Natural hazards.

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Introduction:

Natural hazards include a wide variety of phenomena ranging from geomorphic events (landslips, erosion) through climatic events (storm, flood, drought) to tectonic events (earthquakes, volcanoes). Natural hazards can be difficult to define because (i) their causes may not be entirely natural and (ii) the degree of hazard posed may depend as much on the nature of society as on the nature of the hazard. An essay on the causes of hazards needs to take account of the social, cultural and economic causes as well as the physical causes. These "socio-economic" causes may include

* access to information

* access to wealth

* quality of building construction

* choices in building location

* expectations and preparedness

* perceived risks from the hazard

* perceived benefits from living in the area

* human impacts through land use and infrastructure developments (eg deforestation, building or road construction)

* Just as diverse are the physical causes which vary according to the type of hazard. Geomorphic hazards are influenced by rock type, rock structure and prevailing weather conditions. Climatic hazards may be influenced by