Concept of Hazards

Question 1

What are 3 types of hazards?

Answer 1

• geophysical
• atmospheric
• hydrological

Question 2

What is a hazard?

Answer 2

a perceived event that threatens life and property. they may cause loss of life and/or damage to the built environment

Question 3

What is meant by the term ‘risk’?

Answer 3

the likelihood of a population or person to be severly impacted byu a hazardous event

Question 4

Give 3 common characteristics of hazards

Answer 4

• exposure to risk is involuntary
• has long-term and short-term impacts
• little/no warning before hand
• origins are clear and effects are distinctive

Question 5

What is meant by the term ‘perception’?

Answer 5

the way in which a group/individual may view a hazardous event

Question 6

Give 5 factors that impact the perception of a hazard

Answer 6

• socio-economic factors
• education
• employment status
• past experience
• family/marital status

Question 7

Outline fatalism as a perception of hazards

Answer 7

hazards are natural events that cannot be controlled. Actions are concerned with safety, and losses are accepted as inevitable

Question 8

Outline adaptation as a perception of hazards

Answer 8

attempting to live with hazards by adjusting lifestyle choices so vulnerability is lessened (eg EQ proof buildings)

Question 9

Outline fear as a perception of hazards

Answer 9

people feel so vulnerable to and afraid of a hazardous event that they move away to areas they perceive to be unaffected

Question 10

What is risk sharing?

Answer 10

A form of community preparedness where communities collectively share risk and invest to mitigate the impacts of future hazards

Question 11

What are primary effects?

Answer 11

impacts that are a direct result from a hazardous event

Question 12

What are secondary effects?

Answer 12

Effects that result from the primary impact(s) of the hazard event

Question 13

Briefly explain the disaster/risk management cycle

Answer 13

a model that illustrates the ongoing process by which governments/businesses prepare, react and recover from a disaster

Question 14

Give 2 reasons why people might continue to live somewhere where they are at risk from hazards

Answer 14

• Lack of alternatives
• technological capability
• financial opportunities

Question 15

What are 2 ways people can be protected from hazards?

Answer 15

community preparedness and modifications to the built envt.

Question 16

What are 2 negatives of using the risk/disaster management cycle?

Answer 16

• Not a universal model
• Doesn’t capture the complexity of a crisis

Question 17

What are 2 positives of using the risk/disaster management cycle?

Answer 17

• Analysis is useful to know how to change impacts in the future
• can be used by organisations to plan for the events of a hazard and reduce vulnerability

Question 18

what is meant by the term ‘vulnerability’?

Answer 18

The risk of exposure to hazards combined with an inability to cope with them.

Question 19

What is meant by ‘resilience’?

Answer 19

The ability of a population or environment to resist, accomodate to and recover from hazourdous events

Question 20

Which model shows the concept of natural disasters?

Answer 20

Degg’s Model

Question 21

Outline what is shown in Degg’s Model?

Answer 21

a disaster occurs when a vulnerable population is exposed to a hazard, hazards which affect populations that are not vulnerable are not considered disasters

Question 22

What is prediction?

Answer 22

using scientific research and past events to know when a hazard will take place, so warnings can be given and impacts reduced

Question 23

What is mitigation?

Answer 23

actions that aim to lessen the severity of the hazard