Chapter 6 – Hazards and Disasters

Hazards and Disasters is an important chapter in WBBSE Class 9 Geography. Here, you will find Hazards and Disasters questions and answers arranged clearly to help you revise quickly and prepare better for your exams.

Content Structure

1. Multiple choice questions and answers (MCQs)
2. Very short-type questions and answers
- 2A. Fill in the blanks
- 2B. True or false
- 2C. Match the column
- 2D. Single word questions and answers
3. Short-type questions and answers
4. Long-type questions and answers

1. Multiple choice questions and answers

1. Which of the following disasters mainly affects coastal areas?
(a) Volcano
(b) Tsunami
(c) Landslide
(d) Drought

Ans: (b) Tsunami

2. What percentage of the total land area of India is prone to floods?
(a) 12%
(b) 10%
(c) 13%
(d) 11%

Ans: (a) 12%

3. The international Day for Disaster Reduction is observed on-
(a) 5 January
(b) 10 November
(c) 13 October
(d) 5 September

Ans: (c) 13 October

4. Landslides occur more often in-
(a) Forest
(b) Plains
(c) Desert
(d) Hills

Ans: (d) Hills

5. Which of the following districts of West Bengal is most prone to landslides?
(a) Darjeeling
(b) Malda
(c) Birbhum
(d) Midnapore

Ans: (a) Darjeeling

6. Which of the following is a climatic hazard?
(a) Volcano
(b) Tsunami
(c) Forest fire
(d) Volcano

Ans: (c) Forest fire

7. Hazards are mainly classified into how many types?
(a) Three
(b) Two
(c) One
(d) Four types

Ans: (b) Two

8. Which of the following is a man-made hazard?
(a) Drought
(b) Riot
(c) Earthquake
(d) Volcano

Ans: (b) Riot

9. Volcanic eruptions occur due to-
(a) Construction of roads
(b) Deforestation
(c) Unplanned development of settlement
(d) Rise in heat and pressure within the heart

Ans: (d) Rise in heat and pressure within the heart

10. Central flood control board was constituted in-
(a) 1955
(b) 1960
(c) 1954
(d) 1953

2. Very short-type questions and answers

2A. Fill in the blanks

1. Earthquake is ______________ hazard. (natural)
2. The centre of a cyclone is known as its ______________. (eye)
3. ___________ pressure prevails at the centre of a whirlwind. (Low)
4. ____________ is an example of a drought-prone district in West Bengal. (Bankura)
5. Tropical cyclones originate over _________. (warm oceans)
6. Cyclone Alia hit West Bengal in the year ______________. (2009)
7. Blizzard is a type of _____________. (snowstorm)
8. Phailin is a _____________. (cyclone)
9. The ______________ of the disaster is a hazard. (cause)
10. ___________ are acute shortages of food that cause people to die of starvation. (Famines)
11. The whirlwinds are known as _____________ in Australia. (willy-willy)
12. Blizzard is a destructive ___________. (snowstorm)
13. ___________ is a flood-prone district in West Bengal. (Malda)

2B. True or false

1. Hazards and disasters are synonymous. (False)
2. Tsunami is man-made disaster. (False)
3. The downward flow of magma is known as ‘Plume’. (False)
4. Blizzards are common in Antarctica. (True)
5. Avalanches more likely to occur on concave slopes. (False)
6. Seismograph is used to measure the intensity of the tsunamis. (False)
7. Acid rain does not cause any damage to the aquatic ecosystem. (False)
8. Tornado is a man-made hazard. (False)
9. Fujiyama is a volcano in India. (False)

2C. Match the column

Column A	Column B
1. Drought	A. Ministry of Home Affairs
2. Flood	B. Ministry of Agriculture
3. Chemical accidents	C. Department of Health and Family Welfare
4. Epidemic	D. Ministry of Water Resources

Ans:

Column A	Column B
1. Drought	B. Ministry of Agriculture
2. Flood	D. Ministry of Water Resources
3. Chemical accidents	A. Ministry of Home Affairs
4. Epidemic	C. Department of Health and Family Welfare

2D. Very short-type questions and answers

1. Name a wind that influences the occurrence of both droughts and floods in India.
Ans: The Monsoon wind influences droughts and floods in India.

