Extreme, unexpected occurrences brought on by environmental conditions, such as floods, storms, droughts, fires, and heatwaves, are known as natural disasters or natural hazards.
There has been a rise in the frequency, intensity, and scope of natural catastrophes in recent years.
Examining natural catastrophes through the perspective of planetary health requires a systems-thinking approach in order to fully understand the nuances and anthropogenic forces that connect any individual disaster to its origins and consequences.
Over the last four decades, the yearly economic losses from severe events have grown 10 times globally, and they have harmed twice as many people as they did in the 1980s.
The health effects of extreme weather events, including heat waves, famine, fires, floods, and tropical storms, may take years to fully manifest.
More severe coastal storms, combined with rising sea levels and loss of coastal barrier systems (coral reef forests, vegetated dunes, mangrove forests, and wetlands), create a “triple threat” for inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas, including reduced air quality and increased mortality and morbidity from cardiorespiratory disease.
Effects Of Natural Catastrophes
The physical and emotional health effects of natural catastrophes on survivors are substantial yet little understood. Researching exposure patterns to natural hazards, vulnerable populations, and effective mitigation strategies should be a top concern.
As per Global Change Data Lab, almost 60,000 people per year are killed by some of the worst natural catastrophes, including hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, and droughts.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have had to deal with the reality of violent natural catastrophes, yet the death tolls of the first such events have been lost to history.
The entire Minoan civilization on the island of Thera (modern-day Santorini, Greece) was wiped out by a volcanic explosion at approximately 1600 B.C., according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences in 2020.
Historians may not know for sure how many people perished in catastrophes throughout the Common Era, but they have a good idea owing to written documents and diaries.
This list ranks the natural disasters from worst to first in terms of the number of lives they are believed to have taken. (In cases when several fatality estimates are provided, the tragedy is included in the list according to the highest estimate).
Examples Of Natural Disasters.
Here are some examples of natural disasters.
The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
For starters, let’s examine the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In terms of natural catastrophes, this is one of the more recent ones. It was one of the greatest earthquakes ever recorded, with a magnitude of 7.
Many people felt the tremors following the earthquake that shook Haiti. Over 200 thousand people lost their lives, and many more are now homeless and in need of urgent aid.
Yangtze River Flood (1931)
It’s true that large floods along the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) in central and eastern China have happened at various times in history, wreaking havoc and claiming many lives, but the great flood of 1931 stands out.
Cities like Nanjing and Wuhan, as well as rice fields, were flooded. In excess of fifty million people were impacted by the flood. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other government agencies projected that roughly 3.7 million people had died.
Tsunami and Earthquake in the Indian Ocean, December 26th, 2004
An enormous tsunami, moving at speeds of up to 800 km/h and producing waves as high as 30 meters, hit 12 nations in South Asia and East Africa after a 9.1-magnitude earthquake occurred off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.
People had little time to flee the danger zones because of how fast they moved.
Earthquake in Kashmir (2005)
The North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, the territory of Kashmir governed by Pakistan, and neighboring regions of India and Afghanistan were all devastated by an earthquake on October 8, 2005.
The earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.6, was followed by multiple aftershocks, landslides, and falling boulders, all of which complicated rescue efforts for the survivors.
Bad building practices in the disaster zones contributed to the tragedy’s devastating effects and the high death toll. Over 32,000 structures were destroyed, and at least 79,000 people were murdered in Kashmir.
Flooding in Japan
More than 200 people were killed in July’s torrential rain and landslides throughout Japan. According to CNN’s reporting, officials claimed the flooding was so severe because so much rain fell in mountainous regions and then was channeled down into towns.
Nearly 15 inches of rain poured in two hours on one Sunday morning in Uwajima, a city on Japan’s Shikoku island, according to local news outlets.
Disaster Management
The term “disaster management” refers to a set of procedures for efficiently preventing, detecting, and mitigating the effects of such catastrophic events. It entails putting up a comprehensive plan to reduce catastrophic losses.
