Factors of Natural Disaster and their Impact

Disaster Preparation & Plans

A region’s vulnerability to natural disasters depends on multiple factors. The United Nations University calculates the World Risk Index using four factors: exposure, susceptibility, coping capacities, and adaptive capacities. Exposure is the amount of natural hazards an area is exposed to. Susceptibility refers to the levels of infrastructure, poverty, and nutrition. Coping capacity is the ability to resist the impact of natural disasters through disaster preparedness. Adaptive capacity is the capacity to make structural changes to reduce the impact of natural disasters in the future. When taking into account all these factors, only one is completely out of our control: exposure. The other three factors are all exacerbated by poverty.

According to statistics 8 out of 10 of the world’s cities most at risk to natural disasters are in the Philippines. Millions of people are affected by natural disasters every year, and their impact can be calamitous. From the destruction of buildings to the spread of disease, natural disasters can devastate entire countries overnight. Tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons do not just wreak havoc on land; they also disrupt people's lives in both densely populated cities and remote villages.

Hazard Vs. Disaster

Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and volcano eruptions are all types of natural hazards, but when do they become natural disasters? The difference is the events’ effects on people. When a typhoon strikes a populated island in the Philippines, destroying homes and lives, it becomes a disaster. People living in poverty are even more vulnerable to natural disasters because they have fewer resources or people to turn to when trying to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.


Damage to the city of Tacloban, on the Philippine island of Leyte, from Super Typhoon Haiyan. The storm struck the island with winds in excess of 185 miles (298 km) per hour on November 8, 2013. Image: Tigeryan - iStock/Getty Images

Why Are Developing Countries More Vulnerable to Natural Disasters?

Developed countries are better prepared to handle the impact of disasters as well as the aftermath. In developing nations, natural disasters trap people in a cycle of poverty because they do not have the resources to rebuild their homes and meet other basic needs, making them less able to recover in the long run. Certain factors present in poverty environments will turn a natural hazard into a disaster: 

  • Poorly constructed buildings
  • Poor sanitation
  • Rapid population growth/high density population
  • Limited resources for disaster response and rebuilding
  • Lack of economic safety nets

The Human Impact of Natural Disasters

Displaced Populations

One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is population displacement. When countries are ravaged by earthquakes or other powerful forces of nature, many people have to abandon their homes and seek shelter in other regions. A large influx of refugees can disrupt accessibility of health care and education, as well as food supplies and clean water.

Health Risks

Severe flooding can result in stagnant water that allows breeding of waterborne bacteria and malaria-carrying mosquitos. Without emergency relief from international aid organizations and others, death tolls can rise even after the immediate danger has passed.

Food Scarcity

After natural disasters, food often becomes scarce. Thousands of people around the world go hungry as a result of destroyed crops and loss of agricultural supplies, whether it happens suddenly in a storm or gradually in a drought.

Emotional Aftershocks

Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for young children. Confronted with scenes of destruction and the deaths of friends and loved ones, many children develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious psychological condition resulting from extreme trauma. Left untreated, children suffering from PTSD can be prone to lasting psychological damage and emotional distress.


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