Geography

• Tectonic hazards in two areas of contrasting wealth


  • Kobe earthquake (1997) and Haiti earthquake (2010)
• Kobe, Japan (HIC - Richer) (1997)

  Richter 7.2, 6400 killed under collapsed buildings/infrastructure, 300,000 homeless, infrastructure damaged, immediate responses by army and long-term responses like new building code
• Haiti (LIC - Poorer) (2010)


  Richter 7.0, 230,000 killed under poorly built densely packed homes, 1.5 million homeless, 180,000 houses collapsed, infrastructure damaged, immediate responses by families/friends and long-term responses like aid and new homes
• Why the difference in damage and response?

  Very high GDP = Better trained emergency services, stronger infrastructure, better organisation, more money for repairs. Much lower GDP = poorly trained and equipped emergency services, poor infrastructure, poor organisation, less money for repairs
• Tropical storm


  • Typhoon Haiyan (2013), Philippines

  
• Primary effects - Social

  50% of houses destroyed and 6300 people killed, over 600,000 people displaced – 90% of Tacloban city destroyed
• Primary effects - Economic


  Damage cost was $12 billion US dollars, 75% of farmers and fishermen had lost their income
• Primary effects - Environmental


  An oil barge ran aground causing an 800 000-litre oil spill, 400 millimetres of rainfall caused widespread flooding
• Secondary effects - Social

  Infection and disease spread due to contaminated water, looting and violence was rife in Tacloban, due to a lack of food and supplies
• Secondary effects - Economic

  Fishing industry was disrupted as the leaked oil from the grounded barge contaminated fishing water
• Secondary effects - Environmental

  Ten hectares of mangroves were contaminated by the oil barge leak, flooding caused landslides
• Immediate responses

  Authorities evacuated 800 000 people, over 1 200 evacuation centres were set up, emergency aid supplies arrived three days later
• Long term responses

  Thirty-three countries and international organisations pledged help, a 'cash for work' programme paid people to clear up the debris and rebuild the city, Oxfam replaced many fishing boats, the Philippine government declared a long-term recovery plan 'Build Back Better'
• Recent extreme weather event in the UK

  • Somerset Levels Flooding (2014), UK
• Causes


  Wettest January since 1910, high tides and storm surges, rivers had not been dredged for 20 years and were clogged with sediment
• Social impacts


  Over 600 houses flooded, 16 farms evacuated, residents evacuated to temporary accommodation for several months, villages such as Moorland cut off

  
• Economic impacts


  £10 million damage caused, over 14,000 hectares of agricultural land under water for 4 weeks, over 1000 livestock evacuated, local roads cut off for commuters
• Environmental impacts


  Floodwaters contaminated with sewage and oil/chemical pollutants, huge amounts of debris had to be cleared, stagnant water had to be reoxygenated before being pumped back into river
• Managing the floods - Immediate responses


  Villagers used boats to go shopping or attend school, local community groups and volunteers offered support
• Managing the floods - Long-term responses

  River banks were raised and strengthened, Somerset County Council pledged £20 million on a Flood Action Plan, rivers Tone and Parratt were dredged, road levels were raised, flood defences for communities at risk, pumping stations were built, potential for a tidal barrage by 2024
• Small scale ecosystem in the UK

  • Pond Ecosystem, Highwoods Country Park
• Tropical Rainforest


  • Malaysian Rainforest
• Causes of deforestation in the Malaysian Rainforest

  • Road building
  • Commercial farming
  • Subsistence farming
  • Logging
  • Mineral extraction
  • Energy Development
  • Population growth and resettlement
• Economic development - Economic gains


  Development of land for mining, farming and energy leads to more jobs, companies will pay taxes to the government to improve public services, improved transport infrastructure opens up more industry and tourism, hydro-electric power provides cheap and plentiful energy, minerals such as gold are very valuable
• Economic development - Economic losses


  Pollution of water sources resulting in water shortages, fires can cause harmful pollutions and are difficult to control, plants that could be used for medical benefits may become extinct, the number of people attracted to visit the rainforest could decrease, greater contributions towards climate change as trees no longer absorb CO²
• Impacts of deforestation - Soil erosion

  Roots of trees and plants bind the soil together. Deforestation means that soil can easily become loose and erode away. Wind and rain washes the soil away, permanently damaging the nutrient cycle
• Impacts of deforestation - Climate change

  During photosynthesis, trees absorb CO2, which is a greenhouse gas. By absorbing CO2, trees store the carbon and help to reduce the rate of global warming. Trees usually give off moisture by transpiration. Deforestation reduces the moisture in the air resulting in a drier climate. Evaporation uses up heat and cools the air. If trees cut down, this cooling stops
• Sustainable management of the Malaysian Rainforest

  • Selective Logging
  • Replanting
  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Ecotourism
  • International cooperation
• Hot desert environment


  • Thar Desert – Pakistan/India
• Location and background


  The Thar Desert is in northwest India. It is one of the major hot deserts of the world with the highest population density. This environment is increasingly under threat
• Opportunities for development in the Thar Desert

  • Mining
  • Energy generation
  • Farming
  • Tourism
• Challenges of development


  Extreme temperatures - temperatures in the Thar Desert can exceed 50°C in the summer months. It is hard for people to work on farm, in mines or as tourist guides
• Minerals quarried in the Thar Desert

  • Cement
  • Fertilisers
  • Limestone
  • Marble
• Energy generation in the Thar Desert

  • Solar panels used to produce energy
  • Energy used to clean water supplies contaminated with salt (desalination)
  • Wind energy used to generate electricity
• Farming in the Thar Desert

  • Irrigation has made commercial arable farming viable
  • Crops such as wheat and cotton are produced
  • Many jobs created and income generated for the local economy
• Tourism in the Thar Desert

  • Thar Desert National Park attracts many visitors
  • Tourists explore the desert with local guides on camels
  • Tourism is an important source of income and creates many jobs for local people
  • Multiplier effect of tourism creates many development opportunities
• Extreme temperatures in the Thar Desert


  It is hard for people to work on farm, in mines or as tourist guides during the summer months as it is simply too hot
• Water supply in the Thar Desert


  Without water the development of mining, farming and tourism and therefore the economy would not be possible
• Inaccessibility of the Thar Desert

  Most of the desert is inaccessible due to the extreme environmental conditions and poor infrastructure
• Swanage Bay


  • Made up of bands of hard and soft rock
  • Soft rock (clay and sands) erodes away quicker than the hard rock (chalk and limestone)
  • This forms headlands and bays