Environmental hazards, Environmental Disasters and Environmental stress (Disaster Management)

Environmental Hazards
A dangerous condition which causes damage to natural environment, and leads to affect of biological health.
Environmental hazard can be caused by Natural Pollution, Deforestation, Using Pesticides, Underground bore wells etc.,

Environmental Hazards are classified into 4 types:
1. Chemical Hazards:
Ex: Mercury, Pesticides, Toxic Materials, Dumping Industrial wastes, etc.,
2. Physical Hazards:
Ex: Earth Quakes, Floods, UV Rays, Ozone depletion, etc.,
3. Biological Hazards:
Ex: Malaria, Food Poisoning, Rabbis, Swine-flu etc.,
4. PsychoSocial Hazards:   
  Ex: Stress at work, Violence, Depression, ect.,

Environmental Disaster
It is the disaster to environment due to Human Activities.
Environmental disaster is defined as a specific event caused by human activity that results in a seriously negative effect on the environment. Sometimes a natural disaster can become an environmental disaster.
It also causes by wars (ex. Nuclear bomb attacks), Using pesticides etc.,
For Example: In case of agriculture, to produce more food, various types of fertilizers are being used. Its usage leads to increase the salinity in the soil., and results in land useless.

Environmental Disaster is classified into 6 types
1. Agricultural Disaster,
2. Biodiversity Disaster,
3. Industrial Disaster,
4. Human health Disaster,
5. Natural Disaster and
6. Nuclear disasters.

 

1. Agricultural Disasters

Agricultural disasters are environmental disasters that occurred, as a result of an impact upon the agricultural industry.
An example of such a type of disaster is the “dust bowl” that occurred in the United States and Canada between 1934 and 1939.

2. Biodiversity Disasters
Biodiversity disasters are environmental disasters that resulted as an after effect of a specific species moving to a new territory and destroying new species or having a destructive effect upon the natural environment.
Example of such a type of disaster is the introduction of rabbits in to Australia or the presence of Dutch elm disease.

3. Industrial Disasters
Industrial disasters are disasters which occur as the result of large industries impacting the natural environment either in a small radius or on a global span.
Example of such a type of industrial disaster is the leak of methyl isocyanate that occurred in the Bhopal disaster or the use of CFC’S depleting the ozone layer.

4. Human Health Disasters
Human health disasters result from the spread of disease or other cause of mass death among the human species causing mass destruction and devastation.
Example of such a type of human health disasters is the introduction of the Bubonic Plague in to the population or the spread of smallpox among the new Americas.

5. Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are disasters that occur as a natural process of weather patterns or other factors affecting Earth.
These types of natural disasters can include: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, mudslides, sinkholes and droughts.

6. Nuclear Disasters
Nuclear disasters result from nuclear activity such as a nuclear spill or damage to a nuclear power plant that results in a radiation leak.
This leads to severe health problems in people & sometimes leads to death or genetic change.
Example of nuclear disaster is the recent Fukushima power plant damage that resulted from the 2011 tsunami.

Environmental Stress:
It is defined as a situation in environmental quality that causes disturbance to the function of Eco-System.
These stresses are external stimuli that causes disharmony, disaster & disturbance to environment.
Environmental Stress can be classified as Natural stress & manmade stress


Types of  Stresses
1.Biological Stress
Ex: Physical illness, Injuries, Headache,
2.Environmental Stress
Ex: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunami, etc.,
3.Personal/Behavioral Stress
Ex: Using Tobacco, Alcohol,  not taking sufficient food etc.,