some case studies Flashcards
(23 cards)
Haiti (2010) earthquake primary effects
Primary Effects:
200,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries.
200,000 homes(1m people made homeless).
hospitals and schools badly damaged.
Main port and roads were damaged, making aid delivery difficult.
Haiti (2010) earthquake secondary effects
Secondary Effects:
Diseases caused by poor sanitation such as cholera caused more deaths.
Looting and violence increased due to lack of supplies.
People still lived in temporary shelters years later.
haiti 2010 earthquake immediate responses
Immediate Responses:
Poor planning and management meant people had to rescue each other.
$400m overseas aid from EU and USA.
Healthcare supplies provided, reducing risk of disease.
haiti 2010 earthquake long term responses
Long-Term Responses:
Temporary schools set up.
people supplied with water and sanitation (NGOs).
Rebuilding homes with better material.
New warning systems and emergency plans introduced.
christchurch (2011) primary effects
Primary Effects:
200 deaths and 3000+ injuries.
100,000+ homes damaged and over half of the city centre’s building were damaged (including cathedral).
80% of water and sewage pipes were damaged.
christchurch secondary effects
1/5 of the population moved out due to damage and stress.
People developed mental health issues due to trauma.
Education was disrupted and schools had to join together.
Businesses closed for a long time, so people lost their jobs.
Christchurch couldn’t host the Rugby World Cup, losing tourism revenue.
christchurch immediate responses
Rescue crews from Japan, US, UK, Australia etc.
30,000 people supplied with chemical toilets.
Electricity was restored after 5 days.
christ church long term responses
$40b+ from insurance companies to help rebuild homes and businesses.
Government enforced better earthquake-resistant buildings.
Counselling for people affected by trauma.
Typhoon Haiyan (2013) primary effects
s, e, e
Primary Effects
Social:
6000+ people died.
1m+ homes destroyed
90% of Tacloban was destroyed.
Electricity was interrupted
Economic:
Cost of damage was approx. $13b.
Environmental:
farmland flooded.
Forests and ecosystems were damaged.
Typhoon Haiyan (2013) secondary effects
s, e, e
Social:
Infection and diseases spread due to lack of sanitation.
Power supplies were cut off for months.
Looting was common (lack of food and supplies).
Economic:
oil leak contaminated fishing waters (disrupted fishing industry).
Rice prices increased lots by 2014 due to loss of crops (disrupted agriculture).
Environmental:
An oil leak contaminated mangroves.
Landslides and erosion from flooding.
Typhoon Haiyan (2013) short term responses
s, e, e
Immediate Responses:
International government and aid agencies quickly provided food, water, and temporary shelters.
US aircraft carriers and helicopters assisted with search, rescue and delivery of aid.
Field hospitals set up to help the injured.
Typhoon Haiyan (2013) long term responses
s, e, e
Long-Term Responses:
Roads, bridges, and airports were rebuilt.
Oxfam helped replace fishing boats, so fishing was quickly re-established.
Buildings were upgraded with better protection and thousands of homes were built away from areas at risk.
Somerset Levels Floods (2014)
Causes and social impacts
Wet weather lasted several weeks. 350mm rainfall in Jan and Feb (100m above average).
Rivers hadn’t been dredged for years.
High tides and storm surges swept water over riverbanks.
Social Impacts:
600+ houses flooded and 16 farms evacuated.
Many power supplies were cut off.
Villages were cut off; affects daily lives such as school and shopping.
somerset economic and environmental impacts
Economic Impacts:
Cost of damage was around £150m.
80+ roads were closed
1000+ livestock evacuated and farmland submerged under water.
Environmental Impacts:
Floodwaters were heavily contaminated (sewage, oil, chemicals).
Huge amounts of debris had to be cleared.
Habitats were damaged.
somerset Management Strategies
Riverbanks were repaired and raised, increasing capacity
Rivers are dredged annually.
Environment Agency will build a tidal barrier at Bridgwater that will protect homes and local businesses.
snowdon physical and human attractions
Physical Attractions:
Mountain landscapes which provide adventure activities such as walking, climbing, mountain biking
Tourists enjoy the view/scenery.
Lakes such as Bala offer water sports and fishing.
Human Attractions:
Scenic towns and villages such as Llanberis are popular with tourists.
Historical sites such as Harlech castle.
Businesses such as hotels, shops, and cafés.
snowdon social and economic impacts (4 positive, 2 negative) and environmental impacts (3 negative, 2 positive)
Social/Economic Impacts:
Creates employment opportunities for locals (hotels, shops, cafés).
