Glossary Term

Environmental emergency

A sudden-onset disaster or accident resulting from natural, technological, or human-induced factors, or a combination of these, that cause or threaten to cause severe environmental damage as well as harm to human health and/or livelihoods. It includes emergencies caused by: water and wind (flood, tropical cyclone, windstorm, coastal erosion, tsunami, dam break, drought, water shortage, hailstorm, sandstorm, lightning); earth (earthquake, landslide, debris or mudflow, glacial lake outburst, volcanic eruption, avalanche; fire (wildfire, structural fire); or temperature (extreme cold, extreme heat).