COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY NATURAL CALAMITIES

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods can often come at the least expected time. Others, such as hurricanes and cyclones are increasing in severity and destruction. Typically, the poor are the worst hit for they have the least resources to cope and rebuild.

As the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake has made all too clear, natural disasters can be very difficult to predict and fully prepare against, and have incredibly far-reaching consequences for the safety and wellbeing of individuals and communities. As in previous natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Australian bushfires in 2009, the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2010 Pakistan floods, the impacts on people and society in affected areas are immediate and overwhelming. Such catastrophes tend to worsen pre-existing problems and inequalities, with vulnerable parts of the population often disproportionately impacted. For instance, initial estimates suggest that 65% of the deaths from the recent disaster in Japan were of people aged 60 or over. The consequences can be felt for many years, with people suffering as refugees or being displaced within their own country, their livelihoods destroyed, and facing long-term health issues.

Over the past two years, 700 natural disasters were registered worldwide affecting more than 450 million people, according to a new IMF study.
Damages have risen from an estimated $20 billion on average per year in the 1990s to about $100 billion per year during 2000–10. This upward trend is expected to continue as a result of the rising concentration of people living in areas more exposed to natural disasters, and climate change.

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Crisis

The earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 was one of the biggest earthquake recorded, measuring 9 on the richter scale. It was the resulting tsunami, however, that caused the most destruction. It devastated the northeast of Japan, leaving many thousands dead or missing, and hundreds homeless or evacuated. In addition, various power generators failed. Some older nuclear power stations risked meltdown and suffered explosions and radioactive leaks. Workers have battled for weeks to try and bring the situation under control. Radioactive material has been detected in various places.

Asian Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster

One of the largest earthquakes in recorded history (measuring 9 on the Richter Scale), struck just off Sumatra, Indonesia, in a fault line running under the sea. The rupture caused massive waves, or tsunamis, that hurtled away from the epicenter, reaching shores as far away as Africa. Some 230,000 people were killed and the livelihoods of millions were destroyed in over 10 countries. This has been one of the biggest natural disasters in recent human history. The massive 1,000km rupture along the Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates resulted in huge tsunami waves (or sea surges) crashing into coastal areas across south and east Asia, even reaching eastern Africa.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne , approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The highest reliable death count was estimated at 220,000. Haitian government estimates were higher. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, and other settlements in the region. Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed.

CHINA AFFECTED BY NATURAL CALAMITIES

China is one of the countries which is the most exposed to many natural calamities since a long time. Flooding in China in 1931 killed as many as four million people, and left 80 million homeless. In March 2012 snow melt and heavy rainfall flooded about 600 homes along with evacuation of 300 people in Xinjiang. In 2013 many natural disasters have occurred, in January, a landslide in south-western China killed at least 46 people. Snow disaster killed two and affected 770,000 people in north China and a massive sinkhole in Guangzhou swallowed several buildings. In the month of February and March there were landslide disaster in Yunnan which destroyed 35 houses completely. Earthquake in Yunnan has injured at least 30 people. Moreover in the month of April, earthquake that struck in Lushan county, near the city of Ya'an in the southwestern province of Sichuan has killed at least 186 people.

NATURAL CALAMITIES IN INDIA

Like China, even India is one of the countries which is most affected by natural calamities and which have struck many a times over the course of Indian civilization. India has witness all forms of natural tragedies from droughts, earthquakes to cyclones, tsunamis, floods. In the month of October in 1737, Calcutta witnessed one of the worst cyclones in the recorded history of India. Hurricane force winds were reported to be accompanied by an earthquake and extensive flooding with an estimated death toll of 3,00,000. On September 30, 1993 an earthquake measuring 7.4 on Richter scale struck in Maharashtra. The worst affected districts were Latur and Osmanabad. Approximately 20,000 people died and around 30,000 were injured. Moreover the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake on December 26, 2004 near the Indonesian Island of Sumatra which causes an estimated 10,136 people died.

NATURAL CALAMITIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Australia experiences a range of natural disasters including bushfires, floods, severe storms, earthquakes and landslides. These events cause great financial hardship for individuals and communities, and can result in loss of life. Australia has experienced two significant '100-year droughts' in the last 100 or so years as well as others. Galveston was known at the end of the 19th Century as the "Jewel of Texas" until the single deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history wiped away much of what had been a booming future. The 2010–2011 Southern Africa floods are an ongoing series of floods across three countries in Southern Africa. Linked to a La Niña event, above-average rains starting in December have led to widespread flooding. Thousands of people have been displaced and evacuations of more continue. As of 24 January 2011, at least 141 people are known to have been killed, including 88 in KwaZulu Natal. Moreover in Europe there was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the history of North Western Europe in 1992.

There are also many countries which are prone to natural disasters. After Pacific countries Tonga and Vanuatu, the Philippines ranks as the third most disaster-prone country in the world because of its high exposure to natural calamities.

The World Disaster Report 2012, released in Brussels on Oct. 11, also said that the Philippines could spare up to 20 million of its people—about a fifth of its total population—from natural disasters by improving the protection of its coral reefs, a primary line of defense against coastal hazards, including tsunamis.

Even our small Mauritius island have witnessed natural calamity such as cyclone but for the first time in the history, Mauritius have experienced the deadliest flood. On Saturday 30 March 2013 about 152 mm rainfall has been recorded in Port Louis within three hours. At least 11 people have died and another 82 have been wounded after sudden rains caused flooding in the Mauritian capital Port Louis At least eight of the victims were caught in underground areas at Caudan Waterfront as the flood water rose rapidly. Another died of a heart attack. Many places in the capital were affected and even in some areas many houses were completely filled with water.