Generates money for local businesses including accommodation, food, and tours.
Money can be used to develop infrastructure and local services (public transport, roads).
Positive multiplier effect.
Jobs may be seasonal, unreliable, and low paid.
Demand for holiday homes increases house prices, forcing locals out.
Environmental Impacts:
Traffic congestion brings noise and air pollution, damaging ecosystems.
Overcrowding leads to more footpath erosion and littering, harming wildlife (suffocation).
Tourists may leave gates open, and farm animals can be injured or lost.
Tourists come to see the scenery and wildlife, so there is pressure for conservation.
Money can be spent on conservation projects.
River Severn features
o V-shaped valley, waterfalls, and gorges in the upper course.
o Meanders and oxbow lakes in the middle course.
o Floodplains, levées, and a large estuary in the lower course.
jubilee flood relief channel (2002)
reasons, management strategy, social economic environmental issues
Reasons:
Lots of flooding in low-lying, high-value areas like Windsor and Eton.
These areas contain important infrastructure and expensive homes.
Management Strategy:
12km long, 50m wide flood-relief channel that diverts excess water from the river Thames.
5 large weirs to control the flow of water, reducing flood risk.
Social Issues:
Protects 3000+ properties nearby (including a major historic site – Eton College).
Protects a richer area (Windsor) at the expense of a poorer area downstream (Old Windsor).
Economic Issues:
Insurance costs decreased in protected areas.
Very expensive (£100m funded by Environment Agency).
Has high maintenance costs.
Environmental Issues:
Creates new aquatic habitats.
Algae collect behind weirs and deoxygenate the water, which harms the ecosystem.
Concrete weirs are visually unattractive.
epping Forest: producers, consumers, primary, secondary tertiary decomposers food chains, food webs, nutrients cycling
♦ Producers: Organisms that produce their own food using sunlight (photosynthesis) for other animals to eat (grass, shrubs, deciduous trees).
♦ Consumers: Organisms that eat other living things to gain energy.
♦ Primary – Caterpillars, beetles, worms.
♦ Secondary – Rabbits, small birds, mice.
♦ Tertiary – Foxes, owls, sparrowhawks.
♦ Decomposers: Organisms that break down dead plants/animals and recycle nutrients into the soil.
♦ Food Chain: One straight line from producers to each consumer. Biomass decreases as you go up due to energy losses from life processes such as excretion and movement.
♦ Food Web: Contains several connected food chains.
♦ Nutrient Cycling: In Spring/Summer, trees grow more leaves due to more sunlight. In Autumn, leaves fall which builds a thick leaf litter layer. Decomposers return nutrients back to the soil and into biomass (plants)
Amazon Rainforest what is it and what causes deforestation
The Amazon is the largest rainforest on Earth (8 million km2).
40% of the rainforest will be deforested by 2050 if the current rate continues.
Causes of Deforestation
Commercial Farming:
Forest is cleared to make space for cattle grazing and huge plantations e.g. soybeans.
Subsistence Farming:
Small-scale farmers need land to grow food for themselves and their families.
Slash and burn techniques are used, leading to infertile soils.
Logging:
There are lots of valuable hardwood trees.
Trees are felled for timber and paper.
Mining:
Minerals such as copper, iron, and gold are mined and sold to make money.
Forest is cleared for mines and deep pits, leading to soil erosion.
The Carajás mine in Brazil is the world’s largest iron ore mine.
Energy Development:
Building HEP dams floods large areas of the forest.
Balbina Dam flooded 2500km2 of the rainforest.
Road building:
Construction of roads for access by farmers, loggers and miners destroys more of the forest.
Trans-Amazonian Highway is over 4000km long.
Settlement/Population Growth:
Growing population means more land is cleared for houses, infrastructure, and resources.
amazon rainforest impacts of deforestation
Economic Development:
Job opportunities in mining, farming and logging.
Companies pay taxes; improve public services e.g. education and healthcare.
Improved transport creates new areas for industrial development.
Soil Erosion:
Soil exposed to rainfall and there are no roots to hold it together, so it is rapidly eroded.
Topsoil is removed so little vegetation can grow
Soil washed into riverbeds contributes to flooding.
Climate Change:
Less CO2 is absorbed as fewer trees have leaves for photosynthesis.
Burning vegetation also releases CO2, which enhances the greenhouse effect.
Western Desert
Development Opportunities and challenges
Mineral Extraction:
Energy:
Farming:
Tourism:
extreme temperature
water supply
inaccessibility
