Disasters are often described using terms such as “natural,” “compound,” “cascading,” “complex” or “hybrid.” However, disaster researcher Ilan Kelman argues that these labels can distract from a more important reality disasters occur because hazards interact with human vulnerabilities.
In a recent analysis Kelman emphasised that floods, earthquakes, storms, pandemics and other hazards do not automatically become disasters. Social inequality, poverty, discrimination, weak infrastructure and poor governance often determine who suffers the greatest consequences.
Vulnerability turns hazards into disasters
According to the analysis, vulnerability is created through long term social and political processes. Unequal access to education, healthcare, resources and safe infrastructure can leave certain communities more exposed when hazards strike.
For example, evacuation systems that are inaccessible to people with mobility challenges can increase disaster risks. Similarly, discrimination and inequality can limit people ability to prepare for respond to and recover from emergencies.
The author argues that these vulnerabilities are not accidental. They are shaped by historical, cultural and political decisions.
The analysis also highlights how decisions made years earlier can influence the scale of future disasters.
Kelman points to examples such as reduced funding for epidemic preparedness before the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and failures to establish an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system before the devastating 2004 tsunami.
These examples demonstrate how risks can build over time and across geographical boundaries. A decision made at one level of society can eventually contribute to consequences elsewhere.
Environmental and human factors are deeply connected
The article argues that many disasters involve a combination of environmental processes and human made vulnerabilities.
A flood for instance may become more severe because of poor water management, construction in vulnerable areas or changes to natural waterways. Similarly, technological systems and infrastructure can fail when exposed to earthquakes, storms or other hazards.
This interconnected nature means that disasters are often cascading and complex, with one event triggering multiple consequences.
Focus should shift from labels to prevention
Rather than creating increasingly complicated terminology, Kelman argues that disaster risk reduction should focus on reducing vulnerability.
This includes addressing poverty, inequality, discrimination, inadequate infrastructure and unequal access to essential services.
The central message is simple hazards may be natural phenomena, but disasters are shaped by human decisions and vulnerabilities.
By focusing on the conditions that make communities vulnerable, governments and societies can work towards preventing hazards from turning into devastating disasters.