Transcript River Tees – North East England

River Tees – North East England
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Rivers begin at their source, high above sea level and flow downhill towards their mouth, usually the sea.
The River Tees source lies high up in the Pennines close to Cross Fell ( 893 metres above sea level). The river flows east to its
mouth in the North Sea. There are many tributaries and join the river at a confluence which creates a wider and deeper river,
downstream.
Erosion, transportation and deposition processes occur along the river.
Upper course:
- Impermeable rock.
- Steep side V-shape valley.
- River channel is shallow and rocky
- High Force waterfall and gorge with rapids – tallest
waterfall in England at 21 metres high.
Management:
Middle Course:
- Gradient less steep
- Lateral erosion and deposition occurs
- Wider and meanders begin to form
- Ox-bow lakes and flooding has caused levees to form
due to deposition and silting
EXAMPLES: Building reservoirs such as Cow Green and Grass Holme, as well
as the huge water sports complex at the Tees barrage.
Mouth of the River Tees:
- Estuary – lowland area that has been flooded
- Very wide estuary with mudflats and sandbanks
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
- Reduce flooding – hard and soft engineering
- Improve water supply and quality – dams and reservoirs
- Improve navigation = straightening the river
- Provide more opportunities for recreation
Boscastle Flood – 16th August 2004
(MEDC)
Causes Physical:
- Heavy localised rainfall – 89mm of
rain per hour
- Saturated ground from previous
rainfall and impermeable rocks
- Topography of land – Steep sided vshaped valleys acts as a funnel for
the water and rapid run-off
Causes Human:
- Bridges were low so acted as a dam
for debris
- Buildings located close to river and
sea
Primary Impacts:
- 50+ cars and caravans, plus 6
buildings were swept out to sea
- Flash floods creating a wall of water
destroying everything in its path
- Houses, shops and other buildings
filled with water, mud and sewage.
- Seven helicopters rescued about
150 people – no major injuries or
loss of life
Secondary Impacts:
- 90% of economy dependent on
tourism = lost money and 20+
accommodation
providers/attractions forced to shut
- Insurance company paid out approx.
£20 million
- Local authorities – raise car park,
defence improvements,
underground pumping stations for
sewage treatment, rebuilding local
services and bridges.
New Management Schemes and Defence:
• £4.6million scheme – raise car parks to
safer level; move and raise bridges;
widen and lower the river bed to
increase the amount of water it can hold
• Removing of dead vegetation to stop
blocking of the river
• ‘At risk’ properties – flood resistant
material, raise height of electrical wiring
• Environment Agency – Flood warning
system and information alongside
council special advice days
Bangladesh Flood – 2004 (LEDC)
Causes:
• One of the world’s poorest and least developed
nations in the world.
• Lays mainly on floodplains – 6 metres below sea
level and has 3 main rivers (The Ganges,
Brahmaputra and Meghna).
• 1,800-2,600mm rain a year – Flooding occurs
naturally in Bangladesh
• Snow from Himalayas melts each year; Sediment
builds up in the river – results in flooding
• Deforestation increasing run off and reduces lag
time
• Densely populated areas = increase impacts and
death toll
Social Impacts
- 36 million people made
homeless
- People died due to unclean
water and disease
- Rural farmers and urban
slum dwellers impacted
most
- 800+ people died
Economic Impacts
- Serious damage to
infrastructure – roads,
bridges, embankments,
irrigation systems
- Domestic and internal flights
suspended
- Value of damage = $2.2
billion (approx.) – 4% of
total GDP in 2004
Environmental Impacts
- July and August, approx.
38% of total land area was
flooded
- 800,000ha of farming land
destroyed
- River bank erosion = issues
for future floods
- Water contamination
Responses and Management
- Reliance on NGO support –
financially and Aid support
- Self help schemes promoted
- Early warning systems
implemented and shelters
- Levees to protect fields and
villages
- Monitoring improvements
- Build homes on stilts
Holderness Coast
Where is the Holderness Coast? What is the problem?
