Hazards Flashcards
(263 cards)
Natural Hazard-What?
A natural hazard is a natural event that is a potential threat to human life or property
Classification of Natural Hazards-Geophysical
A geophysical hazard is a hazard that is driven by the Earth’s own internal energy sources like Plate Tectonics
Classification of Natural Hazards-Atmospheric
Atmospheric hazards are driven by processes that are weather or climate related
Classification of Natural Hazards-Hydrological
A hydrological hazard is a hazard driven by water bodies, normally the ocean
Common Characteristics of Natural Hazards
- Dangerous affect to human life
- High in energy
- Has a rapid or short warning
- Has primary/secondary impacts
- Hazard causes people to adapt and mitigate
Impacts-Primary
Primary impacts are impacts that have an immediate effect on the area
Impacts-Secondary
Secondary impacts are the result of the primary impacts eg: Homelessness caused by destruction of buliding
The Dregg Disaster Model
According to this model, a disaster is when a hazard affects a vulnerable population
Factors that create a vulnerable population
- Lack of/Bad healthcare
- Bad preparation
- Young children
- Elderly Population
- Poor living conditions
- Steep slopes
- Lack of education
- Bad Water/ Lack of clean water
- Poor buliding quality
- Poor emergency services
- Less Income Country-Less money
Vulnerability-What
How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard
Perceptions of Hazards-Wealth
Richer people can move away from hazard affected areas, or build home to withstand hazards-Smaller risk for rich, High risk for Poor
Perception of Hazards-Religion
Some people adopt a fatalistic view towards hazards-Less risk for them
Perception of Hazards-Education
Those who are educated about the hazards have a better understanding of them, they can try to reduce the damage caused-Less risk for them
Perception of Hazards-Past Experience
Those who lived in hazard prone areas are more experienced-Less risk for them
Perception of Hazards-Personality
Some people do not fear them, they find them exciting-Less risk for them
Risk Perception-What
The subjective judgement that people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk
Risk-What?
The probability of a hazard event causing harmful consequences
Fatalism-What?
People accept that hazards are a natural occurrence. Loses are inevitable and people remain where they are. “God’s Will”
Adaption-What?
People see that they can prepare for the event so they will survive
Fear-What?
People feel so vulnerable to an event that they move away to areas with no hazards
Factors that increase risk perceptions
- No control over hazard
- Many deaths
- No understanding of Hazard
- Lack of awareness
- Large Scale
Factors that decrease Risk Perception
- Controllable Hazard
- Few deaths
- Understanding of Hazard
- Not being aware of hazard-“Ignorance is Bliss”
- Small scale impacts
- “It will never happen to me” attitude
Responses to a hazard
- Prevention of hazard or reduce the magnitude of the hazard
- Mitigation of the impacts of the hazard
- Government intervention
- Do nothing-Fatalism
The Hazard Management Cycle
Once a hazard happens, the authorities respond to it. Then, the area is reconstructed. Mitigation, which reduces the severity of the hazard is next, which increases the areas preparedness for a disaster. Then, a disaster strikes and the cycle begins again