Core Knowledge Quiz 1 Flashcards
What is a natural Hazard?
Events that are seen as a hazard to people, the built environment and the natural environment. they occur in the physical environments of the atmosphere, lithosphere and and the hydrosphere. Risk to human population.
What are 5 characteristics of natural hazards?
- Origins are clear and their effects are distinctive eg. earthquakes cause buildings to collapse.
- Most only offer short or little warning
- Exposure to risk is involuntary in LICs, depends in NIC but HICs are fully at their own will as they know the dangers.
- Most damage of life and disaster happen shortly after the hazard although the effects on the community can be felt for a long time.
- The scale and intensity of the event requires an emergency response.
What do we mean by adaptation in the context of hazard?
Attempts by people and or communities to live in hazardous events. By adjusting their living conditions to live with the hazard and to reduce their vulnerability.
What do we mean by fatalism in context of hazard?
People cannot influence the shape or outcome therefore nothing can be done to mitigate against it. People with such an attitude put in place limited or no prevention measures. ‘God’s will’.
Why is perception important in the context of hazards?
People’s perception will ultimately decide and determine the source that individuals take or the response they respect from governments and other organisations.
Why do people consciously put themselves at risk from natural hazards?
- Hazard events are unpredictable - We cannot predict the frequency, magnitude or scale of a natural hazard event.
- Lack of alternatives - Due to social, political, economic and cultural factors, people cannot simply uproot themselves from one place and move to another, giving up their homes, land and employment.
- Changing the level of risk - Places that were once safe many have become through time far more at risk . – — Deforestation, for example could result in more flooding from torrential rain.
- Cost/benefit - Advantages of living somewhere outweigh the disadvantages e.g California
- Perception
What 7 factors influence people’s perception of natural hazards?
Socio-economic status,
Level of education,
Occupation/employment status
Religion, cultural/ethnic background
Family and marital status
Past experience
Values, personality and expectations
What are 3 ways people may perceive natural hazards?
Fatalism (acceptance)
Adaptation
Fear
What is community preparedness/risk sharing?
Involves prearranged measures that aim to reduce the loss of life and property damage through public education and awareness programme, evacuation procedures, the provision of emergency medical supplies and the taking out of insurance.
The distribution of a hazard though time is called the…
Frequency
The assessment of the size and impacts of a hazard event is known as the…
Magnitude
What is integrated risk management?
The process of considering the social, economic and political factors involved in risk analysis; determining the acceptability of damage/disruption; deciding on the actions to be taken to minimise damage/disruption
How do people and organisations manage natural hazards?
Prediction, Prevention and Protection
What do we mean by the term resilience?
The ability of individuals or communities to be able to utilize available resources to respond to, withstand and recover from the effects of natural hazards events. Communities that are resilient are able to minimise the effects of the event enabling them to return to normal life as soon as possible.
