1. Natural Disasters and Environmental Change

2. Objective: To understand how the natural environment/physical landscape affects settlement patterns and human activities

3. Natural Hazards Natural Hazards present challenges in regions all over the world Eg.’s: Tornadoes in the US mid-west, wildfires in BC, hurricanes in the Caribbean, tsunamis in south- east Asia, earthquakes in China, mud-slides in Central America, drought in East Africa and Flooding in Bangladesh…

4. Global Natural Hazards

5. Factors the Increase the impacts of Natural Disasters on Settlements Location in proximity to prone areas (eg. coastline, fault lines, flood plains etc.) Population density Infrastructure development Existence of Management/Warning Plans Level of overall development (1 st world vs. 3 rd world) Building structures Landscape/topography

6. Environmental Issues Waste (Landfills, space for refuse, too much “stuff”) Air Pollution (vehicles, factories, acid rain etc.) Water Pollution (run-off, sewage, factory output, waterway transportation, garbage patch, eutrophication, bioaccumulation) Land Pollution (litter, agricultural practices, development of industries etc.) Deforestation (for export/sale, urban sprawl) Climate Change (extreme air pollution traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere causing increase in global temperatures)

7. Impact of Environmental Issues Global Impact As natural systems are connected all forms of pollution are circulated around the globe. - E.g (Pacific Garbage Patch) The grasshopper effect is a phenomenon related to air pollution resulting in particles “hopping” from place to place along wind currents and ultimately ending up at the poles. - E.g. (Evidence of Chernobyl in Canadian Arctic)

9. Global Case Studies In a group of 2-4 people, choose one of the environmental or natural hazard case studies provided by your teacher In your groups identify the following on a white board or chart: (to be presented) – Location – Environmental Issue – Impact on region (people and settlement) – Solutions?