Hazards

Question 1

Hazard

Answer 1

A potential threat to human life and property caused by an event. An event will only become a hazard when it is a threat to people.

Question 2

Geophysical hazard

Answer 2

hazards caused y land processes, tectonic plates. (earthquakes, volcanoes)

Question 3

atmospheric hazards

Answer 3

hazards caused by atmospheric processes like weather systems (wildfires)

Question 4

hydrological hazards

Answer 4

hazards causes by water bodies and movement (flooding)

Question 5

hazard perception

Answer 5

people have different viewpoints of how dangerous hazards are and what risk they pose. These perceptions are dependent on lifestyles factors which include economic and cultural elements (wealth, experience, education, religion and beliefs, mobility)

Question 6

wealth (hazard perception)

Answer 6

wealthier people may perceive hazards to be smaller as they are less vulnerable ( have the ability to evacuate with transport and build stronger houses/buy new house)
on the other hand they may also view a risk as greater as they have more to lose (property damage, financial loss)

Question 7

experience

Answer 7

someone who has experienced more hazards are more likely to understand the effects

Question 8

education

Answer 8

a person who is more educated are more likely to understand how dangerous a hazard may be, whereas those who are less educated may not understand the effects. and therefore not evacuate

Question 9

religion and beliefs (hazard perception)

Answer 9

some view hazards as an act of god so may not perceive them to be negative, however those who believe strongly in environmental conservation may perceive hazards to be a huge rusk to the natural environment

Question 10

mobility (hazard perception)

Answer 10

those who have limited access to escape may perceive hazards to be greater threats then they are or if people have a disability or illness it will be difficult to leave an area quickly.

Question 11

human responses to hazards

Answer 11

hazards can be responded to in a passive way or in an active way, passive - fatalism. active - prediction, adaptation, mitigation, management, risk sharing.

Question 12

fatalism

Answer 12

the viewpoint that hazards are uncontrollable natural events and any losses should be accepted as there is nothing we can do to stop them

Question 13

prediction

Answer 13

using scientific research and past events in order to know when a hazard will take place, so that warnings can be delivered and impacts can be reduced.

Question 14

adaptation

Answer 14

attempting to live with the hazards by adjusting lifestyle choices so that vulnerability to the hazard is lessened (earthquake proof houses)

Question 15

mitigation

Answer 15

strategies carried out to lessen the severity of a hazard (sandbags to offset impact of flooding)

Question 16

management

Answer 16

coordinated strategies to reduce a hazards effects

Question 17

risk sharing

Answer 17

a form of community preparedness, whereby the community shares the risk posed by the hazard and invests colectively.
New Zealand is an example, insurance investment risk share so that strategies can be put in place before the disasters rather than investing more in a clean up

Question 18

frequency

Answer 18

how often a hazard occurs

Question 19

magnitude

Answer 19

the size of the hazard, this is how the intensity is measured

Question 20

intensity

Answer 20

the power of a hazard ( how strong and how damaging the effects are)

Question 21

level of development

Answer 21

economic development will affect how a place can respond to a hazard, so a hazard of the same magnitude may have very different effects in two places of contracting level of development
In ​Canada where ​wildfires have been increasing over the last few years (as a result of climate change), less ​money and ​resources have been available for ​earthquake and ​tsunami preparation​. Even detailed evacuation routes and tsunami sirens are not available in popular tourist beaches such as Vancouver Island or Pacific Rim National Park. ​Text message systems are available to act as a warning system to suggest people to evacuate, but many people switch their phones off at night, reducing the effectiveness.

Question 22

the park model

Answer 22

a graph representing human responses to hazards, shows the steps carried out in the recovery after a hazard

Question 23

Relief - Stage 1 (park model)

Answer 23

immediate local response - medical aid, search and rescue

immediate appeal for foreign aid - beginning of global response

Question 24

rehabilitation - stage 2 (park model)

Answer 24

services begin to be restored
temporary shelters and hospitals set up
food and water distributed
coordinated foreign aid

Question 25

reconstruction - stage 3 (park model)

Answer 25

restoring the area to the same or better quality of life
ecosystems repaired, crops regrown
infrastructure rebuilt
mitigation efforts for future event

Question 26

hazard management cycle

Answer 26

preparedness - being ready for an event to occur (education / training)
response - immediate action taken after event (evacuation / medical assistance, rescue)
recovery - long term responses (restoring services / reconstruction)
mitigation - strategies to lessen effects of another hazard (barriers / warning signals)

Question 27

evaluating effectiveness of models

Answer 27

hazard models are useful but the unpredictability makes the models less effective at accurately representing human responses to hazards.