Disaster Flashcards
Define ‘natural hazards’
The natural processes with the potential to affect people’s lives and property
Define ‘disaster’
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts which exceeds the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources
Define ‘risk’
The probability of harm or loss taking place including death, injury, trauma, damage or loss of property and disruption to economic activity
Why could an earthquake not be a hazard or a risk?
If people are not near the area or in danger
What is the purpose of the Degg’s model?
A venn diagram that shows the interaction between hazards, disaster and human vulnerability
What is disaster vulnerability in Degg’s model?
Physical environment: - unprotected buildings Socio-economic environment: - Poverty - Lack of preparation Local scale: - Lack of training/ food Macro scale: - Population change - Urbanisation - Debt repayment issues - Limited access to power structures
Describe haard events
High winds, floods, drought, landslides, tsunami, volcanic eruption, earthquake, biohazards and pests
Why is there a complex relationship between risk, hazards and people?
- Unpredictability
- Lack of alternatives
- Changing levels of risk
- Russian roulette (‘turn a blind eye’ to risk)
- Cost vs. benefit
Define ‘hazard vulnerability’
The capacity of a person or group to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impact of a natural hazard
What is the risk equation?
Hazard x exposure x (vulnerability/manageability) = lack of coping capacity
What result is low, moderate and high in the risk equation?
-3.9 low
4-6.9 moderate
7+ high
Describe the risk equation of Myanmar
Hazard + exposure = 8.2
Vulnerability = 5.9
Lack of coping capacity = 7.2
Overall risk = 7.0
Factors that affect vulnerability:
- RS
- CI
- GAP
- I
- RoT
- Response system
- Community initiatives
- Government assistant programmes
- Insurance
- Reliance on technology
Factors that affect vulnerability:
- PG
- HE
- U/US
- E
- AP
- Population growth
- Hard engineering
- Urbanisation/ Urban Sprawl
- Economy
- Ageing population
Factors that affect vulnerability:
- ED
- AI
- RoW/E
- Environmental degradation
- Ageing infrastructure
- Reliance of Water/ Electricity