Explain the reasons why people live in
hazardous areas.
Discuss vulnerability as a function of demographic and socio‑economic factors, and of a community’s preparedness and ability to deal with a hazard event when it occurs.
Explain the reasons for some sectors of a population being more vulnerable than others.
A Distinction
A hazard / Hazard event / Disaster
Hazard -is a perceived natural event which
threatens both life and property
Disaster - is the realisation of this hazard.
Hazard event – the occurrence or realization of a hazard
An event only becomes a Hazard event if it has a negative impact on people or their property. A Distinction
Environmental hazards are caused by
people’s use of dangerous environments.
A large part of environmental hazards is caused by human behaviour, namely the failure to recognise the potential hazard and act accordingly.
Hence the term “natural hazard” is not a precise description, as natural hazards are not just the result of “natural” events.
Classification/Examples of Hazards
Natural
Human
Climatological
Physical
Biological
Combinations
Characteristics of Hazards
Duration
Magnitude
Predictability
Frequency
Speed of Onset
Spatial concentration
Areal extent
Number of hazards
Hazard Hotspots
A country that suffers from multiple hazards is
known as a hazard hotspot. El Salvador, Indonesia and the Philippines are all considered to be hazard hotspots because they can suffer from:
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Landslides
Tropical storms
Floods
Tsunamis
The Poor
Environmental hazards occur only when
people and property are at risk.
Although the cause of the hazard may be geophysical or biological, this is only part of the explanation.
It is because people live in hazardous areas that hazards occur.
So why do people live in such places.
The behavioural school of thought considers that environmental hazards are a result of natural events and people sometimes put themselves at