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Natural Hazards and Disasters – Class 11 Geography notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 11 Geography, chapter 20. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

हिंदी में पढ़ें

Chapter overview

A natural hazard is a natural event that can cause damage, while a disaster occurs when such an event causes large-scale loss of life and property beyond a community's capacity to cope. India is vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, floods, droughts and landslides. Disaster management involves mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, and India passed the Disaster Management Act in 2005.

Hazards in India

  • Earthquakes are most frequent in the Himalayan region and the north-east because of plate movements; India is divided into seismic zones.
  • Tsunamis are huge waves caused by undersea earthquakes; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Tropical cyclones affect the east coast most, especially Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal (such as the 1999 Odisha super cyclone); floods affect the Ganga and Brahmaputra plains; droughts affect western Rajasthan and parts of the Deccan; landslides occur in the Himalayas and Western Ghats.

Disaster management

  • Mitigation reduces risk through measures such as earthquake-resistant buildings, embankments, afforestation and land-use planning.
  • Preparedness includes early warning systems, cyclone shelters, evacuation plans and public awareness; Odisha's preparedness reduced deaths in later cyclones such as Phailin (2013).
  • India's Disaster Management Act 2005 created the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headed by the Prime Minister and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF); the Sendai Framework guides international efforts.

Key terms

Natural hazard
a natural event that may cause harm
Disaster
a hazard that causes widespread damage beyond the coping capacity of a community
Tsunami
a series of huge sea waves caused by an undersea earthquake
Mitigation
measures that reduce the impact of disasters
NDMA
the National Disaster Management Authority of India

Important questions with answers

What is the difference between a hazard and a disaster?2 marks

A hazard is a natural or human-made event that has the potential to cause harm, such as an earthquake or cyclone. It becomes a disaster when it actually causes widespread loss of life, property and livelihoods that exceeds the ability of the affected community to cope.

What are the main measures of cyclone preparedness?3 marks

Measures include accurate forecasting and early warning, cyclone shelters along the coast, evacuation plans, strong embankments and mangrove belts, cyclone-resistant buildings, public awareness and drills, and trained rescue teams such as the NDRF and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force.

Discuss the natural hazards in India and the approach to disaster management.5 marks

India is vulnerable to many natural hazards because of its geography. The Himalayan and north-eastern regions are prone to earthquakes due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, and large earthquakes such as Bhuj (2001) have caused great damage. Tsunamis, generated by undersea earthquakes, struck India's eastern coasts and islands in December 2004. Tropical cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea and hit the east coast most often, especially Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges. Floods are frequent in the Ganga and Brahmaputra plains during the monsoon, droughts affect western Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of the Deccan when rains fail, and landslides occur in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. India's approach has shifted from relief after disasters to comprehensive disaster management. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 created the National Disaster Management Authority, headed by the Prime Minister, state and district authorities and the National Disaster Response Force. Mitigation includes earthquake-resistant construction, flood embankments, afforestation and hazard mapping; preparedness includes early warning systems, shelters, evacuation and community training. Odisha's experience shows the value of preparedness: after the 1999 super cyclone killed about 10,000 people, early warnings and evacuations kept deaths very low in Cyclones Phailin (2013) and Fani (2019).

Quick revision

  • Hazard versus disaster.
  • Earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, floods, droughts, landslides.
  • Mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery.
  • DM Act 2005; NDMA; NDRF; Odisha's preparedness.

Exam tips

  • Make a table of hazards, affected regions and mitigation measures.
  • Remember: Disaster Management Act 2005; NDMA headed by the Prime Minister.

Practice MCQs

  1. Huge sea waves caused by undersea earthquakes are called

    1. cyclones
    2. tides
    3. tsunamis
    4. currents
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) tsunamis. The 2004 tsunami struck India.

  2. The Disaster Management Act of India was passed in

    1. 1999
    2. 2005
    3. 2013
    4. 2020
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) 2005. It created the NDMA.

  3. The NDMA is headed by the

    1. President
    2. Prime Minister
    3. Home Secretary
    4. Chief Justice
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Prime Minister. State authorities are headed by Chief Ministers.

  4. The Indian state hit by the super cyclone of 1999 was

    1. Gujarat
    2. Odisha
    3. Kerala
    4. Tamil Nadu
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) Odisha. It caused heavy loss of life.

  5. The region of India most prone to earthquakes is

    1. the Deccan plateau
    2. the Thar desert
    3. the Himalayan and north-eastern region
    4. the Malwa plateau
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) the Himalayan and north-eastern region. Plates are colliding there.

  6. Building cyclone shelters is an example of

    1. response
    2. causing disasters
    3. recovery
    4. preparedness
    Show answer

    Answer: (d) preparedness. It helps before a disaster.

  7. Why did deaths in Cyclone Phailin (2013) remain far fewer than in 1999

    1. the cyclone was weak
    2. early warning and large-scale evacuation to shelters
    3. no one lived on the coast
    4. the cyclone missed land
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) early warning and large-scale evacuation to shelters. Preparedness saves lives.

  8. A hazard becomes a disaster when

    1. it causes widespread loss beyond the community's capacity to cope
    2. it is small and harmless
    3. it occurs at sea
    4. it is forecast
    Show answer

    Answer: (a) it causes widespread loss beyond the community's capacity to cope. Vulnerability matters as much as the event.

All chapters of Class 11 Geography

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.