Natural disasters
- Slovak term: Slovenský termín
- A natural disaster is an act of nature of such magnitude as to create a catastrophic situation in which the day-to-day patterns of life are suddenly disrupted and people are plunged into helplessness and suffering, and, as a result, need food, clothing, shelter, medical and nursing care and other necessities of life, and protection against unfavourable environmental factors and conditions (WHO 1971).
Explanation
Although the resulting problems vary widely in different parts of the world, disasters have many common features: one of them is confusion and panic. In the chaos produced by a disaster, even the professional sanitation personnel may be caught by surprise and may need to consult a guide on emergency sanitation mesures before taking action to deal with the situation.
In addition to their immediate impact on human lives, natural events often result in the destruction of the physical, biological and social environment of affected people, thereby having a longer-term impact on their health, well-being and survival (WHO 1971).
Example
"...Natural events include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, heat waves and droughts...." (WHO 1971)
References
- WHO (1971) Guide to sanitation in natural disasters