• Holderness Coast is on the NE coast of the UK, facing the North Sea
• Mainly made up of cliffs (20-30m high), consisting of soft, easily eroded boulder clay.
• Where the cliff line meets the Humber Estuary, a spit has formed due to the change in the
direction of the coastline – Spurn Head.
• The cliff line is retreating at an alarming rate – greater than 1m/yr (fastest rate in Europe) –
4km of land has been lost since Roman Times.
• Easington Gas Station (a North Sea Gas Terminal) is situated on the cliffs top and its position
is under threat.
Why is Cliff Erosion such a problem here?
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The cliffs are made up of soft glacial material (Boulder Clay- made
up of sands and gravels) which is easily eroded by the waves and
the cliffs are easily undermined – wave cut notch.
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The Holderness Coast is very exposed and approaching waves have
a long fetch over the North Sea.
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The waves are mainly destructive – eroding the base of the cliffs
(hydraulic action and abrasion).
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Most of the material eroded from the cliffs is washed out to sea –
longshore drift and deposition occurring – beaches are narrow and
do little to protect the coastline.
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The coastline is further threatened by sea-level rise.
Protecting Mappleton:
The village of Mappleton is greatly undertreat by coastal erosion along the
coastline and by 1998, the main road running through the village was only
500m from the cliff top (in places now only 50m). Suffers erosion up to 2m per
year.
To reduce amount of erosion, 2 rock groynes were constructed in 1991 to
encourage the build up of the beach by trapping longshore drift – waves
breaking on the beach rather than on the cliff.
However, this has increased erosion further down the coast due to no fresh
sediment being moved south, which could accelerate erosion of cliffs south of
Mappleton to 10m/yr.
Dawlish Warren
Where is Dawlish Warren?
• Dawlish Warren is a small seaside resort of the south coast of Devon. The resort
consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers
– tourism is a key income provider for many who live in the area.
• Situated at the mouth of the River Exe, opposite Exmouth.
Why does it need protecting?
• There is evidence from old maps that show the spit
has changed in size and shape over many years –
around 200 metres of the spit has been eroded.
• Major rail links pass through Dawlish Warren - In
2014, a major storm destroyed part of the railway
line at Dawlish and cut off Devon and Cornwall to
the rest of England.
• Multi-use area: used by holiday makers, golfers and
Dawlish Warren is also a National Nature Reserve.
• Natural spit that is protecting the River Exe up
towards Exeter – if the spit is eroded, Exeter is open
to flooding and erosion.
Coastal Management:
- Considerable amounts of coastal engineering have
taken place in and around Dawlish Warren and
spit.
- There is a sea wall with re-curve and breakwater to
the west and rock-armour(rip-rap) revetments to
try to slow down erosion. These are located at the
proximal end where they are most needed.
- On the spit itself, there are wooden groynes
constructed to keep sand on the beach and slow
down the process of longshore drift. Sand gabions
have also been used to encourage the sand to
build up and protect the nature reserve.
Youthful Population - Gambia
Background Info:
• Gambia is the smallest African country.
• There has been a taboo on contraceptives = birth rate is high, with each women on average having 7 children. Many children
die before they become adults.
• Birth rate is 40 per 1000 and for every 1000 children born 11 mothers die in child birth.
• Life expectancy – women is 57, men is 53.
Responses to the problems:
Positives of Youthful Population:
• Contraception – educate people on importance of
• Provides a steady supply of workers and encourage economies to grow
contraception and increase access. E.g. ‘Futures’
• Growing market for manufacturing goods
campaign, subsidised by the World Health
• Children are a valuable source of income as well as provide support for
Organisation.
family and younger siblings
• Improvements to health services – free vaccination
funding from Canada to reduce IMR, as well as
Negatives of Youthful Population:
improvements to maternity care.
• Strain on education system = Illiterate population
• Pressure on health services- lack of hospitals, high number of patients to
• Managing resources – Farming schemes to help
each doctor, lack of medicines = reduces ability to fight curable diseases
improve access to food, as well as sewage systems
• Food supplies limited = famine
to reduce the spread of diseases such as Cholera
• Lack of housing = slum dwellings spring up which have no running water,
(pollution to drinking water)
sewage systems or proper shelter = spread of diseases and increase in crime.
