The Philippines

The Philippines

What types of hazards are they exposed to?
1. Earthquakes
  1. Around 20 earthquakes are registered daily
2. Volcanoes
  1. Has 20 active volcanoes
3. Flooding
  1. Annual torrential rains and thunderstorms from July-October
    1. Anomalies caused by La Nina
      1. A cyclic ocean and wind current affecting South East Asia
  2. Tropical monsoon climate
    1. Northern and Eastern coasts face the Pacific
      1. Pacific = World’s most tsunami-prone ocean
4. Droughts
5. Tropical storms
  1. Typhoons
    1. Approx.19 typhoons occur each year
  2. Cyclones
  3. Tropical monsoon climate
  4. Tsunamis
6. Landslides
  1. From illegal logging, deforestation and land degradation
    1. In 50 years, logging has reduced several million hectares of forest to about 600,000 hectares
    2. Reduces soil protection and weakens bindings
  2. Mainly mountainous regions = steep slopes
Background Info
1. Population: 98,630,000 (2013)
  1. 12th most populated country in the world
2. Capital city: Manila
3. Sovereign island country
  1. In Southeast Asia
    1. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam
    2. North across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan
  2. In Western Pacific Ocean
  3. Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia
4. 73rd-largest country in the world
  1. Consists of an archipelago of 7,107 islands
    1. Categorized under three main geographical divisions
      1. Luzon
      2. Visayas
      3. Mindanao
    2. Divided into 17 regions, 80 provinces and 138 cities
      1. 300,000 km2
5. GDP/capita: $4,660
  1. Has one of Asia's fastest growing economies (MIC+NIC)
Why are they so vulnerable to hazards?
1. Physical
  1. Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the South-East Asia typhoon belt
    1. Benham Plateau to the east in the Philippine Sea is an undersea region active in tectonic subduction
    2. Oceanic Philippines plate is being subducted beneath the continental Eurasian plate
      1. Has created the deep Manila Ocean Trench
2. Environmental
  1. Extensive logging
    1. President imposed a Moratotorium in 2011
      1. No new timber contracts will be granted for cutting natural forests
    2. Resulted in major flooding and landslides
      1. Those on illegally denuded hillsides killed thousands
3. Social
  1. Population explosion
    1. Forecasters say the population could double within three decades
  2. Retention of skilled practitioners is a problem
    1. 70% of nursing graduates go overseas to work
4. Political
  1. July 4, 1946 attained independence
  2. Dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos
    1. His election in 1986 led to...
      1. National debt
      2. Government corruption
      3. Communist insurgency
        Political tensions and open hostilities
      4. Military conflict with Islamic separatists
        Christian vs. Muslims
    2. Country suffered from economic stagnation and recession
5. Economic
  1. 1997 Asian Financial Crisis
    1. Now heavily reliant on remittances which surpass foreign direct investment (FDI)
      1. FDI = reinvesting profits earned from overseas operations
  2. Dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos
Hazard Hotspot
1. At risk from more than two hazard groups
  1. Geophysical hazards (tectonic)
  2. Hydro-meteorological hazards

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	Created by Melissa Cheung over 10 years ago

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