SCI03 CO1

Hazard

A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity, or condition that may cause loss of life, injury, or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Natural Hazards

Hazards that include geologic, biological, hydrometeorological, and extraterrestrial events.

Anthropogenic Hazards

Hazards resulting from human activities, including technological, environmental, socio-economic, political, and security risks.

Disaster

A serious disruption of the functioning of a community involving widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses that exceeds the ability to cope with using its own resources.

Components of Disaster

Includes exposure, vulnerability, and capacity.

Exposure

People, property, systems, or elements present in hazard zones.

Vulnerability

Characteristics that make a community susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.

Disaster Risk

The potential for calamity resulting from various hazards and their effect on the susceptibility of infrastructure, communities, and the economy.

Disaster Risk Formula

Disaster Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability x Exposure.

Recurrence Interval

The average time between occurrences of a natural event of a certain magnitude.

Primary Effects

Immediate impact from a hazard, like the collapse of buildings during an earthquake.

Secondary Effects

Consequences following the primary effects, such as fires due to earthquakes.

Mitigation

Efforts to prepare for a disaster and reduce its damage.

Soft Solutions

Mitigation approaches like zoning and building codes.

Hard Solutions

Mitigation approaches like riprap and spur dikes.