Post #1 -- Hazards, disasters and catastrophes

Chapter One in our text defines hazards, disasters and catastrophes and gives examples to clarify their differences.

A natural hazard is a naturally occurring event and process that has the potential to negatively impact lives and property. An earthquake is a natural hazard because, if it occurs in a densely populated area, the possibility of loss of life and property is very great. 

A disaster is a natural hazard, but it has additional criteria to be categorized as such.  It must occur within a limited time span and within a defined area.  Tornadoes may be classified as disasters.

A natural disaster is even more specific.  The criteria depend on the number of people killed, the number of people affected, a state of emergency being declared, and international assistance requested. At least one of the above conditions must apply. The Northridge earthquake in 1994 was a natural disaster.

A catastrophe is the most extreme category.  The disaster must be on a grand scale, requiring huge sums of money and an extended period of time for recovery.  The 2010 hurricane that hit Haiti is a example of a catastrophe.



South Korea, the country that I will be discussing, is in East Asia.  The maps, which are reproduced from the World Atlas, show that it is part of the Korean Peninsula.  Until the end of World War II, North and South Korea were one country.  Since then, the peninsula has been divided into two countries, North (communist controlled) and South (democracy).  South Korea is surrounded on three sides by water:  the Sea of Japan, the Korean Strait, the Cheju Strait, and the Yellow Sea.

According to Wook-Jong Kim in a 1994 paper, the Korean Peninsula is impacted by several natural disasters, including floods, typhoons, and storms.  This should be an interesting semester!

World Atlas  worldatlas.com
Kim, Wook-Jong;  Natural Hazard Research: Natural Disaster Management in Korea: An Analytic Study with Policy Implications, 1994