management of tectonic hazards and disasters
the hazard risk equation
-disaster: a serious disruption of a community due to a hazardous event leading to losses and impacts
-a mega disaster is:
-more than 2000 deaths
-and/or GDP reduced by >5%
-national GDP (gross domestic product):
-total value of of good produced and services provided in a country in one year
-the hazard risk equation:
-similar to Deggs disaster model
-explains the risk of a natural disaster using the formula:
-risk (r) = Hazard (h) x vulnerability (v)
-so are is amplified by:
-large h
-high V
-with both leading to mega disasters
-vulnerability can be reduced:
-resilience through development:
-improvements in:
-governance
-social and economic conditions
-physical and environmental conditions
-the level of development of a place used to mean economic development
-now refers to socioeconomic development
-equals advances in quality of life and health
-what makes populations fatally vulnerable, to earthquakes is poverty and poor governance
-"it's not an earthquake that kills people it's buildings"
-Haiti 2010 earthquake 2015: 150,000 Haitians still living in tented camps
-Haiti's lack of development amplified by the 2010 disaster
-governance:
-enforcement of building codes
-quality of infrastructure
-disaster prep plans
-efficiency of emergency services
-quality of communication systems
-public education
-level of corruption
-socioeconomic:
-level of wealth affects ability to protect themselves
-no access to education = no awareness of risks
-poor housing = less resistant to disaster
-for healthcare = more disease
-lack of income opportunities affects health care and living conditions
-physical and environmental:
-areas with high population density equals low quality housing
-rapid urbanisation create a need for more housing that is of poor quality
-the accessibility of an area affect how quickly rescue an aid can arrive
the pressure and release model
-identify root causes of vulnerability:
-dynamic pressures
-unsafe conditions
-eg, poverty arrow lack of skills Harrow limited Search and Rescue
-this is the progression of vulnerability
-aka the disaster crunch model (pressure from both sides V=>D<=H)
-and release:
-pressure can be released by increasing resilience through development
-progression of vulnerability:
1- root causes: weak governance, limited access to power and Resources
2- dynamic pressures - lack of education + training + skills, macro forces (rapid population growth, rapid urbanization, environmental degradation)
3- unsafe conditions - lack of disaster prep, warnings, resistant infrastructure, response teams, medical care
4- disaster - earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis
regional / global impacts
-tectonic mega events:
-extremely large events with regional / global impacts
-don't always cause mega disasters
-location of Iceland:
-island in the North Atlantic
-on a constructive plate boundary between Eurasian and North American plates
-Iceland is also a hotspot - huge magma input (1 eruption / 5 years)
-Iceland and volcanic activity:
-25% of Iceland sees volcanic activity:
-along Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-eruptions of basaltic magma
-typically effusive eruptions (non explosive)
-2010 E15 eruption:
-initially effusive the explosion, VEI 4, (March then April)
-first eruption very limited - tourist destination
-second subglacial eruption was phreatic (magma + water making it more explosive)
-local hazards:
-jokulhlaups - damaged roads
-tephra fall - breathing difficulties and disrupted farming
-regional hazards:
-ash blown over Europe by jetstream
-this closed the airspace over Europe (6 days)
-silica in fine ash gets into jet engines and melts into glass
-loss of perishables ($ 1.3 mill lost in Kenya)
-no medical supply transport
-$5 bill in cost for Europe
-$1.7 bill cost to airlines
-100,000 flights cancelled
- Fukushima explosion (2011):
-due to earthquake and tsunami damage
-flooded cooling / pumping station so less cooling
-they then shut down the reaction
-leftover heat built-up pressure - small gas explosion + small radiation leak
-setup local evacuation zone (20 km radius)
-47,000 evacuated and cannot return
-global impacts of Fukushima:
-raised concerns on nuclear power:
-Germany decommissions all plants by 2022
-Swiss not replacing existing power plants
-Italy referendum - 'no to nuclear'
-local impacts of Fukushima:
-2010 - 27% nuclear power to 2013, less than 1%
-price of electricity increase
-government debt increases as it had to import fossil fuels
-increase in GHG emissions
-reliant on nuclear again (by 2030 nuclear = 20 to 30% energy)
hazard management theory
-the aims of hazard management are:
-limiting loss (life / property)
-rapid recovery (quality of life)
-key players:
-governments (national, regional, local)
-other aid agencies
-businesses
-community groups