7. Disasters are social phenomena

the impact, (2) speed of the impact, (3) duration of the impact, and (4) social preparedness of

From this perspective, we can realize the importance of studying disasters, study the disaster response plan, and train the communities on how to respond. With this, we can get a better

Hazard: "A hazard is an agent which has the potential to cause harm to a vulnerable target" [14]. In disaster medicine, it is: "A Hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health effect

Risk: "someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard" [16]. In disaster medicine, it is: "risk is the likelihood that a person may be harmed or suffers adverse health effects if exposed

Vulnerable: "capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt" [17]. IFRC defines it as "the diminished capacity of an individual or group to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from

The disasters increased for many reasons are multifactorial: overpopulation, urbanization, expanding industrialization, increased traffic, climate change, ongoing threat of terrorism,

1. The world population shows an increase from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 7.8 billion in 2017, with

2. A rapid-expanding industrialization especially in the chemical industry involving production, storage, and transportation of rapidly ever-increasing amounts of toxic and explosive agents, often in and through densely populated areas and with insufficient safety measures [21]. 3. An increased traffic density of people and goods in more rapid and higher capacity modes of transport [22, 23]. Increasing international trade and travel provides myriad opportunities for the emergence or re-emergence of infectious disease threats and other public health

4. Global climate change makes people susceptible to severe weather events, especially the

6. Armed conflicts with a high vulnerability of the civilian population to forced migration or displacement heightening the risk of infectious disease epidemics. A collateral impact of armed conflicts is often the destruction or malfunctioning of health systems [21, 27]. Considering the reasons for increased disasters in the world, we can notice that many of those are related to human behavior. Wrong decisions made by human lead to the occurrence of

the community [12].

result in case there is a disaster.

96 Essentials of Accident and Emergency Medicine

on a person or persons" [15].

the impact of a natural or man-made hazard" [18].

6. Reasons for increase in disasters

For more definitions, please see the links at the end of the chapter.

disproportionate growth in developing countries [19, 20].

coastal communities around the world [24, 25].

5. A continuous threat of terroristic acts [26, 27].

to a hazard" [15].

and armed conflicts

risks [21].

Building upon the notes in the previous paragraph, several experts changed the concepts of disaster from a natural phenomenon for which nothing can be done to a social act which can be changed and manipulated to prevent it or decrease its effect.

The focus of studying disasters shifted from the causative agent-centered approach to the vulnerable population approach by researchers like David Alexander, Dennis Mileti, and Allen Barton. This concept leads to a change in the results and outcomes of disasters [28].

E. L. Quarantelli, 1992, stated in his article "The Importance of Thinking of Disasters as Social Phenomena" that it is not causative agent or the triggering event that makes the disaster. It is argued, disasters are, one way or another, primarily the results of human actions. A disaster is not a physical happening, it is a social event. There is a conjuncture of certain physical happenings and certain social happenings. Therefore, if there is no human injury or loss and/or no environmental effect, then there is no disaster [29].
