1.3 - management of tectonic hazards and disaster

Question 1

What do the overall longer term natural hazard trends show?

Answer 1

total number of recorded hazards has increased over past 50 years

number of reported disasters seems to be falling

number of deaths lower than in recent past, but there are spikes with mega events

economic costs increase significantly since 1960

number of people affected is increasing for some hazard and disaster types

Question 2

Name 5 reasons why disaster statistics controversial?

Answer 2

depends on whether direct or indirect deaths from subsequent hazards/associated diseases are counted

local or regional events in remote places often under-recorded

declaration of disaster deaths and casualties may be subject to political bias

statistics on major disasters hard to collect, particularly in LICs

time trend analysis is difficult

Question 3

Name 3 key characteristics of tectonic mega-disasters?

Answer 3

-large-scale in terms of area, and impact

-pose huge challenges

-usually require substantial amounts of international disaster aid

Question 4

What is a mega disaster

Answer 4

very large disasters that reuslt from tectonic hazards

Question 5

What is a hazard hotspot

Answer 5

locations that are extremely diasaster prone

Question 6

What is a HILP event?

Answer 6

A high impact, low probability event

e.g. 2010 Haiti earthquake

Question 7

What are the consequences of HILP events?

Answer 7

Impacts spread rapidly across both economic and geographic boundaries -> other impacts which are difficult to plan for

Question 8

What is a multiple hazard zone?

Answer 8

place where number of physical hazards combine to create an increased level of risk for country and it’s population. Often made worse by vulnerable population or if area suffers repeated events

e.g chile -> area exposed - 12.9
-> population exposed - 54.0
-> no. of diff hazards - 4

Question 9

What is a hazard hotspot?

Answer 9

A country or area that is extremely disaster prone for a number of reasons

Question 10

Give an example of a country which is a multiple hazard zone

Answer 10

chile -> area exposed - 12.9
-> population exposed - 54.0
-> no. of diff hazards - 4

Question 11

What is mitigation

Answer 11

action taken to reduce/ eliminate long-term risk to human life & property

Question 12

What is preparedness

Answer 12

educating ppl about what they should do in an emergency

Question 13

Name 3 reasons why large urban areas often zones of multiple hazard risk?

Answer 13

economic cores

centres of growing population due to rapid urbanisation

huge areas of unplanned, poor quality housing where the growing numbers of urban poor live - located on marginal land

Question 14

Can scientists forecast earthquakes?

Answer 14

Earthquake risk can be forecast since it is based on a statistical likelihood of an event occurring at a particular location

Question 15

What are the 4 stages in the hazard management cycle?

Answer 15

Preparedness
Response
Recovery
Mitigation

Question 16

What are the 4 stages of Park’s Model?

Answer 16

1) pre-disaster - quality of life is normal before disaster strikes

2) relief (hrs -> days) - hazard has occurred -> immediate relief = priority

3) rehabilitation (days -> weeks) - groups try return state of things back -> normal; food, shelter, water

4) reconstruction (weeks -> years) - infrastructure, crops, property are invested in to return back to previous state

Question 17

What does Park’s disaster response curve demonstrate?

Answer 17

shows the time dimensions of resilience, from when a hazard strikes to when a place or community returns to ‘normal’ operation

Question 18

How are earthquake events modified?

Answer 18

Micro approaches - strengthening individual buildings and structures against hazardous stress
e.g. schools and hospitals and public buildings strengthened through ‘retrofit’

Question 19

Give an example of a high-profile tectonic event which occurred in Iceland, what impacts did this have

Answer 19

Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption

-march 2010

-large ash plume -> interrupted 100,000 air journeys
-> this impacted imports, exports
-> some car manufacturers couldnt produce

Question 20

Give an example of a high-profile tectonic event which occurred in Japan, what impacts did this have

Answer 20

-earthquake magnitude 9.0, march 2011 produced tsunami along tohoku

-15,749 dead

-> led to loss of trust with japanese gov
-> tsunami hit fukushima nuclear power plant -> disabled power supply & radioactive releases -> contaminated water leaked from plant into Pacific ocean

Question 21

Where do hazard hotspots generally form

Answer 21

form where plate boundaries intersect with major storm belts

Question 22

How do tectonic mega disasters impact businesses economically

Answer 22

high value manufacturing is at risk -> JIT business model -> disasters will mean transport of materials is delayed -> can’t make products

-impacts wider global TNCs

-e.g. 2016 kumamoto, japan earthquakes -> broke supply chains -> honda in swindon, uk -> 3 day week due to lack of parts

Question 23

compare phillipenes, cali pg 39

Question 24

Name 6
4 ways you can reduce the risk of a tectonic disaster using the risk disk model

Answer 24

disaster response -> quick, local participation

disaster preparedness -> early warning, evacuation

disaster mitigation -> hazard proof infrastructure

adaptation to climate change -> coastal retreat, local coping strategies, reduction of emissions

Question 25

What is a risk disc and what does it show

Answer 25

model that explains reasons for a decline in deaths in terms of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery

