Multi Hazard Environment - Philippines

Question 1

Locate the philipeans

Answer 1

Islands in south east Asia

Between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn

Question 2

What geophysical hazards do the Philippines suffer from?

Answer 2

Volcanic
Seismic
Landslides

Question 3

What hydro-meterological hazards does the Philippines’s suffer from?

Answer 3

Tropical storms
Floods / draughts
Landslides

Question 4

Describe why the cities of Manilia and Luzon are both very vulnerable to hazards

Answer 4

Rapid urbanisation
Very densely populated
Many live in informal accommodation
Wide spread economic deprivation

Question 5

Describe volcanic hazards in the Philippines, give some facts about the most recent event

Answer 5

Major destructive plate margin, Philippine plate sub ducting under Eurasian plate, many settlements built around Mt Pinatubo due to fertile land.
Pinatubo eruption 1991
Death toll : 700
Homeless : 200,000
Much of the agricultural land destroyed

Question 6

Describe seismic hazards in the Philippines, name and give facts about two specifc earthquakes

Answer 6

Located in the Pacific ring of fire
Hit by earthquakes every year over 6 on richter scale
Luszon island - 1990, 7.8 on richter scale killed 1500
Moro gulf - 1976 , 7.9 on richter scale killed 5000 and created a tsunami with waves 5 meters high

Question 7

Describe tropical storms in the Philippines with reference to one in paticullar

Answer 7

20 tropical storms per year, as its located within the tropics
Typhoon Haiyan in 2013
300Km/h winds and 5 meter high storm surges
1 million homes destroyed
6201 deaths

Question 8

Describe the human responses to hazards in the Philippines

Answer 8

Hazard perception is different there, they understand the risks and live with them more. - more experienced
Widening rivers near settlements
Stockpile food
Work towards large scale resistance.
E.g. Embankments, public awareness, warning systems, prevent new buildings in prone areas

Question 9

Describe long term change in the hazards experienced in the Philippines

Answer 9

Magnitude of seismic and volcanic hazards wont change
But more vulnerable due to increasing urbanisation and more densely populated areas
Deforestation continuing causes reduced interception etc so chance of flooding increased
Global warming increases ocean temperatures, makes storms more intense