how can we prevent natural disasters essay

How to Prevent Natural Disasters - Actions and Tips

Known worldwide for their devastating effects on societies and ecosystems in different parts of the world, natural disasters play a fundamental role in balancing our well-being and that of our environment. Sometimes, the lack of adequate prevention measures, and poor management of the land by people, leads to huge social, environmental and economic losses, greater than those that the devastating natural phenomenon itself would entail.

If you want to learn more about some actions to prevent natural disasters, as well as the main natural disasters that occur on our planet, continue reading this interesting article by Green Ecologist about how to prevent natural disasters .

What are natural disasters

Commonly known as natural disasters or catastrophes , every year there are numerous extreme natural phenomena that lead to damage to societies and the environment.

The negative consequences of these phenomena are due to the force of destruction thereof. Strong winds, gigantic waves, burning flames and ash and other physical factors are the main destructive elements that characterize the much feared natural disasters. Faced with them, it is essential to create awareness and prevention systems that hold both governments and populations in general responsible.

You can learn more in these other articles on Types of natural disasters that exist and 7 natural disasters caused by man.

How to prevent natural disasters - actions

The main objective of measures related to the natural disaster prevention focuses on reducing the negative impact that these entail, both in terms of loss of human life (and other living beings), and in relation to material and environmental damage. In this section we will detail the most appropriate actions to prevent one or another type of specific natural disaster, depending on whether it is fires, floods and tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.

Prevent fires

• Follow the exit signs until you reach a meeting point indicated for this in case of fire.
• If we are in a building near a fire and, above all, if it has also caught fire, do not use the elevators.
• Stay away from large trees and buildings that could collapse from the fire.
• Cover up to prevent the skin from coming into direct contact with the flames, as well as wear masks to avoid inhaling the polluting gases resulting from the combustion of the fire.

In this other article we talk in more depth about How to prevent forest fires.

Prevent floods

• Faced with floods, the main prevention measure is to stand somewhere high, if possible, more than 30 meters above sea level on natural terrain.
• It is important to avoid coastal areas and river beds, as well as to be aware of the possible rise in the water level in areas susceptible to being stagnant and flooded (sewers, holes in roads, etc.)
• In case the flooding is due to the devastating action of a tsunami, the main thing is to stay away from the coast, since this is its main area of devastation. Due to the frequency of devastating waves that the action of the tsunami can generate (around 10 waves in 12 hours), preventive measures must be maintained during this period. Learn more about this phenomenon here: How tsunamis form.

In addition, you can consult this link where you will see information about the Causes and consequences of floods.

• Having a shelter and reserves of water and food to face the arrival of the hurricane, since the devastating consequences of the natural phenomenon will probably force them to remain isolated for a time.
• Use protective structures on windows, doors and areas susceptible to flooding and / or damage due to the strong winds and storms of the hurricane, avoiding being close to them during the passage of the same.

Find out more here: What is a hurricane and how it is formed.

Volcanic eruptions

• Depending on the force and pressure with which the volcanic eruption has occurred, as well as the types of materials that have been emitted (lava, ash, gases), the actions must be more or less intensive.
• It is important to stay out of the range of the volcanic eruption, closing doors and windows to avoid having respiratory problems due to the emission of gases and ashes.
• Likewise, stay away from areas susceptible to a landslide or landslide, since the force of the eruption can lead to an avalanche of materials that displace the earth, as well as earthquakes.

To learn more about this natural phenomenon, do not hesitate to read this other post about the Types of volcanic eruptions.

Earthquakes or earthquakes

• The main action in the event of an earthquake is to remain calm and follow the evacuation instructions if we are inside a building.
• It will always be advantageous to stand under a table or furniture that protects us from falling lamps and any other object, as well as from breaking windows and glass.
• It is advisable not to use the elevators, as well as to stop the vehicle if we are driving and go to places without buildings or large trees that could collapse due to the force of the earthquake.

From Ecologist Verde we recommend reading these other articles about the Earthquake: what it is, how it occurs and types, the Difference between earthquakes, tremors and earthquakes and What are the main seismic and volcanic areas in the world.

Actions to prevent natural disasters

In the previous points, we have summarized the most important things to do in each type of natural disaster situation, such as prevention measures for major disasters and loss of life. Now as a summary, we explain some natural disaster prevention measures to prevent them from happening or to make them as small as possible:

• Shelter construction or bunkers to use in an emergency.
• Prepare spaces firewall in the fields and forests.
• Report situations that we see that could lead to a natural disaster (for example, bonfires in non-authorized places).
• Carry out control studies of this type of phenomena to be able to know when and where the disaster is most likely to happen and with what force. With this knowledge, timely evacuations can be performed when necessary.
• Make constructions in places as safe as possible (Avoid buildings attached to the beds of large rivers, on the slopes of a volcano, etc.).
• To procure reduce pollution (both by governments and large organizations and by citizens).

