"Natural disaster is intimately connected to the processes of human development. Disasters triggered by natural hazards put development gains at risk. At the same time, the development choices made by individuals, communities and nations can pave the way for unequal distributions of disaster risk."
(2004) Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge for Development

What are Natural Hazards and how they can become Natural Disasters?

A Natural Hazard can be defined as the potential occurrence of a natural phenomenon that may adversely affect human life, property or activity to the extent of causing a disaster.

Natural hazards can be classified as follows:

	Geological Hazards Climatic Hazards Environmental Hazards Eartquakes Tropical Cyclones Deforestation Tsunamis Floods Desertification Landslides Droughts Pest Infestation Volcanic eruptions

Disasters occur when natural hazards have an impact on human beings and on the environment. Those who have more resources ¨C both economic as well as social ¨C often have a greater capacity to withstand the effect of a hazard than poorer members of a society. In developing countries, the root causes of vulnerability to hazards are poverty and inequitable development. Rapid population growth, urban or mass migration, inequitable patterns of land ownership, lack of education, and subsistence agriculture on marginal lands lead to vulnerable conditions such as unsafe siting of buildings and settlements, unsafe homes, deforestation, malnutrition, unemployment, underemployment, and illiteracy.


What APELL can do in this area?

APELL and Natural Disasters

In recent years many communities, have experienced widespread destruction, causing devastation for people and damage to the environment.

There have always been, and always will be, floods, storms, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, tsunamis and other disasters, but the patterns of modern life are exposing more communities to danger then ever before. At no time in history have so many people lived in cities close to seismic areas, and destitution and poverty are leading more and more people to live in flood plains or areas prone to landslides. Mitigation of the impacts of disasters linked with efforts to alleviate poverty and improve sanitation is undoubtedly one of today's major global challenges.

When sudden disaster strikes, rescuers often have only a short time-sometimes no more than 24 hours-in which they can expect to find survivors. Disaster experts refer to the 'golden hours', meaning the initial period when a rapid response capability is vital, and when preparedness (or lack of it!) can make all the difference.

Experience has shown, time and again, that it is local people who are best placed to save lives and to coordinate the return to normality.

Disasters inevitably bring about crises. It is the degree to which people are prepared for disaster that determines how vulnerable or resilient their community will be.

APELL, standing for Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level, is a process designed to create public awareness of hazards and to ensure that communities and emergency services are adequately trained and prepared to respond.

The impacts of disasters can be substantially reduced if surrounding communities and emergency services are fully informed about possible hazards, and have been educated about risk management and crisis management plans. Community awareness and involvement are key factors in mitigating and limiting the impacts of disaster, they are also key aspects of the APELL process.

An important aspect of APELL is flexibility. Although the process addresses a common need-improving communities' abilities to cope with the impacts of all disasters-it does not mean imposing a 'one-size-fits-all' solution. APELL provides an overall organizational framework that builds on existing emergency plans. The process can also be integrated into disaster planning at local, national and international levels.

Wherever it is applied, APELL's goals remain the same: to prevent loss of life; to avoid property damage; and to ensure environmental safety in the local community.

Below there are some examples of the recent and devastating Natural Disasters.


South Asian Tsunami - 2004

Hurricane from aboveOn the morning (7:59 am local time; 00:59 GMT) of 26 December 2004 a major earthquake occurred off thecoast of Aceh province on the Northern Indonesian Island of Sumatra. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 9 in the Richter triggered a Tsunami in the Indian Ocean region, reaching the coastal areas of Indonesia, India, Sri Lamka, Thailand, Myanmar, Maldives, Somalia ans Seychelles. The death toll due to the disaster is reaching 160,000.

Hurricane Mitch - 1998

Mitch - Central America, Nov. 1998
In late October and early November, Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras and Nicaragua, destroying villages and cities and killing nearly 10,000 people. In the aftermath, relief efforts were stalled because the storm had wiped out countless bridges, crippling the region's infrastructure. Visit our Links page for websites with more information about Hurricanes.


Venezuela Flooding - 1999

Venezuela, 15-16 Dec. 1999
In Venezuela's worst disaster this century, torrential rains caused flooding and mudslides in the country's northern states. Between 15,000 and 25,000 people were killed, and 200,000 were left homeless by the torrential rainfall. The country was unprepared to respond to this disaster. Despite the fact that the government was aware of the dangers of flooding in the affected areas, the population was allowed to grow

Izmit Earthquake in Turkey - 1999

Western Turkey, 17 Aug. 1999
An earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale devastated western Turkey, killing over 17,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. In Izmit, the epicenter of the earthquake and an industrial region, the earthquake also precipitated fires at a major oil refinery and a toxic leak at a chemical plant. Industrial facilities in earthquake-prone regions must be structurally adequate to withstand severe seismic activity, and should have effective response plans for such contingencies. For more informantio on the risk management practices at industrial facilities during the earthquake, please refer to this case-study report. Visit our Links page for websites with more information about earthquakes.

Indian Landslide - 2000

Bombay, India, 12 July 2000
A Bombay shantytown was buried under a landslide triggered by a burst septic tank following monsoon rains. The disaster killed nearly 100 people and left the rest of the community homeless. Landslides and building collapses are common in Bombay during the four-month monsoon season because a large part of the city's population of more than 12 million lives in slums.