Risk, danger, the occurrence of a catastrophe due to the origin of a natural phenomenon and the emergence of a humanitarian disaster is a function of decisions we make or omit and of decisions that we have made or omitted.
Jerzy Chojnowski
Chairman-GTVRG e.V.
www.gtvrg.de
PS. Ever since its creation in November 2005,
our German Tsunami Victims Association
has been campaigning for the eradication of the lie
about the tsunami disaster of Christmas 2004
as a natural disaster.
PS. Ever since its creation in November 2005,
our German Tsunami Victims Association
has been campaigning for the eradication of the lie
about the tsunami disaster of Christmas 2004
as a natural disaster.
https://www.nonaturaldisasters.com/
The term ‘natural disaster’ is factually incorrect and
misleading. The #NoNaturalDisasters campaign aims to change the terminology to
show that whilst some hazards are natural and unavoidable, the resulting
disasters almost always have been made by human actions and decisions.
The term ‘natural disasters’ is ubiquitous. The term is used
widely in press and media reports, government and aid agency literature and
general discourse amongst the public.
However, since 1756 some have been questioning this term.
There is no such
thing as a natural disaster.
If we recognise and accept the standard definition of
disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure,
vulnerability and capacity then we must consider human involvement at the core
of the event.
A hazard will only become a disaster should it impact the
workings of a society or community. As such, a disaster can only happen where a
society or community exists. That society has made (often historic and often
made by elites in positions of power) economic, planning and other
socio-economic decisions that will alter their vulnerability to the hazard and
change how the hazard impacts them.
Therefore, to say a disaster is natural is wrong. What’s worse, it misleads people to think the
devastating results are inevitable, out of our control and are simply part of a
natural process.
Hazards (earthquakes,
hurricanes, flooding) are inevitable but the impact they have on us is not.
Myths debunked
Myth 1 - Not using 'natural' to describe disasters caused by
naturally occuring hazards is confusing to the public?
Answer - There is no evidence currently that this alters how
the public understands the message. Our argument is that with the correct
reporting of the hazard and impacts, the use of 'natural' isn't needed. All
valid information (hazard type, impacts, location, date etc) can be included in
the article, tweet or other form of media.
Myth 2 - The use of ‘natural’ to describe disasters is often
cultural and should not be challenged.
Answer - Cultural issues do impact on understanding of
terminology and langauge but it should not stop our campaign from highlighting
the inaccuracies of this term.
Myth 3 - How will technological and naturally occuring
hazards be distinguished without the term?
Answer - see the response to myth 1.
Further reading
Peer reviewed
Aragon-Durand, F.J.. 2009. Unpacking the social construction
of ́natural ́ disaster through policy discourses and institutional responses in
Mexico: The case of Chalco Valley’s floods, state of Mexico. PhD Thesis,
Development Planning Unit, The Bartlett, University College London. Available
at: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/18983/1/18983.pdf
Ball, N., 1975. The myth of natural disasters. The
Ecologist, Vol.5, Issue 10: 368-369.
Cannon, T. 1994. Vulnerability analysis and explanation of
‘natural’ disasters. Chapter 1. In: Disaster: Development and Environment.
Varley, A. (ed.). London, UK. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
Gaillard, J.C., C.C. Liamzon and J.D. Villanueva. 2007.
‘Natural’ disaster? A retrospect into the causes of the late-2004 typhoon
disaster in Eastern Luzon, Philippines. Environmental Hazards, Vol. 7, Issue 4:
257-270.
Gould, K.A., M.M. Garcia and J.A.C. Remes. 2016. Beyond
"natural-disasters-are-not-natural": the work of state and nature
after the 2010 earthquake in Chile. Journal of Political Ecology, Vol. 23:
93-114.
Other reading
World Bank and United Nations, 2010. Natural Hazards,
Unnatural Disasters. Available here - http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2010/11/15/natural-hazards-unnatural-disasters-the-economics-of-effective-prevention
. Washington: The World Bank.
Bankoff, G., 2010. No such thing as natural disasters.
Harvard International Review. 23 August 2010. Available at: http://hir.harvard.edu/article/?a=2694
Chmutina, K., J. von Meding, J.C. Gaillard and L. Bosher.
2017. Why natural disasters aren't all that natural. OpenDemocracy. Available
online at https://www.opendemocracy.net/ksenia-chmutina-jason-von-meding-jc-gaillard-lee-bosher/why-natural-disasters-arent-all-that-natural
Please use the following hashtags when discussing the
#NoNaturalDisasters campaign on social media to ensure a higher level of
engagement -
#NoNaturalDisasters
#DisastersAreNotNatural
#DRR
Contact:
contact@drrdynamics.com <contact@drrdynamics.com>;
Contact:
contact@drrdynamics.com <contact@drrdynamics.com>;
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