Question 26

Name the 6 stages included in the hazard management cycle

Answer 26

1) emergency response

2)initial recovery (rehab)

3) reconstruction

4) return to normality

5) appraisal of lessons learned

6) improving preparedness

Question 27

Name the 4 physical factors in which affect response to hazards

Answer 27

-geographical accesibility of location

-type of hazard - scale, impact, magnitude, freq

-topography of region

-climate

Question 28

Name 7 human factors that affect response to hazards

Answer 28

-number of people involved

-degree of community preparedness

-tech resources

-scentific understanding, expertise

-education, training

-economic wealth

-infrastructure

Question 29

What can Park’s model be used for

Answer 29

can be used to plan & understand risk

helps better prepare for future events

Question 30

What is the swiss cheese model of disaster

Answer 30

form of risk management analysis

-idea of layered security (like layered cheese)

-layers represent safety systems
-holes in cheese represent weaknesses in line of defence

and that an accident occurs when the holes in cheese line up to form one big hole

Question 31

What does the swiss cheese model convey in terms of hazards and disasters

Answer 31

highlights that disaster can be linked to single hazard events

-cascade of other events (e.g. multiple holes in a line) -> disaster -> loss of life, property

Question 32

Name the 2 ways to reduce disaster, hazard risk according to the swiss cheese model

Answer 32

-reducing number of holes in each layer (number of systemic weaknesses)

-reducing size of the holes in each layer (weaknesses)

Question 33

Name the 3 actions undertaken to mitigate the impacts of a tectonic hazard

Answer 33

-modify the hazard event

-modify vulnerability & resilience

-modify potential financial loss

Question 34

Name 3 ways you could modify the hazard event

Answer 34

-strengthening coastal defences against tsunamis

-divert/ chill lava flows

-^ stability of slopes -> reduce landslides

Question 35

Name 3 ways you can modify vulnerability

Answer 35

prediction, forecasting and warnings (hi-tech monitoring) -> evacuations -> saves lives

community preparedness & education -> low cos, saves lives

adaptation - moving out of harms way, relocation -> saves lives, doesnt work with high pop densities

Question 36

Name 3 stratgies used to modify loss

Answer 36

short term aid -> search & rescue, food, water, shelter -> keeps ppl alive until long term aid

long-term aid -> reconstruction, rebuilding area -> improves reslience - land use planning

insurance -> compensation to replace losses - allows ppl to recover economically

Question 37

What is disaster aid

Answer 37

aid flows to countries & victims via govs& NGOs

-long-term -> used for relief, rehab, reconstruction

-appropriate for middle, lower-income countries/

Question 38

What is international governmental aid

Answer 38

-used in emerging, developing countries

-financial load is spread throughout tax payers of country

Question 39

What is the Hyogo & Sendai approach

Answer 39

strategic, systematic approach to reducing vulnerability and risks to hazards

-does this by building resilience

Question 40

Hyogo & Sendai approach -> 4 aims

Answer 40

-understand disaster risk

-to strengthen government to manage disaster risk

-invest in disaster-risk reduction -> resilience, preparedness

-‘build back better’ in recovery, rehab, reconstruction

Question 41

What is the The Risk Poverty Nexus

Answer 41

it states that poverty is both a contributing factor and consequence
of a natural hazard.

Question 42

Name the 4 types of inequality impacting a communities resilience to a hazard

Answer 42

Asset inequality – Relates to housing and security of tenure and also agricultural productivity.

▪ Political inequality – Where certain groups of people, usually the wealthy and elite, hold quite a lot of power and political influence.

▪ Social status inequality – Often directly linked to space and has a bearing on other dimensions of inequality, including the ability of individuals and groups to secure regular
income and access services.

▪ Entitlement inequality – Refers to unequal access to public services and welfare systems as well as inequalities in the application of rule of law.

Question 43

Name the 4 factors that contribute to a populations vulnerability

Answer 43

▪ Unstable political governance and/or corruption - a lack of political cohesion can impact on how prepared a country is for a hazard and can also negatively impact response and recovery efforts after the event.

▪ Population density - the higher the population density the more people affected by a hazard.

▪ Geography isolation and accessibility - remote, rural areas often have poor transport links which can negatively effect rescue efforts.

▪ Level of urbanisation - urban areas tend to be worse affected by hazards due to two factors: urban areas are densely populated (see above) and also have larger amounts of
infrastructure meaning there is more economic damage.

Question 44

Name 4 ways governments can reduce the impacts of a tectonic hazard

Answer 44

▪ Meeting basic needs - When food supply, water supply and health needs are met, the population is generally less vulnerable to secondary hazards such as diseases.

▪ Planning - Land-use planning can reduce risk by preventing people living in areas of high risk. Secondary hazards may be made worse by deforestation
.
▪ Preparedness - Education and community preparation programmes raise awareness and teach people how to prepare, evacuate and act when a disaster strikes.

▪ Corruption - If government politicians accept bribes and do unethical things, then vulnerability would increase as money would be invested in crucial areas like emergency
services.