Hazards: concept of a hazard Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a natural hazard?

A

A perceived event that threatens both life and property (cause disruptions to human systems or built environment) for example volcanic activity or tropical storms

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2
Q

What are the three types of natural hazards?

A
  1. Geophysical (volcanic, mass movement, tsunami)
  2. Atmospheric (storm, wildfire, drought)
  3. Hydrological (avalanche, flood)
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3
Q

What is the meaning of risk?

A

The likelihood that humans will be seriously affected by the hazard

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4
Q

What is the meaning of vulnerability?

A

How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard

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5
Q

What is meant by a disaster?

A

When a hazard has affected life and property

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6
Q

What are the common characteristics of natural hazards?

A
  • often short warning before the event
  • clear origins with distinctive effects
  • most loss of life happens after the event
  • scale and intensity of events requires emergency response
  • exposure to risk is involuntary
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7
Q

What is a geophysical hazard?

A

Originate from solid earth, driven by the Earth’s internal energy

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8
Q

What is an atmospheric hazard?

A

Originate in the atmosphere, driven by meteorological and

climatic processes

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9
Q

What is a hydrological hazard?

A

Originate in surface and subsurface freshwater and saltwater, driven by processes in the water bodies

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10
Q

What are the reasons why people make themselves vulnerable to hazards?

A
  • events are unpredictable
  • lack of alternatives due to social/political/economic/cultural factors
  • level of risk has changed over time
  • benefits may outweigh risks
  • individual perception
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11
Q

How does vulnerability vary over time and space?

A
  • as wealth and technology of a place greatly influence the impacts of a natural hazard
  • wealthy/high HDI countries are able to invest in protection (e.g. sea walls, emergency services) or have the resources for widespread education of hazards and risks
  • poor/low HDI countries don;’t have capacity or wealth to implement strategies
  • for example rapid urbanisation forces people to live in hazardous conditions
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12
Q

What are some economic factors that influence hazard perception?

A
Socio-economic status
Level of Education
Occupation/Employment status
Religion/culture/ethnic background
Family status
Past experience
Values, personality and expectations
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13
Q

How does socio-economic status influence hazard perception?

A
  • wealthier areas = strong sense of being prepared as they’ve built communities to withstand hazard
  • poorer areas may view it as a way of life
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14
Q

How does education influence hazard perception?

A

better understanding of risks or know how to mitigate them

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15
Q

What is fatalism hazard perception?

A

A view of a hazard event that suggests that people cannot influence the outcome, nothing can be done to mitigate it, outcome becomes “God’s Will”

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16
Q

What is adaptation hazard perception?

A

Attempts by people/communities to live with hazards events by adjusting their living conditions to reduce level of vulnerability
- believe that they can survive through preparing, prediction and protection depending on economic/technological circumstances

17
Q

What is the fear hazard perception?

A

Move away from the region as they feel so vulnerable against natural hazards, unable to face living there

18
Q

What is community preparedness/risk sharing?

A

Involves prearranged measure that aim to reduce the loss of life and property damage through public education, awareness programmes, evacuation procedures and provision of emergency supplies

19
Q

What are the similarities in hazard perception between high and low HDI countries?

A

Similarities:

In all countries, there are different perceptions including fatalism (acceptance), adaptation and fear.

20
Q

What are the differences in hazard perception between high and low HDI countries?

A

Differences:
People in high HDI countries are more likely to perceive that they can adapt to hazards because of their wealth and high levels of education.

People in low HDI countries may be more likely to perceive hazards with fear and fatalism, due to limited economic resources to adapt and low levels of education, which mean they do not understand how to mitigate.

21
Q

What is hazard perception?

A

Hazard perception means the way that people react to the threat of hazards. It is influenced by both economic and socio-cultural factors.

22
Q

Q: Assess the extent to which people’s perception of hazards is likely to affect their responses to them [9 marks]

A
  • how far perception factors influence response (e.g. adaptation, fatalism, fear)
  • how far do other factors influence response (wealth, education, cultural factors etc)
  • mini conclusion about how far people’s perception affects response to them
  • however other factors like wealth or culture can create the perception
23
Q

What influences the success of attempts to manage hazards?

A
  • hazard incidence, magnitude and distribution (power and areal extent of the hazard)
  • level of development (often determine the extent of impacts)
24
Q

Case study of fatalistic hazard perception: economic determinants?

A

Haiti

  • highly degraded environment
  • poor quality of settlement, poverty stricken
  • corrupt/poor government led to no action
  • broken economy with lack of welfare
25
Q

Case study of fatalistic hazard perception: cultural determinants?

A

Haiti

  • voodoo beliefs
  • God determines when a person lives or dies, your destiny decides life
  • hope within after life being a greater improvement than current life
  • deforestation has released spirits to cause earthquakes and natural disaster
  • all families having intertwined with these beliefs
26
Q

Case study of adaptation hazard perception: economic determinants?

A

Los Angeles, California USA

  • $600 million annual public protection budget
  • USA has a GDP of $19 trillion USD
  • earthquake proof/resistant buildings
  • LA have their own Emergency management department
27
Q

Case study of adaptation hazard perception: cultural determinants?

A

Los Angeles , California USA

  • entrepreneurial look at life, they can build themselves up and achieve anything
  • positive outlooks after disasters, positive focus on rebuilding
  • culture of trust in experts and authorities
28
Q

Discuss whether hazard perception is mainly determined by economic factors

A
  • use haiti and LA examples to outline economic factors

- cultural factors also play a large role, more important than economic, in Haiti and LA