Unit 1A - the challenge of natural hazards (1. natural hazards) Flashcards
what is a natural hazard?
it is a natural event that has a huge social impact.
examples of natural hazards
landslides, floods, storms, earthquakes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, tsunami
how many people are killed each year from natural hazards
100,000
what is hazard risk
chance or probability of being affected by a natural event.
state the factors that affect risk of natural hazards
urbanisation, climate change, farming, poverty
how does urbanisation effect hazard risk
over 50 percent of the worlds population live in cities. The worlds most densely populated cities are at great risk of natural events.
how does poverty effect hazard risk
poorer parts of the world may live in poverty and therefore do not have the facilities to even know they are in a high risk area
how does climate change effect hazard risk
warmer parts of the world will have more energy meaning more intense storms. climate change may also cause floods.
how does farming effect hazard risk
when rivers flood fertile silt is produced on its flood plain which is good for farming. however people living on floodplains may be prone to flooding.
what are the types of natural hazards
geological and meteorlogical
what are geological hazards
caused by land and tectonic processes e.g. landslides, earthquakes
what are meteorlogical hazards
caused by weather and climate, tropical storms