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Disasters can occur as a consequence of the impact of a natural or a human-caused
hazard. Natural hazards comprise phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic activity,
landslides, tsunamis, tropical cyclones and other severe storms, tornadoes and high
winds, river and coastal flooding, wildfires and associated haze, drought, sand and
dust storms, and infestations. Human-caused hazards may be intentional, such as the
illegal discharge of oil, or accidental such as toxic spills or nuclear meltdown. All
of these can expose people, ecosystems, flora and fauna to threats. The poor are the
most vulnerable to disasters because they have fewer resources and capacity to prevent
or cope with the impacts. A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of
society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the
ability of affected society to cope on its own resources. — Source: UNDHA 2001.
Assessments of Disasters in:
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