GEOG306 (HAM)
Disasters and Development
20 points

Lecturer: Associate Professor John Campbell
Email: jrc@waikato.ac.nz

Paper description

The Indian Ocean tsunami, earthquakes in China, tropical cyclones in New Orleans and the Pacific Islands and floods and drought in Aotearoa-New Zealand.  Around the world disasters are causing increasing losses, although these are experienced differently in the so called developed and developing countries.  This paper examines theories that seek to explain differences in development among the world's countries.  It then investigates differences in the impacts of disasters between the so-called developed and developing worlds using examples of various disasters and recent theoretical developments in the study of disasters.  While we often attribute disasters to the natural events that trigger them, differences in the impacts of these events are often the result of social, political and economic processes.

Paper objectives

This paper will:

• introduce students to the study of the social dimensions of natural hazards and disasters, illustrating these using examples from New Zealand and other countries;
• introduce students to the geographies of development;
• introduce students to the prominent theories used to explain natural hazards and disasters; and
• enable students to reflect critically upon approaches to analysis of disasters around the globe.

Prerequisites

40 points at level 2 including 20 points in Geography.

Required Text

A manual of readings will be available at Campus Copy.

Assessment

Internal assessment to examination ratio is 70:30. Assessment will include an essay, disaster evaluation assignment and a final exam. Information on assessment and deadlines will be provided in the first week of lectures.

Timetable and Organisation:

Refer to the Online Timetable.