3.1.1.1 Natural hazards GapFill

Natural hazards arise as a result of natural biological and physical activities on  Earththe moonthe atmosphereunderground. They become hazards because they put people and  propertyschoolsbusinessesthe ground at risk of harm. Natural hazards associated with the  oceanhumanphysicalcoral reef environment are the result of geophysical processes on our planet (the way it has formed and how air circulates in the atmosphere) and its geomorphology (shape and structure). Many natural hazards are infrequent and  tinypredictableunpredictablenever strike twice. People live in places that are at risk because the immediate  disadvantagesbenefitsplanningforecasts outweigh the possible danger. For example, the slopes of  fault linesuplandsvolcanoesmountains and the flood plains of rivers are particularly fertile, enabling people to grow crops. Many coastal areas are at risk of severe  locust plaguesdroughtsstormsheatwaves, but are great locations from which to trade and fish. For some people there is no choice - a lack of  university accessclean watercarseducation might mean they don’t understand the risk they are taking, or they have to live where they were born because they are not able to move to elsewhere. In 2005, the World Bank estimated that over  99%5%a quarterhalf of the world’s population live at risk from at least one natural hazard. Human behaviours are causing this to increase in two ways; firstly, undertaking activities that make natural events more frequent or intense, and secondly, more people are living in areas that are at risk.