Multi Hazardous Enviroment Case Study - The Philippines Flashcards
What is the vulnerability - human factors
High population density eg) 11 million love along coast in Manila
Poverty - NEE inequality
Lack of investment in hazard protection
What is the risk of hazards?
Seismic hazards - high risk - pacific ring of fire
Volcanic hazards - high risk - pacific ring of fire
Tropical storm hazards - high risk - most exposed country in the world
Nature of hazards and their impacts - tropical storms
7-10 Typhoons per year - some very powerful eg) 2013 Typhoon Haiyan
Nature of hazards and their impacts - earthquakes
Subduction of Philippines plate under Eurasian plate
High frequency
Some very powerful
Landslides, tsunamis and heavy rainfall triggered by seismic activity
Nature of hazards and their impacts - volcanic eruptions
subduction – destructive margin – over 20 active volcanoes, some deadly e.g., Mt. Pinatubo in densely populated area (500 killed in 1991 eruption) – early warnings and evacuations helped save thousands of lives.
Nature of hazards and their impacts - flooding
coastal flooding due to storm surges and river flooding due to heavy rainfall e.g., 2010 flood in Eastern Philippines.
Nature of hazards and their impacts - drought
If wet season brings insufficient rain, drought can result e.g., 2005 drought on Luzon Island
What are some human responses?
The Philippines National Red Cross (PNRC), with foreign Red Cross organisations, have started programmes at a community level aiming to reduce impacts: training volunteers in disaster management, identifying risk in land use mapping
Mitigation measures - building sea walls - preventative measures.
The current system is a top-down system, as opposed to one that is community based and gives rise to local initiatives. initiatives which emphasise the bottom-up approach that will help the most vulnerable communities cope with the hazards when they occur are required.
