Extreme Natural Hazards, Disaster Risks and Societal Implications: Natural hazards in Saudi Arabia

As the name implies Natural Hazards are naturally occurring events that can endanger human lives and property. During the past few decades the losses to life and property from natural hazards have increased many folds mainly due to the increase in human population resulting in the inhabitation of areas prone to hazards. Saudi Arabia is quite prone to different kinds of natural hazards. The North western region of the kingdom is prone to earthquakes and volcanic hazards whereas the central and western region of the kingdom is exposed to floods especially during events of heavy rainfall. Landslides are a common phenomenon in the inhabited mountainous regions of the south west. Dust storms are quite common in the central and the eastern regions of the Kingdom. Pollution of natural resources specially groundwater has also been seen in the kingdom in the recent years especially around the wadis and agricultural farms where the extensive use of fertilizers for increasing agricultural yields have resulted in polluting the aquifers. Different government agencies and various universities having been working on these issues, to mitigate these hazards and also educate the people. The SGS Chair on Natural Hazards established at the King Saud University is one such effort in addressing this subject. Due to the 2009 Jeddah flood disaster more emphasis is being given to tackle the problems related to hydrological hazards. Similar events like this have the potential to affect other major cities of the Kingdom.

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