3.1.1 Introduction to Natural Hazards

Question 1

What is a hazard?

Answer 1

Something that’s a potential threat to human life or property.

Question 2

What are the three types of natural hazards?

Answer 2

• Geophysical hazards (caused by land processes) – these include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis.
• Atmospheric hazards (caused by climatic processes) – these include tropical cyclones, storms, droughts, extremes of hot or cold weather and wildfires.
• Hydrological hazards (caused by water movement) – these include floods and avalanches.

Question 3

Give examples of geophysical, atmospheric and hydrological hazards

Answer 3

Question 4

Risk

Answer 4

The likelihood that humans will be seriously affected by a hazard.

Question 5

Vulnerability

Answer 5

How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard.

Question 6

Primary impacts

Answer 6

Impacts that have an immediate effect on the affected area, such as destruction of infrastructure and buildings.

Question 7

Secondary impacts

Answer 7

Impacts that happen after the disaster has occurred, such as disease, economic recession and contaminates of water supplies.

Question 8

What factors affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 8

• Wealth
• Religion
• Education
• Past experience
• Personality

Question 9

How does wealth affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 9

e.g. richer people may be able to afford to move to areas that are less prone to hazards, or to build their homes to withstand hazards, so they may perceive the risk as smaller.

Question 10

How does religion affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 10

e.g. some people view hazards in acts of God, sent to punish people.

Question 11

How does education affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 11

e.g. people with more education might have a better understanding of the risks of hazards, or they may believe that they are able to reduce the risks or mitigate the impacts.

Question 12

How does past experiences affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 12

e.g. people who live in hazard-prone areas may have experienced hazards before, which may affect the perceived risk from future hazards.

Question 13

How does personality affect people’s perceptions of hazards?

Answer 13

e.g. some people fear hazards and others might think of them as exciting

Question 14

Fatalism

Answer 14

Acceptance that hazards are a natural part of living in a certain area.

• Some communities would go as far as to say hazards are “Gods Will”. Losses are accepted as inevitable, and people stay where they are. – Common in LICs.

Question 15

Acceptance

Answer 15

People accept the risk of living near a hazard.

Cost Benefit Analysis – they believe there are more advantages than disadvantages.

Question 16

Adaptation

Answer 16

People see that they can prepare for, and therefore survive events by prediction, prevention and protection. – Common in HICs.

Question 17

Fear

Answer 17

The perception of the hazard is such that people feel so vulnerable to an event that they are no longer able to face living in the area and move away. E.g. 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.