• Education – improvements to education system to
• Lack of jobs available
allow more children to attend school and get basic
education
Overpopulation- Kibera, Nairobi
Causes and impacts:
• Nairobi is the capital and largest city in Kenya – rapid growth=
overcrowding. 45% of the population live in shanty towns
• Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi with 250,000 residents living in
improper housing.
• No planning with no roads and Inadequate sewage disposal,
drainage, clean water or electricity.
• Lack of access to education and high crime rates due to high
unemployment rates and widespread poverty.
• Mortality rate is high – especially immortality rate.
• Diseases are spread easily due to cramped/unhygienic living
conditions, as well as poor health care services and a lack of health
care professionals.
Kibera Self-Help Youth Group - bottom-up organisation run by local
people to help improve the quality of life for residents of the slum and
created employment for members of the group.
- Waste collection and recycling: clearing the streets of waste and
recycling whatever can be reused or sold to recycling companies.
- Youth theatre – an opportunity for young people to express
themselves, while also running events to communicate the activities
of the group and issues like AIDS/HIV to illiterate local people
- Sports club – bring the local youth together in a spirit of co-operate
and competition,
- Local business – income, create jobs e.g. internet café
Solutions:
The Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme – improve the lives of 5.3
million slum dwellers in Kenya by 2020. Implemented in 2003.
Construction of 14 blocks of flats and 770 housing units in Kiberia.
Ensure provision of basic services. Cost = $1 billion
Peepoo Project – In June 2010, Peepoople registered and
incorporated ‘Peepoople Kenya’ as an NGO. Peepoo is a personal,
single-use, self-sanitising, fully biodegradable toilet that prevents
faeces from contaminating the immediate area and surrounding
ecosystem. Can be used to fertilise the land.
Kibera Water Kiosk Project - Life Force Kiosks purified one-million
litre of water 2013. Initiated in 2010. Cleaned over 5,000 water
storage containers to reduce drinking water contamination. Sold
over 600 diapers and 70 bars of anti-bacterial soup within 2
months.
SODIS – water treatment method – transparent PET-bottle are
placed in the sun for at least 6 hours. UV-radiation and heat from
the sun inactivates the pathogens that contaminate the water.
Improved access to safe water and sanitation and increase the
knowledge of health and hygiene.
Ageing Population – East Devon, UK (MEDC)
10 million people in the UK are over 65 (16% of the
population) - predicted to nearly double to 19million by
2050.
33% of over 65s are aged 80+ which is predicted to reach 8
million by 2050.
Positives of an Ageing Population:
• Tourism industry are benefited with retirees going on several
holidays throughout the year, making it less seasonal.
• Elderly people willing to spend in their local area – helping
economy
• Support with childcare, allowing parents to go out to work
• Undertake voluntary work helping fill job gaps and society
projects
• Knowledge – pass on skills and info to younger generation
Negatives of an Ageing Population:
• Place strain on health care services – suffer more problems and
need operations – more doctors, hospital, care houses required
• Shortage of retirement homes – building required
• Transport links are vital to transport people around – many get
free bus passes so don’t contribute to the running costs
• Provision of leisure activities and day centres – social isolation is
common amongst the elderly.
East Devon:
• Has the 2nd highest concentration of over 50’s in England.
• Coastal county with beautiful countryside which appeals
to the retired population.
Solutions:
- Residential complexes designed for the elderly, with
security and assistance if needed and communal areas
to socialise in.
- Care homes to free up holiday space, as well as home
visits to keep old people in their own homes instead of
in hospital.
- NGO Age Concern organise game clubs. Local leisure
centres having swimming and keep fit classes to
improve health of the elderly.
- Ring and ride buses to help pick up those in remote
areas as well as those in need to wheel chair access
(main bus fares increased to subsidize this)
Ageing Population – Japan
• Japan has the highest proportion of old dependents (about
23%) and the lowest proportion of young dependents (about
13%) in the world – fertility rate of 1.25, which is well below
the 2.1 replacement rate.
