What are natural hazards?

Natural hazards are defined as extreme weather or geological events that can pose significant threats to life, property, and the environment. These events can include phenomena such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and tsunamis. The impact of these hazards often results in considerable destruction and can lead to the disruption of communities and ecosystems. Understanding natural hazards is crucial for disaster preparedness and risk management, as well as for strategies aimed at minimizing their effects on human life and infrastructure.

In contrast, routine weather patterns, such as daily temperature changes or normal rainfall, are not considered natural hazards since they do not typically pose a threat or lead to disastrous consequences. Man-made disasters, which might involve industrial accidents or technological failures, arise from human actions rather than natural processes. Lastly, ecological systems refer to the complex interactions between living organisms and their environment, which, while important, do not inherently involve hazard events like those classified as natural hazards.