Definition
Natural hazard is an unexpected and/or uncontrollable natural event of unusual magnitude that might threaten people.
The concept of natural hazard
A hazard is a source of potential harm or a situation with a potential to cause loss. It may also be referred to as a potential or existing condition that may cause harm to people or damage to property or the environment (Middelmann, 2007). A natural hazard is associated with geophysical processes that are an integral part of the environment and involves the potential for damage or loss that exists in the presence of a vulnerable human community (Stillwell, 1992); it is an unexpected threat to humans and/or their property (Mayhew, 1997). These definitions indicate that natural hazards have not only natural, but also social, technological, and political aspects. Natural hazards include geophysical hazards, i.e., hazards where the principal causal agent is climatic and meteorological (e.g., floods, hurricanes, and droughts) or...
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Bokwa, A. (2013). Natural Hazard. In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_248
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_248
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