D.4 Future resiliance and Adaptation

Question 1

what has been the pattern of geophysical events recently?

Answer 1

from between 1994 to 2013, the frequency of geophysical disasters has remained broadly constant.

Question 2

what does the pattern of geophysical hazards contrast to?

Answer 2

population growth and economic development patterns.

Question 3

which geophysical hazard has killed the most and why?

Answer 3

earthquakes (including resulting tsunamis) have killed more people than all other natural disasters combined. While they are rarer than say floods, they have the ability to cause very high numbers of casualties in a short period of time.

Question 4

where in the world are there many natural disasters?

Answer 4

Asia bears the brunt of a lot of natural disasters. In particular Indonesia, Pakistan and China.

Low-income countries bear a disproportionate burden of natural disasters, including a huge disparity in death rates.

Question 5

what has increased in highly seismic zones over the last dacades, and why?

Answer 5

urbanisation, slums and squatter settlements frequently expand onto high-risk areas such as slopes or embankments.

Question 6

what are some predictions about future population statistics you could drop into an answer?

Answer 6

the worlds population is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, and 9,7 billion by 2050.

Question 7

where is the majority of future population grown forecasted to by geographically?

Answer 7

half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries-

India
Nigeria
Pakistan
D.R Congo
Ethiopia
Tanzania
USA
Indonesia
Uganda

Question 8

what things are critical if sustanible devlopment is to occure?

Answer 8

eradicating poverty and inequality
combating hunger and malnutrition
expanding educational enrollment
expanding health systems
providing adequate housing

Question 9

what are the two umbrella ways to adapt to geophysical hazards?

Answer 9

increased Govment planning and personal resilience.

Question 10

what is the way increased government planning becomes a way to adapt to geophysical hazards?

Answer 10

land use zoning- different land uses may be prevented in locations known for being at risk.

For example, densely populated buildings, hospitals or fire services, should not be built close to a fault line or in areas at risk from landslides.

In some volcanic areas, residents are evacuated, for example from the slopes of Mount Sinabung, and an exclusion zone may be formed.

building codes can be enforced to ensure that buildings are of an adequate standard to survive a hazardous event.

Question 11

what is the way personal resilience becomes a way to adapt to geophysical hazards?

Answer 11

insurance- to better prepare individuals or families can take out insurance to cover hazardous events. However, some of these events are considered ‘acts of God’ by some insurance companies or LIC residents can not afford insurance. It is harder to convince other people and yourself to spend money on a theoretical event.

Adoption of technology- new technology can be used to record the swellings of volcanos and changes in water chemistry. Mobile phones with GPS can inform agencies about geophysical changes.

Question 12

what is the pre-event management strategy for mass movement?

Answer 12

slope stabilization-
terracing steep slopes
drainage of water from slopes
building restraining structures such as stone walls

Question 13

what is the pre-event management strategy for earthquakes?

Answer 13

building design -

Single-story buildings are better than multi-story to reduce swaying.

some tall buildings have a ‘soft story’ at the Botton, such as car parks on raised pillars. It collapses in an earthquake so that the upper floors sink down with a cushioned impact.

basement isolation, mounting the foundations of a building on rubber mounts which allows for the ground to move under the building. this isolates the building from the tremors.

Question 14

what is the pre-event management strategy for tsunamis?

Answer 14

sea walls and early warning systems- however cost constrains usually dictate the height of walls. Walls also do no stop very big waves.

Question 15

what is the pre-event management strategy for volcanoes?

Answer 15

it is possible to manage lava flows using dry channels, explosives or pumping water onto the lava front to cool it.

GPS can be used to monitor the swelling of volcanoes, which could indicate an imminent eruption.

Question 16

what are the three Rs of post-event management strategies?

Answer 16

rescue, rehabilitation, reconstruction

Question 17

can you expand on rescue as a post-event management strategy?

Answer 17

in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the main priority is to rescue people. This may involve searcher teams and sniffer dogs. Thermal senors may be used to find people among rubles.

The numbers of survivors decrease significantly as time goes on after a disaster. Few people survive after 72 hours.

Question 18

can you expand on rehabilitation as a post-event management strategy?

Answer 18

this refers to people being able to move into safe housing again.

Question 19

can you expand on reconstruction as a post-event management strategy?

Answer 19

for some residents, rehabilitation is not possible, and so rebuilding is necessary. This can be a very long and drawn-out process taking decades if the project is done on a major scale.

The aim of reconstruction is to get communities back to their pre-distant level and to promote continuous human development.