Hazards, Disasters, and Risks

Abstract

In this chapter, we will elaborate on three basic terms in the field of disaster risk science: hazards, disasters and risks. We will also discuss the classification, indexes, temporal and spatial patterns, and some other fundamental scientific problems that are related to these three terms. 1.1 Hazards According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), a hazard is a natural process or phenomenon that may pose negative impacts on the economy, society, and ecology, including both natural factors and human factors that are associated with the natural ones. Hazards are the origins of disasters. Hazards are detrimental to the development of human beings and hinder the sustainability of the world. During the development of human beings, people have experienced and gradually understood all kinds of hazards. From different perspectives, disaster risk scientists studied on the classification, temporal and spatial patterns, and causes of hazards. In this section, we will focus on the different classifications of hazards. Refer to research in natural disaster science and disaster geography for the temporal and spatial patterns of hazards. If you are interested in the causes of hazards, you may look up related research findings in geoscience, life science, and environmental science.