Risks and Disasters
GG 231OC
Course Description
This course examines the nature of risk and disasters, how it impacts on humans and who is most
vulnerable. The hazards that are examined cross a wide range of topics from earthquakes and
tsunamis, to extreme weather such as tornado and hurricanes, to biological hazards including fire
and diseases and concludes with an examination of human-induced disasters such as plane
crashes and climate change. Each lesson is divided into five themes. The focus varies somewhat
from lesson to lesson as some will focus on one section more than another.
•
•
•
•
•
Description of the hazard and processes that initiate it
Spatial patterns or geography of the risk – where are there more hazards?
Description of the impacts, measurements used to gauge the hazard and discussion of the
vulnerability of the people and place
Prediction and Warning – discussion of the methods of predicting the next hazard and
plans and methods to warn the public
Adjustments of people and place to reduce the next hazard including both structural and
non-structural solutions
Learning Outcomes- by the end of this course you should be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify and explain the types of hazards and processes involved in disasters
Identify the various aspects of studying geography
recognize the various disciplines involved in the study of risks and disasters
Identify and describe hazard planning and management solutions
Recognize the complexities of studying geography and the many facets of studying
geography (e.g. social, physical)
identify opportunities to work with computer technology in the area of geography
Course Content
This course provides students with an introduction to the study of natural hazards and their
impacts on humans. This course is divided into five modules based on risks and disasters
that arise via:
•
•
•
Module One: Geologic Processes
o Earthquakes
o Volcanoes
o Tsunamis
Module Two: Geomorphological or Earth Surface Processes
o Landslides
o Flooding
Module Three: Atmospheric Processes
•
•
o Storms - Tornadoes and Thunderstorms
o Hurricanes
Module Four: Biological Processes
o Wildfires
o Disease
Module Five: Social/Technological Processes
o Socio-technological hazard
o Climate change
Hazards will be discussed from the perspective of the disaster and the impact on human
livelihood. Integrated topics will include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vulnerability of the public and adjustments
Spatial patterns of risk
Class, gender and social patterns
Risk assessment, forecasting techniques and prediction
Hazard mapping and tracking
Community and government response to disasters
Interpreting field data
Relation and impacts of risks and disasters to land modification
Engineering responses and adjustments
Policies and planning
Application of GIS to monitoring events and assisting in control
Global organization and inequity
Geography of risk, nuclear plants and waste
Global policies and political interventions
Course Textbook
Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes (Third
Canadian Edition) by E.A Keller, D. DeVecchio & J.J. Clague, Pearson Prentice Hall:
Toronto, 2015
Student Evaluation
Midterm Examination
30%
Lab Assignment Quizzes (best 3 out of 4 worth 5% each)
15%
Online Participation
15%
Final Exam
40%
Total: 100%
Midterms and Final Examinations
All exams will include a combination of multiple choice, true and false, and similar type
questions. The midterm will cover all material up to the lesson indicated in the exam review and
the final exam will cover general concepts presented throughout the term as well as material
covered after the first midterm. I will post reviews on the discussion board for each exam several
weeks before the exam. Exam schedules are posted on the Centre for Online Learning and
Examinations websites. The midterm details are available around the 3rd or 4th week and the
final exams are posted by the 10th week.
Make sure you check out the dates of the exam period and not plan any vacations and business
trips during this time until you know the exact date of the exam (final exam dates are posted on
the university website by the about the 6th week). There are only a few valid reasons for
deferring a final exam and vacations (either planned, spontaneous or gifts) are not acceptable
Online Participation and Discussion Boards
Throughout the lesson notes you will see "Share Your Thoughts" indicators that prompt you to
post your answers to a series of questions on your group bulletin board. You will be assigned to a
group that will be available under discussion board on the menu – your group will include about
15 students randomly picked from the course. Your discussion/participation grade will be
assessed based on how frequently you post answers to these questions.
*** To achieve a strong grade in this part of the course you have to treat participation as you
would in class. That means posting your comments around the time of the lesson. I don't post
deadlines but you should try for example to complete lesson two share your discoveries during
week two. If you post them all near the end of the course you will not get full marks for your
participation***. More information regarding participation will be posted on the discussion
board once the class starts.
I also include a current events board in which you are encouraged to report and discuss any
related events occurring around the globe - you'll be surprised once you start looking how often
they occur. I'll provide more information on participation on the main discussion board.
It is very important that you check the news page and discussion boards at least once a week consider this as 'going to class' as I often post updates, corrections, explanations of marks, exam
reviews and changes in due dates on this board – it’s the easiest way to contact everyone and get
feedback. Do not just download or print the course off the first week and then show up for the
exams, you'll do much better by remaining in contact with the course on a regular basis.
Assignment Quizzes
The final component of your grade will be based on a series of online quizzes that are based on
your work under assignments. There are four assignments that relate to topics in the course.
Dates for completing the assignment quiz will be posted on the calendar. The assignments will
be based on different themes related to hazard management. They will consist of reading through
related material and taking short quizzes based on the material presented. There will be short
assignment overviews to guide you through each assignment. If you miss one, for whatever
reason - illness, job, other course work such as midterms - you will not get a chance to defer it
but since I drop the lowest mark it will not affect your grade if you complete the rest of the
quizzes. These are timed assignments, you will have 15 minutes to submit your answers and the
submission must be made within a window of 48 hours.
Course Policies
Accessible Learning
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier’s Accessible
Learning Office for information regarding its services and resources. Students are
encouraged to review the undergraduate calendar for information regarding all services
available on campus.
Plagiarism
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism. Students may
be required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for
plagiarism.
Late Penalties
You are responsible for submitting your work on time. There is a late penalty of 10 per
cent for each day an assignment is late. Submissions will not be accepted after five
days of the due date.
Videos
There are four videos to be viewed for the course. Videos are an important part of the
course and information contained in them may be included on quizzes and/or
examinations if indicated.