risks and hazards Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is a hazard?
an object, condition or process that threatens individuals and society in terms of production and reproduction.
what are the different types of hazards?
natural, technological, chemical.
what is a risk?
the known (or estimated) probability that a hazard-related decision will have a negative consequence.
how is risk calculated?
in terms of probability of success or failure and of good or bad outcomes. knowing the probability, frequency, and/or severity of hazards.
what are the challenges for measuring risk?
people don’t have the same views on what needs to be prioritised when it comes to area protections, therefore there is a lot of conflict.
what causes a disaster trend?
lack of planning and knowledge of events - bad perspective of risk.
what is Gilbert White famous for?
pioneering the effort to manage risk in floodplain management.
what did Gilbert Whites say was the problem with the management of Mississippi floods?
there was too much of a focus on engineered solutions (levees and river constraints).
what were the adjustments Gilbert White said for Mississippi to make?
insurance subsides for those living near/in floodplains, better information on periodicity and location of flood hazards, better evacuation planning, better managed relief systems, and better design standards - zoning to restrict building in the floodplain.
what was Mary Douglas’ theory of cultural risk?
stresses the way individual perceptions (of risk) are reinforced by group social dynamics, leading to a few paradigmatic, typical, and discrete ways of seeing and addressing problems.
what is uncertainty?
the degree to which the outcomes of a decision or situation are unknown.
first source of uncertainty?
highly uneven/unstable behavior of many environmental systems.
example of a first source of uncertainty?
Colorado river compact - documents signed in a period of unusually high rainfall and high water flow - underestimation of severe drought - now the river is constantly over-allocated.
second source of uncertainty?
encounters with new hazards (especially technological).
example of a second source of uncertainty?
the dawn of petrochemical pesticides in 1930s, leading to widespread of DDT - caused decline of many species (birds especially).
what drives vulnerability?
affected by your geographical location or nature. social, economic, environmental, physical factors or processes.
what went wrong with Hurricane Katrina? technically
technically: the hurricane protection system was constructed into individual pieces - not as an interconnected system - strong portions adjacent to weak portions. levee failure - too small margin of safety - not high enough to address “sinking” New Orleans.
what went wrong with Hurricane Katrina? socially
upper class vs lower class - evacuation procedure = driving away from danger - lower-class African Americans didn’t have cars. inequalities, long term poverty, and discrimination, ON top of geography, poor infrastructure, poor FEMA response, engineering mistakes AND an extreme weather event (hazard).
what went wrong with Hurricane Katrina? behaviorally
government/institutional failure: no single agency was in charge of the protection of New Orleans - lack of inter-agency coordination leads to adverse consequences. pressures for trade-offs and low-cost solutions - funded on a project-by-project basis - compromised quality, safety, and reliability.
what is risk perception?
the level we see the potential of harm from the risk - perceptions affect our decisions - perception of less risk when we have more control.
risk perception - GMO example
UK didn’t want any more GM foods or crops - realized it was socially benefitting for the country if they brought it from Africa and America - changed their mind because of health risks.
they thought the GM foods were a lot worse than they actually are - there was no scientific evidence that the GM foods and crops were dangerous to human health.
