Tectonic Processes & Hazards - EQ2 - 1.6 Flashcards
Define anticedent conditions
- the siuation in a country before ane evnt which influences it ability to cope with a natural disaster
how is inequality linked to vulnerability
- the greater the levels of inequality experienced the more vulnerable the population
People are more vulnerable and less resilient if they lack access to:
- Education
- Housing
- Healthcare
- Income
What is reflected in low HDI (below 0.55), which reflects highe vulnerability
- Lower education levels which means that people have a lower awareness of the risk and less perception of the hazard
- Poor quality housing, unregulated building and the use of poor construction materials
- A lack of access to healthcare
- Poor access to clean water and a healthy diet during ‘normal times’
What are some geographical factors that may impact the vulenrability of an area
- urbanisation
- accessibility/ isolation
- population density
Explain how population density may impact the vulenrability of an area
- a higher population density:
- Makes it harder to evacuate
- Buildings are more tightly packed which increases the impact if some collapse
- the larger number of people affected by the hazard
Explain how accessibility/ isolation may impact the vulnerability of an area
- The more difficult it is to reach and supply aid - in Nepal 2015 some of the hardest hit regions were remote rural areas and they were not reached for days
- The less likely people are to have methods of communication
- The poorer the infrastructure will be
- The fewer facilities there are such as medical assistance
Explain how urbanisation may impact the vulenrability of an area
- the increasing numbers of people living in cities means:
- There is a higher concentration of people and buildings
- In developing and emerging countries large numbers of poorly constructed houses not considered aseismic on steep slopes are particularly vulnerable
- insurance costs are high
Explain how inequalities in education influence vulenrability and resilience
- this is an inequality of entitlements (private/public)
- people may lack formal education,
- so do not know about tectonic processes and hazards or what actions to take
- these people are unable to participate in decision-making and planning
- traditional knowledge may get lost
Explain how inequalities in housing influence vulenrability and resilience
- some people in poverty live in poorly constructed, not earthquake resistant buildings
- better housing of richer people may be expxosed to the coast (tsunami) or steep slopes (landslides - California)
Explain how inequalities in healthcare influence vulenrability and resilience
poorer countries may lack access to healthcare, esepcially in developing countries
in hazards people need medical care for injuries and to stop disease spreading
medical aid is not always fairly distributed - ethnic minroities - Gujurat India 2001
Explain how inequalities in income which influence vulenrability and resilience
- those formally employed have a regular wage, but those in the informal sector or unemployed do not
- this affects their ability to save for safety improvements, insurance, stockpile or get essentials after a hazard
- poor people may have to live in risky areas e.g for subsistence farming - Haiti
What are the components of governance
- economic
- administrative
- political
What is economic governance
- decision-making processes that affect a country’s economic activities and its relationship with other economies
- This has major Implications for equity, poverty and people’s quality of llfe
What is political governance
- the process of decision making to create policies including national disaster reduction and planning
- the nature of this process and the way it brings together the state, non-state and private-sector players/stakeholders determines the quality of the policy outcomes
What is administrative governance
- the system of policy implementation and requires good governance at central and local levels, in the case of disaster risk reduction.
- it requires functioning enforcement of building codes, landuse planning, enironmental risk and human vulnerability monitoring and satety standards
weigh up the vulernability of urban areas vs rural
- Urban areas usually have more assets than rural areas
- These include hospitals, emergency services, food stores and transport connections, which increase resilience and coping capacity compared with isolated rural places However, high population density may mean more people are affected
What is goverance focused on
- Management: How a place or area is managed by different levels of government
- Policies: The policies regarding hazards can affect how prepared and resilient a place or area is
who is involved in governance
- governance is not limited to the parameters of national governments
- Other agencies and key players should also be considered when concluding upon the level of a country’s governance
- e.g. International organisations such as UN, EU, Trade organisations when considering governance
Many low-income groups lack a..
- ‘safety net’ - either a personal one (savings, food stores) or a government one (social security, aid, free healthcare) - so have few resources after a disaster
what might poor goverance impact on a governments ability to do
- Plan for hazard events using techniques such as hazard mapping and land use zoning
- Educate the population about the risks and how best to protect themselves
- Predict events as they do not have the technology and equipment available
- Prepare by ensuring that stocks of water, food, medical equipment and shelter are available
If a place has good governance that means it is…
These areas are more able to cope with….
- If a place has good governance that means it is well run and the local or national government is effective
- These areas are more able to cope with hazard events and will have a faster recovery
Explain how a government’s role meeting basic neets affects vulenrability
- When food supply, water supply and health needs are met the population is physically more able to cope with disaster
Explain how a government’s role in environmental management affects vulenrability
- ensuring primary hazards don’t turn into secondary hazards
- e.g secondary hazards, such as landslides, can be made worse by deforestation
- the right monitoring equipment can warn of some hazards, such as lahars
Explain how a government’s role of land use plannings affects vulnerability
- Land-use planning can reduce risk by preventing habitation on high risk slopes, areas prone to liquefaction or areas within a volcanic hazard zone
Explain how a government’s role in preparedness affects vulenrability
Education and community preparation programmes raise awareness and teach people how to prepare, evacuate and act
Explain how a government’s role with corruption vulenrability
- Siphoning off money ear-marked for hazard management or ‘kick-backs’ and bribes to allow illegal or unsafe buildings increase vulnerability.
- kick-back = illicit payment made in exchange for facilitating a transaction
Explain how a government’s openness affects vulenrability
- Governments that are open, with a free press and media, can be held to account, increasing the likelihood that preparation and planning take place
Explain countries sue of natural disaster agencies
- Most countries have national disaster management agencies, such as FEMA in the USA, which increase resilience to hazards and reduce the impacts of disasters
In the developing world these can be effective, such as PHIVOLCS in the Philippines, but they are often under-funded and under-resourced - these can be ineffective due to privatisation in developed world
why are death tolls usually low in Countries such as Japan, the USA and Chile from tectonic distasters
-advanced…
advanced and widespread insurance, allowing people to recover from disasters (at least in the long term)
why are death tolls usually low in Countries such as Japan, the USA and Chile from tectonic distasters
-government-run..
government-run preparations such as Japan’s Disaster Prevention Day on 1st September each year, as well as public education about risk, coping, response and evacuation.
why are death tolls usually low in Countries such as Japan, the USA and Chile from tectonic distasters
-sophisticated…
sophisticated monitoring of volcanoes and, where possible, defences such as tsunami walls
why are death tolls usually low in Countries such as Japan, the USA and Chile from tectonic distasters
-regulated…
regulated local planning systems, which use land-use zoning and building codes to ensure buildings can withstand hazards and are not located in areas of unacceptable risk
