The Concepts of Hazards Flashcards
What is a hazard
A perceived natural event that has the potential to threaten both life and property
Define risk
The probability of a hazard occurring and creating a loss of lives/livelihoods
Define natural hazards
A natural event which is not human related
Define disaster
Significant impact on a vulnerable population when a hazard`causes significant damage (becomes a reality)
Define risk assessment
The likelihood of harm/damage.
Probability of the event occurring + severity if it does
Define resilience
The degree to which the population of an environment can absorb a hazardous event and remain in the same state of organisation
Define vulnerability
The risk of exposure to hazards, combined with an inability to cope with them
Give some examples of geophysical hazards
Avalanches Tsunami Landslides Rockfalls Volcano Earthquakes
Give some examples of atmospheric hazards
Hail storms Hurricanes Lightening Tornadoes Tropical storms Drought Blizzard
Give some examples of hydrological hazards
Costal flooding Desertification Drought River flooding Storm surges
Give 4 common characteristics natural hazards share
Each has clear origins and distinctive effects
Little/no warning
Exposure to risk may be involuntary
Most damage occurs shortly after the hazard, but the impacts may last long into the future
Their scale + impact requires immediate response
Give some differences between natural hazards
Impacts are very different due to a number of factors
Some we can mitigate and manage - others we cannot
Time scale often very different
People’s perception of the hazard can be very different
Give 2 underlying causes of vulnerability
Poverty - limited access to power, infrastructure and resources
Failing political, social and economic systems
Explain how a hazard becomes a disaster
- When it meets a population, particularly one that’s vulnerable
- Vulnerability has a distinct correlation to the economic circumstances of a country as it impacts the population’s + governments ability to cope and respond. Also links to quality of infrastructure
- The second aspect to vulnerability is based on geographical location and the likelihood of exposures to hazards/range of hazards
- The population density should also be considered - it is no coincidence that some of the worlds poorest countries have the highest population densities and are also at risk for a higher range of natural hazards
Japan = MEDC with 11th highest population yet is a wealthy country exposed to a number of hazards but is well prepared and responds well to them
Give 11 factors that will influence the relationship between a hazard and a disaster
Social Factors Speed of onset Magnitude Areal extent Duration Frequency Environmental Technological factors Economic factors
How will magnitude influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Hugely affects the amount of damage caused
How does duration influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
The longer the duration of the hazard, the more damage is likely to occur as the more opportunity there is for the wider area to be affected and greater number of people impacted
How does areal extent influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Widespread hazard will easily turn into a disaster if the area is not contained + assistance offered
How does speed of onset influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Disaster is more Riley to occur if peak of hazard is sooner as governments have less time to react
How do environmental factors influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Land, soil types + surrounding typography can increase the severity of a disaster initially by worsening the impacts with response more difficult. Floods = impermeable land
How do social factors influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Higher population densities = more people affected. Education minimalists the loss of life as people know what to do. Younger people more able to escape, reducing disaster impact
How do political factors influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Corruption can exacerbate hazards as governments can take advantage of public resources for private gain, by diverting the valuable resources the population needs to recover
How do technological factors influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
Better technology makes it easier to predict a disaster from a hazard as technology can predict its severity
How can economic factors influence the relationship between hazard and a disaster
The wealthier the country, the lesser the impact because protective measures such as tsunami walls will be more widespread (Japan).
Give 7 factors that affect people’s perception of hazards
Socio-economic status Level of eduction Employment Religion Past experiences Personality Geographic location
How does socio-economic status, education and employment affect people’s perception of hazards
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
- Lower socio-economic development could make it harder to recover what was lost - people more frightened
EDUCATION
- More educated people know how to respond effectively - fewer deaths and higher confidence
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
- Safety procedures the workplace will help further educate people. Employed will have income, which means they are able to support themselves better in the aftermath of a disaster
How does religion, past experiences, and personality affect people’s perceptions of hazards
RELIGION
- Can provide hope and relief
- Some cultures may be used to natural disaster, less negative perceptions
- Some believe its a act of god
PAST EXPERIENCES
- Experiencing an event before means you know how to react and are less scared of it happening agains. For some it may be a large part in everyday life
- However, loss a loved one or a damaged home will develop negative connotations
PERSONALITY
- Positive people are more likely to see the benefits and less likely to dwell on the negatives
Give 3 types of human responses to hazards
Fatalism
Adaption
Fear
What is fatalism
Do nothing and accept that hazards are an ‘Act of God’
What is adaption
Accept that hazards are inevitable and adopt human behaviour accordingly
What is fear
Live in distress and panic about the risk of a.hazard
What is mitigation
Prevention methods
What is management
Stronger management strategies in place to ensure that communities are well prepared + response to teams are ready to respond
What is risk sharing
Share the risk/impacts between governs and country Ensure that the risk of the impact is shared amongst populations
In 2013, natural disaster displaced more people than….
War
What does the Peak disaster model show
The stages and processes of state reaction and response to a disaster in chronological stages.
Shows the effect of a hazard on quality of life over sequence of time
What are the strengths of the Peak disaster model
- Adapted to compare different hazards
- Visualise how badly a country was impacted by the event + long term effects of them
What are the limitations of the Peak disaster model
No clear time scale - weeks, months, years
No statistics, hard to compare with similar events
Ambiguous in type of disaster occurred
