Enrolments for 2023 have closed.
Natural Hazards
Undergraduate | CUR-GPH230 | 2023
Course information for 2023 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Study the fury of natural hazards. Consider how far and wide their effects span, along with strategies to minimise our vulnerability to their wrath. Learn about environmental planning and sustainable development.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed,
- No prior study
- Duration
- 13 weeks
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Natural Hazards
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- examine the geographical distribution of hazard events in the context of risk and vulnerability of the natural and built environment
- systems discuss the relevance of the principles of environmental planning and sustainable development to risk management in vulnerable communities
- evaluate the impact of high carbon lives on the intensity and frequency of severe natural hazards events
- analyse adaptation strategies for minimising risk and vulnerability to natural hazard events including low carbon futures
- develop skills in the interpretation and analysis of data
- Introduction: The New Catastrophism
- Hazards: Tectonic
- Hazards: Hydrological and Atmospheric
- Hazards: Tech and Bio
- Himalayas and climatic hazards
- Paradigms & Approaches: Vulnerability, Risk & Adaptation
- Approaches: Political Ecology
- Case Study: Reflections on 2015 Nepal earthquake
- Case Study: Climate Change Adaptation Bangladesh
- Case Study: Fire in the Australian Landscape
This subject examines the political ecologies of hazards from a geographical perspective. The concepts of risk, vulnerability and adaptation to select hazards are examined at the global, regional and local scale. The spatial distribution, severity of hazard impacts and strategies to minimize vulnerability are examined in the context of climate change, sustainable development, public policy and the vulnerability of communities in both developing and developed countries.
Please Note: If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the Academic Integritymodule.
- Laboratory (50%)
- Report (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateCUR-SGE-DEG
Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) (Humanities and Social Sciences - Geography)
UndergraduateCUR-GPH-CTF
UndergraduateCUR-GPH-DEG
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