• Japanese people are living longer with life expectancy
predicted for 2060 at 90.93 (women) and 84.19 (men) – 4.5%
increase since 2010.
• Estimations suggest that 40% of the population will be of
retirement
Causes
• Combination of low fertility and high life expectancies (i.e. low
mortality) – Education more important, late marriage and even
no marriage as more women are working.
• Average number of children born per women over her lifetime
has been fewer than two since the late 1970s – devotion to
raising healthy children, high costs of child care and education
• Family planning – use of contraception to avoid unwanted
pregnancies
• Traditional Shinto belief – overpopulation will upset the Kamis
and natural balance of the world
Effects on society
• 2025 – dependency ratio = two dependents for every three
workers
• 27% of national income would be spent on social welfare
• Incidences of chronic disease increases with age – health care
system and pension systems put under severe strain.
• Nursing homes, day care facilities for the elderly and home
health programs
Anti-natalist: China’s One Child Policy
General Facts:
• 1960s – rapidly expanding population was threatened by
a series of famines and food shortages (1.3bn people).
• Established 1979 – each couple were allowed just one
child. Benefits include:
• increased access to education for all
• childcare and healthcare offered to families that
followed the rules.
• Success – yes or no?
• Yes – the population is growing more slowly, but it is
still growing.
Long-term implications:
- Relaxed somewhat in recent years – couples can now
apply to have a second child if their first child is a girl or
if both parents are themselves only-children.
- Falling birth rate – leading to a rise in the relative
number of elderly people
- Fewer people of working age to support the growing
number of elderly dependants – ageing population.
Problems with enforcing the policy in General:
- Those with more than one child did not receive these
benefits and were fined.
- Policy was keenly resisted in rural areas – traditionally
large families to work on farms.
- Urban areas – policy strictly enforced
- Rural areas – harder to control due to access and
monitoring
- Some women who became pregnant after they had
already had a child were forced to have an abortion or
forcibly sterilised.
Impacts of the policy in China:
- Birth rate in China has fallen since 1979 and rate of
population growth is now 0.7%
- Traditional preference for boys – large numbers of
female babies have ended up homeless/orphanages and
some killed.
- Gender balance of Chinese population has become
distorted – men outnumber women by more than 60
million.
Pro-natalist Policies: Singapore
Slow and reverse the boom in births that started after World
War Two and encourage parents to have more children because
birth rate has fallen below replacement levels.
• Policies known as Stop at Two created numerous issues. It
involved:
- Abortion and sterilisation were legalised in 1970
- Low educated women were given cash incentives to
voluntarily undergo sterilisation.
- Hospitals were required to charge incrementally higher fees
for each additional child.
Have three or more (if you can afford it) in 1987 – falling birth rates
were a serious problem and reverse previous policies.
• Mothers with third child were given cash incentives in child
relief. Fourth child would qualify for enhanced child relief
plus 15% increase of mothers income.
• Disincentives and penalties on school registration removed
• Hospitals costs of third child removed
• Large families given a flat and would receive priority to
upgrade.
• Abortion counselling and sterilisation cash grant for lowly
educated women was liberalised in 1993.
To counteract the Stop at Two policy, the Graduate Mothers Scheme
in 1984 – favoured the children of mothers with university degree in
primary school placement over the lesser-educated. There was a
trend that educated women would be less likely to marry and
procreate.
• government were to give education and housing priorities,
tax rebates and other benefits to mothers with university
degrees, as well as their children.
• Also encouraged men to choose highly educated women as
wives - Social Development Unit (SDU) was also established
in 1984 to promote marriage and romance between
educated individuals.
• Incentives for educated women to have three or four
children to reverse ‘Stop at Two’ policy.
However this resulted in ‘The Great Marriage Debate’ and was
questioned for women’s rights.
Impacts of the policy:
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Fertility rate has dropped to 1.2 in 2011 rather than
increased
Insufficient workers to fill jobs vacancies due to the
decrease in the birth rate
Singapore has an ageing population – future tax issues
Migration:
Mexico to USA
What is the situation?
