Natural Disasters

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Natural Disasters

Introduction

It cannot be disputed that the frequency and magnitude of natural disasters have increased tremendously. These have had diverse implications on vulnerable populations that have limited knowledge with respect to disaster management. It is widely contended that natural disasters can not be prevented as they are triggered by external forces that are beyond human power. However, the degree of their damage can be prevented to avoid their escalation and the resultant negative impacts on human life. It is in this regard that this paper explores the prevention and disaster management issues surrounding the disasters that stem from technological concerns of buildings, preventing manmade disasters associated with chemical and oil spills and prevention of wild fires. The target audience for this is the local individuals living in earthquake prone areas, various government agencies, the general public and professionals in respective fields of specification. .

Disasters emanating from collapse of buildings have increased significantly in the recent past. This has particularly been common in urban areas of developing countries and can be attributed to the contravention of the required building codes in the respective areas. This implies that the agencies concerned with the enforcement of such codes have failed dismally with respect to performance. In other regions, these disasters occur regardless of the fact that the relative standards are adhered to accordingly. In such instances, Roxana (2003) argues that some areas are prone to natural disasters and therefore stricter measures need to be undertaken to prevent the occurrence of disasters. Preventing relative risks requires the collaboration of different agencies and parties that are concerned with formulation, implementation and enforcement of the respective building codes. A significant percentage of innocent lives have increasingly been lost through such incidences. It is for this reason that this study deems it necessary to underscore the frequency of occurrence as well as the severity of the impacts.

Industrialization has culminated in the production of a wide range of chemicals for different uses. They are not only employed in the manufacture of other products but they are also used as ends in themselves. Usually, these chemicals tend to be toxic and any contact with the humans lead to devastating effects. Likewise, contact with animals and other forms of biological diversity culminate in death and in some instances extinction of certain biological species that are vital for human use. Statistical evidence ascertains that the natural disasters related to the spills of chemicals entail fires, corrosion, suffocation and poisoning (Abbot, 2008). These are entirely caused by humans and have claimed numerous lives since historical times. A classic illustration to this pertains to incidences of fire that occur during oil spills. These not only harm the populations that attempt to loot the oil but also have far reaching implications on the welfare of the biodiversity found therein. To counter this, respective agencies need to ensure that chemicals are kept safely and the populations running any operations related to these are well informed about the importance of safety. Furthermore, viable measures of transporting oil and chemicals need to be assumed in order to enhance safety. Of great importance is to inform the entire population about the implications of relative accidents.

Climate change and the relative global warming have led to incidences of extreme weather conditions. The characteristics heat waves can be implicated for an increase in incidences of wild fires. However, Flynn (2007) notes that these incidences are perpetuated by human errors. In some cases, these have been related to arson cases and or carelessness when handling cigarettes and other forms of machinery. Also, natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and lightening have also been cited to be key contributors to incidences of wild fires. The contribution of humans to these can be prevented by exercising extreme caution when handling fire. Certain machinery that is employed by humans for different purposes has also been cited to have contributed towards fires. An example in the regard includes electricity and tankers that transport oil and chemicals (Flynn, 2007). Law enforcement agencies in this regard should adopt viable interventions in a timely manner in order to prevent wild fires caused by arsonists. This information is of paramount importance not only on vulnerable populations but also on the public at large.

Conclusion

From the p[receding analysis, it is certain that disasters are commonly triggered by human activities. Their magnitude and frequency has also increased significantly and this has adverse effects on the holistic welfare of humanity. In addition, the disasters destroy important biodiversity and compromise the ability of future populations to benefit form these. This is due to the fact that the biodiversity that is endemic to specific regions tend to get extinct. The respective populations , agencies and the entire public need to be informed about this is order to enhance timely and effective response in case of a disaster. They would also be equipped with vital information pertaining to the prevention of these disasters. Certainly, this knowledge is important for prevention of the respective disasters.

References

Abbot, L. (2008). Natural Disasters. USA: McGraw Hill.

Flynn, S. (2007). The Edge of Disaster. USA: Random House.

Roxana, M. (2003). Introduction to Natural and Manmade Disasters and their Effects on Buildings. USA: Architectural Press.