Undergraduate - UnitATS1310 - Natural hazards and Human vulnerability

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Physical Geography
Monash Passport category	Research Challenge (Investigate Program)
Offered	Clayton First semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Adeline Tay

Notes

Previously coded GES1070

Synopsis

This unit analyses the wide range of environmental processes (hazards) that pose risks to human lives, livelihoods and settlements. These hazards include earthquakes, tsunami, extreme storms, and forest fires. By integrating physical and human geographical approaches, the unit explores how the risk in any area is a function of both the environmental hazards and the vulnerability of the community. Case studies of significant disasters form a key component of the unit. Other topics considered include risk management, recovery processes, and the role of international aid.

Outcomes

Students completing ATS1310 satisfactorily will:

be aware of the range of environmental processes that need to be recognised as hazards to human lives, livelihoods and settlements
understand the nature and origin of hazardous environmental processes, including concepts of event magnitude and frequency of occurrence
appreciate that there are regional variations in the characteristics of environmental and socio-economic processes that produce catastrophes
understand why social and demographic factors are involved in the processes through which an environmental process becomes a human disaster
appreciate the range of factors than may influence the vulnerability of particular regions or communities to hazardous environmental processes
be able to discuss and summarise some of the strategies that can be used to minimise the risk of environmental disaster and to respond to disasters when they occur.