It also entails taking a methodical approach to handling the tasks of hazard avoidance, readiness, response, and cleanup.
Here is a list of 5 charities working for disaster management in Canada.
Red Cross Canada
The Canadian Red Cross is among the country’s largest and best-known humanitarian organizations. This group helps Canadians during times of crisis or catastrophe, like floods and wildfires, and also gives aid during other natural disasters like tornadoes and earthquakes.
In times of crisis, the American Red Cross partners with organizations all around the nation to ensure that individuals in need get aid and can get in touch with loved ones.
Since its founding in 1900, the Canadian chapter of the Red Cross has been responding to disasters, including floods, fires, and earthquakes. Donations to the Canadian Red Cross will be used to assist families who have lost everything as a result of natural catastrophes.
Emergency Support Committee for Refugees
As a Canadian nonprofit, the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees is dedicated to assisting those fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries and throughout the globe. It is also a good organization to donate to in times of need.
Refugees, migrants, and the destitute all have an ally in the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees, a nonprofit group. Refugees in Canada and elsewhere in the world both benefit from the committee’s emergency assistance services and support.
In addition, they help those who are in danger of being deported from Canada. When individuals are displaced from their homes as a result of war, conflict, or persecution, the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees collaborates with organizations all around the globe to provide assistance.
Those who have been displaced from their home countries due to crises may get financial help, legal representation, vocational and educational training, and access to higher learning via this organization.
Since it helps refugees both immediately and over the long term, the Emergency Support Committee for Refugees has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most trustworthy charitable organizations. UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and Oxfam International are just a few of the many international organizations that collaborate with this one.
We also see corporations doing some good work in their local communities when a disaster strikes. Larger corporations have access to funds, and its in their best interest to contribute at the local level as a sign of corporate responsibility. Some would argue they need to do more than they do, but when a disaster strikes every contribution helps.
Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada, a major contributor to Canadian communities, has worked with the Canadian Red Cross since 2003 to aid those in need and raise awareness about disaster preparation.
Over $54 million has been contributed by Walmart and its consumers since the agreement started, making Walmart the biggest corporate partner.
When a crisis hits a town, Walmart is among the first businesses to open their doors and give in-kind gifts of clothing, food, and other necessities in addition to monetary aid.
Honda Canada Foundation
Honda Canada Foundation is a charity organization that has been giving back to Canadian communities since 2005.
The Honda Canada Foundation has been a staunch benefactor of the Canadian Red Cross because they know that when people are prepared, their communities and neighbors are safer.
Therefore, the Honda Canada Foundation and the Canadian Red Cross have collaborated to better prepare the nation for natural disasters by providing training and equipment to first responders.
Working together, they’re making it our priority to help any Canadian in need after a natural or man-made catastrophe.
Grainger Canada
Grainger Canada is a frontrunner in corporate disaster response as a National Founding Partner of the Canadian Red Cross Ready When the Time Comes (RWTC) program.
Grainger Canada significantly expands the Red Cross’s capacity to respond to disasters by enabling its workers to assist the organization when such events occur in their own towns and by offering a considerable financial contribution to the program.
Conclusion
Geophysical and hydrometeorological phenomena may cause natural hazards, which have an effect on our environment and cannot be prevented.
Natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions may change the shape of the landscape, while more mundane phenomena like floods and droughts can have devastating effects on living things.
Human and economic losses from natural disasters are on the rise as a result of the growing frequency and severity of such events. Many factors contribute to this problem, including infrastructural complexity, population increase, and pervasive poverty, but human actions, such as inappropriate land use, worsen the situation.
This is true for both emerging and developed nations. What’s more, there’s mounting evidence that climate change is a contributing factor in the increased frequency and severity of certain sorts of ‘natural’ phenomena.
In order to adapt to these shifting hydrometeorological circumstances, however, we need to look into the bright side of a warming planet by way of scientific inquiry and technological innovation.
