Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to provide graduate students, researchers, and government and
independent agencies with an overview of disaster types.
Design/methodology/approach – Disaster types have been the subject of research by and concern
to academicians and to government and independent agencies. The paper summarizes the views of
researchers and agencies. Disaster types are collected from several sources such as technical, general
articles, internet web sites, and internal reports. Disaster definitions, criteria and types are reviewed.
Disasters are classified into natural disasters, man-made disasters, and hybrid disasters. Man-made
disasters are classified into technological disasters, transportation accidents, public places failure, and
production failure. The paper presents a comparison between the main types of disasters.
Findings – Disasters are classified into three types: naturals, man-mades, and hybrid disasters. It is
believed that the three disaster types cover all disastrous events. No definition of disaster is
universally accepted. Several criteria are proposed to define disasters. Understanding of disaster
definitions, criteria, and types aids researchers and agencies in the proper classification, good
recording, and better analysis of disasters. Disasters have different characteristics and impact;
however, disasters have a common element, which is their severity.
Originality/value – This paper presents a definition of and criteria for disasters. The paper also
presents an overview of disaster types. The paper presents a comparison between the main types of
disasters, and combines various disaster terms into one record.
Keywords Disasters, Man-made disasters, Natural disasters
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
A disaster is defined by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (2003) as:
A serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or
environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own
resources.
There are many research centers and agencies all over the world that are concerned
with disaster management (prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and relief).
Research centers and agencies sometimes describe disasters in different terms,
although disasters have been classified as natural, unnatural man-made, purely social,
technological, and hybrid. However, it has been found that disasters can be classified
into three types:
(1) natural;
(2) man-made; and
(3) hybrid (see Figure 1).
Natural disasters are catastrophic events resulting from natural causes such as
volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc., over which man has no control.
Natural disasters are often termed “Acts of God”.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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16,5
704
Disaster Prevention and Management
Vol. 16 No. 5, 2007
pp. 704-717
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0965-3562
DOI 10.1108/09653560710837019
Downloaded by NARESUAN UNIVERSITY At 02:50 17 August 2015 (PT)
Man-made disasters, on the other hand, are those catastrophic events that result from
human decisions. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(2003) highlighted that a man-made disaster refers to non-natural disastrous
occurrences that can be sudden or more long-term. Sudden man-made disasters include
structural, building and mine collapses when this occurs independently without any
outside force. In addition air, land, and sea disasters are all man-made disasters.
Long-term man-made disasters tend to refer to national and international conflicts.
There are disasters that result from both human error and natural forces. These are
hybrid disasters. An example of a hybrid disaster is the extensive clearing of jungles
causing soil erosion, and subsequently heavy rain causing landslides.
Natural, man-made and hybrid disasters, and disastrous events are summarized in
Table I.
This paper provides a brief overview of common disasters. It is not inclusive of all
the disaster types which may occur. It does, however, review disaster types. This paper
summarizes the types of disasters, and presents a comparison between the main types.