Theory

• A natural hazard is a perceived natural event that threatens both life and property. They often result in disasters that cause some loss of life and/or damage to the built environment and create severe disruption to human activities.
• Natural or environmental hazards pose a risk to human populations, which is increased as shanty towns are built on unstable tropical slopes, urbanise volcanic zones, live in areas with active faults and on coast susceptible to hurricanes and tsunamis.
• Natural hazards, and their effects, tend to have the following common characteristics:


  Clear origins and distinctive effects

  Short warning before

  Involuntary exposure to risk

  Long-term effects, but death and damage to property occur shortly after

  Scale and intensity requires emergency response