Tectonic Hazards- EQ3: Hazard Management Flashcards
5 things the overall long term natural hazard trends show
-total number of recorded hazards has increased over the past 50 years
-number of reported disasters seems to be falling
-number of deaths lower than in recent past, but spikes with mega events
-economic costs increase significantly since 1960
-number of people affected is increasing for some hazard and disaster types
5 reasons why disaster statistics are controversial
-depends whether direct or indirect deaths are counted
-local/regional events in remote places are often under-recorded
-declaration of disaster deaths and injuries may be subject to political bias
-statistics are hard to collect, especially in LICs
-time trend analysis is difficult
What is a mega disaster? (3)
-high magnitude, high impact disaster
-infrequent
-impacts extend beyond country
3 key characteristics of tectonic mega-disasters
-large scale disaster (spatially, or in terms of human/economic impact)
-pose serious problems for effective management due to scale
-international support in immediate aftermath and longer term recovery is required
What is a HILP event (with example)?
High impact, low probability event such as 2010 Haiti earthquake
Consequences of HILP events (2)
-impacts spread rapidly across both economic and geographic boundaries
-leads to other impacts which are difficult to plan for
What is a multi-hazard zone?
-a place where a number of physical hazards combine to create an increased level of risk for a country and it’s population
-often made worse by vulnerable populations or if an area suffers repeated events
Disaster hotspot
Area or country that is extremely disaster prone
Characteristics of a hazard hotspot
Intersection of tectonic hazards and vulnerability, leading to a hotspot which is likely to be where plate boundaries intersect with major storm belts in areas of high human concentration in LICs/ NEEs
3 reasons why large urban areas are often zones of multiple hazard risk
-economic cores
-centres of growing population
-many countries have huge areas of unplanned, poor quality housing where the growing number of poor live
Can scientists forecast earthquakes?
Yes, since it is based on a statistical likelihood of an event occurring at a particular location
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No, for this to happen it would be necessary to identify a diagnostic precursor- a characteristic pattern of seismic activity or another change that indicated the onset of an earthquake
4 stages in the Hazard Management Cycle
-mitigation
-preparedness
-response
-recovery
4 stages of Park’s Model
-pre-disaster
-relief
-rehabilitation
-reconstruction
What does Park’s disaster response curve demonstrate?
A framework to better understand the time dimensions of resilience, from when a hazard strikes to when a place or community returns to ‘normal’ operation
How are earthquake events modified?
Micro approaches:
-strengthening individual buildings and structures e.g. hospitals, school and public buildings
How are tsunami events modified?
Macro approaches:
-tsunami walls
-planting mangrove forests which dissipates the waves energy
How are volcanic events modified?
Diverting or chilling lava flows
4 strategies used to modify the event
-land use zoning
-hazard-resistant design
-engineering defences
-diversion of lava flows
3 strategies to modify vulnerability
-prediction, forecasting and warnings
-improvements in community preparedness
-working with groups and individuals to change behaviours to reduce disaster risk (education)
2 strategies to modify loss
-emergency, short term and long term aid
-insurance
What is modifying the event?
-long term before hazard strikes
-reducing areal extent or magnitude
-not always possible as it relies on high cost technology
What is modifying the vulnerability?
-short term before hazard strikes
-get people out the way (prediction)
-help them cope with impacts (build resilience)
What is modifying the loss?
-long and short term after hazard strikes
-reducing losses by acting to aid recovery and reconstruction
