Natural Hazards Flashcards
What is a natural hazard?
A natural hazard is an extreme event that occurs naturally and causes harm.
What are the three kinds of impacts?
Social: Relating to people and their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Economic: Relating to money, typically in damages and repair costs.
Environmental: Relating to the environment and its inhabitants.
What are the two kinds of natural hazard?
Tectonic Hazards: Hazards caused by the movement of tectonic plates.
Atmospheric Hazards: Hazards caused by the climate and weather, or changes to them.
What are some examples of natural hazard?
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, storms, tsunamis, landslides and floods.
What is hazard risk?
Hazard risk is the chance or probability of being affected by a natural event.
Why is urbanisation increasing hazard risk?
Over 50% of the world’s population live in cities, and many of these cities are located in at risk areas. People move there for the opportunities despite the risk.
Why does poverty increase hazard risk?
Poverty forces people to live in at risk areas due to shortages of houses and the inability to afford expensive areas.
Why does climate change increase hazard risk?
As the weather becomes more intense flooding and other hazards will become more common and have a wider reach.
Why does farming increase hazard risk?
Flood water and minerals from volcanoes makes soil better for farming, and people may move closer to that soil for the sake of their crops despite the risk.
