What’s the difference between a hazard and a

disaster?

Hazard is a condition/event that has potential for causing injury/ loss of life or damage
to property/environment.

Disaster is an event that occurs suddenly/unexpectedly in most cases and disrupts the
normal course of life in affected area; results in loss or damage to life property or
environment and is beyond the coping capacity of local affected population/society and
therefore requires external help.

He. Imagine you are in the desert and earthquake occurs. Now earthquake is a
hazard.but in open desert it does not make in damage to you. No threat to your life. So it
does not become disaster. It remains as a hazard. Now imagine earthquake in a city.
There buildings collapse, people die or are injured, normal life is dirupted. This is
disaster situation.

How do we define a hazard?

 Hazards can be geophysical, like possible earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, cyclones, storms floods and droughts. All having the power
to cause disasters.
 Hazards can be biological, like disease and infestation. Plagues that
have the potential to cause mass devastation and disaster.
 Hazards are determined by their severity in different situations. The
have the potential to threaten life, health, property and the
environment.
 Hazards can strike unpopulated areas and are not considered disasters
if they are not a threat to humanity.

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 The severity of a Hazard is measured by:

 Duration: the longer the hazard is experienced the greater the danger.
For example an earthquake lasting for a minute is more severe than
one that lasts 2 seconds.
 Magnitude: the strength of the hazard which is measured on the
Richter scale or the VEI, Volcanic Explosivity Index.
 Predictability: some hazards give warning signs prior to their arrival.
Volcanoes can show signs of smoke prior to eruptions and tropical
storms can be predicted with weather stations and forecasts.
 Regularity: Some hazards are regular occurrences and this makes
people aware of their arrival and prepared to face the risk of damages.
 Frequency: some hazards subject people to more danger because they
occur often making living conditions very difficult.
 Speed of onset: a hazard that arrives with very little warning becomes
a disaster as no one is prepared for the devastation.
 Areal extent: a widespread hazard will easily turn into a disaster if the
area is not contained and assistance offered.

It is possible to prevent a hazard from becoming a disaster by living

harmoniously with the environment. An awareness of potential
dangers and taking precautionary steps is often all that is needed to
prevent a hazard becoming a disaster. However, as soon as a hazard
leads to widespread disruption the outcome will be a disaster. It was
Shakespeare who took the risk of a hazardous life to a different level.

“I have set my life upon a caste, and I will stand the hazard of the
die.” The origin of the word hazard is actually from a game of chance
called ‘Hasard’, a game of throwing die to see who wins the
toss. Shakespeare knew the meaning of risking life on a gamble – a
game of chance.
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The severity of a Hazard is measured by:

 Duration: the longer the hazard is experienced the greater the danger.
For example an earthquake lasting for a minute is more severe than
one that lasts 2 seconds.
 Magnitude: the strength of the hazard which is measured on the
Richter scale or the VEI, Volcanic Explosivity Index.
 Predictability: some hazards give warning signs prior to their arrival.
Volcanoes can show signs of smoke prior to eruptions and tropical
storms can be predicted with weather stations and forecasts.
 Regularity: Some hazards are regular occurrences and this makes
people aware of their arrival and prepared to face the risk of damages.
 Frequency: some hazards subject people to more danger because they
occur often making living conditions very difficult.
 Speed of onset: a hazard that arrives with very little warning becomes
a disaster as no one is prepared for the devastation.
 Areal extent: a widespread hazard will easily turn into a disaster if the
area is not contained and assistance offered.

It is possible to prevent a hazard from becoming a disaster by living

harmoniously with the environment. An awareness of potential
dangers and taking precautionary steps is often all that is needed to
prevent a hazard becoming a disaster. However, as soon as a hazard
leads to widespread disruption the outcome will be a disaster. It was
Shakespeare who took the risk of a hazardous life to a different level.

“I have set my life upon a caste, and I will stand the hazard of the
die.” The origin of the word hazard is actually from a game of chance
called ‘Hasard’, a game of throwing die to see who wins the
toss. Shakespeare knew the meaning of risking life on a gamble – a
game of chance.

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Difference Between Hazard and

Danger
• Categorized under Words | Difference Between Hazard and Danger
Hazard vs Danger
Warning signs are visible everywhere; on the road, in train stations, and
in most public places. Two of the very common words that can be found
in these warning signs are “danger” and “hazard.” While both refer to a
risk or threat, they are two distinct words.
A hazard is a condition that presents a risk or threat to the environment
as well as an individual’s life, property, or health. It is something that
does not exist but is a possibility that an individual will fall victim to an
injury or misfortune. It is an unpredictable and yet unknown experience
or occurrence that may result in pain, illness, loss, or injury. Examples
of hazards are confined spaces, awkward positions, protruding objects,
and the presence of stored electrical, chemical, mechanical, and
radioactive energy.
Hazards can be natural such as those posed by volcanoes and
tornadoes; man-made such as activities like flying or engaging in
extreme sports; or the result of breaking or violating a legal, physical,
or moral boundary. A hazard may also be dormant wherein the
circumstance still has the potential to be hazardous but still does not
affect people, property, or the environment. It can be armed wherein
people, property, and the environment are placed in harm’s way. Once
a harmful incident has occurred, it is an active hazard and would create
an emergency situation.

