2. Conceptual framework: literature review
2.1 Definitions
This paragraph will provide definitions and explanations of terms related to natural hazards and
their mitigation. It is important to realize that there are many ways of defining these terms.
Weichselgartner (2001) for example gives 24 different definitions of ‘vulnerability’. This
indicates that one standard definition that is widely agreed upon is often not available. In this
paper, the terms are defined by compromising the different ideas that exist in hazard mitigation
literature.
A natural disaster is an emergency event caused by a natural hazard that causes widespread
losses in any possible way and is both uncommon and extreme (Cutter 2005, Briechle 1999).
The consequences of a disaster can be (Palm & Carrol 1998):
• Injuries and casualties
• Loss of or damage to property
• Shortages of food and water
• Social disruption
• Reduction in economic activity
• Disruption of utilities and infrastructure
• Damage to crops and livestock
It is important to note that an event is only considered a disaster if there is a large effect on
humans and/or human society and/or the economy. An earthquake in a completely uninhabited
area is therefore not a disaster but merely an event. This notion holds that a disaster is always
the result of the interactions between humans and the natural environment and that our
vulnerability to disasters increases with an unsustainable use of the natural environment (Cutter
2005).
A hazard can be described as the threat of a disaster that might happen. There are two types of
hazards: natural hazards and man-made hazards. Natural hazards include all hazards that are
caused by natural forces. A further distinction can be made between geologic hazards and
atmospheric hazards. Geologic hazards include all hazards caused by tectonic activity such as
earthquakes, and those caused by soil instability, for example land slides. Atmospheric hazards
include drought, floods, storms and all other natural events caused by severe weather