Global Hazards Flashcards
Geophysical hazards
Formed by geological/tectonic events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis
Hydro-meterorological hazards
Formed by hydrological (floods) and atmospheric (storms and droughts)
Context hazards
The widespread threats arising from global environmental changes such as climate change or from a major hazard such as a super volcanos
Disasters
The realisation of hazards to cause social impacts such as loss of lives and livelihoods and economic impacts such as damage to goods and property
Risk
The probability Of a hazard occurring and becoming a disaster as a result of deaths and loss of livelihoods
Vulnerability
The human development including inequalities of income, opportunity and income
Risk equation
Risk (R) = frequency or magnitude of hazard (H) x level of vulnerability (V) divided by capacity of population to cope and adapt
Why is the world more at risk?
The frequency and magnitude of hazards are increasing with climate change is
Vulnerability is increasing as a result of
Unsustainable development leading to poor land use and environmental degrading
The capacity to cope is decreasing
Owing to poverty and urbanisation
Climate change
Is any marked trend or shift in climate (average weather over 30years) that shows a sustained change in the average value of any climate change element
Climate variability
The deference in climate from one year to another
Environmental hazards
The threat posed to humans and the environment by natural events
Global warming
A consistent recent rise in the average surface temperature of the planet
Greenhouse effect
A natural process that warms the earths atmosphere due to the trapping of heat that would otherwise be radiated back into space
