Tectonics topic 3.1 (achiveing sustainable development through disaster risk managment)

tectonic disaster risk

refers to the potential damage to potential damage to properties, injuries and loss of lives from a disaster in a given period of time

disaster risk management

refers to the plans and actions that are put in place to :

1. prevent disaster risks before the occurrences of tectonic hazards

2. reduce disaster risks as tectonic hazards occur

3. manage disaster risks after the occurrences of tectonic hazards

disaster risk management : prevent disaster risks before the occurrences of tectonic hazards

• strategies include designing hazard-resistant buildings to ensure structures can withstand hazards and do not collapse easily, hence preventing disaster risks

• example : Taipei 101 is a skyscraper built in an earthquake-prone zone. It has a weighted damper near the top of the building to balance out ground shaking from earthquakes. This reduces the sway of building during an earthquake and therefore the threat of the building collapsing.

disaster risk management : reduce disaster risks as tectonic hazards occur

Strategies include tsunami and earthquake early monitoring and warning systems which enables timely evacuation and reduces the potential loss of lives

disaster risk management : manage disaster risks after the occurrences of tectonic hazards

• Strategies includes insurance coverage, which offers financial payouts to be rebuilt when properties are damaged or destroyed

• brings about quicker recovery from the impacts of tectonic hazards

environmental consequences of disaster risks

• Tectonic hazards such as landslides caused by volcanic eruptions can bury huge areas of forests and wetlands, destroying entire ecosystems and causing biodiversity loss 

• Debris from landslides pollutes rivers, killing aquatic life and may block rivers, causing floods that can damage nearby ecosystem

social consequences of disaster risks

• Tectonic hazards such as tsunamis can result in injuries and loss of lives as people drown and get hit by fast moving debris carried by waves

• People become homeless as houses destroyed → may be forced to live in temporary housing which lacks proper sanitation, resulting in poor standards of living

• Seawater brought inland by tsunami may contaminate water bodies, causing water pollution → disease like cholera

• Individuals suffer from psychological trauma from the loss of their homes or loved ones. Constant threat of losing their lives and being harmed while living in areas can affect mental wellbeing

economic consequences of disaster risks

• Tectonic hazards can cause destruction of homes and properties

• Individuals suffer financially as costly to repair or rebuild damaged homes

• Business owners lose incomes caused by damage to properties

• Governments need to spend money to repair and rebuild because of the damage from tectonic hazards

importance of reducing disaster risks

• Developing countries are often disproportionately affected by tectonic hazards because they often lack capacity (technological know-how and resources) to adequately prevent, reduce and manage disaster risks  

• Example : The Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake in 2010, most of the city was destroyed as they lacked finances to invest in earthquake resistant buildings, leading to many collapsed buildings and over 220k deaths. In comparison, the Mw 9.0 Tohoku, Japan earthquake and tsunami in  2011 had a lower death toll of about 19k deaths even though it was higher in magnitude. As a developed country, Japan had more earthquake resistant buildings and while the tsunami led to devastating damage, Japan was in a better position to recover due to their available resources