Complex Trends and Patterns for Tectonic Disasters

Recent Trends in Tectonic Disasters:

Overall Trends:

• The total number of recorded hazards has ↑ increased over the last 50 years
• The number of reported disasters seems to be falling
• Number of deaths lower than in the recent past, but there are some spikes with mega events
• Total number of people affected is ↑ going up for some hazard types
• The economic costs associated with both hazards and disasters of all types have ↑ increased significantly

Wider Economic & Human Impacts of Tectonic Mega-Disasters:

• Global Energy: Nuclear power stations among other energy sources can be damaged (encourages governments to increase ↑ energy mix)
• Global & Regional Economic Activities: Volcanic ash may disrupt aircraft movements over large areas
• Global Pollution: Damaged and destroyed buildings, factories and power stations emit chemicals into the atmosphere, increasing ↑ ozone depletion
• Global Temperatures & Regional Food Supplies: Particulates from volcanic eruptions are carried around the world, increasing ↑ global warming
• Multinational Loss of Life: Due to international tourism and business, people from other countries can find themselves impacted during hazardous events

Impact of Natural Disasters in The Last 50 Years.

Reasons for Trends:

• Population increasing so more people affected
• Urbanisation rates are high - more people living in a small area
• Widespread poverty - people living in risky areas in insecure housing
• More expensive construction and belongings, ↑ the cost of damage
• Inequality - Increased risk for those lacking access to info and services
• Climate change - Increasing the severity of climate, weather, river and biological hazards
• Environmental degradation - reducing protection from natural systems
• More reporting - information through media

Reliability of Disaster Statistics:

• Deaths:
• Dependant on whether indirect deaths or associated disease are counted alongside direct deaths
• May be subject to political bias (eg. Tourist deaths played down to protect the tourist industry)
• Location:
• Local or regional events in remote places are often left unrecorded
• Stats of major disasters are often difficult to collect in areas that are remote