Theme 1 - Societies and their environment, a fragile balance - Year 10 - Geography revision

3 types of natural hazards

- Geographical
- Atmospherical
- Hydrological

4 types of human mades hazards

- Chemical industries
- Offshore petrol rigs
- Big tankers
- Nuclear industry

4 exemples of human mades hazards

- Chemical industry
- Offshore petrol rigs
- Big tankers
- Nuclear industry

What are Geographical hazards ?

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis.

What are Atmospherical hazards ?

Storms, tropical cyclones, Extreme temperatures, droughts, wildfires

What are Hydrological hazards ?

Flood, avalanches

The gravity of a hazards depends on

The magnitude of the Hazards and the density of population of the area in which the hazards occured.

Exemple for a chemical industry hazards

AZF, Toulouse, 2001

Exemple for Offshore petrol rigs hazards

BP deepwater horizons, US, 2010

Exemple for big tankers hazard

ERIKA, France, 1999

Exemple for nuclear hazard

Chernobyl, USSR, 1986, ---- Fukusima, Japan, 2011.

Definition of RISK

Likely hood that humans can be seriously affected by a hazard

Definition of VULNERABILITY

How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazards

Definition of RESISTANCE

The ability to avoid or minimize a disaster

Definition of RESILIENT

The ability to recover from a disaster

How can an hazard can affect a poor country ?

A hazard make poverty worst and create new risk
E.G : Earthquake can destroy the sanitation system of a city, which can then trigger epidemics.

What's the inequality between a poor and a rich country when a hazard occur ?

The poor country will have more difficulties to rebuild, therefore they ask for sovereign help.

What can help a country become more resistant ?

Devlopment and research in forcasting an hazard, therefore minimize the intensity.
E.G : Alerte rouge in Franc

Why a Typhon in Haiti means more than in Florida ?

haiti citizens don't necceseraly have the means to rebuild, while in Florida they can. The quality of houses is different too, therefore Florida is more resilient.

E.G : Katherina 2005 - New Orleans U.S.A

How global change creat new risks ?

Climate change cause droughts; flooding; extreme temperatures; rising sea level --> Affecting poor countries (Southern).