With reference to two contrasting types of hazard examine the extent to which prediction can reduce
A hazard is a perceived natural event, which has the potential to threaten both life and property a disaster, is the realisation of this hazard. The term natural hazard is not a precise description as hazards are not just the result of natural events. Natural hazards can be caused by the inability to recognise a potential hazard and to act accordingly The common characteristics of a natural hazard are that the origin of the hazard is clear and produces distinctive effects, which its warning time is short, that most losses to life and property occur shortly after the hazard, that in economically less developed countries the risk of exposure can be involuntary as people are forced to live in hazardous areas. ... · Areal extent - the size of the area covered by the hazard (can range from small scale to continental) · Spatial concentration - the distribution of the hazard over the globe (can be concentrated on plate boundaries, coastal locations) · Speed of onset - the difference between the start of the event and the peak of the event.