*Perspective Chapter: A Global View of Natural Hazards Related Disasters DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111582*

tsunami, the 2008 Cyclone Nargis, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, can be devastating, with over 200,000 deaths worldwide. While natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis, which have low frequencies but high impacts, cannot be avoided, such human losses can be reduced through predictions, more resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and response systems. Historical evidence shows that the world has significantly reduced disaster-related deaths due to these efforts [6].

**Table 2** and **Figure 3** present the statistical results of natural hazards in various continents from 1900 to 2022 (based on data from the top ten countries). Of the 5734 natural events included in the statistics, Asia had the highest number of events with 4053,


#### **Table 2.**

*Statistical results on natural hazards in the continents (1900–2022).*

#### **Figure 3.**

*(a) The number of naturel hazards in the continents and countries shown on the map, (b) frequency, (c) deaths, (d) total affected people, (e) direct economic losses (US dollars) per continents (1900–2022).*

accounting for 71%, followed by North America and South America with 1420 (25%) and 261 (4%), respectively. Regarding deaths attributed to natural hazards, Asia had the highest number with 29,053,499, accounting for 97%, followed by Africa with 820,337 (3%) for the top ten countries in the world. In terms of affected people, Asia had the highest number with 6,872,568,275 (97%), followed by North America with 115,722,303 (2%) and Africa with 113,350,602 (1%). North America incurred the most economic losses due to natural hazards, reaching 2,116,425,136,000 US dollars, accounting for 46% of the total global economic losses. Asia came in second with 1,863,510,715,000 US dollars, accounting for 41%, followed by Europe with 364,754,712,000 US dollars, accounting for 8%, Oceania with 116,873,181,000 US dollars, accounting for 3%, and South America with 86,415,200,000 US dollars, accounting for 2%.

The frequency of the most common natural hazards around the world is explained as follows:

#### **4.1 Earthquakes**

Earthquakes have been a persistent global threat to human life, with occurrences reported daily by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), among other national and international seismological networks. While most earthquakes are not powerful enough to cause significant damage, major earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.5 or higher can result in significant loss of life and economic destruction. Historically, other natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, and epidemics, have resulted in higher death tolls. However, today, earthquakes and their resulting tsunamis often result in a high annual death toll. The deadliest earthquake in recorded history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, resulting in the deaths of 830,000 people. Recent devastating earthquakes such as the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, resulted in 93% and 69% of deaths, respectively, with hundreds of thousands of deaths in total.

From 1900 to 2022, a total of 894 (14%) earthquakes occurred globally, resulting in 1,995,580 deaths (9% of the total) and affecting 81,809,874 people (1% of the total). The direct economic losses amounted to 1,221,061,032,000 US dollars (24% of the total). Asia had the highest number of earthquake events (74%), followed by Europe (10%) and North America (10%). China, Indonesia, and Iran were the countries with the most frequent earthquake events during this period. (see **Table 1** and **Figure 2** for more details).

#### **4.2 Volcanic eruptions**

Many volcanic eruptions are active but have little to no activity. **Figure 3** shows the significant volcanic eruptions in each country. A significant eruption is classified by a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of six or larger, a tsunami or major earthquake, and over dollars1 million in damages.

From 1900 to 2022, a total of 3% of all volcanic events, or 192 eruptions, occurred globally. These eruptions resulted in 85,319 deaths, affected 9,230,986 people, and caused direct economic losses of 12,411,593,000 US dollars (as shown in **Table 1** and **Figure 2**). Asia, South America, and North America have the most volcanic eruption events in the world from 1900 to 2022. Notable eruptions from the past century include the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption in Martinique and the 1985 Nevado del Ruiz eruption in Colombia, which resulted in a high number of deaths.

#### **4.3 Landslides**

Landslides are a common geological phenomenon that can occur worldwide. They happen when a large amount of soil, rocks, and debris move down a slope as a result of natural events or human activities. Heavy rains, earthquakes, volcanoes, and droughts can all cause landslides. Climate change and warming have been linked to an increase in landslides, particularly in mountainous regions with snowy and icy conditions. Landslides can also have severe impacts on healthcare systems and essential services such as water supply and communication infrastructure.

The global distribution of landslide mortality risk highlights that densely populated mountainous areas such as the Andes in South America and the Himalayas in Asia are at the highest risk. From 1900 to 2022, a total of 7% of all landslide events, or 410 occurrences, took place globally. These landslides resulted in 48,532 deaths, affected 13,505,420 people, and caused direct economic losses of 17,476,352,000 US dollars (as shown in **Table 1** and **Figure 2**). Asia and South America had the highest number of landslide events in the world during this time period.
