Why do some tectonic hazards develop into disasters?

Question 1

What are tectonic hazards?

Answer 1

Tectonic hazards are natural events that have the potential to harm people and their property.

Question 2

What is a disaster?

Answer 2

A disaster is the realisation of a hazard, i.e. harm has occurred. By definition, disasters have to involve people and they occur at the intersection of people and hazards.

Question 3

What is the difference between tectonic hazards and a disaster?

Answer 3

By definition, disasters have to involve people and they occur at the intersection of people and hazards.

Question 4

What is a threshold level often used to determine?

Answer 4

A threshold level is often used to determine whether the impact of an event is large enough to be considered a disaster, such as:

• 10 or more deaths
• 100 or more people affected
• US$1 million in economic losses.

Question 5

What can be used to understand the relationship between hazards and disasters?

Answer 5

We can understand the relationship between hazards and disasters using the hazard risk equation. The risk of disaster rises if hazard magnitude rises. If vulnerability rises (poverty, lack of preparedness, lack of awareness of potential hazards) so does risk:
risk = hazard x vulnerability/capacity to cope

Question 6

What does it mean by some communities have a high capacity to cope and high resilience?

Answer 6

This means they can reduce the chances of disasters occurring because:

• they have an emergency evacuation, rescue and relief systems in place
• they react by helping each other to reduce numbers affected
• hazard-resilient design or land-use planning have reduced the numbers at risk.

Question 7

What was the magnitude of the 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake in Haiti?

Answer 7

7.0

Question 8

What has the death toll been estimated at for the 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake in Haiti?

Answer 8

160,000

Question 9

What is the name given to the outcome between a vulnerable population and a natural hazard?

Answer 9

Disaster

Question 10

How can the PAR model be applied to the 2010 Haiti earthquake?

Answer 10

Per capita GDP PPP US$1200
70% of jobs are in the informal sector
25% of people live in extreme poverty
50% of the population is under 20 years old

Question 11

What percentage of jobs in Haiti are in the informal sector?

Answer 11

70%