The Philippines: A Multi Hazard Environment Flashcards
Where is the Philippines?
Off the mainland in southeast Asia.
On the western rim of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”
How many people live in the Philippines?
Over 100 million
What does the Philippines’ position on the Pacific Ring of Fire mean?
Volcanic activity and earthquakes can occur here.
What other hazard does the Philippines face?
Typhoons
In which direction do the typhoons move?
From the Pacific towards southeast Asia
For which hazard is the Philippines the most exposed country in the world?
Typhoons
What two threats do typhoons bring?
Flooding and landslides
What hinders the attempts of the government to try and reduce poverty and reduce the impacts of these hazards?
Natural hazards
What is the cost of natural hazards to the Philippines’ economy?
0.5% of the national GDP however, secondary impacts increase the cost.
In what year was the Bohol earthquake?
2013
How many typhoons passed over or touched in 2013?
7 (including Typhoon Haiyan)
How many tropical storms affected the Philippines in 2013?
8
What was the volcanic threat in 2013?
They were rumbling and releasing small-scale emissions of lava, steam and gas.
How many earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 5.6 took place between 2000 and 2013?
17
Which major earthquake occurred in 1976?
An earthquake off Mindanao (Moro Gulf)
What was the magnitude of the Moro Gulf earthquake?
7.9
What was a major secondary effect of the Moro Gulf earthquake?
Tsunamis
Where did the 1976 tsunamis hit?
The western shore of Mindanao
How many people did the 1976 tsunamis kill?
8000
When was the Luzon earthquake?
1990
What was the magnitude of the Luzon earthquake?
7.8
What was the death toll for the Luzon earthquake?
1,600
What is a primary impact of the Luzon earthquake?
Ground rupturing
What is a secondary impact of the Luzon earthquake?
Soil liquefaction
What was the magnitude of the Bohol earthquake?
7.8
How many people died as a result of the 2013 Bohol earthquake?
Over 200
How many people were injured as a result of the Bohol Earthquake?
800
What was another impact of the Bohol earthquake?
Damage to tens of thousands of buildings.
How many active volcanoes are in the Philippines?
23
Which volcano is the most active in the Philippines?
Mayon
How many times has the Mayon volcano erupted in the last 400 years?
50
When was the most destructive volcanic event in regards to the Mayon volcano?
1814
When did the Mayon volcano last erupt?
23rd January 2018
What is Mayon known for?
Lahars- volcanic ash mixes with heavy rainfall from typhoons to produce rivers of mud
When did Mount Pinatubo erupt violently?
1991
Which eruption was the second largest eruption on the planet in the 20th century?
Mount Pinatubo 1991
How many people live near Pinatubo?
500,000 people within 40km
How many people did early warning and evacuations save in 1991?
At least 5000
Give details about the eruption in 1991
The explosion was so violent that it hurled gases, ash and steam into the upper atmosphere?
What effect did the gas, steam and ash in the upper atmosphere have as a result of the 1991 eruption?
Reduced the average global temp by 0.5 degrees c for at least 2 years
What other hazardous event followed Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption?
Typhoon Yunya
What was the combined effect of Typhoon Yunya and Mount Pinatubo erupting?
Heavy rainfall combined with volcanic ash to produce deadly lahars.
What was the final death toll of the mount Pinatubo eruption?
850
How many times has Taal erupted?
33 on historical record
How many deaths is the Taal volcano thought to be responsible for?
5000-6000 deaths according to historical records
Why is the Taal volcano a threat?
It lies near populated areas
What disturbances cause the most deaths and why?
Tropical storms combined with volcanic eruptions because the heavy rainfall mixes with the ash to create deadly lahar.
Why are people more vulnerable in the Philippines?
Multi hazard environment
Poverty
Natural hazards can be a direct cause of other natural hazards
What can earthquakes lead to?
Tsunamis
Landslides and mudslides
Fires
Looting and crime
What can heavy rainfall associated with typhoons lead to?
Flooding
Landslides
How many natural disasters has the Philippines faced over the last two decades?
Over 300
Why is the risk of typhoons becoming more severe?
Climate change
Why are Filipino’s becoming more and more vulnerable to typhoons?
People have moved to low lying areas, crammed with housing
Rapid urbanisation
Deforestation
Why have people moved to low lying areas?
It is cheaper
Why is deforestation a problem in the Philippines?
Steep, unprotected slopes can lead to rapid run-off, flooding and potentially landslides.
What approach do the disaster management systems rely on?
A response or reactive approach
What approach should the Philippines take?
A proactive approach
Why should the Filipino’s take a proactive approach?
Disasters could be mitigated by appropriate land-use planning, construction and other preventative measures.
Is the approach top down or bottom up?
It is more of a centralised top down approach rather than a community based approach with local initiatives.
What has the Philippines National Red Cross (PNRC) started to do?
Encourage people to collaborate in protecting their lives and resources upon which they depend.
How does the PNRC plan work?
Co-operate with the government to gain financial support and sustainability.
Train local volunteers
Identify land-use risks using land-use mapping
Initiate mitigation measures
Disseminate information to the whole community
Why is risk-reduction a problem when the Philippines has some of the best risk-reduction laws in the world?
Too much responsibility falls to local governments where money is not wisely spent. and resources are stretched.
What has recent government legislation meant in terms of spending funding?
70% of disaster funding should be used for long-term plans and 30% for short term response.
