Managing

Question 1

What does hazard management involve?

Answer 1

Hazard mitigation

Hazard adaptation

Question 2

What is hazard mitigation?

Answer 2

Strategies meant to avoid, delay or prevent hazard events

Question 3

What are examples of hazard mitigation?

Answer 3

Land-use zoning
Diverting lava flows
GIS mapping
Hazard-resistant design and engineering

Question 4

What is land-use zoning?

Answer 4

Process by which local government planners regulate how land in the community may be used (e.g. as residential, industrial or recreational)

Question 5

What does land-use zoning do?

Answer 5

In area at risk from volcanic eruptions and tsunami it’s an effective way to protect both people and property.

Question 6

How does land-use zoning work?

Answer 6

Those areas at risk, are divided into zones based on the likely type and level of damage from an hazard event.

They use hazard maps to make decisions about the appropriate use of land in what zone, as well as for preparatory task such as determining safe evacuation routes.

Question 7

What tends to happen in areas at high risk from volcanic eruptions and tsunami? (Land-use zoning).

Answer 7

Any settlements tend to be limited, if they’re allowed at all.

Certain types of structures and facilities will be prohibited - such as those that pose a risk if damaged (e.g. nuclear power station), or those that are critical for a community to function (e.g. hospitals).

Some communities may be resettled

Development in areas which provide natural protection will be limited

Question 8

What’s a example of people being resettled? (Land-use)

Answer 8

Along coast, deemed to be at risk of tsunami may be moved inland to higher ground.

Question 9

What’s an example of development in areas which provide natural protection being limited? (Land-use)

Answer 9

Coastal mangrove forests, which act as buffers and reduce the impact of tsunami waves.

Question 10

What’s land-use zoning like in different areas of development?

Answer 10

Common in wealthy countries

Less in some developing countries (e.g. Haiti).

A reason why hazard events often cause more deaths and destruction in developing countries.

Question 11

What is diverting lava flows?

Answer 11

Attempts to divert lava flows away from people and communities

Methods have included building barrier and digging channels in safer directions.

Question 12

Why has diverting lava flows been ineffective?

Answer 12

The path taken by lava is hard to predict - making it difficult to know where to build the walls or dig the channels

The terrain has to be suitable (e.g. with a downward slope, so the diverted lava can easily flow away.

Stopping the lava from flowing towards one community may push it towards another.

Question 13

What is GIS mapping?

Answer 13

Geographical information system

Can be used in all stages of the disaster management cycle.

E.g. to identify where evacuation routes should be placed (the preparedness stage), or to help with rescue and recovery options (response stage).

Question 14

What’s an example of GIS mapping?

Answer 14

2015 Nepal earthquake:

The locations and very rough population sizes of major towns and cities.
The areas affected by the earthquake.
The locations of airports and airstrips.

Question 15

How does GIS mapping help?

Answer 15

Helps aid agencies to identify most affected areas

To find nearest aircraft or helicopters carrying emergency supplies and relief.

Evacuation routes

Question 16

What is hazard resistant design and engineering defences?

Answer 16

Designing buildings and constructing buildings that can withstand hazard events more effectively is key to protecting lives and property.

Collapsing buildings are one of the main causes of death and damage from tectonic hazards.

Question 17

What are examples of hazard resistant design and engineering defences?

Answer 17

New buildings and structures (such as bridges) can be designed to resit ground shaking during earthquakes.

The roofs of houses built near volcanoes can be sloped to reduce the amount of ash that builds up on the = reduce the risk of them collapsing under the weight.

Buildings at risk from tsunami can be elevated and also anchored to their foundations to stop them floating away.

Existing buildings can be modified - called retrofitting - to make them safer, e.g. by strengthening the foundations.

Protective structures, such as seawalls or retaining walls, can be built to stop or slow the impact of tsunami waves and landslides.

Question 18

What do modern earthquake proof buildings tend to include?

