Hazards CS - The Philippines

Question 1

Background of the Philippines

Answer 1

• group of 7000 islands in the South China Sea in SE Asia
• vulnerable population of 98 million people
• 11 million people densely populated in mega city of Manila (the capital)
• GDP in Phillip new only $3000 per year resulting in decreased spending power on mitigation and adaptation from natural hazards limited

Question 2

Tsunami (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 2

• submarine earthquakes have triggered tsunamis in the phillipines
• tsunami that hit Mindanao in 1876 was 4.5 metres high and damaged 14 buildings

Question 3

Earthquakes (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 3

• pressure has created many faults on which earthquakes occur
• phillipines and Eurasian plate can become locked together as the phillipines plate is subducted
• between 1900 and 2011 22 deadly earthquakes occurred killing over 9500 and doing $230m in damage

Question 4

Landslides (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 4

• heavy rain sometimes within tropical storms leads to landslides which have killed hundreds since 1900
• clean up from landslides takes a vey long time to do

Question 5

Tropical storms (typhoons) (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 5

• typhoon Haiyan example
  -257 storm events since 1900 -> total cost in excess of $6.5 billion
• on average they experience 7-10 events a year

Question 6

Volcanic eruptions (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 6

• since 1900 there have been 22 deadly volcanic eruption
• largest recent eruption: 1991 Mt Pinatbo killing 500 people and led to a global atmospheric cooling and impacting hemispheric crop production
• since 1900 cost of eruptions has been over $2.3 billion

Question 7

Flooding (impact/frequency of hazard)

Answer 7

• coastal and river flooding is common (over 150 events since 1900)
• these displace hundreds of thousands of people

Question 8

Disaster management

Answer 8

• the national disaster risk reduction council is a working group of government, non-government, civil society, and private sector organisations and was established in 2009
• they are responsible for ensuring protection and welfare of people during disasters
• the natural disaster reduction and management act of 2010 was a landmark legislation -> shifted governments focus from emergency relief management (DRM) plan to implement the requirements set out by the legislation

Question 9

Structure

Answer 9

• 2018: comprehensive hazard management risk management handbook published + distributed widely
• agreed partnership many including: Red Cross, federal agriculture organisation, ActionAid, the Asian development bank and the Australian Aid (of these, Red Cross take responsibility for distribution of humanitarian air following natural disasters)
• 3 services for disaster information, mitigation and management:
  > the climate experiment project: software that calculates the percent change of rain (PCOR) or probability of rain using infrared and water vapour satelight image data and Doppler radar data in combination with statistical evaluation of historical rainfall
  > Nationwide operational assessment of Hazards (NOAH): aims to increase awareness + involves preparedness and reducing of catastrophic impacts to increase awareness.
  > Phillipine geoportal: advocates of standard multi-scale base maps that serve as tools strategic planning decision making, situational analysis and other common requirements