Hazards- Categorisation and Perception

Question 1

Cultural factors affecting hazard perception

Answer 1

• people have lived for generations with the threat (part of their daily lives)
• peoples lives are intrinsically linked to the hazard eg. Iceland’s geothermal energy
• people feel they have enough knowledge that their vulnerability is low

Question 2

Economic factors affecting hazard perception

Answer 2

• people in the developed world are educated about hazards
• people are exposed to news reports in MICs, skewing their views
• poorer nations may consider risk vs reward
• LICs may have a lack of perceived danger
• uneducated on the risks the hazards pose
• richer nations can adapt and may have mitigated the risks

Question 3

Avalanches

Answer 3

• slide of large snow mass down a mountainside
• caused when a build up of snow
• major danger faced in winter

Question 4

Landslides

Answer 4

• elements of the ground (eg. Rocks, trees etc.)

- caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or ground instability

Question 5

Mudflows

Answer 5

• a special case of landslides
• heavy rainfall causes lose soil on steep terrain to collapse
• lahars are related to these

Question 6

Floods

Answer 6

• result of prolonged rainfall from a storm
• causes widespread damage to areas downstream
• tropical cyclones can result in extensive flooding

Question 7

Wildfires

Answer 7

• uncontrolled fire burning in woodland areas
• common causes include lightening, droughts, human negligence or arson
• can produce ember attacks (floating embers set fire to buildings)

Question 8

Cyclonic storms

Answer 8

• a system that forms over oceans
• hurricane used for Atlantic and eastern Pacific
• tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean, typhoon in western Pacific

Question 9

Tornado

Answer 9

• natural disaster resulting from a thunderstorm

- violent rotating columns of air (50-300mph)

Question 10

Fatalism

Answer 10

• people are used to experiencing the hazard and may have lived through events many times (eg. Typhoons in the Philippines)
• as such these events are normal to them so they don’t fear them

Question 11

Adaptation/adjustment

Answer 11

• when a town/city starts to change their way of living to fit natural disasters into their everyday lives
• building structures, types of research, way governments react all change due to past experience

Question 12

Prediction

Answer 12

-knowing when a hazard will occur significantly improves the chances of a lower death toll
Predicting hazards may be done in many ways:
-satellite monitoring around volcanoes
-geological ground changes-earthquakes
The most common response resulting from these is evacuation

Question 13

Mitigation

Answer 13

• any action taken to reduce or eliminate the threat to property or human life as a result of a natural hazard.
• this includes the ideas of adoption and preparation, but can also include anything done on an individual level
• any mitigation carried out goes through CBA to ensure that it is economically viable

Question 14

Risk sharing

Answer 14

• works on the principle that spreading the risk reduces any one individuals risk, therefore making it more acceptable
• may also involve spreading the financial burden imposed by possible management or adaptation strategies (so MORE EXPENSIVE ones can be put in place)

Question 15

Management

Answer 15

• the degree of management carrier out depends on the wealth of the nation eg. Japan spends billions on its tsunami warning systems, while the Philippines relies on basic weather reports
• this shows great disparity in how nations at different stages of development manage natural hazards
• little can be done about some hazards eg. Wildfires

Question 16

What does The Park Model consider?

Answer 16

Considers how the standard of living and economic status of an effected country changes following an event

Question 17

The Park Model- relief phase

Answer 17

• immediate response
• focus on saving lives and property
• charity organisations help with search&rescue
• urgent medical supplies, rescue equipment, clothing and food brought in

Question 18

The Park Model- rehabilitation phase

Answer 18

• may last for several months

- restore physical and community structures

Question 19

The Park Model- reconstruction, mitigation and preparedness

Answer 19

• permanent changes introduces
• restore quality of life and economic stability to pre disaster level
• includes mitigation- reduce vulnerability