Hazards- Categorisation and Perception Flashcards
Cultural factors affecting hazard perception
- people have lived for generations with the threat (part of their daily lives)
- peoples lives are intrinsically linked to the hazard eg. Iceland’s geothermal energy
- people feel they have enough knowledge that their vulnerability is low
Economic factors affecting hazard perception
- people in the developed world are educated about hazards
- people are exposed to news reports in MICs, skewing their views
- poorer nations may consider risk vs reward
- LICs may have a lack of perceived danger
- uneducated on the risks the hazards pose
- richer nations can adapt and may have mitigated the risks
Avalanches
- slide of large snow mass down a mountainside
- caused when a build up of snow
- major danger faced in winter
Landslides
- elements of the ground (eg. Rocks, trees etc.)
- caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or ground instability
Mudflows
- a special case of landslides
- heavy rainfall causes lose soil on steep terrain to collapse
- lahars are related to these
Floods
- result of prolonged rainfall from a storm
- causes widespread damage to areas downstream
- tropical cyclones can result in extensive flooding
Wildfires
- uncontrolled fire burning in woodland areas
- common causes include lightening, droughts, human negligence or arson
- can produce ember attacks (floating embers set fire to buildings)
Cyclonic storms
- a system that forms over oceans
- hurricane used for Atlantic and eastern Pacific
- tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean, typhoon in western Pacific
Tornado
- natural disaster resulting from a thunderstorm
- violent rotating columns of air (50-300mph)
Fatalism
- people are used to experiencing the hazard and may have lived through events many times (eg. Typhoons in the Philippines)
- as such these events are normal to them so they don’t fear them
Adaptation/adjustment
- when a town/city starts to change their way of living to fit natural disasters into their everyday lives
- building structures, types of research, way governments react all change due to past experience
Prediction
-knowing when a hazard will occur significantly improves the chances of a lower death toll
Predicting hazards may be done in many ways:
-satellite monitoring around volcanoes
-geological ground changes-earthquakes
The most common response resulting from these is evacuation
Mitigation
- any action taken to reduce or eliminate the threat to property or human life as a result of a natural hazard.
- this includes the ideas of adoption and preparation, but can also include anything done on an individual level
- any mitigation carried out goes through CBA to ensure that it is economically viable
Risk sharing
- works on the principle that spreading the risk reduces any one individuals risk, therefore making it more acceptable
- may also involve spreading the financial burden imposed by possible management or adaptation strategies (so MORE EXPENSIVE ones can be put in place)
Management
- the degree of management carrier out depends on the wealth of the nation eg. Japan spends billions on its tsunami warning systems, while the Philippines relies on basic weather reports
- this shows great disparity in how nations at different stages of development manage natural hazards
- little can be done about some hazards eg. Wildfires
What does The Park Model consider?
Considers how the standard of living and economic status of an effected country changes following an event
The Park Model- relief phase
- immediate response
- focus on saving lives and property
- charity organisations help with search&rescue
- urgent medical supplies, rescue equipment, clothing and food brought in
The Park Model- rehabilitation phase
- may last for several months
- restore physical and community structures
The Park Model- reconstruction, mitigation and preparedness
- permanent changes introduces
- restore quality of life and economic stability to pre disaster level
- includes mitigation- reduce vulnerability
