Theme 2 Flashcards
(9 cards)
Deforestation
Amazon Rainforest – Deforestation
Simple Explanation:
The Amazon is being cleared for logging, farming, and roads, leading to habitat and biodiversity loss.
Versatile Statistics:
* Loses ~1.3 million hectares/year
* Home to 10% of world’s species
Covers ~5.5 million km²
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Demand for beef and soy leads to clearing for farms
Logging industry profits from valuable trees
Government builds roads and dams to develop the interior
Rainforest Threats
Borneo – Rainforest Threats
Simple Explanation:
Borneo’s forests are cleared for palm oil and timber, threatening ecosystems.
Versatile Statistics:
* Lost over 30% of forest since 1970s
* Palm oil exports: $15+ billion/year
Orangutan population down 50%
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Global demand for palm oil in products
Weak environmental laws in parts of Borneo
Government encourages export-driven farming
Storm Hazard
Hurricane Katrina (USA) – Storm Hazard
Simple Explanation:
Hurricane Katrina caused flooding and damage in New Orleans, showing storm impact in an MEDC.
Versatile Statistics:
* 1,800+ deaths
* $125 billion damage
80% of New Orleans flooded
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Warm Gulf waters strengthened the storm
Levees failed due to poor maintenance
City built below sea level – very flood-prone
Storm Hazard 2
Cyclone Idai (Mozambique)
Simple Explanation:
Cyclone Idai caused massive flooding, destruction and displacement in a low-income country.
Versatile Statistics:
* 1,300+ deaths
* Over 2.5 million affected
90% of Beira city damaged
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Warm Indian Ocean intensified storm
Poor buildings couldn’t withstand wind/flooding
Weak emergency services slowed rescue
Earthquake
Haiti Earthquake (2010)
Simple Explanation:
The earthquake devastated Haiti due to poor infrastructure and emergency response.
Versatile Statistics:
* Over 220,000 deaths
* 1.5 million homeless
Magnitude: 7.0
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Conservative plate boundary near capital
Poor-quality buildings collapsed easily
Weak health and emergency systems
Earthquake + Tsunami
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (2011)
Simple Explanation:
A strong earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, with advanced response but major impacts.
Versatile Statistics:
* 15,000+ deaths
* Magnitude: 9.0
$235 billion in damage
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Subduction zone offshore caused mega-thrust quake
Huge tsunami followed earthquake
Fukushima nuclear plant damaged by flooding
Volcano
Montserrat – Volcanic Eruption
Simple Explanation:
Volcano destroyed much of the island and forced many to evacuate.
Versatile Statistics:
* 19 deaths
* 2/3 of island uninhabitable
Capital Plymouth abandoned
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Island lies on destructive plate boundary
Volcano dormant for centuries – people were unprepared
Aid response was slow at first
Flooding
Ganges Delta (Bangladesh) – Flooding
Simple Explanation:
The delta in Bangladesh is prone to monsoon and river flooding.
Versatile Statistics:
* 1998 flood displaced 30 million
* Delta supports 160+ million people
70% of land is less than 1m above sea level
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Heavy monsoon rain + Himalayan snowmelt
Flat land with slow drainage
Deforestation upstream increases runoff
Coastal Erosion
Holderness Coast (UK) – Coastal Erosion
Simple Explanation:
The Holderness Coast erodes rapidly, needing groynes and sea walls to protect land.
Versatile Statistics:
* Erodes at 2m/year
* Over 30 villages lost since Roman times
£2 million spent on protection
⚠️ Reasons Why:
Cliffs made of soft boulder clay
Strong North Sea waves and longshore drift
Groynes elsewhere starve beaches of sand
