Identify two of the hazards shown and explain your choice.

Analyse the global distribution of one of the hazards you identified in part (a).

Using examples, evaluate the success of adjustment and response strategies for a named hazard type.

A – earthquake – quakes last for seconds/minutes and affect a small area.

B – accept: either volcano – lasts for days to months; ash can affect a wide area or hurricane/typhoon/cyclone – lasts for days – affects a wide area.

C – drought – lasts for months/years – affects a very large area.

Accept any other valid examples and explanations.

The selection of a hazard not specifically named in the syllabus is likely to be self-limiting and requires no special action on the part of the examiner.

Allow 1+1 marks for identification of the hazards and 1+1 marks for justifications.

The chosen hazard should be clearly stated. A global scale must be used in the analysis. Award 2 marks for the description of the global pattern of the hazard and 4 marks for the explanation of the distribution, with reasons for any variations in the pattern.

The named hazard should be clearly stated. Relevant adjustment strategies may include modifying the hazard or changing the loss potential through building design, warning systems or land-use planning. In addition, adjustments to the loss may be included in terms of spreading losses, planning for loss or simply bearing the loss. Not all of these need be included in a good answer. Response strategies could include short-term rescue, shelter and aid, medium-term restoration of infrastructure and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The strongest answers will refer to examples of strategies used before and after actual hazard events. Answers that do not use examples or that simply describe relevant strategies should not move above band D. To access bands E and F, at least one adjustment and one response strategy should be evaluated.

Marks should be allocated according to the markbands.

This was usually well done.

At both levels, very few offered a good description of the actual global distribution.

Responses tended to focus on only limited aspects of the question, and concentrate, for example, only on short-term strategies, ignoring longer-term ones. At standard level, responses frequently described strategies without evaluating their success. Detail was often missing, for example, "build earthquake-resistant buildings" was often stated as a strategy but without any detail as to how this could be achieved. Many candidates still believe that with current technology, earthquakes can be predicted and populations evacuated before they occur.