Week 3: Exposure to Hazards Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are the types of Hazard?
- Natural
- Anthropogenic hazards, or human-induced hazards
This type of hazard is naturally-occurring physical
phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events. It caan be classified as: geologic, atmospheric (meteorological), hydrologic, biological.
Natural Hazards
This specific type of hazard originate from internal earth
processes.
Geological Hazards
This specific type of hazard include examples such as earthquakes, volcanic activity and emissions, and related geophysical processes such as mass movements, landslides, rockslides, surface collapses and debris or mud flows.
Geological Hazards
This specific type of hazard has atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic origins.
Hydrometeorological Hazards
This specific type of hazard include examples such as tropical cyclones; floods, including flash floods; drought; heatwaves and cold spells; and coastal storm surges.
Hydrometeorological Hazards
This specific type of hazard has organic origin or conveyed by biological vectors, including pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and bioactive substances.
Biological Hazards
This specific type of hazard include examples such as bacteria, viruses or parasites, as well as venomous wildlife and insects, poisonous plants and mosquitoes carrying disease-causing agents.
Biological Hazards
This type of hazard is also called human-induced hazards
Anthropogenic Hazards
This type of hazard is induced entirely or predominantly
by human activities and choices. Note: it does not include occurrence or risk of armed conflicts and other situations of social instability.
Anthropogenic Hazards
This specific type of hazard may include chemical, natural and biological hazards. It can be created by environmental degradation or physical or chemical pollution in the air, water and soil.
Environmental Hazards
This specific type of hazard is also termed drivers of hazard and risk rather than hazards.
Environmental Hazards
This specific type of hazard originate from technological or industrial conditions, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or specific human activities.
Technological Hazards
This specific type of hazard include examples such as industrial pollution, nuclear radiation, toxic wastes,
dam failures, transport accidents, factory explosions, fires and chemical spills. Technological hazards also may arise directly as a result of the impacts of a natural hazard event.
Technological Hazards
What are the characteristics of a hazard
- Frequency
- Rate of onset
- Magnitude and Intensity
This refers to how often an event occurs. It is expressed in terms of return period (the estimated likelihood of an event to occur).
Frequency
This refers to how predictable a hazard, and how much lead time (the period before the onset of a disaster) is allowed by it.
Examples:
- Earthquakes, landslides, and flash floods usually occur without warning.
- Tsunamis typically can have long warning periods of minutes to hours as long as warning systems in place.
- Volcanoes can provide signs of impending eruption weeks or months in advance.
Rate of onset
The more predictable an event is, the ____ the chance of incurring casualties and damages.
lesser
This refers to the measure of strength and indication of how destructive a disaster can be.
Magnitude and Intensity
The extent of the effect in terms of land area or number of persons of a natural hazard towards a community.
Exposure
The degree to which the elements at risk are likely to experience hazard events of different magnitudes. This includes the physical location (e.g. proximity to a body of
water), characteristics of the area (type of soil, topography, temperature), density of elements-at-risk (overpopulation, congestion) of a community that “exposes” it to hazards.
Exposure
“Who could be hurt of what could be damaged”
Elements at risk
This includes people (life and health), facilities and services (houses, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals), livelihood (work, crops, livestock, livelihood materials), and the environment.
Elements at risk
This refers to the magnitude of occurrence of a disaster.
Event parameter
