3.1.5.1 concept of hazard Flashcards
What is a natural hazard?
- potential threat to human life and property caused by an event
- it can be human caused or naturally caused
- natural event becomes a hazard when it presents a threat to human life
Is a disaster the same as a hazard?
Disaster is not the same as a hazard as these are when a vulnerable population is exposed to a hazard according to Degg’s model: 10 or more killed, 100 or more affected, declaration of state of emergency by relevant government and request of international assistance by government
What are the 3 types of hazard?
Geophysical, atmospheric and hydrological
What is a geophysical hazard?
Hazards caused by land processes, mainly tectonic plates e.g. earthquakes
What is an atmospheric hazard?
Hazards caused by atmospheric processes and the conditions created because of these, such as the weather systems e.g. wildfires
What is a hydrological hazard?
Hazards caused by water bodies and movement e.g. floods
Are hazards only one of 3 types of geographical hazard?
No - can be classed as a mixture of these geographical processes e.g. a tropical storm could be classed as a hydrological-atmospheric hazard/hydrometeorological hazard as both of these processes contribute to hazard
What is hazard perception?
People have different viewpoints of how dangerous hazards are and what risks they pose relying on lifestyle factors
What are the lifestyle factors that affect hazard perception?
Wealth, education, experience, religious beliefs and mobility
How does wealth affect hazard perception?
If you are wealthy you may perceive the hazard will have less impact because you are less vulnerable having stronger houses and the transport to be able to evacuate
OR
Greater risk as there is more property that can be damaged and more financial loss
How does experience affect hazard perception?
More experience means you have a better understanding of the full effects however studies also suggest people who have more experience have a more optimistic unrealistic outlook on future events - ‘lightening never strikes the same place twice’ mentality
How does education affect hazard perception?
More education means you understand full effect and what to do when a hazard hits and the process of evacuation
How do religious beliefs affect hazard perception?
Some may view hazards as put there for a reason by God’s will or that it is a natural cycle of life, having a positive outlook
OR those who believe in environmental conservation may perceive hazards to be a huge risk to natural environments
How does mobility affect hazard perception?
Limited access to escape a hazard increases threat
- secluded location
- impaired disability or illness
- can’t leave area quickly
What is a passive response to a hazard?
No effort to lessen a hazard
Fatalism - viewpoint that natural hazards are uncontrollable events and any losses should be accepted as nothing can be done to stop them - God’s will
What is an active response to a hazard?
Strategies to lower hazard risk - prediction, adaptation, mitigation, management, risk sharing
Explain prediction
Using scientific research and past events to know when a hazard will take place
- warnings may be delivered and impacts reduced
- some cases hazards can be prevented when predicted early enough e.g. prediction wildfires from climate red flags
Explain adaptation
Attempting to live with hazards by adjusting lifestyle choices so that vulnerability to the hazard is lessened e.g. earthquake proof houses
Explain mitigation
Strategies carried out to lessen the severity of a hazard e.g. sandbags to offset impacts of flooding
Explain management
coordinated strategies to reduce a hazard’s effects - includes prediction, adaptation and mitigation
Explain risk sharing
form of community preparedness - community shares risk and invests collectively to mitigate impacts of future hazards
Example of risk sharing
New Zealand is a multi-hazardous environment with threats from tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and weather-related hazards.
Cost of these hazards are huge e.g. Canterbury earthquake 2010 cost New Zealand 20% of its national GDP. Attempts to share the risk by insurance investment so strategies can be put in place before the disasters rather than investing more in a cleanup
What are the aspects of hazards that affect human responses?
Incidence, distribution, intensity, magnitude, level of development
How does incidence affect human responses to hazards?
Incidence refers to frequency of a hazard
Low incidence - harder to predict and less management strategies put in place meaning more catastrophic when eventually occurs - usually more intense than high incidence hazards
e.g. 36 recorded earthquakes since 1500 with 8.5+ magnitude but millions of earthquakes too weak to count/be recorded thought to happen every year