Tectonics Enquiry Question 2 Flashcards
Define Natural hazard
A naturally occurring process or event that has the potential to affect people
Define natural disaster
A major natural hazard that causes significant social, economic and environmental damage
Define vulnerability
The lack of ability to anticipate, cope, resist and recover from a natural hazard
Risk =
Hazard x vulnerability/ capacity to cope
Human factors that affect vulnerability and resilience in relation to government and political conditions.
Existence and enforcement of building codes
Quality of existing infrastructure eg. transport and power affect recovery speed
Disaster preparedness plans - eg. Japan 2011
Efficiency of emergency services - relates to government funding
Level of corruption
Human factors that affect vulnerability and resilience in relation to economic and social conditions.
Level of wealth influences people’s ability to protect themselves eg, quality of buildings they live in
Access to education - awareness of potential danger
Access to health care
Type of income - eg. agricultural at risk of being wiped out
Human factors that affect vulnerability and resilience in relation to physical and environmental conditions.
Rapid urbanisation leads to housing demands - governments often fix this with poor quality housing
Areas of high pop density also often have more low quality housing
Accessibility of an area often affects how fast aid can arrive eg. Nepal EQ 2015
Example of how different governments can change the impact of a natural hazard
Japan - 9.0 magnitude EQ followed by a Tsunami
-19 000 dead and $240B
Haiti - 7.0 magnitude EQ
-250 000 dead and $14B
How many people died in Haiti’s EQ?
How much did it cost?
Mag?
250 000
$14B
7.0 magnitude
Physical factors of the Haiti EQ that influenced its deadliness?
Shallow focus increased ground shaking
Liquefication of soil
Epicentre only 23km away from Port-au-Prince the capital and most high pop density - home to 2M
What were the root causes of vulnerability in Haiti?
Heavily indebted to major international governments - had to spend money paying this off rather than investing in infrastructure.
Extensive corruption throughout the government
80% of population live below the poverty line
What does the pressure and release model show?
Factors which cause a population to become vulnerable to a hazard
One side is the natural hazard and the other is the factors and processes contributing to vulnerability.
Root causes lead to dynamic pressures which lead to unsafe conditions
What were the dynamic pressures which enhanced vulnerability in Haiti?
Lack of urban planning lead to slum development and unsafe living conditions
Lack of preparedness for disaster - no drills or emergency aid
Rapid urbanisation into Port au Prince leading to a high pop density
What were the unsafe conditions that contributed to vulnerability in Haiti?
Soft soil on which buildings were built on amplified the seismic waves
Low GDP meant houses were constructed cheaply and in illegal places such as on hill sides
Poor infrastructure meant that reaching the affected was made even harder. - only 1 airport which was damaged
Poor sanitation lead to a chlorella outbreak which was still prominent 6 years after the EQ
How much aid was given to Haiti?
What was the issue?
$13B
Most remained in the hands of international organisations and governments due to concerns around corruption of the government so the organisations bring their own staff at great expense.
Some people claim that this stopped Haiti becoming self sufficient
Different ways to measure EQs?
Richter -
Mercalli - Done on what people feel, ie. buildings are visibly shaking
Moment magnitude - Updated version of richter. Logarithmic scaled 0-9 that measures the energy released during an EQ.
