#NoNaturalDisasters

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Non Governmental Organizations

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Mission

The #NoNaturalDisasters campaign builds on the decades of work and research carried out by DRR practitioners and academics and aims to change the terminology to show that whilst some hazards are natural and unavoidable, the resulting disasters almost always have been made by human actions and decisions.

The term ‘natural disasters’ is ubiquitous. The term is used widely in press and media reports, government and aid agency literature and general discourse amongst the public.

However, since 1756 some have been questioning this term.

There is no such thing as a natural disaster.

If we recognise and accept the standard definition of disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity then we must consider human involvement at the core of the event.

A hazard will only become a disaster should it impact the workings of a society or community. As such, a disaster can only happen where a society or community exists. That society has made (often historic and often made by elites in positions of power) economic, planning and other socio-economic decisions that will alter their vulnerability to the hazard and change how the hazard impacts them.

Therefore, to say a disaster is natural is wrong. What’s worse, it misleads people to think the devastating results are inevitable, out of our control and are simply part of a natural process.

Hazards (earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding) are inevitable but the impact they have on society is not.

The organization has no registered commitments.

The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.

Latest additions

Items: 7

Themes

Hazards

Country and region

Content type

Publication year

Publication

15 June 2022

#NoNaturalDisasters and voting in elections for a better DRR

his is NoNaturalDisaster campaign's position paper on considerations when voting for a better disaster risk reduction process.

News

7 June 2022

The #NoNaturalDisasters Conference: Abstract submission

The #NoNaturalDisasters campaign has always aimed to increase understanding of the true causes of disasters through research, communication and advocacy. Calling researchers and others to share research and knowledge during micro-presentations.

Meetings and conferences

In person

22 September 2022

London

The #NoNaturalDisasters Conference

To mark the 5th Anniversary of the Twitter and online campaign, the conference will provide space for discussions about the aims and the ways of achieving them as we move forward.

Training event

Online

17 July 2020

#NoNaturalDisasters in the workplace

#NoNaturalDisasters in the workplace will aim to inform through the provision of tool kits, online events, peer-reviewed evidence and discussions that will allow anyone wanting to spread the message within their place of work, to colleagues or elsewhere.

Publication

23 June 2020

#NoNaturalDisasters in the workplace: Improving how we talk about disasters at work

The #NoNaturalDisasters campaign will begin to provide the tools needed to facilitate these discussions. The resources will provide information and guidance to begin discussing and educating colleagues and peers on why disasters are not natural.

Publication

31 May 2020

#ΝοNaturalDisasters: The matter of meteorites

This is NoNaturalDisaster campaign's position paper on meteorite collisions.

Publication

11 November 2018

#NoNaturalDisasters - Changing the discourse of disaster reporing

This is a briefing document designed for members of the press, reporters and authors to spread the message that there are no natural disasters. Disasters are increasing, both in terms of frequency and severity.