How can we manage the impacts of tectonic and weather hazards?
Why people continue to live in hazardous places; and how the four management approaches of prediction, protection, planning and preparation reduce the impacts of tectonic and weather hazards, including the role of technology and monitoring.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE Geography B (J384) Global Hazards on managing hazards, covering why people live in hazardous places and how prediction, protection, planning and preparation reduce the impacts of tectonic and weather hazards.
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What this dot point is asking
This is OCR GCSE Geography B (J384) Component 1, Our Natural World, the final enquiry of Global Hazards: "How can we manage the impacts of tectonic and weather hazards?" OCR expects you to explain why people choose to live in hazardous places despite the risk, and to explain and evaluate the four management approaches: prediction, protection, planning and preparation, including how technology and monitoring support them. You should be able to apply these to both tectonic and weather hazards and to compare how well each works.
Why people live in hazardous places
It can seem strange that millions live near active faults, volcanoes and storm-prone coasts, but there are clear reasons.
- Benefits. Volcanoes produce fertile soils that are excellent for farming (the slopes of Mount Etna), provide geothermal energy (Iceland), and attract tourism that creates jobs. Coasts and floodplains offer flat land, water, trade and fishing.
- Constraints. Many people cannot afford to move, or have family, jobs and community ties that keep them in place. Some judge the risk to be low in their own lifetime, or trust that monitoring, defences and building codes will protect them.
The four management approaches
OCR frames hazard management around four words. Learn an example for each.
- Prediction
- Technology and monitoring are central. Tropical storms can be tracked by satellite and computer models days in advance, giving time to warn and evacuate. Volcanoes can be monitored for warning signs (small earthquakes, ground swelling, escaping gases), allowing evacuation before an eruption. Earthquakes, however, cannot yet be reliably predicted, which is why protection and preparation matter so much for them.
- Protection
- Engineering reduces damage. Earthquake-resistant buildings use deep foundations, cross-bracing, rubber shock absorbers and automatic shut-off valves; sea walls and embankments defend coasts and rivers; storm shutters and reinforced roofs help against tropical storms.
- Planning
- Authorities use hazard maps to zone land use, keeping homes, hospitals and schools away from the highest-risk zones, and set out evacuation routes and emergency plans so services know what to do.
- Preparation
- Cheap and effective: education and drills (Japan holds annual earthquake drills), warning systems (sirens, phone alerts), and household emergency kits with food, water and torches mean people can act fast when a warning comes.
Try this
Q1. Describe two ways technology is used to predict hazards. [4 marks]
- Cue. Satellites tracking tropical storms; seismometers and gas sensors monitoring volcanoes for warning signs.
Q2. Suggest why preparation is especially important in areas at risk of earthquakes. [4 marks]
- Cue. Earthquakes cannot be predicted, so drills, warning systems and emergency kits let people respond instantly, reducing deaths cheaply.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20184 marksExplain why people continue to live in areas at risk from tectonic hazards. (Component 1)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark "Explain" question assessing AO1 and AO2. Markers reward developed reasons, not a list of one-word factors.
Award credit for: fertile volcanic soils attract farmers because crops grow well (for example around Mount Etna); geothermal energy and tourism create jobs and income; many people cannot afford to move or have family, work and community ties to the area; and some believe a major event is unlikely in their lifetime, or trust that monitoring and building codes will keep them safe. Top answers develop a reason into a consequence (fertile soil, so good farming, so income) rather than just naming it.
OCR 20226 marksEvaluate the use of prediction and preparation in reducing the impacts of weather hazards. (Component 1)Show worked answer →
A 6-mark "Evaluate" question marked by levels of response, assessing AO1, AO2 and AO3. The command "Evaluate" asks how effective the approaches are, with a judgement.
Strong answers explain that prediction of weather hazards is fairly reliable: satellites and weather models track tropical storms days ahead, allowing warnings and evacuation that save many lives, though the exact track and intensity can still surprise. They then evaluate preparation: education, drills, emergency kits and evacuation plans cut deaths cheaply, but only work if people can act on warnings (which is harder in poorer or remote communities). A good judgement weighs the two: prediction plus preparation is highly effective for weather hazards because there is usually warning time, unlike earthquakes, but their success depends on resources and on people responding. Markers reward a clear judgement and the contrast with hazards that cannot be predicted.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Geography B (J384) specification — OCR (2016)