Man-made and Human-Induced disasters in detail

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.

• Biological Disasters

           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