Natural Hazards

• definition of a natural hazard

  -a natural event that has had a huge social impact
• types of natural hazards

  -volcanic eruptions

  -earthquakes

  -storms

  -tsunamis (huge waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic activity)

  -landslides

  -floods

  -hurricanes

  -tornadoes

  -mudflows

  -avalanches
• hazard risk


  the chance or probability of being affected by a natural event
• factors that affect hazard risk

  poverty, farming, urbanisation and climate change
• how poverty affects hazard risk

  -poorer parts of the world may force some people to live in areas at risk e.g. lima in peru and caracas in venezuela

  -shortage of housing -> many people building on unstable slopes -> prone to floods and landslides
• how farming affects hazard risk

  -when a river floods it deposits fertile silt on its floodplain -> excellent for farming -> but people who live here may be at risk

  -many people live on floodplains in low-lying countries e.g. the river ganges in bangladesh
• how urbanisation affects hazard risk

  -some of the world's most densely populated urban areas are at great risk from natural events e.g. tokyo, istanbul and los angeles
• how climate change affects hazard risk

  -in a warmer world the atmosphere will have more energy leading to more intense storms and hurricanes

  -may cause some parts of the world to become wetter with an increased risk of flooding

  -other areas may become drier and prone to droughts and famines