EQ2 Flashcards
What is a natural hazard?
A natural process with the potential to cause loss of life, injury, property damage and socio economic disruption. A hazard cannot be a hazard if it does not threaten human life
What is a disaster?
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society, involving widespread human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts. The community is unable to cope with disasters using only their resources
What is a catastrophe?
- A disaster which has profound impacts on life and property and/or there are:
- Over 2000 deaths
- Over 200,000 made homeless
- GDP of a country is reduced by 5%
- Dependence on foreign aid for a year or more after the event
What is risk?
The probability of a hazard event causing harmful consequences (loss of life, injuries, damage)
What is vulnerability?
- The geographical conditions that increase the susceptibility of a community to a hazard or the impact of a hazard
- It depends on the ability to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from a hazard
What is resilience?
- The ability of a community exposed to hazards to resist, absorb and recover from the effects of a hazard
- It is determined by the extent to which the community has the necessary resources and ability to organise itself during times of need
What does degg’s model show?
- It says that disasters only occur when a vulnerable population is exposed to a hazard
- It shows that there is an interaction between physical and human factors in relation to disasters
What does the pressure and release (PAR) model show?
- It shows that the risk faced by people is a combination of vulnerability and hazard
- It aims to show that there has to be a hazard and vulnerability for a disaster to occur
- Vulnerability might increase if a country becomes less prepared for a disaster
Vulnerability is divided into:
- Root causes
- Dynamic pressure
- Unsafe conditions
Japan Earthquake 2011
Key information:
- 11th March 2011
- 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami
- Caused a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant
Key impacts:
- 19,840 dead and missing
- 6,065 injured
- 130,927 made homeless
- $240billion economic cost
What government and development factors helped to reduce the impacts before and after the 2011 Japan earthquake?
- Good building codes and strict enforcement (helped by low levels of corruption) allowed many buildings to survive the earthquake: 75% of all Japanese buildings are constructed to be earthquake proof
- Well developed disaster plans including 10m high sea walls, marked evacuation routes, earthquake emergency kits and early warning systems helped to reduced the death toll
- There was a swift response, and within 24 hours 110,00 defence troops were mobilised as well as rescue teams from 20 other countries and all T.V and radio had switched to earthquake coverage telling people what to do
- The Bank of Japan offered $183billion to Japanese banks after the earthquake so that they could keep operating
China earthquake 2008
Key information:
- 12th May 2008
- 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan (S.W China)
Key impacts:
- 87,130 killed
- 375,000 injured
- 5 million made homeless
- $125.6 billion economic cost
What government and development factors helped to reduce the impacts before and after the China 2008 earthquake?
- Corrupt officials took bribes that allowed contractors to avoid building regulations and so many buildings could not withstand earthquakes: e.g. a school in Sichuan collapsed, killing 5335 children
- China’s central government responded quickly to the disaster and over 130,000 soldiers and relief workers were sent into the affected area and medical services were quickly restored
- China’s growing economy meant it was able to pay for the recovery and by 2010 almost all of the reconstruction had been completed and over 216 transport projects were under construction or had been completed
Haiti 2010
Key information:
- 12th January 2010
- 7.0 magnitude
- Shallow focus (13k)
- Epicentre was 24km from Port au Prince
Key impacts:
- 222,576 dead
- 300,000 injuries
- 1.3 million made homeless
- Many Government officials were killed and transport infrastructure was damage, slowing the response
- A cholera outbreak killed thousands and is still affecting many to this day
What governmental and development factors impacted the impacts of the Haiti 2010 earthquake?
- Lack of building regulations meant that many buildings were poorly built and so many collapsed
- Lack of disaster preparation meant that emergency services were unable to properly respond to the earthquake