Push Factors
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• There is a 2000km border between USA and Mexico
• Illegal migration is a huge problem for USA – 1million+
Mexicans migrate every year
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• US Border Patrol guard the border and try to prevent illegal
immigrants
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• Migrants usually men – send remittances (money home)
• 2013 – approx. 11.6 million Mexican immigrants reside in
USA – up 2.2 million from 1980
• Account for 28% of USAs 41.3 million foreign born.
Impacts on the USA:
+ Mexican workers benefit US economy – working for low pay =
money on business investments
+ Enrich culture with food, language and music from Mexico –
better integration
- Costs USA millions of $ for border patrols and prisons
- Drain on USA economy – skills gap and health care
- Mexican workers keep wages low which affects Americans
- Cultural and racial issues – conflicts
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High crime rates in Mexico e.g.
homicide rates 10-14 per
100,000 people (higher than
world average)
Unemployment rate risen –
34.43% increase 2009 = 5.37
rate 2010.
47% of population living below
poverty line.
Climate and natural hazards –
arid area resulting in water
shortages. Earthquakes and
Volcanoes making homes
uninhabitable.
Adult literacy rates 55% - poor
education/job prospects
Pull Factors
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Significantly better living
standards and access to a range
of services – healthcare, water
supplies etc.
Less than 1% of USA population
lives on less than 60p per day
8 of 10 Americans own a car
Low paid jobs available to
Mexicans with limited skills
and/or experience
Excellent medical facilities
Existing Mexican communities
in stages such as Texas and
California
Impacts on Mexico:
+ Legal and Illegal immigrants together send some $6billion a year
back to Mexico – invest in Mexican economy
+ Bring skills and connections when migrants return
- Mexican countryside = shortage of economically active people
= deprivation and lack of farming
- Many men emigrate leaving women without marriage partners
or at home fending by themselves
- Young people tend to migrate = high dependency ratio
Rural to Urban Migration – Kibera, Nairobi
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Life in Nairobi
Kibera - Largest slum in Africa; Second
largest in the world
1 million people living within 1 sq/m
Many newcomers are forced to live in
Shanty towns, such as Kibera, Nairobi’s
largest Shanty town
Push Factors
- Cannot afford fertilizers or
good quality seeds or
machinery to mass produce –
hard farming conditions
- Do not own their land –
costly to rent and cannot
compete with wealthy land
owners
- Drought, pests and floods
ruin crops
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Pull Factors
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- Better paid jobs
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- Access to education and
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improved health care
- Want a better quality of life •
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There are a lot more poor people living in Nairobi
than rich
Houses are built out of basic materials such as
corrugated iron.
Over 60% of Nairobi’s Population live below the
poverty line.
Kibera is heavily polluted by soot, open sewage
routes, human and animal faeces and rubbish.
2.2 million Kenyans living with HIV live in Kibera.
Unemployment rates are high. Crime is rife and police
are reluctant to enter the slum.
Child mortality is high – malnutrition and disease
Golf course next to Kibera has irrigated greens
whereas people in Kibera barely have enough clean
water to survive- many die of Cholera
Average monthly wage after tax in Nairobi is $419.59
compare to $92 in Kibera – economic inequality
Only 44% of households have regular income – selling
vegetables, second hand clothes, waste collection
No roads, proper sewage systems and limited
electricity
Counter Urbanisation – St Ives, Cambridge
Push Factors
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Traffic congestion in urban
areas
Pollution – air and noise
Fear of crime – muggings,
burglary and car theft
Stress of living in the ‘rat
race’
Increasing house prices
Social changes – ethnic
minority groups
Pull Factors
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Aspirations of a quiet
country life
Land and house prices
cheaper in rural areas – get
more for your money
Transport links allowing
people to commute more
easily
Pleasant surroundings
New developments
Technological
improvements – work from
home.
