1. What is a hazard? What is a disaster?
Today we will:
Define a natural event, natural hazard and a natural disaster
Explore how natural hazards can be classified
Consider how the impact of disasters links to vulnerability, frequency and magnitude

2. You will need… Specification Course checklist Glossary Sheet
Learning Journal
Today’s worksheet
Hazard Log

3. What is a hazard?
An event is a phenomenon that can be observed (i.e. something has happened!)
A hazard is an event that puts human life or livelihood (property and income), or the environment, at risk of damage

4. A natural event becomes a natural hazard when:
People are likely to be affected
A cyclone in Hong Kong.
A hurricane on a remote and unpopulated island in the Atlantic Ocean
A rural flood in Somerset which floods the roads and some farmland but does not affect any homes or buildings
An avalanche in Val D’Isere, a ski resort in France
A volcanic eruption on the unpopulated White Island off the coast of New Zealand
An earthquake in the remote Kashmir region of Pakistan.
A drought in the Simpson Desert region of Australia’s Outback
A drought in South East England.
A tsunami wave off the coast of Hokkaido in Japan.
An avalanche in Central Greenland

5. Hazard Types

6. Natural Hazard Types Two main types:
Geophysical Hazards: Hazards resulting from geological or geomorphological events
E.G.
Hydro-meteorological events: Hazards resulting from atmospheric or hydrological processes.

7. There are factors that affect the severity of natural hazards:
Frequency:- How often an event of a certain size (magnitude) occurs. Magnitude:- The size of an event e.g. force of a gale on the Beaufort scale or size of earthquake on Richter scale

8. When Does a Natural Hazard Become a Disaster?
Hazards only become disasters when they actually impact on people and/or physical systems – when people are vulnerable.
For this to occur people must be vulnerable (i.e. at risk of injury or loss) to the hazard.
Hazardous
Geophysical
Event
e.g flood or
earthquake
Vulnerable
population:
susceptible
to human
and/or
economic loss
Degg’s disaster model
Use it in the exam!
DISASTER

9. When Does a Natural Hazard Become a Disaster?
What makes people vulnerable?
Social
Economic
Environmental

11. Tasks:
Classify the hazard examples from earlier into Geophysical Hazards and Hydro-meteorological Hazards using two different coloured highlighters. Include key.
Add definitions of Hazard, Context Hazard, Geophysical Hazard, Hydro-meteorological Hazard, Vulnerability, Disaster and Risk to your glossary sheet using pages 2 and 3 of the Blue textbook.
Explain how the frequency and magnitude of a hazard can affect a disaster. You can use Fig. 1.2 on p.3 to help you

12. What trends can you see? Number of deaths in 2007 Bangladesh 5635
India 2236
China 1161
Pakistan 911
N Korea 610
Peru 603
Indonesia 580
Hungary 500
USA 333
Vietnam 326
Economic cost 2007 (Billions)
Japan $13.8
UK $9.7
USA $9.4
China $8
Germany $5.5
Oman $3.9
Mexico $3.6
Bangladesh $2.4
Peru $2
Pakistan $1.9

13. Is the world more hazardous now?
How might this be a little misleading?

14. Use the graphs on pages 10 and 11 of the Oxford (black) textbook to complete the following :
Why might have people affected and economic costs increased so much?
Why has the number of disasters has increased but the number of deaths has fallen.
Describe the maps at the bottom of page 11 and suggest why Asia has the most deaths from natural disasters.

15. Deaths There is a decreasing number of deaths: Awareness Preparedness
Technology
Where may this not be the case and why?

16. Economic Costs
Increase in economic effects as number of deaths decrease:
More developed countries
Which countries will be worst affected?

17. Explain these trends: Which figure is higher – deaths or costs?
Number of deaths in 2007
Bangladesh 5635
India 2236
China 1161
Pakistan 911
N Korea 610
Peru 603
Indonesia 580
Hungary 500
USA 333
Vietnam 326
Economic cost 2007 (Billions)
Japan $13.8
UK $9.7
USA $9.4
China $8
Germany $5.5
Oman $3.9
Mexico $3.6
Bangladesh $2.4
Peru $2
Pakistan $1.9
Which figure is higher – deaths or costs?
Why might this be?
What does it suggest about how vulnerable the population is?

18. Hazard Trends – Some Issues
There are a number of issues in looking at hazard trends:
Defining a disaster – no official definition so figures vary.
Death counts vary due to long term effects.
Reporting of hazards varies due to availability of data, location, technology, political factors and media coverage.
Statistics are complex to collect and are collected by a range of bodies.

19. Homework: Independent Study:
Complete the grid on the back of the worksheet
“Natural hazards are not really ‘natural’ at all”. To what extent do you agree? We will discuss this next lesson.
Independent Study:
READ ‘the Risk Equation’ on page 7
Research an example of each of the following from anywhere in the world during 2012:
Hydro-meteorological Hazard
Geophysical Hazard
Input these hazards into your hazard log table ( ed).
Use and to find the information but also watch the news!

20. What is a natural hazard?
A natural phenomenon that can be observed
A natural event that puts human life, livelihood or the environment at risk
An occurrence where a vulnerable population is affected by natural circumstances

21. Which of these are geophysical hazards?
Tropical storms
Volcanoes
Floods

22. Which of these is a natural hazard?
A drought in the Simpson Desert region of Australia’s Outback
A tsunami wave off the coast of Hokkaido in Japan.
An avalanche in Central Greenland

23. Which of these will increase the risks to people?
Increased frequency of a hazard (more often)
More wealth in a country
Increased magnitude of a hazard (larger)