NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA   
                               
                     SCHOOL  OF EDUCATION   
                               
                      COURSE  CODE:  ESM  204  
                               
          COURSE  TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL  HARZARDS  AND NATURAL  DISASTER  
                        MANAGEMENT  
 
       
       
                                 Course Code ESM 204   
                 ENVIRONM ENTAL HARZARDS  AND NATURAL DISASTER  
                                   MANAGEMENT  
                                             
                                   COURSE GUIDE  
                                             
                                  BINJO ADEOFUN   
                 DEPARTM ENT OF ENVIRONM ENTAL MANAGEM ENT AND  
               TOXICOLOGY,  UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA.  
                                             
                                        AND  
               
                                    AHOVE MICHAEL  
             CENTER FOR ENVIRONM ENT AND SCI ENCE EDUCA TION, LAGOS  
                                 STATE UNIVERSITY.  
                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
      
      
         Introduction....  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  .. 
         ...................................................................... 1   
         What you will  learn  in this course . ............................................................................................2   
         Course aims                                ........2   
         Course objective                          .............2   
         Work ing  through this course                ...3   
         Course mater ials                            ..3   
         Study Units Assessment                       ..3   
         Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs)              ...4   
         Course overview                            ..........4   
         How to get the most  from this course       .....5   
         Summary  
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
         Introduction  
 
      
      
         Environmental Hazards and Natural Disaster Management is a two credit course. It will  be  
         available to all students to take towards the core module of their B.Sc (Hons) in Environmental  
         Studies/Management.  It will also be appropriate as  one-off course  for anyone who  wants to be  
         acquainted with the Natural and Environmental Disasters or/and does not intend to comp lete the  
         NOUN qualification.  
         The course is designed  to contain ten units, which  involve  fundamental concepts  and issues on  
         Environmental Hazards and Disasters Management  across the World  and how to control and  
         manage these disasters. The material has been designed to assist students in Nigeria by adapting  
         the examples to our local communities.  The intention of this course therefore, is to help the  
         learner to be more familiar  with Disaster Management.  
         There are no compulsory prerequisites  for this course, although basic  prior knowledge in  
         geography,  biology and chemistry is very important in assisting the learner through this course.  
         This Course Guide tells  you  in brief what the course is about, what course mater ials you will  be  
         using and how you can  work  your  way through these  materials. It gives suggestions on some  
         general guid elines  for the amount of time  you are likely to spend on each unit  of  the course in  
         order to complete it successfully. It  also gives you some guidance on  your tutor-marked  
         assignments. Detailed infor mation on tutor-marked  assignments is found in a separate booklet.  
         What you  will lea rn  in this  course  
         The basic aim of Environmental Hazards and Natural Disaster Management is to acquaint  
         learners with the basic concepts  of Environmental Hazards and Natural Disaster Management for  
         the enhancement of Environmental Resources Management in Nigeria. During this course, you  
         will  learn about Natural disasters such earthquakes, volcanic eruption, Snow Avalanche and  
         other environmental hazards that may be experienced in the Nigerian  environment.  Some  
         common environmental hazards in Niger ia such as flood,  drought, desertification,  landslide and  
         acid rain will be d iscussed in this course.  
         The course will g ive you general overview of the process of the occurrence of some of these  
         hazards, causes, consequences and management of these environmental  hazards.  
         Course  Aims  
         The aim of the course can be summarized as follows: this course aims to give learners a clear  
         conceptualisation of the basic issues surrounding the causes, effects and control management  of  
         environmental hazards in Niger ia and around the world.    
         This will be achieved by aiming to:  
                Introduce you to the basic concepts  of  environmental hazards.   
                Outline common environmental disasters in Nigeria.