Understanding global security - Peter Hough

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Chapter 8 Natural threats to security Natural disasters 180 The rise of human vulnerability to nature 187 Preparing for the unexpected – the global politics of natural disaster management 190 Key points 196 Notes 196 Recommended reading 196 Useful web links 197 179
NATURAL THREATS TO SECURITY We cannot stop the forces of nature, but we can and must prevent them from causing major social and economic disasters. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General 1999 (Annan 1999) Natural disasters A major source of insecurity for much of the world’s population is rooted in the natural, non-living world, from physical phenomena originating in the earth’s interior, its atmosphere and even from beyond our planet. The phrase ‘Acts of God’ encapsulates the notion of human helplessness in the face of such dangers which are out of our control, but the truth is that natural disasters are as much socio-political as geological or meteorological phenomena. ‘[A] disaster is the intersection of two opposing forces: those processes generating vulnerability on one side, and physical exposure to a hazard on the other’ (Blaikie et al. 1994: 22). It is socio-political factors that make people vulnerable to hazardous natural events. The fact that people live in places known to be prone to disaster, whether through their own choice, ignorance or compulsion, is one such factor. Another is the capacity and/or willingness of governing authorities to take steps to alleviate the potential human cost of events known to be likely to occur. Table 8.1 illustrates not only the horrific scale of human casualties that can accrue from natural disasters but also the importance of the socio-political component in such events. The Huang Ho and other Chinese rivers are more prone to dramatically bursting their banks than most of the world’s waterways but this has been well known in China for centuries. Overpopulation, poor government and the human propensity to risk residing in such hazardous places for the benefits of farming on the fertile soils deposited by the flooding are major contributors to the shocking death toll that has accumulated over time. Table 8.1 The ten worst natural disasters in history Place Date Type Fatalities 1 Huang Ho River, China 1931 Flood 3.7 million a, b 2 China1959 Flood 2 million b 3 Upper Egypt and Syria 1201 Earthquake 1.1 million d 4 Huang Ho River, China 1887 Flood 900 000 c 5 Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, China 1556 Earthquake 830 000 c 6 Huang Ho River, China 1938 Flood 500 000 b 7 China1939 Flood 500 000 b 8 Bangladesh 1970 Cyclone 300 000 b 9 Tang-shan, China 1976 Earthquake 242 000 a 10 Nan-shan, China 1927 Earthquake 200 000 a Sources: a Ash (2001), b Disaster Center (2003), c Castello-Cortes and Feldman (1996), d NGDC (2003). 180
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Understanding Global Security Globa
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For Lisa, Daisy and Rosie First pub
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CONTENTS 3 Military threats to secu
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CONTENTS Key points 229 Recommended
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Tables 1.1 Fears of individuals liv
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Frances Say, for l
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ACRONYMS FARC GAVI GDP GHS GOARN GP
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Chapter 1 Security and securitizati
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION Classic
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION interes
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION on the
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION Chapter
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION promoti
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION securit
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION As stat
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION In this
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SECURITY AND SECURITIZATION The wor
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Chapter 2 Military threats to secur
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MILITARY THREATS TO SECURITY FROM S
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MILITARY THREATS FROM NON-STATE ACT
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY We hav
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY Table
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY govern
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY Develo
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY e f g
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY premie
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY 1990:
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY of the
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY paradi
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ECONOMIC THREATS TO SECURITY statec
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Chapter 5 Social identity as a thre
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SOCIAL IDENTITY AS A THREAT TO SECU
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Page 144 and 145: SOCIAL IDENTITY AS A THREAT TO SECU
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CRIMINAL THREATS TO SECURITY ration
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CRIMINAL THREATS TO SECURITY • In
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TOWARDS GLOBAL SECURITY Human secur
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TOWARDS GLOBAL SECURITY selected de
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TOWARDS GLOBAL SECURITY states, rav
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TOWARDS GLOBAL SECURITY liberalism
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TOWARDS GLOBAL SECURITY • A resto
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GLOSSARY Fourth World the least dev
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GLOSSARY their dominance of interna
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Ashdown, P. (2001) ‘
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Davis, M. and Gray, C.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Haas, P. (1989) ‘Do
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Koivusalo, M. and Olli
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Natsios, A. (1999) ‘
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Schweller, R. (2001)
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Werner, D. (2001) ‘W
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Index Abbasi, K. 169, 170 Abrams, A
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INDEX cold waves 184 collective sec
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INDEX Global Outbreak and Alert Res
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INDEX Lee, K. 235 legislation as re
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INDEX Partnership for Peace 52 Peet
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INDEX trade: crime and 222; disease
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Understanding global security - Peter Hough

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