Effects on Rural Areas:
• Modern housing estates are built on edges of settlements
- take away its character
• Spread of rural urban fringe
• Old properties converted and modernised
• House prices increase = resentment to incomers
• Small industrial unity sited on main roads – destroying
idyllic views
• Commuting leading to services not being needed – closed
• Farmers selling off their land to urban authorities or
developers.
St Ives, Cambridge:
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65m North of London – road access to A1 straight into London and trains regularly from Cambridge to London
Housing was very affordable – now prices doubled
High car ownership within the village – large proportion work outside (25% commute to London every day)
Considerable number of housing developments around the periphery of St Ives – exclusive apartments along the River Ouse
Farm land being sold and farm buildings renovated into luxury properties – high demand
Earthquake – Haiti
2010 (LEDC)
Economic impacts:
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Causes of the Earthquake:
30,000 commercial buildings collapsed - businesses
destroyed
Damage to the main clothing industry
Airport and port damaged
President’s Palace and 60% of government buildings either
destroyed or badly damaged
- Haiti lies on the boundary of the Caribbean and North
American plates.
Responses to the Earthquake:
- There was a slippage along a conservative plate boundary
that runs through Haiti.
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- On 12th January 2010, a magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti at
16:53 local time.
- The earthquakes epicentre was 25km west of Port-au-Prince,
the Capital – where the majority of people, businesses and
services are located.
Social Impacts:
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3 million people affected
Over 220,000 deaths
300,000 injured
1.3 million made homeless
Several hospitals collapsed
Cholera outbreak later due to poor water supply and
contamination
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Neighbouring Dominican Republic provided emergency
water and medical supplies as well as heavy machinery to
help with search and rescue underneath the rubble –
mostly down to people themselves
Emergency rescue teams arrived from a number of
countries e.g. Iceland, USA, UK
Temporary field hospitals were set up by organisations like
the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Across the world money was raised to fund emergency aid
boxes and medicines to be sent over
United Nations troops and police were sent to help
distribute air and keep order.
After 1 year, there were still 1,300 camps and not much
rebuilding had been done
Schools and hospitals slowly being rebuilt.
Earthquake – Japan Tsunami 2011 (MEDC)
General Info:
• Japan Is located at the meeting point of 3 tectonic plates – The
Eurasian, the Pacific and the Philippines. The boundary is east of
the 4 main Japanese Islands
• It is a convergent Destructive boundary with faults running off the
boundary
Impacts:
 Buildings remained relatively the same after the earthquake –
earthquake proof buildings due to common occurrence
 Waves up to 30ft high hit the coast - Waves swept away
everything in its wake
• The islands are volcanic in origin
 Within a day of the event – 91 countries and 9 international
organisations offered aid and people to help with rescue and
recovery
• Japan gets 30% of the world’s earthquakes every year
 Confirmed death toll 15,890 (2015)
Causes of the tsunami:
 Material damage from the earthquake and tsunami estimated at
about 25 trillion yen ($300billion)
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 Japanese government declared state of emergency for the
nuclear power plant near Sendai – Sixty of Seventy thousand
people living nearby had to be evacuate.
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There was a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on the 9th march before the
8.9-9.0 magnitude earthquake on the 11th march. (largest recorded
earthquake to strike Japan)
Build up of energy as the Pacific plate subducts under the Eurasian
plate – frictional force released energy as earthquake waves
Tsunami caused a section of Eurasian plate popped/bounced back
upwards displacing water causing ripples – as they reach land they
rise in height.
Tsunami warning issued an hour after the quake
 Estimates that the tsunami swept about five million tons of debris
offshore – 70% sank
 300,000 buildings destroyed and a further one million damaged.
Almost 4,000 roads, 78 bridges and 29 railways also affected
(2012)
 2014 – nearly 270,000 people remain displaced
 Japanese government is pouring $250 billion into a five-year
reconstruction plan
Volcanic Eruption – Mount Etna, Italy 2002 (MEDC)
• Mount Etna is Europe’s highest and most active
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volcano. It is located on the east coast of Sicily,
towering 3340m over the city of Catania.
