Meaning of natural and man-made disasters
A disaster is a sad event that happens suddenly. People often lose their lives and property in disasters. A disaster can come from nature, or by accident. Natural disasters are caused by nature. They are not caused by man’s Carelessness. Examples of natural disasters are earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and Windstorms. Erosion of the soil sometimes causes disasters in an area. Each of these disasters causes a lot of damage to the land, buildings, animals and people.
Man-made disasters are usually due to man’s mistake or carelessness. Examples of man-made disasters are the crashing of airplanes, sinking of ships, derailment of trains, or collapse of big buildings in which many people live. Fire disasters and car accidents in which many people are killed are also man-made disasters
Types and causes of natural disasters
Natural disasters are of different kinds. They are, therefore, caused in different ways,
e.g.
- Floods:
When rain falls heavily for a long time, rivers overflow their banks. The buildings and farms along the banks become covered partly by water. This is called a flood. Sometimes, there is loss of buildings, crops, bridges and even lives
- Earthquake
- Tsunami
- Thunderstorm
- Volcano
Effects of natural disasters
Natural disasters have many bad effects. Some of these are:
- Loss of human lives.
- Loss of animal lives.
- Damage to buildings.
- Damage to roads and bridges.
- Destruction of farmlands.
- Pollution of land, air and water.
- Destruction of electric poles and cables.
- Spread of diseases.
All these cost a lot of money and hard work to put right. These bad effects cause a lot of sorrow to the people affected.
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How natural disasters can be controlled
There are several ways of controlling natural disasters. These include the following:
1 We should build houses far away from rivers.
2 Thunder-catchers should be used in areas where thunder and lightning are common. A thunder-catcher is usually made of steel, and placed on the roof to keep thunder and lightning from damaging a house.
3 Where earthquakes occur very often, the use of light materials is best for building houses.
4 We should plant trees around our houses. Trees planted around houses break the force of strong winds; so houses are safe.
5 As a result of their knowledge and skill, meteorologists (scientists who study the earth atmosphere) are sometimes able to tell when a disaster may occur. They should warn the people ahead of time, and the people in the areas concerned should leave those areas immediately.
6 Fires can be controlled if we use anti-fire paint and materials for our houses.
7 We should not throw refuse into the gutters because this causes flooding, especially during the rainy season (as it blocks the water passage).
Our attitude to victims of natural disasters
Disasters are unfortunate, and they can lead to injury and loss of lives and property. Most times, the people affected by these disasters need help and assistance. It is the duty of members of the community, or those that are not affected, to show
Positive attitude to the victims, as follows:
1 We should show love to the victims of disasters by being a part of the rescue team. We can help take them to the hospital.
2 We should visit them and help them to understand that their situation is not a hopeless one. We should say positive things to them.
3 We should pray with them.
4 We must give those gifts, such as clothes, blankets, food, books and money.
5 We could also take them into our homes and look after them until they can settle into new homes, or until their old homes have been repaired and made safe
Strategies & Activities
Step: Teacher revises the previous topic.
Step 2: Teacher introduces the new topic.
Step3: Teacher explains the new topic.
Step4: Teacher welcomes pupils questions.
Step5: Teacher evaluates the pupils
Assessment & Evaluation
1 gives the meaning of natural disasters.
2 show the differences between natural and man-made disaster
3 Mention three types of natural disasters.
4 List the causes of these natural disasters.
5 list four things that happen when natural disasters occur.
6 mention four things we can do to stop or control natural disasters
ASSIGNMENT
Answer the following questions in your exercise book:
1 Mention four (4) examples of natural disasters.
2 State two (2) types of natural disasters you have experienced or witnessed.
3 Mention four (4) types of natural disasters.
4 Explain two (2) of the four natural disasters you mentioned above.
5 Mention six (6) effects of natural disasters.
See also
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION AND HOUSES