NATURAL DISASTERS

THE WORLD 

DISASTERS

         NATURAL DISASTERS

  It's a dangerous world. We try to make it safe for ourselves, but wild weather and violent geological events are simply beyond our control. When tornadoes or earthquakes strike populated places, they can spell disaster.

            Are natural calamities more common now than theywere in the past ? News coverage can make it seem so, but it is not nature that's changing -  it is us. Since 1900, the world's population has more than tripled, and the built-up areas have increased over five times in size. Regions prone to disastrous events are densely populated. today, more than half of all people live in areas which are at constant risk orf flooding.

         Whether through optimism or necessity, people often ignore very real dangers. We crowd into huge cities, such as San Francisco and Tokyo, which we know have suffered terrible earthquakes, and will almost certainly be struck again. Dangerous volcanic areas are populated too. When Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii in AD79, it killed about 2,000 people. If it erupted today - and it might - it would endanger a million lives.

Will continue.....