Topic 4 - Human factors affecting risk and vulnerability Flashcards
what were the social impacts of Sichuan 2008
- 4.8 million homeless
- farms and crops were destroyed
- lost their main source of income causing them to fall into poverty and increasing rural to urban migration
what were the building impacts in Haiti 2010
- hundreds of thousands of buildings plummeted to ground including homes, presidential palace and even the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission
- 105,000 homes destroyed causing $2.3bn in damage and the nation being covered in rubble
what were the psychological impacts of Sichuan 2008
- when people found loved ones dead they became traumatised of the sudden loss
- there is also the trauma of the earthquake itself
what are the economic factors affecting risk and vulnerability
- level of development
- technology
how does level of development affect risk and vulnerability
- the more developed a country is, the more capable it is with dealing with the effects of volcanoes and earthquakes.
- Monitoring, prediction, building quality, infrastructure quality, education and awareness all tend to be a lot better in developed countries.
what is the difference in warning and communication systems in low income vs high income countries
- In 2010, Iceland gave a 2 hour warning to inhabitants to evacuate the Eyjafjallajokull vicinity.
- In 2002, the Congo issued no warning about the eruption of Nyiragongo.
- the population may not be well educated in LEDC’s about what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption or an earthquake.
what is the affect of buildings as a result of a tectonic hazard in an LEDC (4)
- construction standards tend to be poor in LEDCs. Homes and other buildings may suffer serious damage when a disaster occurs
- Buildings collapsing can cause high death tolls
- Evacuation and other emergency plans can be difficult to put into action due to limited funds and resources
- Clearing up can be difficult. There may not be enough money to rebuild homes quickly and safely. Many people could be forced to live in emergency housing or refugee camps
what difference does development make in prediction
- MEDC’s can afford to spend money on prediction methods, such as GPS satellite, which is when data is sent from satellites to computers with information such as plate movement and changes in the earth’s surface
- It is expected there will be less deaths and damage in MEDC’s than in LEDC’s
what are social factors affecting risk and vulnerability
- population density
- population profile (age, gender)
- levels of education.
Economic factors are not always the only factors influencing death toll and severity of effects.
how does population profile affect the impacts of a hazard
- In an earthquake or volcano, the more mobile members of society are best able to evacuate and cope with the effects
- The very old and very young can be more vulnerable to the risks posed
- In Indonesia, many male farmers refuse to evacuate due to cultural beliefs and the need to look after their livestock
how do levels of education affect the impacts of a hazard
- Areas where education about the risks posed by volcanoes and earthquakes occurs can significantly reduce the risks posed by such events
- Often, more developed countries have better education, but this is not the case across the world.
what political factors impact risk and vulnerability
The degree of effective governance in a country is influenced by economic factors.
However, stability and corruption also influence the ability of a government to deal with the risk posed by a volcano or earthquake.
How does Mt St Helens USA 1980 differ from Nevado del Ruiz 1985 Columbia politically
Mt St Helens USA 1980:
- A scientific team issue a warning, which is released by the federal government:
- to evacuate a 5 mile exclusion zone.
- Whilst not totally successful, the death toll is just 57, mostly caused by lahars flowing further than the 5 mile exclusion zone.
Nevado del Ruiz 1985 Columbia
-In 1985, the same team of scientists issue an evacuation warning.
- The local government accuse them of wanting to interfere with property prices and no evacuation order is issued.
- 23, 000 die in the same VEI eruption as Mt St Helens, mostly from lahars destroying the town of Almeiro.
how did political factors intensify effects of the Nyiragongo 2002 eruption
- estimated 200 people die in the city of Goma from the lava flows
- However, many thousands flee into neighbouring Rwanda, where a civil war exists and many more deaths occurred from people being caught up in the political conflict
- Political factors dramatically intensified the effects of the volcano.
how did a successful government order affect Iceland 2010
- the stable government of Iceland issue a successful evacuation order as Eyjafjallajokull starts to erupt in March 2010. Localised effects are relatively short term and minor.
- Not one person dies on Iceland
