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Unit 4 BRAVING THE HAZARDS
I. Read and reflect:
Disasters --- both natural and man-made cause widespread damage
and destruction. It is high time that we became aware of and equipped
ourselves to face impending disasters. Here is an essay about disasters
and their management in the Indian context.
DISASTERS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
Anjana Majumdar
Disaster is a very common phenomenon for humanity.
Human beings have experienced disasters in different
forms since time immemorial. The latest World
What does the recent
Disaster Report suggests that disasters have World Disaster Report
increased both in frequency and intensity. say about disasters?
People are becoming more and more vulnerable
What are some of the
to disasters of all types, which include common disasters?
earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides,
droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires, etc. This
is quite true in the case of both developed and
What is true about both
developing countries. The floods in the UK and
developed and
France, and the heat waves in Europe, developing countries?
particularly the one in France in 2003, claimed
lots of lives. In the last few years, America has also faced
devastating disasters in the form of tornadoes, hurricanes
and cyclones. They caused great loss of lives and property.
Even though the progress in technology is helping human
beings to reduce the impact of the disasters, it is still
inadequate.
There is a direct correlation between higher human
development and better preparedness to manage
What is the relationship
disasters. The countries which have lower between human
human development are more vulnerable to the development and
risks of disasters and damage. disaster preparedness?
Of all the disasters, floods are the most common, followed
by windstorms, droughts and earthquakes. Which is the deadliest
However, drought is the deadliest, accounting disaster?
for 48 per cent of deaths due to natural disasters. Of all
the continents, Asia has the highest number of death toll
from disasters. India, China and Bangladesh are situated
in the Asian continent.
India, due to its geographical location and geological
formation, is highly prone to disasters. Its long coastline,
snow-clad peaks and high mountain ranges and What makes India more
the perennial rivers in the north, combine to vulnerable to disasters?
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