Hazards_and_Disasters

=Hazards and Disasters - Risk Assessment and Response=



**SYLLABUS REQUIREMENTS**

• either earthquakes or volcanoes • hurricanes (tropical cyclones, typhoons) • droughts • any one recent human-induced (technological) hazard (explosion or escape of hazardous material).
 * =====**1. Characteristics of hazards**===== ||
 * • characteristics || Explain the characteristics and spatial distribution of these hazards:

Distinguish between the chosen hazards in terms of their spatial extent, predictability, frequency, magnitude, duration, speed of onset, and effects.


 * 7 hours ** ||
 * =====**2. Vulnerability**===== ||
 * • **vulnerable populations** || Explain the reasons why people live in hazardous areas.

Explain the reasons for some sectors of a population being more vulnerable than others.
 * 1 hour ** ||
 * • **vulnerability** || 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 why individuals and communities often underestimate the probability of hazard events occurring. Discuss the factors that determine an individual’s perception of the risk posed by hazards.
 * 3 hours ** ||
 * =====**3. Risk and risk assessment**===== ||
 * • **risk relationships** || Examine the relationships between the degree of risk posed by a hazard and the probability of a hazard event occurring, the predicted losses, and a community’s preparedness for it.

Discuss these methods by examining case studies relating to **two** different hazard types.
 * 3 hours ** ||
 * • **hazard event prediction** || Examine the methods used to make estimates (predictions) of the probability (in time and space) of hazard events occurring, and of their potential impact on lives and property.

Explain the causes and impacts of any **one** disaster resulting from an environmental hazard. Explain the causes and impacts of any **one** recent human-induced hazard event or disaster. Examine the ways in which the intensity and impacts of disasters vary in space and have changed over time. Describe attempts that have been made to reduce vulnerability by spreading the risk (aid, insurance) and by land use planning (zoning). ||
 * 3 hours ** ||
 * =====**4. Disasters**===== ||
 * • **definition** || Distinguish between a hazard event and a disaster. Explain why this distinction is not always completely objective. ||
 * • **measuring disasters** || Describe the methods used to quantify the spatial extent and intensity of disasters.
 * 4 hours ** ||
 * =====**5. Adjustments and responses to hazards and disasters**===== ||
 * • **responses to the risk of hazard events** || Discuss the usefulness of assessing risk before deciding the strategies of adjustment and response to a hazard.
 * • **before the event** || Describe strategies designed to limit the damage from potential hazard events and disasters.

Distinguish between rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction responses. Explain how these responses are affected by individual and community perceptions. Examine the factors that affected the choice of adjustments before, and responses to, actual hazard events or disasters. Discuss the importance of re-assessing risk, and re-examining vulnerability, following any major hazard event or disaster.
 * 4 hours ** ||
 * • **short-term, mid-term and long-term responses after the event** || Describe the range of responses, at the community, national and international levels, during and after a hazard event or disaster.

==**ONLINE RESOURCES** == media type="custom" key="10936860"
 * 5 hours ** ||

[[image:skills.png]]GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS
Skills covered when teaching this optional theme could include: Direction, latitude and longitude, isoline and isopleth maps, choropleth maps, aerial photographs, ground-level photographs and satellite images.

[[image:skills.png]]GLOSSARY

 * Hazard || A threat (whether natural or human) that has the potential to cause loss of life, injury, property damage, socio-economic disruption, or environmental degradation. ||
 * Hazard event || T he occurrence (realization) of a hazard, the effects of which change demographic, economic and/or environmental conditions. ||
 * Disaster || A major hazard event that causes widespread disruption to a community or region, which the affected community is unable to deal with adequately without outside help. ||
 * Vulnerability || The susceptibility of a community to a hazard or to the impacts of a hazard event. ||
 * Risk || The probability of a hazard event causing harmful consequences (expected losses in terms of deaths, injuries, property damage, economy and environment). ||

[[image:resources.png]]TEXTBOOK RESOURCES
Bishop, Hazards and Responses, Second Edition: Most of the textbook. Warburton, Atmospheric Processes and Human Influences, 1999: p.152-162, p.98-100. || • **vulnerability** || Waugh, An Integrated Approach, Third Edition: p.32 Bishop, Hazards and Responses, Second Edition: p.5, p.14-21. || • **hazard event prediction** || Bishop, Hazards and Responses, Second Edition: p. 22-31, p.32-34. || • **measuring disasters** || Bishop, Hazards and Responses, Second Edition: p.6-7 || • **before the event** • **short-term, mid-term and long-term responses after the event** || Bishop, Hazards and Responses, Second Edition: Most of the textbook. ||
 * =====**1. Characteristics of hazards**===== ||
 * • **characteristics** || Waugh, An Integrated Approach, Third Edition: p.11, 33-26, p. 235 - 238.
 * =====**2. Vulnerability**===== ||
 * • **vulnerable populations**
 * =====**3. Risk and risk assessment**===== ||
 * • **risk relationships**
 * =====**4. Disasters**===== ||
 * • **definition**
 * =====**5. Adjustments and responses to hazards and disasters**===== ||
 * • **responses to the risk of hazard events**

Textbook reference

Environmental Hazards Assessing risk and reducing disaster, 5th Edition | Keith Smith, David N. Petley | ISBN: 978-0-415-42865-1 | Publish Date: 29th January 2009 [Submitted by Rajeev Sharma]

[[image:resources.png]]ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Geography Review Volume 22 No1. September 2008: Sichuan earthquake article [Submitted by:Ann]