A hazard is a potential threat to human life and property caused by an event
Incidence is the frequency of a hazard.
Intensity is the power of a hazard, indicating how strong it is.
Magnitude is the size of the hazard, usually measured by its intensity.
Level of development affects how a place can respond to a hazard, so a hazard of the same magnitude may have very different effects in two places of contrasting levels of development.
Perception is how dangerous hazards are viewed and what risk they pose, which is dependent on lifestyle factors such as economic and cultural factors.
Response options include Fatalism, Prediction, Adaptation, Mitigation, and Management.
Risk sharing is a form of community preparedness, whereby the community shares the risk posed by a natural hazard and invests collectively to mitigate the impacts of future hazards.
What are the 3 main types of natural hazards?
Geophysical
Hydrological
Atmospheric
What are the 6 different types of responses to natural hazards?
Fatalism
Prediction
Adaptation
Mitigation
Management
RiskSharing
Geophysical hazards are caused by what?
land processes
Atmospheric hazards are caused by which processes?
meteorological or climatic processes
Hydrological hazards are caused by which processes?
the movement and distribution of water
Earthquakes, volcanic activity and mass movements such as landslides and mudflows are all examples of what type of natural hazard?
Geological hazards
Storms and wildfires are examples of what type of natural hazard?
Atmospheric hazards
Floods, limnic Eruptions and tsunamis are examples of what type of natural hazard?
Hydrological hazards
Hazards should not be confused with natural disasters. A disaster will only occur when a vulnerable population is exposed to a hazard:
The Degg’s model is a good representation of this concept
Perception of hazards impact peoples responses / approaches to hazards
Why might wealthier people perceive a hazard to be smaller/ insignificant and feel less vulnerable?
wealthier people have the ability to move away from a hazardous area
Why might wealthier people view a hazard as a greater risk / more signficant?
Higher stakes (risk of property damage and financial loss)
Someone who has experienced more hazards may be more likely to understand the full effects of a hazard
people who have experienced hazards are also likely to have an optimistic and unrealistic outlook on future hazards. Why?
they can have a ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice’ mentality
R.kates writes about the ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice’ mentality in what year?
1971
Who wrote a journal on the ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice’ mentality? (optimistic views on hazards from experienced people)
R.kates
Education - A person who is more educated about hazards may understand their full effects on people and how devastating they can be and have been in the past
Education - Those who are less educated may not understand the full extent of a hazard and may not evacuate
Religion and beliefs - Some may view hazards as put there by God for a reason, or being part of the naturalcycle of life etc. so may not perceive them to be negative (fatalism)
Religion and beliefs - people who believe in environmental conservation may perceive hazards to be a huge risk to the natural environment (especially hazards that are becoming more frequent due to global warming)
Mobility - Those who have limited access to escape a hazard may perceive hazards to be greater threats than they are. Whether they are in a secluded location, or if they are impaired with a disability or illness, those who cannot easily leave an area quickly may feel more at risk
What is risk sharing?
working together to reduce the risk and sharing the costs of hazard response (eg buying home insurance – only some people need to claim but the cost is shared by everyone)
Factors affecting hazard responses are:
Frequency (how often a hazard occurs)
Intensity & Magnitude
Distribution (where the hazard occurs)
Level of Development (of a county)
The Park Model is a graphical representation of the steps of human responses to hazards while giving it a rough time frame
What is the name of this graph?
The park model
What factors effect the severity of a hazard?
Magnitude
Speed of onset
Regularity
Number of hazards
Areal Extent
Spatial Concentration
Frequency
Duration
Predictability
What does the term "speed of onset" mean?
How fast the peak of a hazard arrives
What does the term "areal extent" mean?
Spatialcoverage (how large the affected area is)
Name the 4 stages of the Hazard Management cycle:
A) Response
B) Recovery
C) Mitigation
D) Preparedness
What is the name for this model?
The Hazard Management Cycle
What is the definition of mitigation?
the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something eg earthquakes
What are the four stages in the disaster risk management cycle?