Lesson 1
What problems and risks do natural hazards create for Canadians?
There are lots of things that can cause Canadians unavoidable danger or risk. We call these
phenomena hazards. Hazards can result from the natural environment (e.g. earthquakes), or
from the way people interact with natural and built spaces (e.g. chemical spill). In this activity,
you will learn about preparation for local hazards, and investigate five natural hazards that
occur in Canada.
These hazards are:
Earthquakes
Floods
Landslides
Tornadoes
Forest Fires
How we interact with the natural environment is a big part of the problem.
We do many things that when considered alone are not part of the flood problem. When you
add them all together, however, we actually make things worse.
Consider the following:
We clear land to make space for cities to grow. The first step in the construction of any mall, or
neighbourhood is clearing the land. The removal of the vegetation means that there are no
roots to collect, filter, and absorb the rain water.
Paved roads, parking lots, sidewalks, super centers…they also increase the run-off of rain water.
Since rainwater has limited opportunity to be absorbed, cities have to design, build and finance
storm-water collection systems. Over time they will also need repair and replacement.
Creeks and streams are often in locations that are considered “inconvenient” for urban
development. Since they flow to larger bodies of water, they can be buried and incorporated in
the storm water collection system. You have probably seen this in your community; a creek
with unnaturally regular and smooth banks. In many places, the banks are even paved to
reduce the erosion that occurs during a heavy rain.
Floodplains are flat, conveniently located, and historically where settlers first established their
communities.
Wetlands act as big sponges and store water. When wetlands are drained, or built on, rain can
no longer be absorbed.Emerg
Each of these changes to the natural environment will increase the chances of flood water
overwhelming the human-made collection system.
ASSIGNMENT
Find three photographs (online or take your own) that illustrate places where the natural
environment has been altered in a way that increases the impact of any natural flooding. Each
photograph needs to show a different way that people have interacted with the environment.
For each photograph you have selected:
Write an appropriate and informative title;
Write a caption (2-3 sentences) that clearly explains what alteration has been captured in the
photograph.
All municipalities have information for homeowners, including how to protect their property
from flooding. Have a look at the information The City of Toronto has posted on their website
on how to Reduce your Risk of Basement Flooding: General Information. Identify three ways,
according to this website, how you can help protect your property against flooding. Record this
information below your photographs.