2. In which year was Uttarakhand affected severely due to a flash flood?
Ans: Uttarakhand was severely affected in 2013.

3. Cite an example of a geological disaster.
Ans: Earthquake is an example of a geological disaster.

4. Name a man-made cause of earthquakes.
Ans: Mining activities can cause earthquakes.

5. Which type of hazard may lead to a disaster in the forest area?
Ans: Forest fire may lead to a disaster in forest areas.

6. Which region in West Bengal is most prone to landslides?
Ans: The Darjeeling Himalayan region is most prone to landslides.

7. What destroyed the city of St. Pierre in 1902?
Ans: A volcanic eruption of Mount Pele destroyed the city.

8. What percentage of the total land area in India is prone to flood?
Ans: Nearly 40% of India’s land area is flood prone.

9. Which mountain range in India is most prone to earthquake?
Ans: The Himalayan mountain range is most prone to earthquakes.

10. Which area of India is mostly affected by tsunamis?
Ans: The eastern coastal areas of India are mostly affected.

11. Which natural disaster is maximum in West Bengal?
Ans: Flood is the most common natural disaster in West Bengal.

12. What is blizzard?
Ans: A blizzard is a severe snowstorm with strong cold winds.

13. What is forest fire?
Ans: A forest fire is a natural or man-made fire that destroys forest vegetation.

14. Give a non-tectonic cause of earthquakes.
Ans: Volcanic eruption is a non-tectonic cause of earthquakes.

15. Name a flood-prone district in West Bengal.
Ans: Malda is a flood-prone district in West Bengal.

16. Which type of hazard is a volcano?
Ans: A volcano is a natural geological hazard.

17. Which instrument is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes?
Ans: The seismograph is used to measure earthquakes.

18. What type of disaster devastated the city of Bhuj in Gujarat in 2001?
Ans: An earthquake devastated Bhuj in 2001.

19. Into how many divisions can seismic waves be classified?
Ans: Seismic waves are classified into three divisions.

20. On which slopes are avalanches more likely to occur?
Ans: Avalanches are more likely on steep mountain slopes.

21. Which type of disaster is most prominent in the Purulia?
Ans: Drought is most prominent in Purulia.

22. Cite an example of a type of severe cyclone.
Ans: Cyclone Phailin is an example of a severe cyclone.

23. What is the central calm area of a cyclone called?
Ans: The central calm area of a cyclone is called the eye.

24. Name one of the most prominent causes of tsunamis.
Ans: Undersea earthquakes are a major cause of tsunamis.

25. What type of disaster is Phailin?
Ans: Phailin was a severe cyclonic storm.

3. Short-type questions and answers

1. What is natural hazard?
Ans: A natural hazard is a hazard that originates from natural processes of the Earth, like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, volcanoes, and droughts.

2. How can dam failure cause floods?
Ans: When a dam fails, a large volume of stored water is suddenly released into the river. This excess water flows quickly to nearby and downstream areas, causing floods and damaging life and property.

3. What is drought?
Ans: Drought is a situation that happens when an area receives very little rainfall for a long time, so there is shortage of water, crops fail, rivers and ponds dry up, and normal life is affected.

4. What is meteorological drought?
Ans: Meteorological drought occurs when an area receives less than the normal average rainfall over a long period.

5. What is hydrological drought?
Ans: Hydrological drought happens when water levels in rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and groundwater fall below normal due to long lime lack of rainfall.

6. What is agricultural drought?
Ans: Agricultural drought happens when there is not enough moisture in the soil to support crops, causing crops to grow poorly and farmers to face difficulties.

7. What is cyclone?
Ans: A cyclone is a violent circular storm with very strong winds and heavy rainfall that develops over warm ocean waters and moves towards coastal areas.

