Natural Hazards

Question 1

Define natural hazard?

Answer 1

A PERCIEVED event that threatens both LIFE and PROPERTY.

Question 2

What are the general characteristics of natural hazards?

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Answer 2

• Clear origins and the effects they have are distinctive eg: earthquakes cause buildings to collapse.
• Short warning times/none at all
• Emergency response required due to scale and intensity
• Involuntary risk, applies more to LIC’s and HIC’s will minimise and mitigate.
• Short and Long Term- most losses of life and property damage happens shortly after the event, but effects can be felt by communities long after eg: economic disruption.

Question 3

Suggest reasons why people put themselves at risk to natural hazards?

Answer 3

• They’re Unpredictable- frequency, magnitude, scale
• Lack of Alternatives- social, political, cultural and economic factors
• CHANGED risk level- areas that were once safe may not be now eg: Deforestation= new flooding risk.
• Costs/ benefits eg: volcanic areas have ideal soil for crops due to volcanic ash content of soil.

Question 4

Define hazard?

Answer 4

A perceived threat with potential to harm

Question 5

Define risk?

Answer 5

The probability of a hazard happening an creating a loss of lives

Question 6

Define Vulnerability?

Answer 6

The risk of exposure to hazards combined with an inability to control them.

Question 7

Disaster Thresholds?

Answer 7

If a hazard exceeds a threshold it becomes a disaster
Disaster= actually has an affect on humans eg: 10 people dead, 1000 or more effected For the purpose of their work, EM-DAT includes all disasters from 1900 until the present if they conform to this criteria.

Question 8

What’s the HAZARD-RISK equation?

Answer 8

Risk= hazard x vulnerability

       capacity to cope

Question 9

What are the three categories of hazards?

Answer 9

Geophysical- land processes- earthquakes, volcanic eruptions

Atmospheric- climatic processes- tropical cyclones

Hydrological- movement of water- floods, storm surges.

Question 10

Factors affecting hazards impacts on individuals?

Answer 10

Wealth, LIC/HIC, Religion, Education, Socio-economic position.

Question 11

Define Fatalism vs Determinism

Answer 11

Fatalism= outcomes are beyond the power of people to control- an acceptance of hazards

Determinism= hazards are preventable, can be mitigated and can be better understood through scientific research

Question 12

What are the four elements to the Hazard Management Cycle?

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Answer 12

Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery
Mitigation- safe vs hot zones
Preparedness- assess, analyse and document
Response- Damage assessment and stability
Recovery- Short term and Long term

Question 13

What year was the Parks Disaster/Response curve devised?

Answer 13

1991

Question 14

What are the four parts of the Parks Disaster/ Response curve?

Answer 14

Pre-disaster
Relief
Rehabilitation
Reconstruction

Question 15

Why do variations take place within the Park Disaster/ Response curve?

Answer 15

(curve represents quality of life against time)

• The type of hazard
• The degree of preparedness
• The speed of the relief effort
• The nature of recovery and rebuilding

Question 15

Why do variations take place within the Park Disaster/ Response curve?

Answer 15

(curve represents quality of life against time)

• The type of hazard
• The degree of preparedness
• The speed of the relief effort
• The nature of recovery and rebuilding

Question 16

Evaluate (negatives) of the Parks model and Risk Management Cycle

Answer 16

PARK- Doesn’t show what preparations were taken before to combat vulnerability
Doesn’t take into account spatial variation within the actual country itself

RISK MANAGAMENT CYCLE- Fairly generic, No quantitive facts/ little specific figures which can lead to a lack of clarity
Doesn’t take into account quality of life over time

Question 17

Define Reconstruction:

Answer 17

Returning to the same state or better quality of life as before the event took place

Question 18

Define Integrated Risk Management:

Answer 18

A government response which requires a group of people to form a disaster plan.