Key Terms: The Concept of Hazards (AQA A Level Geography): Revision Note

Hazards in geographical context - key terms

Atmospheric hazard – A natural hazard related to weather and climate, such as hurricanes, droughts, or storms.

Biological hazard – A hazard posed by living organisms, including diseases, infestations, or pollen-related allergies.

Geophysical hazard – A hazard originating from the Earth’s internal or surface processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides.

Hazard – A perceived natural or human-made threat to life, property or the environment.

Hazard event – The realisation of a hazard, which leads to impacts on people or the environment.

Hazard perception – How individuals or communities view and assess the risks associated with a hazard, influenced by culture, experience, and trust in authorities.

Hydrological hazard – A water-related hazard such as floods or tsunamis.

Natural hazard – A natural event that threatens people or has the potential to cause damage, destruction and death.

Risk – The probability of a hazard occurring and causing harm to people, property or the environment.

Vulnerability – The degree to which a person, group or place is susceptible to harm from a hazard.

Human response to hazards - key terms

Adaptation – Adjusting to hazard risks by changing behaviour or infrastructure to reduce impacts, e.g. flood defences or early warning systems.

Fatalism – The belief that hazards are uncontrollable and losses should be accepted as inevitable; typical of areas with regular, low-intensity hazards.

Integrated risk management – A strategy that includes hazard identification, risk assessment, mitigation strategies, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Mitigation – Actions taken to reduce the severity or likelihood of a hazard event, such as enforcing building codes or zoning laws.

Preparedness – Measures taken before a hazard occurs to reduce its impact, including emergency planning, education and stockpiling supplies.

Prevention – Strategies to stop a hazard from occurring, though this is rarely possible for most natural hazards.

Resilience – The ability of a community or environment to cope with and recover from a hazard.

Response – Immediate actions taken during and just after a hazard event to ensure safety and minimise damage.

Risk sharing – The idea that the costs of reducing a hazard’s impact can be shared, for example through insurance or joint community plans

Hazard models - key terms

Disaster Risk Equation – A model showing that risk is a function of hazard, vulnerability and capacity to cope:

Risk = hazard x vulnerability/capacity to cope

Hazard Management Cycle – A model showing the phases of hazard response: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It emphasises continuous assessment and planning.

Park Model (Disaster Response Curve) – A model illustrating how quality of life changes over time following a hazard event, showing stages of relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

Reconstruction - Permanent restoration which aims to provide the same or an improved quality of life than before e.g. through the rebuilding of infrastructure using aseismic designs.

Rehabilitation - A longer phase after relief that includes temporary restoration of services and infrastructure e.g. temporary schools and shelters are set up

Relief -The immediate response including search and rescue, provision of emergency medical assistance and aid