Hazardous Earth SG5 Flashcards
What are three reasons we are now more at risk from tectonic hazards?
Urbanisation (high population and building density), Increasing global population, Climate change
What are three reasons we are now less at risk from tectonic hazards?
Aseismic design, Education/preparedness, Improved technology (communication and monitoring)
Define Hazard
A natural event with the POTENTIAL to threaten life and property
Define Disaster
A natural event which DOES impact a population
What certain numbers need to be reached for a natural event to be called a disaster?
10 deaths and 100 people affected
What is the Disaster Risk equation?
Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability/Capacity to Cope
Define Risk
The likelihood that humans will be seriously affected by a hazardous event
Define Vulnerability
How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard
Define Capacity to Cope
The ability of people, organisations and systems (using available skills and resources) to manage risk or disasters
Define Resilience
The ability too ‘spring back’ from the impacts of a hazard
What does capacity to cope require?
Continuing awareness, Resources and Good management, both in normal times as well as during disasters
What are three socio-economic factors which influence a population’s degree of vulnerability to tectonic hazards?
Building design and quality, Level of development, Insurance
What are three physical factors which influence a population’s degree of vulnerability to tectonic hazards?
Type of hazard, Frequency, Location of epicentre
What are three political factors which influence a population’s degree of vulnerability to tectonic hazards?
Stability of the government, Government strategies to protect population, Government spending
What fraction of the world’s population will be urban by 2050?
2/3
What does the World Risk Index consider?
A number of factors which affect the level of risk to disasters
What are the four categories of the World Risk Index?
Exposure, Susceptibility, Coping capacity, Adaptive capacity
True or False: The number of recorded geophysical disasters has increased over the last 50 years
True
True of False: Deaths caused by tectonic hazards has fallen in recent decades
False
True or False: The total number of people affected by geophysical disasters has increased in recent years
True
True or False: The economic impact of tectonic hazards has tended to decrease through time
False
Why are none of the top 5 tectonic disasters volcanic eruptions?
Earthquakes can be more unpredictable, Earthquakes impact larger amounts of people due to there being lower population densities around volcanoes
What are five reasons data about disasters can be unreliable?
Differences in opinions over whether secondary deaths count, Difficult to collect statistics, Location bias, Political bias, Difficulty interpreting historical data
Define Hazard Management Cycle
How we respond to tectonic events can determine how large and how long lasting the disaster is
What is the Park’s Model of Disaster Response Curve?
An attempt to model the impact of a disaster from pre to post disaster
What is Stage 1 of the Park’s Model?
Occurs prior to the event and shows that quality of life is at its normal equilibrium level, People do their best to prevent and prepare for events
What is Stage 2 of the Park’s Model?
The hazard event occurs
What is Stage 3 of the Park’s Model?
The hazard event has happened and immediate relief is priority with search and rescue and medical attention underway, Quality of life drops and stays low for several hours to days
What is Stage 4 of the Park’s Model?
Where groups (e.g. government) tries to return the state of things back to normal (rehabilitation) by providing food, water and shelter to those who need it, Quality of life improves
What is Stage 5 of the Park’s Model?
Refers to the reconstruction and recovery, Quality of life returns to normal (sometimes higher than originally)
What five physical factors determine the rate at which quality of life deteriorates?
Type of hazard, Location of hazard, Magnitude of event, Length of occurrence, Speed of onset
What four human factors determine the rate at which quality of life deteriorates?
Building quality, Building density, Population density, Level of preparation (e.g. monitoring)
What three physical factors determine the rate at which quality of life improves?
Weather, Amount of damage done, Aftershocks
What six human factors determine the rate at which quality of life improves?
Community/international response, Crime, Speed and amount of aid, Coordination of agencies, Amount of money/insurance, Land use planning
What is the Sendai Framework?
Adopted by UN members in March 2015 and provides a comprehensive guidance for Disaster Risk Reduction
What is a key strategy of the Sendai Framework?
“Build Back Better” in order to reduce vulnerability and economic losses from a disaster
What are the Sustainable Development Goals (2015 to 2030)?
Latest UN initiative to improve the lives of people, especially in EDCs and LIDCs
What are three examples of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
No poverty, Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable cities and communities
Define Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
A systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster
What does Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aim to reduce?
Aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them
