Scholars have argued the term "natural disaster" is unsuitable and should be abandoned.[3] Instead, the simpler term disaster could be used. At the same time, the type of hazard would be specified.[4][5][6] A disaster happens when a natural or human-made hazard impacts a vulnerable community. It results from the combination of the hazard and the exposure of a vulnerable society.
Nowadays it is hard to distinguish between "natural" and "human-made" disasters.[3][7][8] The term "natural disaster" was already challenged in 1976.[6] Human choices in architecture,[9] fire risk,[10][11] and resource management[12] can cause or worsen natural disasters. Climate change also affects how often disasters due to extreme weather hazards happen. These "climate hazards" are floods, heat waves, wildfires, tropical cyclones, and the like.[13]
^Zorn, Matija (2018), Pelc, Stanko; Koderman, Miha (eds.), "Natural Disasters and Less Developed Countries", Nature, Tourism and Ethnicity as Drivers of (De)Marginalization: Insights to Marginality from Perspective of Sustainability and Development, Perspectives on Geographical Marginality, vol. 3, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 59–78, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-59002-8_4, ISBN978-3-319-59002-8, retrieved 2022-06-08
^D. Alexander (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpended: Terra publishing. ISBN1-903544-10-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^B. Wisner; P. Blaikie; T. Cannon & I. Davis (2004). At Risk – Natural hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge. ISBN0-415-25216-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)[page needed]