The document discusses natural hazards and types of natural disasters. It defines a disaster as a sudden accident or natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life. Disasters are divided into two types: natural disasters, which are caused by nature and include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves and volcanic eruptions, and human disasters, which are caused by human actions such as oil spills, chemical explosions, and gas leaks in factories. Examples of human-made disasters that have caused environmental and health impacts include the Minamata poisonings, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Chernobyl explosion, and drying of the Aral Sea.