Which of the following is a hydrological disaster?

• A. Earthquakes
• B. Floods
• C. Volcanoes
• D. Drought

Answer: (B)

Hydrological disasters are those driven by water-related processes. Floods are the classic example because they involve a rapid or sustained overflow of water that inundates land, damages infrastructure, and disrupts daily life. This contrasts with earthquakes and volcanoes, which are geophysical hazards caused by movements of the Earth’s crust and magma rather than water flow. Drought also relates to water but is usually described as a prolonged period of insufficient rainfall leading to water scarcity, often categorized as a meteorological or hydrological hazard rather than a rapid hydrological disaster. The defining point is that floods involve water movement causing immediate, widespread disruption, which is why they are identified as a hydrological disaster.