Man-made disasters and human-induced disasters have a common element, "man". However, they differ the manner in which a disaster is introduced.
Man-made disasters occur primarily due to an activity of man, human-induced disasters are disasters that introduced unintentionally due to activity of human beings. An example of man-made disasters would be war (armed, nuclear or biological) and terrorist activities as they were carried-out intentionally, resulting in widespread social and economic damage. During the gulf war, iraqi forces attempted to stop a potential american troop landing by opening the valves at sea island oil terminal in kuwait, and dumping oil from several tankers in the persian gulf. This created an oil slick four inches thich that covered 4000 square miles of ocean.
Human-induced disasters are disasters are disasters introduced unintentionally due to the activity of human beings. An example of this is the "Love canal disaster". The love canal was used to bury 21000 tonnes of toxic waste by hooker chemical company. Although the canal was capped and lined by cement walls, it was sold to the niagara school district board who built a school and sold a part to private developers who built 98 homes along the former canal banks. Construction activity resulted in breaching part of the canals cap. Exposure to burried toxins occured in 1958 when children suffered chemical burns from the wastes that resurfaced at the canal site. Tests revealed a variety of chemicals in the air that led to miscarriages in women living in the vicinity. Excess miscarriages and birth defects led to evacuation of pregnant women living in the area at the cost of the state. The disaster caused the state more than $42 million.
Human-Induced Disasters
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
Weapons that bring
significant loss to a huge section of the population, property and environment
are called weapons of mass destruction. A few examples of weapons of mass
destruction include nuclear weapons, biological weapons, chemical weapons and
radiological weapons.
·
Nuclear Weapon
It is a weapon of mass destruction that derives its
explosive power from a nuclear fission reaction or from the combination of both fission and fusion reactions.
Types of Nuclear Weapons
Ø
Those weapons that derive their energy from nuclear
fission reactions alone.
Examples:
Atom bombs, A-bombs or fission bombs.
Ø
Those weapons that derive a large amount of their energy
from nuclear fusion reactions. Examples: Hydrogen bombs, H-bombs,
thermonuclear bombs etc.
·
Nuclear Accidents
When a nuclear plant or a nuclear-capable plant explodes
or radiates harmful radiations because of some
malfunctioning, it is called a nuclear accident.
- Chemical and Industrial Accidents
These accidents occur as a
result of human negligence or mishandling of chemicals and can cause mass
destruction. Examples: Bhopal gas disaster of 1984, The Gas Well Blowout in Gao
Qiao, China on 23rd December, 2003 etc.
A biological disaster is
caused by a release of germs or viruses which enter the human body through the
nose or the mouth and cause illnesses. Example: A disaster caused by the
biological agent anthrax. Biological weapons are often referred to as “poor
man’s nuclear bomb” as they can be easily manufactured.
- Impact of Human-Induced
Hazards
The loss incurred is very
high
Hazardous chemical
materials can cause death, serious injury and long-lasting health effects
Sometimes, farmers may
have to face loss of crops because of the toxic gases released by industries
into the atmosphere as well as in water.
- Mitigation Strategies for
Human-Induced Disasters
Hazard mapping of areas
near industries
Planning the use of land
Preparing the community
for such disaster situations
Improving Fire resistance Warning
systems Pollution dispersion capabilities
Awareness among the people
Limiting
the storage capacity of toxic substances