Answer 18

Rubber shock absorbers between foundations and superstructure

Reinforced latticework foundations deep in bedrock

Birdcage interlocking steel frame

Reinforced lift shafts with tensioned cables

Panels of marble and glass flexibly anchored to steel superstructure

Rolling weights on roof to counteract shock waves

Question 19

What is hazard adaptation?

Answer 19

Strategies designed to reduce the impacts of hazard events

Question 20

What are examples of hazard adaptation?

Answer 20

High-tech monitoring 
Crisis mapping 
Modelling hazard impacts
Public education 
Community preparedness

Question 21

What is high-tech monitoring?

Answer 21

Allows scientists and others to learn more about these natural processes - in the hope of eventually being able to predict them more accurately further in advance.

Question 22

What are examples of high-tech monitoring?

Answer 22

GIS
Early warning systems
Satellite-communication technology
Mobile-phone technology

Question 23

What is GIS?

Answer 23

Helps to create hazard maps and manage hazards more effectively.

Question 24

What are early warning systems?

Answer 24

Use scientific instruments to detect signs that a volcanic eruption or tsunami is about to occur.

The relevant authorities can them be informed and rapid alerts issued to communities at risk.

Question 25

What is satellite-communication technology?

Answer 25

Helps to transmit the data from monitoring equipment, so that early warnings can be issued

Question 26

What is mobile-phone technology?

Answer 26

Is used to communicate rapid warnings and coordinate preparation activities.

E.g. in 2011 the Japanese government sent out text messages via mobile phone, warning of the earthquake

Question 27

What is crisis mapping?

Answer 27

It uses sourced information (collected by volunteers in various locations) as well as satellite imagery, other maps and statistical models to accurately map areas struck by disaster.

Agencies are now doing it before a disaster happens (pre-mapping vulnerable areas).

Question 28

Why is crisis mapping useful?

Answer 28

Used to help build a picture of the vulnerability of these communities.

To know where help is needed - e.g. where people are trapped or food/water

Eventually provide the basis for projects to improve their infrastructure and disaster preparedness.

Provide targeted help when the another disaster occurs.

Question 29

What is modelling hazard impact?

Answer 29

Computer models allow scientists to predict the impacts of hazard events on communities.

Info is fed into computer systems, which then model the effects of a disaster.

Question 30

What else does modelling hazard impact do?

Answer 30

They also allows scientists to compare the effects of different scenarios (e.g. the likely effects of a tsunami on a community if a seawall is built or not).

These computer models can then be used by decision makes to help them develop plans and strategies to reduce the impact of hazard events and target resources more effectively.

Question 31

How can public education help?

Answer 31

Good education and better public awareness case help to reduce vulnerability and prevent hazards from becoming disasters.

It helps people to understand what they can do to protect themselves before, during and after a hazard event.

Question 32

What does public education include?

Answer 32

Regularly practicing emergency procedures (earthquake drills) and the Japanese government also holds an annual disaster prevention day, which over 2 million people regularly participate.

Encouraging households and workplaces to create emergency preparedness kits.

Providing effective educational materials, such as information on constructing buildings to withstand earthquakes.

Question 33

What its community preparedness and adaptation?

Answer 33

People actually living in a community at risk from a natural hazard are often best placed to develop suitable preparedness plans and educate local residents.

This is especially true in low income countries, where the governments may not have the resources to invest heavily in disaster planning - or to reach all communities.

Question 34

Why is local knowledge an important part of community disaster preparedness?

Answer 34

During the 2004 tsunami, the elders of Thailand’s Moken tribe (a small community of fishermen) noticed usual moments in the Bay of Bengal.

They immediately ordered villagers to run to the hilltop.

Moments later the tsunami stuck, but as a result of their actions, only 1 out of the 200 villagers died.

Question 35

What do community preparedness activities usually involve?

Answer 35

Creating a list of vulnerable people who may need special assistance (e.g. the elderly)

Organising practice evacuation drills

Providing first-aid courses.