Tectonics (3.1)

• Disaster risk management involves plans and actions put in place before, during, and after disasters
• Tectonic disaster risk can lead to potential damage in terms of loss of lives, injuries, and properties
• Before a disaster:

  • Hazard-resistant buildings are constructed to withstand hazards and prevent collapse
  • Example: Taipei 101 has a weighted damper to balance ground shaking and reduce building sway during earthquakes
• During a disaster:

  • Early monitoring and warning systems enable timely evacuation to prevent loss of lives
• After a disaster:

  • Financial coverage is provided when buildings are destroyed to facilitate quicker recovery
• Disaster risks hinder development in various ways, including social, environmental, and economic impacts
• Social impacts:

  • Injuries and loss of lives from debris carried by waves
  • Homelessness leading to temporary housing and poor living standards
  • Contaminated sea water causing water pollution and spread of diseases like cholera
  • Psychological trauma affecting mental wellbeing due to loss of life or damaged homes
• Environmental impacts:

  • Landslides burying areas like forests and destroying ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss
  • Debris blocking rivers and causing floods that damage ecosystems
• Economic impacts:

  • Businesses lose income and properties are damaged
  • Individuals suffer financially from repairing homes
  • Governments spend money on repairs and rebuilding, impacting the economy
• Reducing disaster risk is important because it affects social, environmental, and economic aspects, hindering development
• Developing countries are disproportionately affected by disaster risks due to a lack of capacity to prevent and manage them
• Examples:

  • 2010 Haiti Earthquake (Mw 7.0) resulted in many collapsed buildings and 220,000 deaths due to lack of earthquake-resistant buildings
  • 2011 Tohoku Japan Earthquake (Mw 9.0) had lower death rates (19,000 deaths) due to earthquake-resistant buildings and better recovery resources
• However, some developing countries successfully manage to reduce disaster risks, like the 2010 Chile Earthquake (Mw 8.8) with a lower death count of 500 due to earthquake-resistant buildings