Vulnerability to Natural Hazards (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Vulnerability of countries

• Some countries/areas/people are more vulnerable to natural hazards than others

• A range of factors affect vulnerability, these can be economic, social, physical or a combination of these

• The calculation of vulnerability is based on:

  • exposure to natural hazards

  • susceptibility

  • capacity to cope

  • capacity to adapt

• Poverty is one of the main factors which affects the level of vulnerability as it affects many of the other economic and social factors

Economic factors

• Wealth and level of development

  • The quality of buildings, healthcare and infrastructure all depend on the wealth of a country/area

• Insurance 

  • People living in poverty cannot afford insurance and insurance companies will only insure well-built homes/structures

• Buildings

  • Planning controls, poverty, building styles and the quality of materials all affect the safety of buildings

• Technology 

  • Wealthier countries will have more access to monitoring equipment so may get more warnings of events

Social factors

• Population density 

  • The more people there are in an area the higher the numbers of deaths and injuries are likely to be

  • High population density also means buildings are likely to be more densely packed

• Education 

  • People with a higher level of education are likely to be wealthier and be able to afford better-quality housing

  • Levels of education also affect how informed people are about the risks

Physical factors

• Global location 

  • Some areas experience more hazards because they are near plate boundaries or in tropical regions

• Physical environment 

  • Steep slopes can increase the chances of landslides, and coastal areas are more vulnerable to storm surges and tsunami