The Philippines a multi hazard environment beyond UK

Question 1

Where is the Philippines?

Answer 1

a country off mainland southeast Asia

Question 2

how many islands is present and what is the Philippines?

Answer 2

over 7,000 islands and is an archipelago

Question 3

what is the population of the Philippines?

Answer 3

over 1 million

Question 4

why does it experience lots of tropical disturbances?

Answer 4

as it’s exposed from typhoons crossing from the pacific towards southeast Asia

Question 5

What does flooding and landslides occur from and hinder?

Answer 5

occur from the typhoons on islands and hinder the attempts to reduce poverty and reduce the number of people and assets vulnerable to hazards

Question 6

why was 2013 a bad year for the Philippines?

Answer 6

subject to one severe Earthquake (Bohol) touched or crossed by several typhoons including Haiyan and eight tropical storms. Major volcanoes still ruing away with intermittent emissions.

Question 7

what are the major threats to the Philippines?

Answer 7

• earthquakes
• volcanoes
• tropical disturbances

Question 8

how many earthquakes of what scale occurred between 2000 and 2013?

Answer 8

17 of at least a 5.6 magnitude

Question 9

what major earthquakes have occurred recently?

Answer 9

• Mindanao (magnitude 7.9 and killed over 8,000) causing a tsunami
• Luzon (magnitude 7.8 and killed over 1,600) caused soil liquefication
• Bohol (magnitude 7.2 and killed over 200)

Question 10

how many volcanoes are present across the islands of the Philippines?

Answer 10

around 23

Question 11

which three volcanoes have a history of violent eruptions in the Philippines?

Answer 11

• Mayon
• Pinatubo
• Taal

Question 12

tropical disturbances within the Philippines

Answer 12

• numerous occur and cross the country every year
• risk of flooding, landslides and lahars if combined with volcanic activity
• storm surges responsible for the most deaths in Philippines
• Haiyan 2013

Question 13

why are people within the Philippines at greater risk than people elsewhere?

Answer 13

hazards can be linked to each other but on their own are hazards
tsunamis, landslides/mudslides, flooding, fires and lahars are sometimes secondary effects of hazards

Question 14

in the past two decades how many natural disasters has the Philippines experienced?

Answer 14

over 300

Question 15

what are officials saying is becoming more severe?

Answer 15

typhoons due to climatic change

Question 16

where have Filipinos flocked to?

Answer 16

risky low lying areas, havens for cheap crammed housing where poverty is linked to to vulnerability

Question 17

what has exacerbated the problem of natural disasters?

Answer 17

rapid urbanisation with tightly packed and flimsy housing as well as deforestation

Question 18

what is the problem with the Philippines institutional arrangements and disaster management?

Answer 18

• relying on response and reactive approach not mitigation b land use planning and construction
• emphasis on post disaster relief and short term preparedness (forecasting/evacuating) over post disaster support
• very top down instead of local initiatives to help local communities

Question 19

example of a programme that has started and what they do and how

Answer 19

Philippines national red cross focus on community level and reducing impacts.
- partnership with governmental bodies financial support for mitigation and sustainability
- training volunteers
identify risk by land mapping and choosing mitigation methods that are possible
- initiating mitigation measures
- dissemination of info

Question 20

what idea do some Filipinos believe in about hazards?

Answer 20

fatalism

Question 21

what have people praised about the Filipinos?

Answer 21

their resilience to live in a multi hazardous area

Question 22

what does the UN claim?

Answer 22

that the Philippines has some of the best risk reduction laws but most are still just on paper

Question 23

where is too much responsibility for reducing risk?

Answer 23

with 7000 islands lots of responsibility is on local governments where money is not wisely spent and funds aren’t always there

Question 24

what is the very main problem of a multi hazardous area?

Answer 24

resources are always stretched as before the Philippines can recover from one disaster they have another one

Question 25

what recent government legislation has been put in place?

Answer 25

70% of disaster spending is to be spent on long term plans and only 30% on emergency aid