The African (oceanic) plate is subducted under the
Eurasian (continental) plate
Plate where Vesuvius was also formed – different
volcanic arc
More than 24% of Sicily’s population lives on
Etna’s slopes. Main source of income from
agriculture due to its rich volcanic soil and ski
tourism
Composite (strato-volcano) – layers of ash and
solidified Lava. Has more than one active chamber
Has erupted previously affecting the shape of the
volcano and the surrounding area – damage to land
and buildings
Effects of Eruption:
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Biggest eruption for many years – ash clouds that deposited
material as far as Libya
Completely destroyed the tourist station at Piano Provenzana
and part of the tourist station at Rifugio Sapieza, located on the
South side of the volcano. Took two weeks for lava to reach
tourist centre of Rifugio Sapienza
Losses in agriculture due to avalanche of debris – destroying
food supply and livelihoods
77 deaths
$8 million in damages
Clouds of ash caused airports to close
Responses:
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Damns of soil and volcanic rock were put up to protect the
tourist base and divert the flow – didn’t work.
New vents blasted to divert lava flow – more damage
Local rebuilding own properties from salvaged material or
relocated elsewhere – government intervention limited
Monitoring increased
Volcanic Eruption – Montserrat 1995/97 (LEDC)
• Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean.
Volcanic area located in the south of the island
on Soufriere Hills called Chances Peak.
• Before 1995 it had been dormant for over 300
years – in 1995 began to show warning signs
of an eruption
• Remained active for five years – most intense
eruptions occurred in 1997.
• Lies on a Destructive plate boundary
1997 Eruption:
- 11,000 people were evacuated in 1995 to the
north of Montserrat and neighbouring islands.
- Montserrat was devastated by Pyroclastic
flows due to the dome collapsing. Caused
forest fires.
- 5 million cubic metres of hot rocks and ash ran
down the side of the volcano engulfing nearby
villages as it went
Long-term responses:
- 19 people killed 1995 and 23 people in 1997 –
mostly farmers
- Exclusion zone set up in the volcanic region
- The Monserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) was built to
monitor the volcano
- New roads and airport built further away
- Services in the north of the island were expanded – encourage
people to live there
- 2/3s of the island was covered in ash, mostly
Plymouth (capital) which was covered in layers
of ash and mud.
- Many homes and buildings destroyed
including the only hospital, the airport and
many roads.
Drought in South East Australia 2010
(MEDC)
Primary Impacts:
•There is a water shortage and reservoirs are empty
•Animals die of thirst and starvation
•Plants die - even less evapotranspiration which further increases
the impacts of drought.
Secondary Impacts:
•Major water restrictions are enforced
Causes of the drought:
•Dry conditions lead to bush fires
•El Niño – every few years the normal weather pattern in the South Pacific •In 2009, 180 people die in bush fires
is reversed. Usually the winds blowing across the ocean to Australia bring •Water quality declines and poisonous algae forms
•Crops fail so farmers and exporters loose income
lots of rain. However, El Niño blows the wind from west to east and as it
•Farmers move to towns to find work
crosses over Australia, the winds become dryer.
•Suicide rate amongst farmers rockets due bills wracking up
•Water consumption – Australians have the world worst records for
•Wine industry affected – worldwide issue
conserving water – they use lots of water (filling swimming pools,
•Over half of all businesses are affected e.g. supermarkets have less
watering plants, cleaning cars etc). Not a good thing when rain fall is low. food to sell and prices of food are high – imports required
•Tourist industry suffers
Forest Fires:
Drought becomes more of an issue in Australia as
forest fires increase. Early Jan 2010, south Australia
experienced ‘catastrophic’ fire conditions where a CFA
volunteer was killed and two other injured. Acres of
farmland was destroyed.
Drought in Kenya 2009 (LEDC)
Causes of the drought:
-
-
Deforestation – trees cut down. This causes fertile soil to be
eroded quicker and leads to less evapotranspirtation. Rivers
dry up and land is no longer irrigated.
Climate change – high temperatures have dried up farmland
and the essential rainy seasons failed from 2007-2009.
