Natural disasters are serious disruptions of human life caused by natural, technological or environmental events that overwhelm a community’s ability to cope using its own resources. They include any hazard that threatens human well-being, including earthquakes, storms, floods, volcanic eruptions and fires. The factors that determine whether a disaster will happen and its impact on communities differ by place, but are generally related to vulnerability: factors such as the presence of natural hazards, economic development, housing and infrastructure, health care availability, access to water, food/nutrition, sanitation and the prevalence of communicable diseases all have impacts on the exposure and vulnerability of people to different types of natural disasters.
Disasters are not always preventable, but the occurrence and impact of natural disasters can be reduced by developing and implementing appropriate risk management policies. While many disasters are unavoidable, climate change is making them more frequent and severe, especially in developing countries, by delivering more rainfall to areas that are accustomed to dry weather, increasing flooding risk, while reducing the supply of drinking water in some regions, contributing to drought.
If you know of people who are affected by a natural disaster, please consider reaching out to them and offering help. This could be anything from helping to run errands or with cleaning and repairs to providing emotional support. However, it is important to respect their boundaries and not press them into accepting assistance or processing their emotions in a particular way.