🌋Case Study - Philippines Multihazardous Flashcards
What hazards does the Philippines endure?
Droughts
Earthquakes
Floods
Tropical Storms
Volcanoes
Wildfires
What is the most frequent hazard event in the Philippines?
Tropical cyclones
What percentage of all disasters in South East Asia occur in the Philippines?
30%
Where does the Philippines rank on the list of most exposed countries in the world?
8th
How many volcanoes does the Philippines have?
220
How many typhoons does the Philippines have a year?
Around 20, 5-7 of which are destructive
What are floods triggered by?
Frequent typhoons
What is the annual damage expected to cost?
£3 million
What is the NDCC?
The National Disaster Co-ordinating Council
How is climate change affecting the Philippines?
It is seeing longer periods of drought and El Nino, causing a drop in agricultural production and GDP
What has increased as a result of declining forest cover in the Philippines?
Flash flooding and landslides
What does the NDCC do?
It is responsible for disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation, an inter agency organisation
How is the UNDP involved in the Philippines?
It is involved in hazard mapping and assessing the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards
What is PHIVOLCS?
An institution dedicated to providing information on activity of volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis in the Philippines
Why does the Philippines experience volcanic hazards?
It is on the boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Plates
How have people histroically adapted their homes to cope with disaster?
Building them out of palm and bamboo so that they were easily rebuilt and less likely to injure people in earthquakes and storms
What do Philippine farmers focus on?
Reduction of crop loss rather than efficiency or yield due to famine
How do farmers help to minimise crop losses?
By encouraging crop diversity so that there is secure food source during times of climatic change
What types of plants are commonly planted in the area?
sweet potato, garlic and onions as they grow underground so are usually unaffected by events above ground
How many people were killed by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption?
Between 900 and 1000
How have communities in the Philippines adapted?
More self reliant
Dependent on their own resources
Less likely to look to the government for help
What can happen at the plate boundary?
The plates can become locked as the Philippine plate is subducted