Lack of farming knowledge in terms of irrigation of farm land
Inability to afford irrigation systems.
Why don’t people move?
-No money to move
-Poor infrastructure – ability to move
-Poor education
-Faith – generations grown up in the area for years.
Environmental Impacts:
• Hundreds of animals die due to lack of water and food Kenya’s key species die, including lions, wildebeest and
zebras – species become endangered
• Lake Nukuru is shrinking fast – threatening 1.5 million
flamingos and other species
• Crops fail in several areas
• Grazing land no longer support cattle
• Crops fail – food supply very low – famine
• Rivers, such as the Njoro, dry up totally.
Social Impacts:
- 19 million people suffer from water and food shortages –
millions starve – 15% rise in malnourished population
- Hygiene levels decrease due to lack of water increasing
risk of disease
- People are forced to drink water polluted with cattle
urine and dung
- Many families can no longer afford to send their children
to school – paying out for food rather than growing their
own or cannot sell their crops/animals
- Poor harvest force food prices up by 130%
- Tourist numbers are down as a result of the drought
- Fights frequently break out over scarce water supplies.
Hurricane Katrina – 2005 (MEDC)
• 29th August 2005 – Category 5 hurricane hits the Gulf of
Mexico – Bahamas, Miami, New Orleans, Mississippi and
Alabama
• Winds of over 100mph batter New Orleans and storm
surges reached over 6 metres in height.
• 28th August people began to evacuate New Orleans due to
warnings but many could not leave – too poor and not
enough time.
• It was the costliest natural disaster as well as one of the
five deadliest hurricanes in US history.
Responses:
- There was much criticism of the authorities for their
handling of the disaster
- $50billion in aid was given by the government
- UK send food air during the early stages of the
recovery process
- National guard was mobilised to restore and maintain
law and order
- NGOs such as British Red Cross sent out to help
Primary Impacts
• Flooding puts homes and roads underwater due to flood
defences breached
• Power lines are cut, trees felled, shops wrecked and cars
hurled across streets strewn with shattered glass.
• People seeking refuge on rooftops
• 1 million people were made homeless and about 1,2000
people drowned in the floods.
• Oil facilities were damaged – petrol prices rose
worldwide.
• Total property damage estimated at $108 billion (USD)
Secondary Impacts:
• City descends into anarchy, with reports of looting,
shootings, carjacking and rapes.
• Flood waters contaminated with e-coli
• 400,000 people lost jobs
• Key US politicians resign due to bad warning, evacuation
systems and aid
• Coast guard rescued 34,000 people in New Orleans alone
Cyclone Nargis- 2008 (LEDC)
• May 2008 – category 2 hurricane equivalent
• Little warning was given
• Winds of 200km p/h and low pressure created a storm
surge, measuring 6.3 metres high.
• Mainly affected Myanmar (Burma) a country south west
of Bangladesh.
Responses
• Initial response of military government was appalling – did not
want foreign people coming into the country and destabilising
their political oppression – refused aid
• Full 6 days before government said they were unable to cope
and asked UN for help
• Harsh restrictions on even most basic forms of assistance.
Eventually had to give in to international aid for food, medicine
and basic supplies. Foreign aid workers remained banned.
• 3 weeks before foreign aid workers were allowed into the country.
• UK gave £17 million in aid and sent international relied teams to
help with relief effort
• US donated $41 million USD to relief effort and sent American
Red Cross to help.
Impacts
- 2008/2009 harvest of rice destroyed ( a lot of rice is
grown here) - impacted 65% of country’s paddies
- Shrimp fishing industry was damaged – many boats
destroyed/ dragged out to sea
- Areas were left without water, food and electricity
- UN suggest that nearly 200,000 people died
- $10 billion worth of damage
- 75% of buildings collapsed and on the delta 95%
collapsed
- 1,163 temples destroyed
- Floodwaters penetrated an estimated 40-50km inland
from the coast
- 50,000 people still missing
- Diseases spread - many survivors dying after event
- Estimates that at least 2.4 million people were affected