hazards case studies

Question 1

how do volcanoes make the Philippines a multi-hazard environment

Answer 1

-volcanoes:
near a destructive plate boundary- Philippine plate subducted beneath the Eurasian plate
e.g. mount Pinatubo erupted in1991
killed 700
left 200,000 homeless
destroyed agricultural land

Question 2

how do seismic hazards make the Philippines a multi-hazard environment

Answer 2

-seismic hazards:
earthquakes occur along the plate boundary and at fault lines
e.g. magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Luzon Island 1990
killed 1500

e.g. magnitude 7.9 earthquake on Moro Gulf 1976 caused a tsunami
thousands killed
several cities devastated

Question 3

how do tropical storms make the Philippines a multi-hazard environment

Answer 3

-tropical storms
10 tropical storms per years
they develop in the pacific ocean and move west over the islands
e.g. typhoon Xangsane 2006 
destroyed homes 
caused floods
200 died
cost US$130 million

Question 4

why do people still live in the Philippines

Answer 4

-densely populated- 340 people per km squared
-people have experienced the risk before
-individuals prepare
stockpiling food
widening rivers
-communal resilience

Question 5

responses to natural hazards in the philippines

Answer 5

• 2009 government policy on adaption, mitigation and management of natural hazards
• preventing building in high risk areas
• adapting new and existing buildings
• building embankments
• public awareness
• monitoring hazards

Question 6

what makes Italy a hazardous setting

Answer 6

• fault lines run from the north to the south of the country and east to west of central Italy
• destructive plate margin- Eurasian and African plates
• earthquakes are common
  e. g.1997, Assisi 6.4 magnitude earthquake

2009, L’Aquila, 6.3 magnitude earthquake
killed 300
70,000 made homeless
cost US$15 billion

Question 7

how did the 2009 earthquake affect L’Aquila socially

Answer 7

• many historic buildings in the city destroyed
• many young people left
• changed the architectural and social character of the city
• attendance to social and religious events declined
• residents suffer form mental health issues

Question 8

how did the 2009 earthquake affect L’Aquila economically

Answer 8

• universities destroyed: number of students enrolling decreased-economic loss for city
• the Italian government plans to rebuild and make the city more attractive to students
• in the future this could provide economic gains

Question 9

how did the 2009 earthquake affect L’Aquila politically

Answer 9

• officials and scientists blamed for the lack of warning
• tensions between residents and officials
• government blamed for slow rebuilding