Download Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters
The Human Cost
Types of Hazards
 There are three main types of hazards
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Atmospheric
Geological
Biological
Atmospheric
 Cyclonic Storms
 Hurricanes, cyclone, typhoons
 Tornado
 Flooding
 Drought
 Wildfires
 Severe Weather
 Hot /Cold Snaps
Geological
 Slides
 Mud, rock, land
 Volcanic Activity
 Earthquake
 Avalanche
 Tsunami
Biological
 Infectious diseases
 Parasitic Diseases
 Insect Infestation
 Plant Infestation
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
 With the world’s population growing at an
unprecedented rate and globalisation, this issue is
increasing in importance.
 Pan-epidemics are outbreaks of disease on a global
scale. They have existed in the past and scientists
project another one in the near future.
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Plague: Spread from Asia through Europe in the Middle
Ages. In the 200 years it took to run its cycle it killed
and estimated 20 million people. (up to 50% of
Europe’s Population, 35 million in Asia)
The Culprits
The Disease Cycle
Flea drinks rat blood
that carries the
bacteria.
Bacteria
multiply in
flea’s gut.
Human is infected!
Flea bites human and
regurgitates blood
into human wound.
Flea’s gut clogged
with bacteria.
The Symptoms
Bulbous
Septicemic Form:
almost 100%
mortality rate.
The Spanish Flu
 After World War One there was a sudden
outbreak of flu.
 It spread around the world as soldiers from
Europe returned to their native countries.
 It killed the “wrong” people. Normally it is the
elderly and the young who are at most risk.
 This strain of the flu killed the young and fit as
easily as all other age categories.
Age of Deaths
 By the time the disease had run its cycle
(1918 - 1920) it had killed more people than
the First World War. An estimated 40 – 50
million people.
The Next Big One!
 Scientist claim that the next one will hit humanity very severely,
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due in part to our own actions.
The discovery of antibiotics in the mid 20th century had pushed
diseases to adapt and mutate. At each stage they are
increasingly resistant to the antibiotics.
There have been scares such as Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) and the Avian Bird Flu, and West Nile
Disease. In each case people died because the strains of the
diseases were resistant to normal forms of medicine.
The frightening part during the SARS and Bird Flu outbreaks
was the rapidity they spread.
Due to globalisation, people who are infected can travel before
the disease can be identified and treated.
They Also Kill!!
 While MDCs are mobilising to fund solutions and strategies to
minimise the impact of the next pandemic, LDCs and LLDCs are
fighting more immediate battles.
 MDCs have eradicated childhood diseases like measles
 In LDCs nations this disease still kills 1.2 million children a
year.
 Aids has been contained in MDC nations
 In LDCs an estimated 6,000 people are infected every day.
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The disease has created 5 – 10 million orphans.
 Tuberculosis has been controlled in MDCs since the mid 20th
century, but among LDCs it still kills an estimated 3 million
people every year.
Solutions
 When these disasters hit, wealthier nations
can mobilise their resources and utilise their
infrastructure to alleviate the suffering.
 In LLDCs and to a certain extent LDCs, these
diseases do not have the cash or the
infrastructure (medical or transportation)
 In most cases development of simple things
such as safe drinking water and proper
sanitations would help.
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Up to 80% of all diseases in LDCs could be
solved with improvements in these areas.