8. What is meant by the eye of a cyclone?
Ans: The eye of a cyclone is the calm central area of the storm, surrounded by violent winds and heavy rainfall.

9. What is vulnerability?
Ans: Vulnerability means how much people, property, or the environment can be affected or harmed when a hazard or disaster happens.

10. Name the districts of West Bengal that are prone to flood.
Ans: Flood-prone districts of West Bengal include Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar.

11. What is snowstorm?
Ans: A snowstorm is a weather situation in which heavy snowfall occurs along with strong winds. It reduces visibility, makes movement difficult, and causes very cold conditions, affecting normal life.

12. What are the three phases in a disaster management cycle?
Ans: The three phases of the disaster management cycle are:

Preparedness: Activities done before a disaster to reduce damage, such as planning, training, and awareness.
Response: Immediate actions taken during and just after a disaster, like rescue, relief, and providing medical help.
Recovery: Steps taken after the disaster to restore normal life, including rehabilitation and reconstruction.

13. What is flash flood? What are the main causes of flash floods?
Ans: A flash flood is a sudden flood occurring within a short time. It is mainly caused by cloudbursts, heavy rainfall in hilly areas, dam failure, melting of snow, and blockage of river path.

14. What are the impacts of earthquakes?
Ans: Earthquakes cause loss of life and property. They lead to breakdown of buildings, cause landslides and fires, bring about tsunamis, and disturb transport and communication systems.

15. Discuss the disaster-prone regions of West Bengal.
Ans: West Bengal has varied disaster-prone regions. The northern Himalayan region (Darjeeling) is prone to landslides and earthquakes. The riverine plains are affected by floods and erosion. The western plateau region faces droughts, while the southern coastal region is frequently affected by cyclones and storm surges.

4. Long-type questions and answers

1. Difference between Natural Hazard and Man-made hazard.
Ans:

Natural Hazard	Man-made Hazard
A natural hazard occurs due to natural processes operating within the Earth.	A man-made hazard is caused due to human activities and actions.
A natural hazard cannot be prevented by humans.	A man-made hazard can be controlled or reduced through proper planning and management.
Earthquake, flood, cyclone and volcano are examples of natural hazards.	Industrial accidents, nuclear disasters and riots are examples of man-made hazards.
A natural hazard acts independently of human actions.	A man-made hazard is directly related to human negligence or misuse of technology.
Natural hazards are mostly sudden in nature.	Man-made hazards are often gradual or accidental in nature.

2. Difference between Meteorological Drought and Agricultural Drought.
Ans:

Meteorological Drought	Agricultural Drought
Meteorological drought occurs due to a prolonged deficiency of rainfall.	Agricultural drought occurs due to a lack of sufficient soil moisture to support crops.
It is mainly related to weather and climatic conditions.	It is mainly related to agricultural production and crop growth.
Meteorological drought is measured using rainfall data.	Agricultural drought is measured by observing soil moisture and crop conditions.
It is considered the first stage of drought.	It occurs after meteorological drought.
It affects a large geographical area.	It mainly affects cultivated and agricultural land.

3. Classify and explain the various types of disasters.
Ans: Disasters can be classified into the following main types based on their causes:

Natural Disasters: These disasters are caused by natural forces of the Earth and atmosphere. They occur without human involvement and often cause large-scale damage. Examples: Earthquake, flood, drought, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption.
Man-made Disasters: These disasters are caused by human activities, negligence, or technological failure. They mainly result from unsafe practices and lack of proper planning. Examples: Industrial accidents, nuclear explosions, oil spills, chemical leakage, wars.
Environmental Disasters: These disasters occur due to damage or imbalance in the natural environment, mostly caused by human actions. They develop slowly but have long-term effects. Examples: Deforestation, desertification, global warming, climate change.
Biological Disasters: These disasters are caused by living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, or pests. They mainly affect human health, agriculture, and livestock. Examples: Epidemics, pandemics, pest attacks, spread of infectious diseases.