Natural hazards

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What are natural hazards

What is a natural hazard

Natural hazards are sudden, severe events which make the natural environment difficult to manage

They disrupt human life and have huge economic and social impacts

They fall into three main groups

These events are not hazards if they occur in unpopulated regions

But where they cause high levels of death, injury, damage or disruption then they become disasters

Most natural disasters are linked to four hazard

Floods- the most frequent and deadly, damaging to most property

Tropical storms- the next most frequent, almost as dangerous

Earthquakes

Droughts

What is hazard risk

Hazard risk means the chance of being affected by a natural hazard

For example those living near the sea at risk of flooding by tropical storms or tsunami

People live in risky areas because they:

Accept the risk, weather weighing up advantages and disadvantages

Have little choice of where to live

What factors affect risk

As populations grow more people are exposed to natural hazards. Four factors increase the risk

Urbanisation- densly-populated urban areas concentrate those at risk

Poverty- expense of housing leads to building on risky ground

Farming- the attraction of nutrient-rich floodplains puts people at risk

Climate change- global warming raises sea levels and generates more extreme weather