Disaster Modification
- Strategies to manage and reduce the impact of tectonic hazards can be divided into three groups - modification of the:
- Event
- Vulnerability, increasing resilience
- Loss
- These strategies involve mitigation or adaptation
Modification of the event
- This happens before the event occurs
- Modifying earthquakes is challenging because they occur without warning
- Construction of earthquake-resistant buildings can help to reduce the impacts on people
- Modifying volcanic hazards can be achieved by:
- Hazard risk mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify areas at highest risk followed by land use zoning to prevent development in these areas
- Draining crater lakes reduces the chance of lahars
- Barriers and channels can also be constructed to divert lava flows
- Modifying tsunamis can be achieved by:
- Using land use zoning to prevent construction at the coast
- Building offshore barriers
- Building sea walls - Japan has increased the height of sea walls in some areas to over 12 meters
- Replanting mangrove forests
Land use zoning in Christchurch, New Zealand