How to act in the event of a natural disaster - steps

The development of action strategies in the event of natural disasters must cover, in an essential way, both the implementation of strategies in the short term, as well as in the medium and long term. Thus, within the short-term actions, those that we must carry out more immediately during the natural disaster, are included within the following four stages , ordered from highest to lowest order of priority. Take note of What should you do during a natural disaster :

• Follow the instructions of any person with civil liability (police, firefighters, security forces …).
• Do not push or run over other people when trying to get out.
• Find the most suitable hiding place or shelter (high places in case of floods, under tables during earthquakes, etc.).

On the other hand, action measures focused on prevention in the medium and long term will also be necessary to try to act in the most optimal and responsible way possible in the face of natural disasters. Said natural disaster prevention stockings They are based on regulations, laws, projects and strategies that allow, on the one hand, to protect and make responsible use of areas susceptible to natural disasters and, on the other hand, to directly prohibit the occupation of those areas with high risk of impact.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to prevent natural disasters , we recommend that you enter our category of Other environment.

• Vargas, J. E. (2002) Public policies for reducing vulnerability to natural and socio-natural disasters. ECLAC, Environment and Development Series, Volume 50, pp: 13-28.
• Delgadillo, J. et al., (2012) Natural disasters. Social aspects for its prevention and treatment in Mexico. Institute of Economic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico.
• Romero, G. & Maskrey, A. (1983) How to understand natural disasters. PREDES, Study Document Nº1, pp: 1-7.

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Disaster Management Essay: Preparing for the Unforeseen

Disaster management essay.

Essay on Disaster Management

Disaster Management is the arrangement and management of the resources following a disaster, be it natural or man-made. There are so many organizations who are dealing with various types of disastrous situations from the humanitarian aspect. Some disasters are just the consequences of human hazards and some are caused by natural calamity. However, we can prevent them by taking the necessary emergency measures to save and preserve lives. As natural disasters cannot be predicted, they can take place anywhere at any time. 

Vedantu has provided an essay on Disaster management on this page. Students who have received an assignment to write an essay on Disaster Management or preparing an essay for examination can refer to this page to understand the pattern. Any student or parent can directly visit Vedantu site or download the app on the phone to get access to the study materials.  

Disaster Management’ is the simple term of management which embraces loads of disaster-related activities. Disaster occurs frequently in some parts of the world. Japan is the best example of it. Japanese people are annoyed on Tsunamis and earthquakes. The local scene is not much different from the global one. No one could forget the cyclone in Orissa, Earthquake in Gujarat or even the Mumbai Terrorist Attack.

Natural and man-made are the two categories of the disaster. Natural disasters are those which occurred due to sudden changes in the environment or topography causing uncountable human as well as economic loss. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and cloudbursts are few of the natural disasters. Manual intentional made disasters are man-made disasters. For example, Gas leakage, terrorist attacks, fire, oil spills. Man-made disasters are the result of human intentions or might be because of workmanship or technical errors. The count of man-made and natural disasters is rising rapidly.

Here are a few things which will help us to deal with earthquakes. The significant information about Natural calamities is predicted easier and is being shared within the public by the central bureau. Furthermore, earthquake-resistant structures are constructed considering, ‘Precaution is Better Than Cure’. Reflexes are made so strong that cover of solid platforms such as a table and chair should be taken as soon as the danger is sensible while the cover of trees, electric poles or buildings is avoided as far as possible. Keep in touch with local news during heavy rainy days. Any flood is preceded with significant time. Making proper use of divine buffer time for safety is advisable. Strategically planning of water reservoirs, land uses, tree plantation, rainwater harvesting techniques help us increase immunity power to fight against the drought. 

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency, International Association of Emergency Managers etc. are the best disaster management authorities. NDMA is a core body which obeys the law of Disaster Management. The reputed disaster managers are stuck in finding plans for rescuing from the loss of disaster. Moreover, to counteract the effect of disaster Rajya Sabha passed the ‘Disaster Management Act’ on 23 December 2005 which includes 11 chapters and 79 sections in it. Honourable Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi holds the position of chairman of it. 

Youngsters should motivate themselves to learn and practice plenty of disaster management techniques and arrange the camps regarding it. Today, everyone is fighting against one of the breathtaking disasters named COVID-19 which is as big as fighting in world war. Avoiding the crowd, wearing the mask are the basic precautions suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) during this period of fighting. This disease spreads mostly amongst the people who come in close contact with the infected one. So, it's suggested to keep a safe distance of around 3 meters within the others. This is being termed as ‘Social Distancing’. Nature is not cruel nor is it human. Just small management skills help us withstand before, in and after disasters. Uncountable suggestions and instructions in disaster management but few which apply every time must be followed.

