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OCCURRENCE OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Ranjan Sharma and Dr. Mamta Sharma
Abstract:
Disaster is a sudden calamitous and unexpected event that brings great damage, loss and
destruction to the community, at large. Disasters are caused by natural phenomenon as well as
those created by humans. Any calamitous occurrence, generated by the effects of natural
phenomena, that produces great loss to human life, destruction to natural environment, private
property or public infrastructure, is referred to as natural disaster. In natural disasters, a natural
hazard puts an impact on a population or area which results in severe damage, destruction and
increased morbidity and mortality that overwhelms local coping capacity. Earthquakes,
landslides, volcanic activity, hurricanes, tropical cyclones are prominent forms of natural
disasters. Death, trauma and destruction of property on a large scale are the negative
consequences of natural disasters. Thousands of people are killed and billions of habitat and