The Challenge of Natural HazardsTopic Summary
Topic Summary: Natural Hazards Overview
Part of Natural Hazards Overview — GCSE Geography
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: Natural Hazards Overview within Natural Hazards Overview for GCSE Geography. Revise Natural Hazards Overview in The Challenge of Natural Hazards for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 15 of 15 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 15 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
18 flashcards
Topic Summary: Natural Hazards Overview
Key Terms
- Natural hazard: Event threatening human life/property
- Natural disaster: Hazard that overwhelms coping capacity
- Risk: Hazard × Vulnerability ÷ Capacity to Cope
- Vulnerability: Susceptibility to harm — PEARL
- Resilience: Ability to absorb and recover
- Coping capacity: Resources to prepare, respond, recover
- DRR: Disaster Risk Reduction
- Sendai Framework: UN DRR agreement 2015–2030
Hazard Types
- Tectonic: Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis — plate margins
- Atmospheric: Tropical storms, droughts, tornadoes
- Geomorphological: Floods, landslides, avalanches
- Biological: Pandemics, wildfires, pest swarms
Key Evidence
- Haiti 2010: 7.0 Mw → ~316,000 deaths (LIC)
- Christchurch 2011: 6.3 Mw → 185 deaths (HIC)
- Nepal 2015: 7.8 Mw → ~9,000 deaths (LIC)
- Chile 2010: 8.8 Mw → ~550 deaths (MIC)
- Climate disasters: +83% increase 2000–2019 vs 1980–1999
- Bangladesh: Bhola 1970 = 500,000 deaths; Sidr 2007 = 3,400 deaths (same hazard, better preparedness)
Exam Essentials
- PEARL: Poverty, Education, Access, Resilience, Location
- VERT: Vulnerability, Emergency response, Resilience, Type/magnitude
- Hazard ≠ Disaster: a hazard only becomes a disaster when it strikes a vulnerable population
- Magnitude alone does NOT determine deaths — development and preparedness matter more
- Hazard frequency rising; deaths falling in HICs; economic losses rising everywhere
- Sendai Framework 4 priorities: understand risk → strengthen governance → invest in resilience → enhance preparedness