of 1992.

5) Anthropogenic or man-made: Industrial accidents, Transportation accidents, Nuclear accidents, etc. For example, Bhopal gas tragedy 1984.

Thus, we see that disasters can be natural or man-made. Some disasters can be prevented. Generally, man-made disasters can be prevented as they happen due to mistakes or carelessness by humans. Thus, disasters affect human population while some events may occur only in nature. For example, volcanic eruption is a natural process which cannot be prevented. Such natural events are called hazards. When they occur in areas inhabited by humans and cause damage, they are termed disasters.

Teacher's Note

There are five types of disasters. In India, we see cyclones in the coast, earthquakes in Himalayas, and floods in monsoon season.

Exam Trick

Remember: Tectonic = earthquakes, Meteorological = rain and wind, Man-made = accidents. Just like tectonic means the earth's plates move, tectonic disasters come from inside the earth.

Points to Remember

Tectonic disasters are caused by movement inside the earth.
Meteorological disasters happen because of weather like rain and wind.
Biological disasters are caused by pests and diseases.
Man-made disasters happen because of human mistakes.
Geological disasters happen because of landslides and mudslides.

Hazards

Hazards are phenomena that pose a threat to people, structural or economic assets and which may cause a disaster. They could be either naturally occurring in the environment or man-made. Thus, high rainfall is a hazard as it may cause floods which may be disastrous. A hazard becomes a disaster when it affects human population, settlements and their activities.

Difference between a hazard and a disaster: Disaster and hazard are often used interchangeably. But they are two different terms. A disaster is the result of the impact of a hazard on society. Disaster is more of an anthropocentric concept, while hazard is a result of natural process. An earthquake or a storm occurring anywhere in the world is a hazard but the same event occurring in inhabited areas is called a disaster. A disaster occurs when the people are unable to cope with the impact of the hazard, causing death, injury, loss of property as well as economic losses.

Teacher's Note

A hazard is dangerous. A disaster happens when that danger hurts people. If a storm comes in an empty desert, it is a hazard. If the same storm comes in Mumbai city, it is a disaster.

Exam Trick

Remember: Hazard = no people hurt. Disaster = people get hurt. Like a snake in an empty field is hazard. A snake in a school is disaster.

Points to Remember

Hazard is a natural danger that may or may not hurt people.
Disaster happens when hazard harms people and their homes.
An earthquake in desert is a hazard only.
An earthquake in a city is a disaster.
Hazard and disaster are two different things.

Vulnerability

In the examples given in the table, we find that population living in certain areas are exposed to particular disasters. In the above example, in case of cyclone, people in the coastal areas of India are more likely to be affected than those in the interior. People living in seismically active areas are prone to earthquakes. At times, the social economic and political conditions may make people more likely to be affected by disasters in the same region. For example, the poor are more likely to be affected by disasters. Similarly, old people and children can easily become victims of disasters. Densely populated areas are more likely to be affected than sparsely populated areas. The geographical conditions and circumstances of people or region that make them susceptible to a disaster is known as vulnerability. Thus, if you are more vulnerable, you have to be better prepared. And, if we are better prepared, we can reduce the risk of getting affected by the disaster.

Capacity To Cope

The ability of people, organisations and systems, using available skills and resources, to face and manage disasters is known as their capacity to cope. Thus, vulnerability is reduced if the capacity to cope with the disaster is high. For example, in 1999 the cyclone had caused 10,000 deaths but in 2019, only 89 deaths occurred due to a cyclone. This shows that capacity to cope has improved.

If an earthquake occurs with a magnitude of more than 6 in Sahara desert area which is totally uninhabited by humans and a similar one occurs in Assam, which one would you call a disaster?

Teacher's Note

Poor people and children are more at risk during disasters. In our villages, old people need more help during floods and earthquakes.

Exam Trick

Remember: Vulnerability = chance of getting hurt. Poor people, old people, and children have more vulnerability. Like a weak house falls faster in earthquake than a strong house.

Points to Remember

Vulnerability means the chance of getting hurt by a disaster.
Poor people have more vulnerability than rich people.
Children and old people are more vulnerable.
People near coasts are more vulnerable to cyclones.
Better preparation reduces vulnerability.

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