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
- Poverty is one of the main factors which affects the level of vulnerability as it affects many of the other economic and social factors
Factors which Affect Vulnerability
| Economic | Social | Physical |
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Wealth and level of development - the quality of buildings, healthcare and infrastructure all depend on the wealth of a country/area |
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 |
Global location - some areas experience more hazards because they are near plate boundaries or in tropical regions |
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Insurance - people living in poverty cannot afford insurance and insurance companies will only insure well-built homes/structures |
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 environment - steep slopes can increase the chances of landslides, and coastal areas are more vulnerable to storm surges and tsunami |
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Buildings - planning controls, poverty, building styles and the quality of materials all affect the safety of buildings |
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Technology - wealthier countries will have more access to monitoring equipment so may get more warning of events |
Exam Tip
You will notice that although there are many reasons that countries or areas are more vulnerable to natural hazards, the link between many of them is poverty.
