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Geography & Environment · Environment & Ecology

Natural Disasters & Disaster Management: 18 previous year questions

UPSC has asked 18 questions on Natural Disasters & Disaster Management between 2000 and 2026: CDS 9 · NDA 3 · CISF (LDCE) 2 · CSE 2 · Geo-Scientist 1 · CAPF 1. 15 of them came after 2015, so this is a live topic examiners keep returning to. 2 were set in Civil Services Prelims; the rest come from UPSC's other papers, which draw on the same question bank.

Practise these 18, one at a timeRead the questions

Tap an option to check yourself. Answers follow the official UPSC key; where the key was dropped or disputed the question is not shown.

CDS2026 · 1Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Consider the following statements about the types of drought in India: 1. A meteorological drought occurs when the mean annual rainfall is less than 75%. 2. Agricultural drought arises out of extreme moisture stress. 3. Soil moisture drought is related to meteorological drought. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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Answer D (official UPSC key)Meteorological drought: mean annual rainfall less than 75% | Agricultural drought: extreme moisture stress | Soil moisture drought: related to meteorological drought
NDA2026 · 1Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Consider the following countries : I. Haiti II. Philippines III. Nicaragua IV. India According to the Climate Risk Index 2026, which of the above countries were affected by recurring extreme events during 1995–2024?

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Answer D (official UPSC key)Climate Risk Index 2026 (Germanwatch): Haiti, Philippines, Nicaragua and India were affected by recurring extreme events during 1995–2024
CDS2025 · 2Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Which of the following statements with reference to National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) is/are correct? 1. It was constituted in the year 2006. 2. Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Institute has been entrusted to assist in national level policy formulation with reference to Disaster Management. Select the answer using the code given below:

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Answer B (official UPSC key)NIDM: entrusted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to assist in national-level policy formulation on disaster management | Re-designated as NIDM in October 2003; statutory body under the 2005 Act (in force January 2006)
CISF (LDCE)2024Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Natural disaster) List-II (Category) A. Blizzards 1. Terrestrial B. Soil erosion 2. Atmospheric C. Tsunami 3. Biological D. Locusts 4. Aquatic

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Answer C (official UPSC key)Blizzards: atmospheric | Soil erosion: terrestrial | Tsunami: aquatic | Locusts: biological disaster
NDA2022 · 1Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Consider the following features about a geographical phenomenon : 1. Torrents of snow and ice roaring down a steep mountain side 2. It is hazardous to skiers and mountaineers 3. It involves a mix of falling, rolling, sliding and flowing of materials Which of the following phenomena can be identified with the above features?

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Answer B (official UPSC key)Avalanche: torrents of snow and ice down a steep mountain side; hazardous to skiers and mountaineers; mix of falling, rolling, sliding and flowing
CDS2015 · 1Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Consider the following statements with regard to cold waves in winter season in northern India: 1. There is lack of maritime influence. 2. Northern India is nearer to the Himalayan region. 3. Air mass comes from polar regions to northern India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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Answer D (official UPSC key)Winter cold waves in northern India: lack of maritime influence; nearness to the Himalayan region | Cold air masses come from the Siberian High
CSE2014Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Consider the following pairs: Programme/Project Ministry 1. Drought-Prone Area Programme Ministry of Agriculture 2. Desert Development Programme Ministry of Environment and Forests 3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas Ministry of Rural Development Which of the above pairs is/ are correctly matched?

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Answer D (official UPSC key)Drought-Prone Area Programme and Desert Development Programme: Ministry of Rural Development | National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas: Ministry of Agriculture
CAPF2013Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Which of the following statements regarding landslides is/are correct? 1. They are sudden and sporadic. 2. They result when the slope is gentle. 3. Mining activity is also responsible for landslides. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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Answer B (official UPSC key)Landslides are sudden and sporadic | Mining activity is also responsible for landslides | NOT: landslides result when the slope is gentle
CSE2000Natural Disasters & Disaster ManagementOn card ENV 5·2

Assertion (A): The frequency of floods in north Indian plains has increased during the last couple of decades. Reason (R): There has been a reduction in the depth of river valleys due to the deposition of silt.

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Answer A (official UPSC key)Floods in the north Indian plains have become more frequent in recent decades | Reason: silt deposition has reduced the depth of river valleys

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