Hazardous Setting Flashcards
How might the L’Aquila area of Italy be at risk of hazards?
Fault lines run North to South in Italy following the Apennine mountain range, Earthquakes are hence common in the L’Aquila area, three earthquakes hit the area in 1997 alone, that year it killed around 300 people and the cost was around $15 billion. There was a major earthquake in 2009.
How has the character of the area been affected by the earthquake hazards in the area?
SOCIAL
>Many history buildings in the city were destroyed and people were rehoused in new suburban new towns, many younger people left the area after businesses were destroyed and jobs limited, this changed the demographic make-up of the city and the architectural character of the city.
> Attendance at religious and social events is markedly down and many business and churches have suffered.
> Many residents suffer from mental health issues because of the threat.
ECONOMIC
> The university was badly damaged beyond repair which reduced the number of students in the city, which had a huge economic knock on effect.
> The Italian government has strong commitments to making the area economically stronger than it was before the earthquake, in this case the earthquake would have indirectly made the area busier and more economically affluent than before.
POLITICAL
> Tension exists between the residents and officials about how little adequate warning they were given to more recent weaker earthquake events.
> There is growing discontent amongst locals at the little rebuilding work that has been completed and the lack of community involvement.
