Unit 3 Urban Territory

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Unit 3 Urban Territory Natural Hazard

• Living in a City at Risk
• How do people Cope?

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When is a city subject to disaster?

• Life is full of risks!
• We do our best to reduce these risks

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When is a city subject to hazard?

• A city is subject to hazard when its population
  is threatened
• Examples of events that can threaten our lives
• An earthquake
• A war
• An epidemic/pandemic
• An explosion at a nuclear plant

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These events are hazards because they can result
in the following

• Death
• 2. Property damage
• Neighbourhoods and infrastructure are destroyed
• 3. Economic losses
• Jobs are affected if a wild fire destroys an
  industrial park (If a GM plant burns to the
  ground due to a wildfirethe employees are out of
  a job)

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• 4. Environment is damaged (degradation)
• Wild fire destroys acres of forests
• What is a natural hazard?
• Its the danger that certain phenomena represent
  for people and property
• The word natural implies that nature is the cause

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A natural phenomenon

• A volcanic eruption is an example of a natural
  phenomenon
• If no humans live near this region then it is not
  a hazard because there is no risk

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• If the region is inhabited by people then
  possibility of a volcanic eruption becomes an
  issue because it constitutes a risk
• The event is called a natural disaster if the
  volcano erupts and causes death and damage to
  property

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Are there risk-free territories?

• All territories are at risk
• Some cities are more at risk than others and may
  be threatened by more than one natural hazard
• Montreal experienced an ice storm in 1998 and
  faces extreme cold during the winter

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Why do people continue living in big cities
subject to natural disasters?

• Good economy (jobs in mining, trade, agriculture
  etc.)
• People are attached to places, friends, family
  (sense of belonging)
• Do not have the means (money) to leave or
  possibility of living elsewhere
• All territories involve some degree of risk

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Inequality in the face of natural hazards

• Wealthy nations, like the United States, inject
  lots of money to provide its citizens with
  prevention programs for all types of natural
  hazards
• Reconstruction and economic recovery is much more
  faster than in poorer countries
• Since poorer nations are ill-equipped to face
  natural disasters, the basic needs, such as
  finding food and shelter, are not met