Impacts of Natural Hazards
- Natural hazards are when they affect people; they have both short and long-term impacts
Short & Long Term Impacts of Hazard Events
Short Term Impacts | Long Term Impacts |
Damage to properties from high wind, heavy rain and storm surges, power cables and telephone lines |
Rebuilding of homes, schools, infrastructure and businesses can take time |
Impact on businesses, tourism and transport |
The cost of rebuilding affects the economy, increases unemployment |
Landslides |
Stricter building codes introduced |
Deaths and injuries, decrease in quality of life |
Mental health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) |
Crops destroyed, impacting on farmers incomes and increasing food prices |
Risk assessment and hazard mapping reviewed |
Habitat destruction |
Exam Tip
In the exam you may be asked to analyse the short and long term impacts of an earthquake event. In your answer you need to consider:
- Why short and long term impacts vary - the size and magnitude of the event
- What are the main short and long term impacts
- How the impacts are affected by the level of development, location and accessibility of the area
- What are the knock-on effects of some impacts e.g. water supplies being contaminated can lead to disease