Introduction to natural disasters
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This document provides an introduction to natural disasters. It defines natural disasters as naturally occurring hazards including geophysical, hydrological, climatological, meteorological and biological events. Examples are given of each type. The document discusses why a course on natural disasters is useful, covering relevant scientific fields and how disasters affect both nature and humanity. Statistics are presented on economic losses and loss of life from disasters globally between 1970-2013. Ecological damage from various disasters is depicted. The document specifically discusses natural disaster risk in Hong Kong, noting it is ranked the highest risk city in Asia and 3rd globally. Common Hong Kong disasters of storms, floods and wildfires are identified, and contingency planning resources are referenced.
Introduction to natural disasters
- 1. Introduction to Natural Disasters Dr. Mark A. McGinley Professor, Head of Science Unit Core Curriculum and General Education Office Lingnan University
- 2. What is a Natural Disaster? • Let’s come up with a list of examples
- 3. What is a Natural Distaster? • Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events which can be geophysical (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity), hydrological (avalanches and floods), climatological (extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires), meteorological (cyclones and storms/wave surges) or biological (disease epidemics and insect/animal plagues). https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about- disasters/definition-of-hazard/
- 4. Why Teach a Course About Natural Disaster? They are Cool!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW2qCK0I6cw - Watch
- 5. Why Take a Course About Natural Disasters? Allows you to learn about a number of important areas of science • Geophysical • Geology • Hydrological • Hydrology • Climatological • Atmosphere and climate science • Biological • Ecology
- 6. Why Take a Course About Natural Disasters? • Natural disasters affect both natural and human systems
- 7. Economic Damage • Between 1970 and 2013, over $2.8 trillion in economic losses were reported globally from natural disasters • Asia and the Pacific alone reporting $1.15 trillion of that total • This region now accounts for almost half of the world’s losses from natural disasters • For comparison, the GDP of Hong Kong was 290.90 billion US dollars in 2014 • http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-27/counting-the-economic-cost-of- natural-disasters
- 8. Recent Disasters The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated economic losses from the recent earthquakes in Nepal (April 2015) as 9 percent to 50 percent of its gross domestic product, with a best guess of 35 percent Dominica, a small island in the Caribbean, just had a hurricane (late August, 2015). “Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a televised address late Friday that the island has been set back 20 years in the damage inflicted by the storm, which dumped some 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on the mountainous island”. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/puerto-rico-braces-ts-erika-dead-dominica-33372829
- 9. Loss of Life • An average of 73,000 fatalities occurred each year between 1980 and 2010. http://www.worldwatch.org/losses-natural-disasters- reach-new-peak-2011
- 10. Ecological Damage Forest Fire Hurricane
- 12. Do We Need to be Worried About Natural Disasters in Hong Kong? • How worried are you? • What types of natural disasters have, and potentially can, strike Hong Kong?
- 13. Hong Kong • Hong Kong has the highest natural disasters risk in Asia • “Hong Kong, 26 May 2015 – Hong Kong tops Asia’s ranks as the city with the highest natural disasters risk, according to the recently released inaugural Sustainable Cities Index from ARCADIS, the leading global natural and built asset design and consultancy firm. “ • “Hong Kong’s natural disasters risk is mainly caused by storms, floods and wildfires” http://www.arcadis.com/press/Hong_Kong_has_the_highest_natural_disasters _risk_in_Asia.aspx
- 14. Disaster Risk- Asian and Global Rankings Overall Asia ranking City Overall Global ranking 1 Hong Kong 3 2 Wuhan 4 3 Tokyo 9 4 Manila 10 5 Beijing 11 6 New Delhi 15 7 Jakarta 16 8 Mumbai 24 9 Shanghai 26 10 Kuala Lumpur 27 11 Seoul 29 12 Singapore 50 Hong Kong is ranked #3 Globally…. What two cities do you think are ranked #1 and #2?
- 15. Natural Disasters- Hong Kong For lots of good info about the costs of natural disasters in Hong Kong check out this link • http://www.preventionweb.net/ countries/hkg/data/
- 16. We, and the government, need to be aware of the risk and plan accordingly. • CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR NATURAL DISASTERS (INCLUDING THOSE ARISING FROM SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS) • Emergency Support Unit, Security Bureau • http://www.sb.gov.hk/eng/emer gency/ndisaster/cpnd- e092007.pdf http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2010/01/24/new-remarkable- animation-video-of-the-po-shan-road-landslide-in-hong-kong/