Natural disaster or natural hazard? Even experts interchangeably use these terms

The terminologies—natural disasters and natural hazards—have been in debate as experts in various fields offer diverse perspectives in their definitions. Sometimes these terms seem interchangeable at first glance, but the nuances in their definitions highlight the complexity of understanding and mitigating the impacts of environmental events.

Traditionally, the term natural disasters has been widely used to describe catastrophic events caused by natural phenomena such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides.

This terminology often highlights the destruction and loss caused by these events, portraying them as unavoidable tragedies that occur indiscriminately.

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The distinction between natural disasters and natural hazards is not merely semantic but reflects different philosophical and practical approaches to understanding and responding to environmental events. While some argue for the continued use of natural disasters to highlight the urgency of addressing the immediate impacts of these events, others advocate for a shift towards the term natural hazard to promote a more proactive and holistic approach to disaster risk reduction.

Considering the official definition provided by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR),

Hazard: A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.

Disaster: A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability, and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic, and environmental losses and impacts.

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Next time you hear the phrase natural disaster step up to the mark and correct the speaker: “There is no such thing as a natural disaster.”