week 4

Question 1

pressure element of the pressure and release model (PAR)

Answer 1

root causes
dynamic pressures
unsafe conditions
disaster 
hazard

Question 2

root causes

Answer 2

interrelated set of processes within society and the world economy, such as:
limited access to power, resources, structures.
ideologies: political systems and economic systems

Question 3

dynamic pressures

Answer 3

processes and activities that translate the effect of root causes, both temporally and spatially into unsafe conditions
lack of
- local institutions
- training
- appropriate skills
- local investments
- equal market

macro forces

• rapid population growth
• rapid urbanisation
• debt repayment schedules
• deforestation
• decline in soil productivity

Question 4

unsafe conditions

Answer 4

the specific forms in which vulnerability of a population is exposed in tame and space at the time of a hazard
fragile physical environment
- dangerous locations
- unprotected buildings and infrastructure

fragile local economy

• livelihoods at risk
• low income levels

vulnerable society

• special groups at risk
• lack of local institutions

public actions

• lack of disaster preparedness
• prevalence of endemic disease

Question 5

‘natural’ disaster

Answer 5

there is no such thing as a natural disaster. they are not natural but a result of the political economy, of a historical context of distributions of wealth and resulting vulnerabilities and uneven consequences for people

Question 6

what is vulnerability

Answer 6

exposure to the negative impact of a hazard due to environmental location, social, economic, and political position in society. vulnerability is closely related to economic poverty, inequality and political marginalization. dimensions: physical, social, and attitudinal. vulnerability sets the scene for the disaster event, creates or contributed to the severity of the event, hinders effective DRR and often continues afterwards. vulnerabilities accumulate

Question 7

vulnerability per paradigm

Answer 7

technofix: lack of engineering, structures are not build enough
behavioural: exposure to the hazard due to the environment, people made ill-informed choices and that’s why they are vulnerable. everyone is equally exposed
vulnerability: not everyone has equal chances, vulnerabilities are already present pre-disaster because of the political ecology and history
complexity: inadequate adaptation, lack of resilience

Question 8

how is exposure conditioned by the cultural context?

Answer 8

• depends on the ability/willingness of people to conform to rules
• depends on the capacity/willingness of governments to impose rules
• their occupation