These cover the entire 'World at Risk' section of unit 1. These notes are specific to edexcel, but the information will likely overlap with other exam boards. I used this along with my other notes (which I have also uploaded) and got 115/120 UMS!
- Disasters result when hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards threaten the life & property of
increasing no‟s of the world‟s people.
- The Risk of disaster grows as global Hazards and people‟s Vulnerability increases, while their
Capacity to cope decreases.
Disaster – a hazard becoming a reality in an event that causes death and damage to goods and property
and the environment.
Risk – The probability of a hazard event occurring and causing loss of life or injury, property damage etc.
Vulnerability – How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard.
The …DISASTER Disaster Risk [D] = Freq./magnitude of Hazards [H] x Vulnerability [V]
RISK EQUATION Capacity to Cope [C]
- Equation measures the level of Hazard for an area
- Degg’s Model how a hazard becomes a disaster
, Why do people live in risk areas?
- Some people may not know that they live in a hazardous area, but others may consistently place
themselves at risk from natural hazards. Why?
- Lack of alternatives
- Unpredictability
- Changing dangers
- Cost vs. Benefit
Frequency or Magnitude of Hazard
- This is unfortunately increasing
- Mainly due to use of fossil fuels increasing the frequency and severity of weather
Level of Vulnerability
- This is increasing
- Hazards only become hazards when people get in the way the world‟s pop. Increasing rapidly so
more people are having to live in hazard prone areas.
Capacity to Cope
- This is decreasing
- Communities need the skills, tools and money to cope with the effects of climate change
- Debt repayments
- Unfair trade arrangements
- MEDCs directing aid funds towards politically strategic regions rather than those meet in need
WHY THE POOREST AREAS LACK THE MONEY NEEDED
, - Tropical island
- 100,000 people (pop. In 2011)
- Officially the republic of Kiribati
- Formerly owned by UK
- Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
- Neighbours: Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia
- One impact: rising sea levels e.g. island of Tebua under sea
Why are sea levels rising?
- Land-based glaciers melting contributes to sea level (not sea-based glaciers)
due to global warming
- Thermal expansion of water due to global warming
What is happening to the people of Kiribati?
- Environmental refugee = person forced to migrate as a result of changes to their environment.
- People from Kiribati are becoming some of the world‟s first environmental refugees
Where will the people of Kiribati go?
“Australia and New Zealand should accept all environmental refugees from Kiribati”
- The New Zealand and Australian government may not be able to cope New Zealand already
accepted refugees from Tuvalu
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