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China floods in 1931, Katrina and Rita Hurricanes, the Tri-State Tornado, and San Francisco Earthquake in 1906. This list of noticeable disasters is not finished and considered rather huge with the volume of damage that varies considerably (Prophet, 2008). During a long period, people attempt to fight against natural forces and disasters in order to get a chance and survive.
Though such steps like climbing the highest mountains, cultivating the earth, and sailing seas and oceans may be counted as the successful results of human activities, people are still not ready to the most harmful and unpredictable effect as natural disasters. The variety of natural disasters is amazing indeed: tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, droughts and so on (Stern, 2007).
Each of these hazards has a considerable impact on the environment, human lives, and activities. In spite of the fact that technological progress allows to make the greatest calculations and predict weather, it is still hard to prevent any disaster and provide people with the necessary help and support.
Unfortunately, natural disasters and hazards are regarded as an integral part of human life. To avoid the most terrible outcomes and protect people, many sophisticated teams appear in order to forecast, analyze, and evaluate the environment and weather conditions.
They strive to provide citizens with the necessary information concerning the ways of getting prepared and taking important actions to be saved. “A disaster is a sudden event that can lead to loss of lives and property” (Viegas, 2007, p. 5). However, the peculiar feature of any natural disaster is that it may be worsen and developed by human actions such as military actions, chemical industries, desire to investigate more and deeper, etc.
People cannot even imagine that their actions and their attempts to improve their own lives may lead to rather different and dangerous outcomes. The results of natural disasters spread over different spheres of live. First, these disasters affect the environment people live in. It is hard to get used to the conditions which formed after fires or floods.
Buildings, gardens, and fields are wrecked, and people face considerable difficulties to recover within a short period. Second, financial losses are observed after natural disasters (Casale & Margottini, 2004). When people spend much money on buildings, reconstructions, and improvements they expect to get profits from their investments.
However, then the vast majority of their ideas are destroyed because of a disaster it is impossible to be financially recovered. Finally, the most important point concerning natural disasters and their negative impact on lives is connected to human losses.
Of course, much depends on the type of disaster but still the fact that human lives are lost because of natural disasters. It is still possible to improve the damaged environment and cope with financial problems. However, when we talk about human lives, they are already lost and nothing can be done to improve everything.
As it has been already mentioned, the outcomes of natural disasters considerably depend on the types. Hurricanes are possible to predict in several days or even weeks. These predictions provide people with some time to make the necessary preparations and find a comfortable and safe place to be protected.
However, at the same time, people awareness about coming hurricane may lead to the generation of fear and anxiety. It is also difficult to define what concrete place will be impacted by the hurricane and what kind of damage it is better to expect. Floods are considered the most common and the most dangerous disasters (Pelling, 2003).
They usually occur without any warning and lead to terrible damage of roads, houses, and trees. It is very difficult to find out the safe place and wait till the flood is over. Cold weather and wind may worsen the results of the flood as well. Earthquakes as well as floods are impossible to predict (Hyndman & Hyndman, 2009).
However, in comparison to floods where people can be saved reaching the tallest heights, earthquakes are more dangerous because people are limited with the opportunities to be saved. This list of natural disasters that have a significant impact on human lives and future is not complete.
Classification of natural disasters has its own peculiarities and specifications: droughts, famine, tsunami, lahars, volcanic eruptions, heat waves, and many other disasters are defined as the serious threats for people.
There are many organizations that aim at forecasting and analyzing natural disasters; usually, they are divided into governmental and nongovernmental (NGOs) (Amin & Goldstein 2008). For example, the executive director of WEDO (Women’s Environment and Development Organization), June Zeitlin admits that gender difference is a considerable point to analyze during natural disasters.
Women usually suffer from disasters harder than men, this is why it is necessary to spend more time on management human behaviour and protection in accordance with gender differences. The American Red Cross and its representatives like Encho Gospodinov (Cherry, 2009) participate in evaluations of natural disasters and problems people face in the result.
Many countries try to promote the development of different management agencies in order to control the effects of natural disasters and the activities, which help to mitigate, get prepared, and rehabilitate. “These organizations are usually assigned to the ministries of defense or interior, or their national equivalent” (Pan American Health Organization, 2000, p. 12).
With the help of the programs developed, it becomes possible inform people, teach them how to behave and react to the possible disasters, and explain what actions are preferable and which are forbidden. The importance of these organizations is evident, and the representatives of all countries have to work out different ideas and suggestions to help people be ready and be able to protect themselves.
Some people still wonder whether it is so important to be aware of coming disaster and to wait for it all the time. People’s awareness about natural disasters, their development, and outcomes should play an important role. When a person knows that something dangerous is coming, he/she has all chances to protect him/herself.
However, at the same time, it is necessary to admit that people have a variety of chances to decide where to live but still they choose dangerous places just in order to enjoy the nature and admire landscapes. Due to long periods of volcanoes’ inactivity (Pan American Health Organization, 2000), people believe that they have enough chances and time to live in the chosen place and not to worry about possible outcomes.
Some people still prefer to live “along watercourses or near seacoasts, as water is a life-sustaining element” (Officer & Page, 2009) without taking into consideration the fact that this water may be rather dangerous and unpredictable for them. It is not enough to inform about possible threats and ways to be saved but it is more important to explain what can be done to improve the situation and to protect each other from one more nature whim.
In general, the investigations of all authors mentioned in this paper deserve much attention and recognition in order to comprehend the significance of natural disasters, the importance of awareness about these disasters, and abilities to survive during these disasters. People usually think that they have enough powers to cope with any difficulty in their lives.
However, they can never be sure about the dangers and effects of natural disasters. Though many professionals are working hard to define and predict different disasters, and inform people, all these predictions cannot define the level of the danger, concrete place where the disaster takes place, and concrete outcomes, which have to be expected.
In spite of all those powers and achievements, people are weak and helpless against natural disasters and their effects. This is why people should use any chance to enlarge their level of knowledge, focus on the investigations offered by professionals, and try to be careful with their choices.
In fact, every person is in the power of nature and numerous natural disasters, and if sophisticated scientists fail to avoid these disasters, they still have to do everything possible to forecast these disasters and inform other people about dangers which are coming.
References
Amin, S. & Goldstein, M.P. (2008). Data Against Natural Disasters: Establishing Effective Systems for Relief, Recovery, and Reconstruction. Washington, DC: World Bank Publication.
Casale, R & Margottini, C. (2004). Natural Disasters and Sustainable Development. New York, NY: Springer.
Cherry, K.E. (2009). Lifespan Perspectives on Natural Disasters: Coping with Katrina, Rita, and Other Storms. New York, NY: Springer.
Hyndman, D. & Hyndman, D. (2009). Natural Hazards and Disasters. Belmont, MA: Cengage Learning.
Officer, C. & Page, J. (2009). When the Planet Rages: Natural Disasters, Global Warming and the Future of the Earth. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Pan American Health Organization. (2000). Natural Disaster: Protecting the Public’s Health. Washington, DC: Pan American Health Org.
Pelling, M. (2003). Natural Disasters and Development in a Globalizing World. New York, NY: Routledge.
Prophet, E.C. (2008). Is Mother Nature Mad?: How to Work with Nature Spirits to Mitigate Natural Disasters. Gardiner, NY: Summit University Press.
Stern, G. (2007). Can God Intervene?: How Religion Explains Natural Disasters. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
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