Disaster

A disaster is a serious disruption occurring over a relatively short or long period of time that exceeds the ordinary capabilities of a community or society to cope with its consequences. It results in significant human, material, economic, or environmental losses and damage, and often disrupts essential services such as shelter, water, sanitation, and health care. A disaster arises when a hazard interacts with vulnerable populations and exposure, turning an event into a catastrophe.

Disasters are commonly classified as natural, technological (or anthropogenic), or hybrid. Natural hazards include earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Technological hazards stem from industrial accidents, chemical spills, nuclear incidents, transportation crashes, or cascading failures in infrastructure. Pandemics and complex emergencies that combine elements of conflict, displacement, and disease are also considered disasters in many contexts.

Disaster risk is shaped by hazard characteristics, exposure, and vulnerability, as well as capacity and resilience within a community. Reducing risk involves a cycle of actions known as disaster risk reduction: prevention and mitigation to lower potential losses, preparedness to improve readiness, response to save lives during an event, and recovery to restore normal conditions and build back better. International frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, emphasize reducing risk through governance, data collection, land-use planning, and resilient infrastructure.

Impacts of disasters are extensive, including casualties, injuries, housing destruction, infrastructure damage, economic disruption, and psychosocial consequences. Effective disaster management relies on timely information, coordinated response, community involvement, and long-term strategies to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience.