Chapter39-Disasters,NaturalandTechnologicalDISASTERSANDMAJORACCIDENTSPierAlbertoBertazziTypeandFrequencyofDisastersIn1990,the44thGeneralAssemblyoftheUnitedNationslaunchedthedecadeforthereductionoffrequencyandimpactofnaturaldisasters(Lancet1990).Acommitteeofexpertsendorsedadefinitionofdisastersas“adisruptionofthehumanecologythatexceedsthecapacityofthecommunitytofunctionnormally”.Overthepastfewdecades,disasterdataonagloballevelrevealadistinctpatternwithtwomainfeatures—anincreaseovertimeofthenumberofpeopleaffected,andageographicalcorrelation(InternationalFederationofRedCrossandRedCrescentSocieties(IFRCRCS)1993).Infigure39.1,despitethegreatvariationfromyeartoyear,adefiniterisingtrendisquitevisible.Figure39.2showsthecountriesmostseverelyaffectedbymajordisastersin1991.Disastersaffecteverycountryoftheworld,butitisthepoorestcountrieswherepeoplemostfrequentlylosetheirlives.Figure39.1Numberofpersonsaffectedworldwidebydisastersperyearduring1967-91Figure39.2Numberofpeopledeadfrommajordisastersin1991:Top20countriesNumerousanddifferentdefinitionsandclassificationsofdisastersareavailableandhavebeenreviewed(Grisham1986;Lechat1990;Logue,MelickandHansen1981;WeissandClarkson1986).Threeofthemarementionedhereasexamples:TheUSCentersforDiseaseControl(CDC1989)identifiedthreemajorcategoriesofdisasters:geographicaleventssuchasearthquakesandvolcaniceruptions;weather-relatedproblems,includinghurricanes,tornadoes,heatwaves,coldenvironmentsandfloods;and,finally,human-generatedproblems,whichencompassfamines,airpollutions,industrialdisasters,firesandnuclearreactorincidents.Anotherclassificationbycause(Parrish,FalkandMelius1987)includedweatherandgeologicaleventsamongnaturaldisasters,whereashuman-madecausesweredefinedasnon-natural,technological,purposefuleventsperpetuatedbypeople(e.g.,transportation,war,fire/explosion,chemicalandradioactiverelease).Athirdclassification(table39.1),compiledattheCentreforResearchontheEpidemiologyofDisasterinLouvain,Belgium,wasbasedonaworkshopconvenedbytheUNDisasterReliefOrganizationin1991andwaspublishedintheWorldDisasterReport1993(IFRCRCS1993).Table39.1DefinitionsofdisastertypesSuddennaturalLong-termnaturalSuddenhuman-madeLong-termhuman-madeAvalancheColdwaveEarthquakeAftershockFloodsFlashfloodDamcollapseVolcaniceruptionGlowingavalancheHeatwaveHighwindcycloneStormHailSandstormStormsurgesThunderstormTropicalstormTornadoInsectinfestationLandslideEarthflowPowershortageTsunamiandtidalEpidemicsDroughtDesertificationFamineFoodshortageorcropfailureStructuralcollapseBuildingcollapseMinecollapseorcave-inAirdisasterLanddisasterSeadisasterIndustrial/technologicalaccidentExplosionsChemicalexplosionsNuclearexplosionorthermonuclearexplosionsMineexplosionsPollutionAcidrainChemicalpollutionAtmospherepollutionChlorofluoro-carbons(CFCs)OilpollutionFiresForest/grasslandfireNational(civilstrife,civilwar)International(war-likeencounters)DisplacedpopulationDisplacedpersonsRefugeeswaveSource:IFRCRCS1993.Figure39.3reportsthenumberofeventsforindividualdisastertypes.Theitem“Accidents”includesallsuddenhuman-madeevents,andissecondonlyto“Flood”infrequency.“Storm”isinthirdplace,followedby“Earthquake”and“Fire”.Figure39.31967-91:TotalnumberofeventsforeachtypeofdisasterAdditionalinformationontype,frequencyandconsequencesofnaturalandnon-naturaldisastersbetween1969and1993hasbeendrawnfromdataofth...
