The concept of Hazard (3.1.5.1):

Natural Hazard

An event that threatens property and life. Disasters often result from natural hazards and ocur unpredictabily in the atmosphere.

Risk

Potential threat hazardous events pose on people, posessions, and the built environment.

Vulnerability:

potential for loss in a physical hazard. It can vary over time and can be influenced by social groups, geographical factors etc.

perception:

The way in which individuals/groups view the threat a natural hazard has. Therefore determining the course of action and expectations.

Fatalism

The perspective of a hazardous event suggesting that people cannot resolve or influence the outcome. Nothing can be done to mitigate.

Adaptation:

Attempts by a communities/people to adjust to living with a hazard. Then reducing their vulnerability.

Community preparedness/Risk sharing

There are prearranged measures that aim to reduce property damage and loss of life.

Integrated Risk management

Social, economic and political factors are all involved in risk analysis then evaluating the expected damage. In order to reduce disruption and damage.

Distribution

The spatial coverage of the hazard, referring to the area affected by the event.

Frequency

distribution a hazard has over time.

Magnitude

the size of the impact of a hazard event.

Prediction

Where it is possible to give warnings (as a result of monitoring), in order to enable action to prepare.

Resilience

Ability of individuals/communities to utilise available resources in order to respond, withstand and recover from the effects of natural hazards.

Park model (disaster Response curve)

A model that demonstrates how hazard events have varying impacts over time. Showing pre disaster, when the disaster happened, response and post-disaster.

Disaster relief

(part of the park model) involves rescue services, medical attention and general care. Lasting between a few hours-days.

Disaster rehabilitation

(next stage of the model) People provide shelter, food and water for those affected to try and resume to some sort of normality. Lasting between a few days-weeks.

Disaster reconstruction:

Where property and infrastructure is repaired/rebuilt, crops are regrown etc. People use this time in order to learn from that event for the future.

primary effects

direct results from a hazard event

secondary effects

result from primary effects/impacts

factors affecting hazard perception

• socio-economic status

• level of education

• past experiences

• religion

• values

socio-economic status affecting perception

• wealthier areas wanting to be better prepared to limit impact and prevent further disaster, sense of helplessness is poorer areas therefore less done, increasing impacts and devastation

level of education affecting perception

• higher = better understanding of disaster and how to plan/follow mitigation plans

past experiences affecting perception

• help know what works/doesn’t, potentially more prepared, or still recovering and vulnerable

religion affecting perception

• e.g voodoo in Haiti, believe they have 16 lives therefore don’t mitigate, fatalistic perception