Stages of Disaster Management

With proper implementation and structured action, we can prevent or lessen the impact of natural or man-made disasters. There are certain stages involving the cycle for disaster management plan which incorporates policies and emergency responses required for a prospectively complete recovery. The stages are –

The most preferred way to deal with disasters is to be proactive in their prevention rather than rushing later for their cure. This implies recognition of potential hazards and working towards infrastructure to mitigate their impact. This stage in the management cycle involves setting up permanent measures to minimize disaster risk.

Setting up an evacuation plan in a school, training the teachers to lead the students towards safe structures in the event of earthquake, tornado or fire, planning a strong base for high raised sky-scrapers to prepare for earthquakes and designing a city in such a manner that reduces the risk of flooding are some examples of measures takes for disaster prevention.

Mitigation is the first and the foremost attempt to save human lives during the time of disaster or their recovery from the aftermath. The measures which are taken can be both structural and non-structural.

Structural mitigation measures could include transforming the physical characteristics of a building or the surroundings to curb the effect, for example, clearing out of the trees around your house, ensuring that storms don’t knock down the trees and send them crashing into the house. Non-structural measures could include amending the building or locality codes to enhance safety and prevent disasters.

Preparedness

Preparedness is a process that involves a social community where the trained, or the head of the community, businesses and institutions demonstrate the plan of action which is supposed to be executed during the event of a disaster. It is an ongoing continuous process with anticipation of a calamity, which involves training, evaluating and taking corrective action with the highest level of alertness. Some examples of such prevention measures are fire drills, shooter drills and evacuation rehearsals.

The response is the action taken after the disaster has occurred to retrieve some life from it. It includes short-term and long-term responses. In ideal situations, the disaster-management leader will coordinate the use of resources in the restoration process and minimize the risk of further property damage.

During this stage, the area of the calamity is cleared if it poses any further threat to human as well as environmental life. For example, evacuation of the city of Chernobyl, Ukraine, is a responsive action against a disaster.

The fifth and last stage in the process of the disaster management plan is the recovery stage. This can sometimes take years or decades to happen. The larger mass of a city is also sometimes part of the recovery from a disaster. The greatest and the most infamous example of this is the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks on Japan, it took the people of those cities years and decades to recover from that man-made calamity.

It took years of effort to stabilize the area and restore essential community or individual functions. The recovery stage prioritizes the basic essential needs of human survival like food, drinkable water, utilities, transportation and healthcare over less-essential services. Eventually, this stage is all about coordinating with individuals, communities and businesses to help each other to restore a normal or a new normal, as in the case of Covid-19.

How to Act as a Responsible Person During a Time of Disaster?

Some people have more experience than others with managing natural or man-made disasters and their prevention of them. Although this is that subject of life which should be studied and implemented by every business or community. As it is said rightly, “prevention is better than cure”, and any organization or an individual or a community can be hit by a disaster sooner or later, whether it's something as minor as a prolonged power cut or a life-threatening hurricane or an earthquake. Usually, the pandemics train us, as a social and political community, to deal with natural calamities and compel the organizations responsible for it, to build an infrastructure for its prevention.

To act responsibly and pro-actively during the event of a disaster, we have got to be prepared and equipped as a nation, individually and as a social community. To be well-educated and read with the aspects of disaster management is to be responsible for the handling of it.

FAQs on Disaster Management Essay: Preparing for the Unforeseen

1. What is Disaster Management?

In simpler words, disaster management can be defined as the arrangement of resources and precautions to deal with all humanitarian aspects during an emergency. Disasters are the consequences of natural or human hazards. Earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes are some of the deadliest natural disasters to name a few. Examples of man-made disasters are bomb blast, radiations, transport accidents, terrorist attacks etc.

2. What is the Main Aim of Disaster Management?

The main aim of disaster management is prevention, rescue and recovery from the trauma, and development.

3. How to Write an Essay on Disaster Management?

Disaster management refers to the response to an emergency situation to make it as normal as possible. While writing an essay on Disaster Management, you can start with an introduction, then go on with the definition, the types of disaster management, a little in-depth explanation along with examples, and finish it off with a conclusion. 

4. Can I Get a Sample Essay on Disaster Management from Vedantu?

Yes, the essay mentioned on this page is about Disaster Management. This essay has been written by the experts of Vedantu keeping the understanding ability of the students of each class. 

5. What are the career opportunities in the field of Disaster management?

People looking for career opportunities in the field of disaster management have many pathways to approach it. Some examples of the jobs relating to this line of work are crisis-management leader, disaster-assistance specialist and emergency-planning coordinator. These are the roles which call for varying levels of responsibility in preparing a city or a company for catastrophic events. The job roles can be approached with earning a master’s degree in emergency and crisis management.