TYPES OF HAZARD WORLD AT RISK What you should achieve this lesson • Know some key terms in relation to the topic • Understand how to classify different hazard types • Recognise the difference between a natural hazard and a disaster Key terms • With a partner I want you to try to come up with and write a definition of the following: • Natural Hazard • Disaster • Risk • Vulnerability • Hydro-meteorological hazard • Geophysical hazard Natural hazard • A natural hazard is a naturally occurring process or event which affects people, e.g. causing loss of life or injury, economic damage, disruption to people’s lives or environmental degradation. • Without people it is just a natural event not a hazard, it needs the interaction of people to make it a hazard. Natural hazard NO NATURAL HAZARD Hazardous geophysical event e.g. flood or earthquake Vulnerable population: susceptible to human and economic loss No interaction of human and physical systems Natural hazard (Dregg’s model) NATURAL HAZARD DISASTER Hazardous geophysical event e.g. flood or earthquake Vulnerable population: susceptible to human and economic loss Interaction of human and physical systems Disaster • “The realisation of a hazard, although there is no universally agreed definition of the scale on which loss has to occur to qualify as a disaster.” (Smith 1996) Risk • Risk is the exposure of people to a hazardous event which may present a potential threat to people or their possessions, including buildings and structures. Vulnerability • Vulnerability is the degree to which you are susceptible to physical or emotional injury or attack What is the connection? GROUP 1 ALL ARE HYDRO-METEROLOGICAL HAZARDS What is the connection? GROUP 2 ALL ARE GEOPHYSICAL HAZARDS What is the connection? GROUP 3 COULD FIT INTO EITHER Hydro-meteorological hazard • Discuss with your partner what you think this means • Hydro-meteorological Hazard • Natural processes or phenomena of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic nature, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation HYDRO-meteorological hazards • Examples: • Cyclones, droughts, floods, storm surges, thunder/hailstorms, rain and wind storms, blizzards and other severe storms; desertification, wildland fires, temperature extremes, sand or dust storms; permafrost and snow or ice avalanches. • Hydrometeorological hazards can be single, sequential or combined in their origin and effects. Geophysical hazards • Discuss with your partner what you think this means • Geophysical Hazard • Natural hazards where the principal causal agent is geological, geomorphological (e.g. landslides, tsunamis, volcanoes and earthquakes). They do not include biological hazards. Chronic hazards • Discuss with your partner what you think this means • Chronic Hazard • A hazard that is long-term and persistent • Examples: • El Nino • Global Warming What do you think? Are hazards really ‘natural’? homework • Create a mini case study on Hurricane Irene • Watch the news • Read the papers • Look online • Where and why • What impacts have there been (short and long term; local, national, international) • Cost • Were any precautionary measures in place