The term comes from the Old French word “hasard” which means “dice
game” which is derived from the Arabic “az-zahr” which means “the
gaming die.”

On the other hand, the term “danger” comes from the Middle English
word “daunger” which means “power” or “peril” which is derived from
the Old French “dangier” from the Latin “dominus” which means
“master.” In the English language it came to refer to the power to cause
harm. It is a situation where an individual is susceptible to harm or one
wherein he is exposed or put at risk. It may or may not be something
that is clearly evident or known. A dangerous incident can be serious,
but it can also be as mild as the danger of cutting your finger when
slicing onions.

“Hazard” is usually used to refer to something that is extremely serious

or very damaging. It is used in warning signs to indicate the severity of
the situation. It is used to refer to dangers that are bigger and more
serious while “danger” is used to generally refer to risky situations
whether big or small.

Summary:

1.A hazard is a condition that presents a threat to an individual,

property, or the environment while danger is a situation where an
individual is put at risk or is susceptible to a possible hazard.
2.A hazard is usually used to refer to risky situations that are very
serious or life-threatening while danger is used in a more general way
to refer to risky situations that may cause slight or serious damage.
3.The word “hazard” comes from the Arabic word “az-zahr” while the
word “danger” comes from the Latin word “dominus.”

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Hazard vs Disaster

To understand the difference between hazard and disaster one should pay attention to their nature.
Despite all the advances in science and technology, man is helpless in the face of natural calamities
that are termed as disasters because of the trail of destruction in terms of loss of lives and property
caused by them. But disasters are not always natural, and there are manmade disasters too. Disaster
is the result of a hazard that may be natural or manmade, and in this article we shall differentiate
between the two.

What is a Hazard?
A hazard is a situation where there is a threat to life, health, environment, or property. Earthquakes,
floods, tsunamis, wildfires, landslides, droughts, and volcanic eruptions are natural hazards that cause
a lot of destruction. They are natural phenomenon that take place without regard to humans and do
not strike a place taking into account the built environment or the population. When any of these
hazards takes place in an area that is desolate, it causes no harm to human lives or property. Hence,
it is not called a disaster though technically it is the same phenomenon that would have raised an
alarm had it taken place in an area that was thickly populated. It is clear then that a hazard is an event
that has the potential to cause widespread destruction and loss of lives and property. But, when a
hazard strikes an area that has no human population, though it still has destructive properties, it is not
termed as a disaster.

When there are natural hazards, they cannot be prevented. But, we can certainly learn to live in
harmony with nature by not taking steps that can turn hazards into major disasters. If one takes into
account the cost that we finally pay when a disaster strikes and the cost of averting it, we come to a
conclusion that it is prudent to be prepared rather than inviting the wrath of nature on a very large
scale.

When it comes to hazards, there are several types of hazards. They are Physical (heat, noise,
vibration), Chemical (leakages of chemical compounds, fires), Biological (parasites, viruses, bacteria),
Psychological, and Radiation Hazards.

What is a Disaster?
A disaster is an event that completely disrupts the normal ways of a community. It brings on human,
economical, and environmental losses to the community which the community cannot bear on its own.
Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, wildfires, landslides, droughts, and volcanic eruptions are termed as
disasters when they occur in places that are heavily inhabited areas. Tornados and typhoons occur
frequently in many parts of the world but are labeled as disasters only when they take place where
there is built environment and human population.

There are factors that are manmade and that help in turning a hazard into a disaster. The way and the
speed in which deforestation is taking place in many parts of the world have resulted in an increased
frequency of floods that lead to widespread destruction. Earthquakes in seismic zones that are prone
to them cannot be prevented but high concentration of human population and inadequately built
houses that cannot withstand earthquakes lead to disasters at a very high level resulting in loss of
valuable lives.
 Ruins from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Also, for manmade disasters we can give examples such as fires, transport accidents, nuclear
radiation, explosions, etc.

What is the difference between Hazard and Disaster?

• A hazard is a situation where there is a threat to life, health, environment or property.

• A disaster is an event that completely disrupts the normal ways of a community. It brings on
human, economical, and environmental losses to the community which the community cannot bear
on its own.

• Hazards are natural or manmade phenomenon that are a feature of our planet and cannot be
prevented. In their dormant state, hazards just pose a threat to life and property.

• These hazards are termed as disasters when they cause widespread destruction of property and
human lives. Once a hazard becomes active and is no longer just a threat, it becomes a disaster.

• Both hazards and disasters are natural as well as manmade.

• We can prevent hazards becoming disasters if we learn to live in harmony with nature and take
precautionary steps.

These are the difference between hazard and disaster.