1. Famines caused by natural disasters in the developing world
Slide 1: Introduction – Hello my name is Ben Ashland and my student presentation is in
regards to famines caused by natural disasters in developing worlds. Famine is a shortage of food
or lack of access to food by a population, accompanied by an increase in death rates, according
to Harrison, Stormer, and Omidrar from the Encyclopedia of Public Health. Famines are mainly
a problem in developing countries due to their lack of government or their overpowering
government. I am going to outline the main natural disasters that developing countries witness,
the regions that are prone to these famines, the death caused by them, and ways to prevent these
famines from affecting these developing countries so greatly.
Slide 2: Natural Disasters – Natural disasters occur on a regular basis around the world,
usually without any warning. Developing countries experience many different disasters, but the
worst ones are droughts, epidemics, and earthquakes. Earthquakes usually correlate with
tsunamis and volcanic eruptions to create major disasters for the developing world. Natural
disasters cause turmoil and despair for these regions because so many people are affected by
them. Hurricanes have become a more prevalent type of natural disaster for the entire world, but
for the developing world there is almost no warning system in place. This results in severe
damage and destruction. Flooding is another major disaster that can be devastating, but it can
either be natural or man-caused. There is a large amount of flooding in many different regions
and when a levee or a dam breaks, or water is released in an area to relieve pressure down river,
it is directly related to human error. For the purposes of this presentation, I am solely talking
about floods caused by natural disasters.
Slide 3: Famine prone regions – Developed countries are more prone to famines, given
that they are the ones affected most by natural disasters. These regions are lacking in monetary

2. and grain resources, which is why they have such a big problem on their hands when hit by
famine. Famine is a common occurrence in history and is a true public health emergency.
Harrison, Stormer, and Omidrar from the Encyclopedia of Public Health say that, “One of the
most recent tragedies with regard to food shortages began in the mid-1990s in North Korea,
where a steady economic decline and a series of floods, droughts, and failed harvests was
superimposed on the economic blow brought about by the abrupt end of preferential trade with
the former Soviet Union. A closed governmental system has limited humanitarian aid in this
situation.” The governmental support in these countries is minimal, which is why so many deaths
occur as a result of these famines.
Slide 4: Death from famines – Thousand of famines have happened over the last few
centuries in many countries of the developing world. “Overcrowding and under nutrition are not
the prerogative of the great famine areas of the world,” (McCance and Widdowson, 1951).
Famines cause many issues in developing worlds, but none with more devastating effects than
malnutrition. Malnutrition leads to many other problems such as trouble paying attention and
lack of learning ability and energy. Infectious diseases are more susceptible to people who are
malnourished and the risk is heightened by natural disasters that bring in diseases and unclean
conditions. War also can play a huge role in famines and malnutrition in developing countries. It
causes migration of people, destruction of crops, and food deprivation due to physical conflict.
Food shortages caused by natural disasters, however, are by far the biggest reason famines occur.
The worst famines are caused by weather changes that cannot be controlled or compensated for
in developing worlds.
Slide 5: Ethical theories/Principles – The Utilitarianism Principle states that people
who are better off deserve food and other resources. It is a great explanation of what happens in

3. the developing world This principle is the belief that many people in developed worlds have or
do not consider when they say, “why not just give food to the countries in need?” These people
do not realize that we already give food to these regions, but the food is not dispersed to them
because those who have more money are able to get the food first. This ethical principle is what
causes famines to continue throughout these regions.
Slide 6: Prevention – Famine continues to occur throughout these developing regions,
but there are ways to help prevent these famines. The British Medical Journal of 1892 says, “The
management of famine is no easy matter, even for a powerful government with ample
resources.” People need to start paying attention to environmental issues and weather patterns in
order to end famines. If there are any irregularities, they may need to switch crops or look into
getting new agricultural technology. This technology needs to be available to all for a fair price
to help feed the world. A way to help make sure there is enough food for everyone is stockpiling
food during times of good crops. This grain needs to be redistributed to those regions that need
the food, but it is about balancing the country’s own food needs and the needs of others. This
helps people be equal and avoid conflicts between each other. The best way, I feel, to prevent
famine is for governments to ensure that food and grain is distributed evenly to all areas but
areas prone to famine get special attention. These ideas will help prevent famines from taking
place in developing worlds.
Slide 7: Conclusion – Natural disasters continue to be a problem throughout the world
both developing and developed. However, famines are beginning to diminish due to prevention
practices. This is why we need to continue to work on the issue of famines and natural disasters
in developing worlds. Natural disasters cannot be controlled, but if we give these developed
worlds early detection systems they can protect themselves better from disasters. These detection

4. systems will allow them to prevent disasters from happening and warn people of the dangers
sooner. I feel the biggest way to conquer the famines due to natural disasters is for governments
and aid organizations to work cohesively to stop famines. These organizations need to find a way
to distribute food fairly to those who need it most rather than the wealthy. The wealthy deserve
food, but they do not earn the right to have more than those who are malnourished.